Session Drummer | Studio Drummer | Touring and Worship Drummer for Hire | Dale Baker | Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC

No Zebras were harmed in the making of this video:

Oh the funny stuff we find on the 'net:

Race Day Tomorrow

I've been training for a marathon in April, and as part of my training, I've been doing a few half-marathon races and runs.  A couple of weekends ago, I did a race up in Greensboro, and this weekend (tomorrow), I'll be running the Coach Bubba 20 K race here in Durham.

Curious as to what the course looks like?  Check out the link:

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/nc/durham/297716048

Or just view this:

10 Commandments of playing in a Worship Band

Stephen Claybrook leads worship at Crosspointe Church in Cary, NC and has an excellent blog that I visit from time to time, and today as I was meandering over in his neck of the internets/ interweb, I came across this wonderful post. Most of all, I appreciated his comments that he added after the list of "commandments."  Here is an excerpt:

"no matter what you’re “thing” is, it’s easy to plateau. it takes concerted effort to continue to grow and improve your skills. this is true with musicians as well. we learn patterns and habits along the way. it’s easy to get stuck in familiar patterns. you have to be proactive about stretching."

To read the full post, click here.

People in Order

From the folks at the "Portable Film Festival," comes this beautiful video which is part of a series of films by Lenka Clayton and James Price.  I found this little blurb about the video series:

"A series of films about human lives. We toured Britain in a camper van, driving from London to the Pennines and filmed portraits of 471 strangers along the way. The portraits are in order according to age, length of relationship, yearly income and stage of pregnancy."

This is the first one I watched (Thanks to Brandon for the link.):

23rd Psalm for Jazz Bassists

From my friend (and former roomie) Martin Baird:

23rd Psalm for Jazz Bassists

The Lord is my drummer, I shall not rush.

He maketh me to lay out in tasteful places

He leadeth me beside cool meter changes

He restoreth my "one".

Yeah man, though I read through the

trickiest of charts, I will fear no train wrecks.

For You are with it.

Your ride and Your snare, they comfort me

You setteth up a solo for me

In the presence of mine guitarists.

You annointeth my lines with drive.

My groove overfloweth.

Surely good feel and swing will follow me

through all the tunes of each set.

And I will dwell in the pocket

the whole gig long.

Amen.

Fionn Regan: Interview

Thanks to Able, I viewed the coolest video I've seen in a long time.  Not only is the song great, but the video makes you wonder if the song and video were recorded at the same time, or if they just added the sound effects later and he was just lip syncing along to a master track. 

After viewing the video and a few others on You Tube, I checked out Fionn's site and read the coolest interview I've read in a long time.  Fionn interviews himself, and I just love his answers.  They make me more curious about him, and makes me want to see him play live that much more (as if the videos weren't enough).  Read the interview here.  See the video here. Oh wait, I can embed this thing...I think I'll do that right now:

Valentines Day Music

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and though it's not as soon as Feb. 7th (according to this calendar we purchased for real cheap), it'll be here before you know it.  So wouldn't you know some enterprising company has put out a compilation of music suited for this particular day?  Well, it's coming out today, according to an article in the Morpeth Herald.  And I quote:

AS Valentine's day looms, celebrate the biggest acoustic love songs of all time with a brand new compilation CD.

With the ultimate in romantic ballads and love classics, Essential Acoustic Love is the album of the Spring.

And wouldn't you know it, the CD also features "Kiss Me" the song I helped make famous (through numerous tv appearances, and lunch-time performances for radio stations, not to mention I played drums and percussion on the track).  But I wouldn't purchase the disc for "Kiss Me." I'd purchase it for the combination of artists ranging from KT Tunstall, to Oasis, to Tom Waits and Emmylou Harris.

"All My Tears" at Emmaus Way Jan. 27th

This song is an excerpt from the larger Emmaus Way Podcast from January 27th.

Download:  All_My_Tears_at Emmaus Way Jan. 27 2008

I frequently play at Emmaus Way in downtown Durham, and on this particular Sunday I was fortunate to  play with a group of excellent musicians that all live here in the area. On the recording you will hear Jeff Crawford on bass and background vocals, Nick Jaeger on electric guitar, James Wallace on piano, and of course Wade Baynham on acoustic guitar and lead vocals. 

The recording was done with a stereo mic setup with the five of us playing in the round.  I had my big 26" Kick, along with my tamb/shaker/hi-hat pedal and was playing brushes on my snare drum. 

The song was written by Julie Miller and was famously featured on Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball album.  Before that you could have heard it on any number of Julie's records from the early to mid 90's.

Wade is the worship/ arts pastor for Emmaus Way and since moving to Durham 8 years ago, I've treasured my relationship with him.  In addition to his work at Emmaus Way, Wade also owns one of the best sounding studios, I've played in.  I've recorded many a drum track in his studio and think that his place is on par with some of the fancier and costlier places (Ocean Way Nashville, The Bennett House, to name two) I've recorded in.  Wade is also an excellent songwriter and producer/ engineer and plays a number of instruments really well. 

Jeff and Nick play in a band called Roman Candle and and along with that band they and also stay busy with Jeff's own project.  James plays in Max Indian and a bunch of other Chapel Hill bands.