These cymbals are totally hand hammered and they have a depth, expression, color, and nuance that you cannot find in other ‘plates.’ There are several fine cymbal companies from which to choose, but Bosphorus is the creme de la creme. I look for diversity and contrast in my cymbals. This company understands the importance of creating cymbals that offer delicate shimmers and explosive blasts: truly the best of both worlds.

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ERIC STARR—SHE

Drummer Eric Starr has cut a stylish contemporary jazz album with SHE. Featuring an extensive cast of musicians (including Sting guitarist Dominic Miller and saxophonist Iain Ballamy), the record offers up a wide variety of instrumentation, yet retains the intimate feel of a small group session, with arrangements that are consistently adventurous and ambitious.

Starr proves himself an accomplished composer on the vital post-bop opener, “Wakangli.” Several songs feature excellent performances by singer Nelson Starr (Eric’s brother). “Salta (Tren A Las Nubes),” for example, unfurls a languid vocal melody over a gentle bossa nova rhythm that would have made Antonio Carlos Jobim proud, while the elegant, melancholic “Tender Night” has the feel of a classic standard. The album also presents “La’raesa,” a Latin-inflected bop workout from Starr’s student days, and closes with “Warm at Heart,” a lush, wistful song commemorating 9/11 (and featuring another strong vocal by Nelson Starr). Overall, SHE is an album filled with fine musicianship and instrumental interplay, and is a particularly impressive showcase for Eric Starr’s compositional abilities.

Even if you put the “shooting star” puns aside, it can’t be denied — the extensive résumé of UB alum Eric Starr, drummer, composer, bandleader, singer and author would make anyone proud.

A ‘94 graduate of UB, Starr earned his B.A. in music performance as a percussionist. Feeling the need to further achieve, he returned to Buffalo two years later to receive a second B.A. in English, taking full advantage of both degrees through writing and by performing with his band, The Eric Starr Group.

Starr currently has one book published by Adams Media, “The Everything Drum Book,” which hit shelves in 2004. The book is a tutorial for those with or without any experience in percussion.

The musician and author also has two more “everything” books in production for Adams Media. “The Everything Rock and Blues Piano Book” is scheduled for June 2007, and in 2008, “The Everything Bass Guitar Book,” which is co-authored by his brother Nelson Starr.

Since Starr is also a pianist, he was able to write “The Everything Rock and Blues Piano Book” alone. However, with the publication, Starr had to call upon his sibling and recent Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductee, Nelson, to compose the bass tutorials.

“I do the formatting, editing, researching, historical and biographical work; writing out the notations,” Starr said. “And Nelson does the meat and potatoes of the composition since I don’t play bass.”

The book covers a combination of categories. It is chiefly a how-to guide, but also assumes the role of a biographical/musical encyclopedia with key innovators such as Paul McCartney, James Jameson and Jaco Pastorius to further knowledge of the instrument.

“It acts as a research guide, in the back of book there are two appendices, including a list of key innovators. It’s a pretty comprehensive list,” Starr said.

Adams Media publishes books that are designed to help readers meet their objective in any way possible.

“Their goal is to help the reader learn about what they are researching, whether it means to look elsewhere,” Starr said.

In the “everything” books collection Starr includes a list of other recommended readings, Web sites and films that would prove helpful to the reader.

“This is so that readers can continue their education or supplement education with references,” Starr said. “But to learn you really should have a qualified music instructor.”

It is likely that Starr will be authoring an advanced drumming book in the spring that will be added to the “everything” collection.

However, Starr’s UB education isn’t all that qualifies him to author such books so well. He has had an eclectic musical career, empowering him with experiences that only a few can imagine.

This diverse and talented artist has been awarded the prestigious Meet the Composer Grant three times and received the Utah Arts Council Grant in 2005. More impressively, Starr composed chamber music for NYC theater productions Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and Macbeth. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Starr’s experience extends even further with his band, The Eric Starr Group, which performs all original vocal jazz music. They blend contemporary jazz with sophisticate pop with a dash of Brazilian spices.

Again, Nelson Starr collaborates with Eric Starr, who offers his smooth and likeable vocal sounds. As if these two musical geniuses were not enough, the group is made up of more all-star players.

British modern jazz movement’s pioneer Iain Ballamy soothes listeners with both tenor and soprano saxophone sounds. He has played under famed musicians such as Bill Bruford, Cedar Walton, Gil Evans, and singer Ian Shaw. Starr actually grew up listening to Ballamy’s musical contributions. Now he has the pleasure of sharing the stage with him. Also having contributed to Starr’s studio recordings is Sting’s guitarist, Dominic Miller.

“This year is going to be a good year for us, I want to book more concert dates and work on a second album,” Starr said. “We also have the possibility of playing a music festival in the U.S. and abroad.”

While opportunities arise throughout the country and internationally, Starr hopes to be able to again perform in the Buffalo area sometime in 2007.

“We haven’t performed in a while,” Starr said. “In 2006 I was working as a freelance artist writing the two books and my wife Katherine and I had our new baby boy, Iain, who is essentially named after saxophonist Iain Bellamy.”

With plans for a new album, tour dates and several books, Starr has a full schedule for the year.

“2007 is going to be a good year,” he said. “I’ll be back in the saddle this year recording with the group working on the follow up to ‘She.’”

If the phrase “hometown boy makes good” ever applied to anyone, it would have to be Eric Starr. After playing the local scene for years with The Tails and other bands, Starr left the area in the late 90’s to head to New York City with a mission to be among the brightest and most talented players around. He formed a six piece jazz ensemble, recorded a critically acclaimed CD titled She and sold out their debut performance at Lincoln Center. Quite possibly the phrase “hometown boy makes good” is an understatement.

So with high anticipation the sold out crowd was ready for his return home. Starr brought what could be said are some of the best players in jazz circles today. Pianist Andy LaVerne whose past work includes Stan Getz, guitarist Marc Schonbrun, Nori Shiota on bass, Eric’s brother Nelson on vocals and flying in from London, England just to play this and one show in NYC was saxophonist Iain Ballamy. These artists have chosen to play together based on the musical vision and playing ability of Eric Starr. The players never overpower each other but complement and exchange ideas as they play. A subtle smile or nod to acknowledge a solo between performers shows the bond they have for each other as artists. The constant smile on Starr’s face throughout the night showed that he too was pleased with the group and the music they were creating. The hushed dynamics of the band and Nelson Starr’s scat singing style were further enhanced by the acoustics of The Tralf. Playing selections from his CD and other material the eighty minute set seemed so much shorter than it was as most of us could have listened to the band play all night long. For more information about Eric Starr check out www.ericstarrgroup.com

Also by bestofwny.com: “Music Prodigy and Rising National Talent”

Music can transport you to places you can only imagine. On his latest disc, titled She, local music prodigy and rising national talent drummer Eric Starr takes us on one of those journeys. Using Latin, Native American and World rhythms he has made a remarkable record. The liner notes explain these themes to you as related to the song but even without that knowledge the music exposes the location to the listener. The gentle nylon plucked guitar of “Salta (Tren a las Nubes)” invokes South America while “Wakangli” feels tribal in nature. All six tracks are over five minutes in length and allow the songs to flesh themselves out without being self indulgent. Other tracks of note include “Tender Night” and “She Didn’t Know”. Artists helping to create the music along with Eric Starr include brother Nelson Starr on vocals and keyboards, Dominic Miller and Dan Heck on guitar, Iain Ballamy on sax and others. For more on Eric Starr and his new CD, She, check out www.ericstarrgroup.com.

Eric’s tune Salta was chosen as a feature download on All About Jazz.com Click here to listen to listen along with the thousands who are making our hit counters here go berserk! Help ESG climb to the top of the Top 25!

Starr is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Meet the Composer Grant and the 2005 co-recipient of the Utah Arts Council Grant. From 2000-2003, he was commissioned by Artemis & The Wild Things Inc. to compose chamber music for NYC productions of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and Macbeth. Recently, Eric has completed The Stones of Carnac, a chamber piece for tenor saxophone and string quartet. The piece received its world premier at The Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, on November 9th, 2007 featuring Iain Ballamy (saxophone) and the Pavao String Quartet.

In 2003, Starr completed his first major publication, The Everything Drums Book® (Adams Media Inc). Thousands of copies have been sold worldwide, and recently, his book has been translated into Spanish by Robinbook publishers in Barcelona, Spain. Starr’s latest publication, The Everything Rock and Blues Piano Book® hit the shelves worldwide in 2007 (Adams Media Inc.). He also recently completed work on The Everything Bass Guitar Book® (Adams Media Inc.) co-authored with his brother Nelson. He is now finishing The Everything Rock Drums Book® (Adams Media Inc.).

As a drummer, highlights include collaborations, recordings, and/or stage appearances with artists as diverse as The Chieftains (w/ Los Lobos), Dominic Miller (Sting), Iain Ballamy (Gil Evans, Bill Bruford’s Earthworks), Jim Rotondi (Toshiko Akiyoshi), Kenny Ascher (John Lennon, 1979 Oscar nominee for The Rainbow Connection), Bobby Militello (Dave Brubeck), Graham Maby (Joe Jackson), Ezra Reich (pop artist), James Carter (Sony Recording artist), Don “Red” Menza (Buddy Rich Orchestra), Carmen Leggio (Gene Krupa Quartet), Bill Crow (Gerry Mulligan), Sam Noto (Count Basie Orchestra), Rick Germanson (Louis Hayes), Roseanna Vitro (Telarc Recording Artist), and David Budway (Jeff “Tain” Watts, Regina Carter). Starr has also recorded with Grammy-winning engineer/producers Harvey Jay Goldberg (The Rolling Stones, Director of Sound for Late Night with David Letterman), and Jeffrey Lesser (Lou Reed, The Chieftains). And in 2000, Starr’s drumming was heard on Columbia Tri-Star’s hit TV series Party of Five.

Starr has performed at over a dozen music festivals throughout North America including Undercurrents (Cleveland), Beaches Jazz Festival (Toronto), North by Northwest (Toronto), The Ripley Jazz Festival (Pennsylvania), South by Southwest (Austin), Edenfest (Ontario), June in Buffalo (Western New York), The Nickel City Jazz Festival (Western New York), the North American New Music Festival (Western New York), and the CMJ Music Festival (New York City).

Additionally, he is a regular in New York City’s jazz and rock scene, having performed at dozens of famous clubs and music halls. Among them, he has performed at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), The Knitting Factory (main stage), Smoke, Lennox Lounge, St. Nicks Pub, Cornelia Street Café, Arlene’s Grocery, Sin-e, Pianos, The Living Room, The Bitter End, Smalls, The Triad, The Coral Room, and Tonic to name a select few. His group was also the house band at Flute Gramercy, a New York City landmark, from 2002-2005 and he has performed at City Hall for Borough President C. Virginia Fields.

Starr’s album SHE has received radio play and/or record reviews in the United States, Europe, and Russia. Among others, The Buffalo News wrote that “Starr is establishing himself as a major player in modern jazz.” www.bestofwny.com called Starr “A music prodigy.” Muze Inc.—a global leader in entertainment information—called Starr an “accomplished composer…who would have made Antonio Carlos Jobim proud,” and Jazz Dimensions in Berlin called SHE “a beautiful, inspired debut album.”

Following the release of SHE, Starr was twice interviewed by America’s original “shock jock,” Joey Reynolds. The interviews aired coast-to-coast on the WOR Radio Network. In 2004, the group kicked off the release of SHE with a sold-out concert at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City followed by additional dates in NYC and Western New York.

Eric Starr resides in Manhattan and is an official endorser of Bosphorus Cymbals, Regal Tip drumsticks, Evans drumheads, and HQ Percussion.

TO PURCHASE COPIES OF “SHE” GO TO WWW.CDBABY.COM/ERICSTARR!!!TO HEAR THREE FULL SONGS GO TO WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEERICSTARRGROUP! ! !