Neil Peart's NHL Themed kit

By all accounts, it was a busy and successful NAMM Convention this year. As usual, the expected mountains of new gear were on display and all the usual suspects were present – including the perennial Ozzy Osbourne look-alike (who seemed to pack on a few pounds since last time.) Having rested my weary feet and voice, here are a few highlights:

DW (Drum Workshop) was showcasing Neil Peart’s latest ‘National Hockey League’ themed kit. The DW booth was busy as always. After running into Scott Donnell, I met up with session great John ‘JR’ Robinson.

John’s has recently joined DW’s stable of endorsed artists and the ‘world’s most recorded drummer’ videotaped an brief interview with me regarding Gary Chaffee (stay tuned for more info about Gary’s upcoming DVD release we’re producing for distribution with Alfred Publishing).

(L to R) Julie Slick, Bryan Beller, Kira Small

While stopping by the Alfred Publishing booth, I ran into incredible bassist Bryan Beller (Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, Dethklok). Bryan was spending some time with his wife Kira Small and Julie Slick (Adrian Belew Power Trio) ahead of his afternoon performance with Mike Keneally and Marco Minnemann.

Bryan has been very busy over the past few years – between his Vai gig, the Dethklok tour, Keneally projects, getting married and everything else he does!! – and it was great to catch up with him and attend his quick Keneally performance at the Dean Markley booth.

The Kenally gig was held in a really really small, crowded and hot (no Tom Friedman jokes please) demo booth on the show floor – and the super-trio absolutely killed their 30+minutes of music.

Mike Keneally & Marco Minnemann

It was great to hear Marco’s style of playing added to the Keneally repertoire in-person. The guys ripped thru fan faves such as ‘Snowcow’, ‘My Dilemma’, ‘Beautiful’, ‘Dolphins..’ and Mike was even gracious enough to tune down his copper-colored Washburn for a great version of ” `Cause of Breakfast” at my request.

Marco claimed he wasn’t sure he remembered it – and then proceeded to catch all the cues and odd rhythms thru the whole song. These guys are not fooling around.. truly bad-ass trio.

Mike Keneally’s recent release ‘Scambot I‘ has been called an ultimate ‘headphone’ album. Mike is quoted on his site: “There is a plot, and a bunch of characters. The CD booklet contains a very long story I wrote which lays out all of the action. Musically speaking, it’s about two-thirds instrumental. It encompasses a little bit of straightforward-ish rock and pop, a lot of rigorous composition and arrangement, some obsessively intricate vocal and instrumental harmonies, some improvisation which has been orchestrated, some digitally-manipulated musique concrete, some purely uncategorizable stuff and, I think, some of the most interesting melodies I’ve come up with. It is a peculiar album but I think very satisfying as a journey, and emotionally it hits a lot of different moods.”. You can (and should) buy it HERE.

Bets Dave Ron Steve! at Hilton

Following the great Keneally gig, we convened a great hang at the Hilton with Dave and Betsy Foster, Steve Laub and special guest RON!. Lots of fun trading war stories and enjoying funny stories. Check out the photo bomb to the right.. unknown woman sharing our moment.

Dave and Steve are integral members of the Keneally video team and have contributed heavily to the many videos and bootlegs of Mike Keneally over the years. Check out their work on the MK Bonus DVD releases with “hat.” and “Guitar Therapy Live.”

All in all, the NAMM show was great and we’re looking forward to next year. We’ll have several releases in the market and our commitment to high-quality music educational multimedia will continue. Cheers! signed BB

(from Phish.com): On July 22, 1997, Phish performed the second show of their U.S. summer tour at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC through a torrent of rain, thunder and lightning. Rather than cancel the gig, the band played on with the music mirroring the peaks in the storm’s intensity. Highlights include “Down With Disease” that slowly segues into “Mike’s Song” – the first and only time these two classic tunes were ever paired together in such a way – as well as “Taste,” complete with near Biblical thunder and lightning display. Other great moments include “Stash” and the “Harry Hood” closer!

Overall the show is remembered as a significant example of Phish’s hallmark approach to group improvisation with the performances here characterized by an exceptionally democratic and refined balance of four musical voices. This 2-DVD set features more than 2 1/2 hours of 5-camera footage with 5.1 Dolby Surround or optional stereo sound.

Disc One:
Runaway Jim
My Soul
Water In The Sky
Stash
Bouncing Around The Room
Vultures
Bye Bye Foot
Taste

Disc Two:
Down With Disease
Mike’s Song
Simple
I Am Hydrogen
Weekapaug Groove
Hello My Baby
When The Circus Comes
Harry Hood

Disc Info:

Audio = PCM Stereo & Dolby AC-3
NTSC – All Regions
both discs: DVD9 format

John Davis’ “Marshfield Tornado” Enhanced CD is ranked #1 on Amazon.com following feature on NPR Radio’s ‘Here and Now’ program.

With audio production by Dubway Studios and interactive development by Brian Brodeur and NewYorkDVD, John Davis’ latest CD, released by Newport Classics, earns sales rating of #1 Ragtime CD and #3 Solo Instrumental on Amazon.com sales charts.

<<< Click Here to Visit John Davis’ website >>>

NPR Website overview:

John William Boone was a blind African-American pianist and composer from Missouri, the son of a runaway slave. Still, he became a pioneer in the development of 20th century popular music. But his contributions to Americana would be lost if not for the efforts of John Davis. We speak with Davis about his latest CD, “Marshfield Tornado: John Davis Plays Blind Boone.”

<< Visit NPR Here and Now site here >>

Product Description
At last comes the release of Marshfield Tornado: John Davis Plays Blind Boone, the follow-up to John Davis Plays Blind Tom, the top-ten selling, critically acclaimed CD of piano works by the Georgia slave sensation, Thomas Wiggins. With Marshfield Tornado, Davis’ latest recording, John William ‘Blind’ Boone (1864-1927), a sightless black pianist from Missouri who modeled his career after Blind Tom’s, will assume his rightful place as the last of a trio of overlapping nineteenth-century pianist/composers (before Boone came Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Blind Tom) who were seminal links between rural African-American folk culture of the Deep South and the more urban Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, and Pop styles to emerge in the twentieth century. As John Davis Plays Blind Tom did for Thomas Wiggins, Marshfield Tornado should do for Boone – draw further attention to heretofore unacknowledged American roots music and to a seminal figure in the development of twentieth-century popular music in the United States.

Product Details

Brian Brodeur produces multi-camera production for CD/DVD release by Barnes and Noble. ‘Esteban’s Complete Chord Book’ features all the basics needed to begin playing guitar – and the package is released with a thorough Chord Book and and audio CD containing over twenty play-along and example audio tracks.

Taping at Dubway Recording Studios in New York City, Brian Brodeur worked with Dan Welch’s New York Video Crews to produce & direct the multi-camera SD shoot. Audio was tracked and mixed using ProTools HD by Keith Rigling, with assistance from Eric Johnson and Jennifer Fabian – and the shoot was beautifully lit by DP Matthew Wachsman.

Along with Brodeur’s on-site direction, NewYorkDVD provided complete post production and DVD development for Barnes and Noble. Standard-Definition editing was completed utilizing Apple’s Final Cut Pro and final DVD encoding and authoring was completed using NewYorkDVD’s state-of-the-art CinemaCraft encoding and Sonic Solutions authoring systems.

Synopsis

Take an in-depth journey through the building blocks of guitar music—chord—in this companion to Esteban’s best-selling guitar course. Whether you want to compose your own music or simply become a more versatile guitarist, this comprehensive chord tutorial will bring your skills to the next level.

• DVD of hands-on instruction from Esteban, including how to position your hands, tune your guitar, easily switch chords, and play such songs as Pachelbel’s Canon and folk ballad “House of the Rising Sun”
• CD of more than a dozen essential chord progressions to get you started, along with major and minor chords to tune against
• 240-page book, featuring easy-to-understand diagrams and photos of 960 chord fingerings
• Bonus Esteban poster with quick-reference chord chart

Biography

Born Stephen Paul in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Esteban began teaching himself to play at age eight. In 1974, after relentlessly pursuing Segovia, he finally achieved his goal of working with the master in Spain. Four years later, Esteban began touring—but after a tragic automobile accident he lost his ability to play for a decade. Finally, through dedication and his love of music, he overcame his injuries. Since then, he has topped the Billboard charts many times and created his own line of affordable guitars.

Brian Brodeur edits un-released footage for Zappa Plays Zappa tour

Working closely with Joe Travers (the Zappa Family Trust ‘vaultmeister’) and Dweezil Zappa, Brian Brodeur completed editing of never-before-seen footage of Frank Zappa for use during the 2007-08 Zappa Plays Zappa concert tour. During the tour, Dweezil Zappa leads a band, which includes Joe Travers on drums, through a diverse catalog of Zappa music. During several song performances, the ZPZ band performs with video of Frank Zappa playing along in perfect syncronization.

Video sync is accomplished thru use of a click-track, monitored by Joe Travers on-stage, and computer playback of the NTSC footage. Songs featured include Montana, Zomby Woof, Black Napkins, Dumb All Over and Muffin Man to name a few. Along with well known footage, Brodeur worked with unseen camera angles of the well-known KCET footage from the early 70s which features George Duke, Ruth Underwood and Chester Thompson. The vintage film and video of Frank Zappa feature several of Frank’s guitar solos as well as vocal performances – all of which provide the illusion of Frank performing live with the ZPZ band.

Reviews have been very positive – especially from long-time fans. In his tour blog, Dweezil wrote: “It’s really exciting to be able to play more songs onstage with Frank on video this year. The audience reactions have been amazing.” Also, referring to the Baltimore show, DZ wrote, “Once we finished Peaches we segued into Montana, featuring Frank on video. The audience was thrilled to see him on this auspicious day.”

Fan reaction has been similar. A fan from the Paris show wrote, “The videos with Frank were so cool and moving too, my god, this solo from Muffin Man is just amazing! Gave me goose bumps!” A fan from the Boston show wrote, “ The video of Frank playing along was a spectacular new technology twist and worked flawlessly giving us a very unique opportunity to experience the master and the apprentice expressing the true merging of the generations.”

In preparation for the ZPZ editing sessions, Brodeur provided assisted in setting up a complete Final Cut Pro editing suite at the famed Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studio within the Zappa house in the Hollywood Hills. Once the suite was ready, footage was digitized from DigiBeta and audio was provided from Zappa’s famed UMRK recording studio – which was one floor above the editing suite.

For a digital photos of the UMRK studio, live performances or NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

NewYorkDVD works with renowned instrumentalist/songwriter Mike Keneally on reissues of early recordings.

Acclaimed early Keneally CDs, entitled ‘hat’ and ‘Boil That Dust Speck’, are remastered and reissued with bonus DVDs co-produced by Brian Brodeur, founder of NewYorkDVD.

(Après dinner photo at NAMM07 in Anaheim CA. Form L to R: Scott Chatfield (flying), Brian Brodeur, anonymous marble white lion, Mike Keneally, Sarah, Bryan Beller, Rick Musallum, Dave Foster.)

#####

About the CD/DVDs from www.keneally.com:

Mike Keneally “Boil That Dust Speck” Special Edition (Remastered)

Released in 1994, re-released in 2007.

The Special Edition of ‘Boil That Dust Speck’ contains the remastered CD plus a region-free NTSC DVD featuring bonus tracks, rare studio footage, vintage live concert material, interviews with participants, and video from a 2006 reunion of the original core band (Mike Keneally, Doug Lunn and Toss Panos) performing songs from both albums. And of course, the first 3000 copies of each Special Edition will be personally signed and numbered by Mike. The Boil That Dust Speck DVD includes a 90-minute presentation of “The Making of Boil That Dust Speck,” featuring extensive video footage of 1994 album sessions, newly-shot interview footage, live-in-the-studio performances from Keneally, Doug Lunn and Toss Panos of “Weekend,” “The Desired Effect” and “Skunk,” and other vital tidbits, resulting in an exhaustive examination of Dust Speck which will thrill any Keneally enthusiast, music fan, or human. The DVD also features an audio archive, with more than 20 alternate mixes and unreleased tracks, including an unreleased recording session with Mike’s rarely documented band Drop Control, playing together for the last time.

Mike on 1994’s BTDS: “This was an album I very much needed to make– an album wrenched out of my darkest depths while in the throes of an exciting variety of emotional torment, this album is a lot less goofy than hat.” The result has been heralded as a masterpiece by critics and fans. Its songs have been a major part of Mike’s live sets for years and head-ripping live versions are featured his 2006 Guitar Therapy Live release. BTDS has been unavailable for eons, and collectors have paid exhorbitant prices for it.

Keneally’s entire Immune catalog from the 1990s is being remastered and reissued by Exowax. Boil That Dust Speck has been remastered with its original track order. Songs on the remastered Boil That Dust Speck CD are:

* Sooth
* ‘Cause Of Breakfast
* The Desired Effect
* Skunk
* I’m Glad There’s Lemon-Freshened Thorax In You
* Top Of Stove Melting
* Aglow
* Bryan Beller’s Favorite Song
* Deep-Fried Skinks Are Go!
* Good Morning, Sometime
* Them Dolphins Is Smart
* 1988 Was A Million Years Ago
* Yep, Them Dolphins Is Smart, Alright
* Bullys (sic)
* My Dilemma
* Helen Was Brash
* Weekend
* Land Of Broken Dreams
* Blameless (The Floating Face)
* That Claim-Jumping Swine, O’Bannon
* Faithful Axe
* Natty Trousers
* Scotch
* There Have Been Bad Moments
* Frang Tang, The Valentine Bear
* I Will
* In The Bone World
* The Old Boat Guy, Part One
* The Old Boat Guy, Part Two
* The Old Boat Guy, Part Three

######

Mike Keneally “hat.” Special Edition (Expanded & Remastered)

Released in 1992, re-released in 2007.

In addition to the expanded and remastered CD, the hat. Special Edition also contains a region-free NTSC DVD featuring bonus tracks, rare studio footage, vintage live concert material, interviews with participants, and video from a 2006 reunion of the original core band (Mike Keneally, Doug Lunn and Toss Panos) performing songs from both albums. And of course, the first 3000 copies of each Special Edition will be personally signed and numbered by Mike.

The hat. DVD includes

* Footage from the 1992 recording sessions
* An entire concert from 1993– the first Mike Keneally show under his own name, featuring the live debut of many hat. classics
* A 2006 reunion session with Keneally, Doug Lunn and Toss Panos playing “Cheddar,” “Here Is Why” and “Here Is What I Dreamed”
* Interview footage with key album participants
* Other odds and ends, mostly odds
* The “hat salad” function, which allows you the choice of experiencing these items in random order, an unpredictable banquet of entertainment chunks much like the original album.
* Also– the DVD has an audio archive with nearly 30 additional tracks, including home demos, alternate mixes and the promo-only “Rosemary Girl” single mix

“This album is the sound of someone who can’t believe he’s finally being allowed to make a real live solo album. I was giddy while making this album,” Mike wrote of his 1992 debut, hat.. “One listen to this thing and you’ll know a lot about what makes me tick.” Out of print for years, hat. has been remastered and music previously cut to fit a 1992 CD has been restored. “You’ll now be able to hear ‘Lightnin’ Roy’ the way it was supposed to be heard,” explains Mike, “and songs like ‘Snowcow’ and ‘The Car Song’ will have their guitar solos reinstated to their full fullness. All-in-all we were able to add in another three minutes of music which you should have heard fourteen years ago, so I’m plenty jazzed.” All Music Guide gives hat. four-and-a-half stars out of five. Mike is supported on hat. by the likes of Doug Lunn, Scott Thunes, Toss Panos, Mark DeCerbo and Kevin Gilbert.

Here are the songs on the remastered hat. CD:

* Your Quimby Dollars At Work
* I Can’t Stop
* Ugly Town
* Open Up!
* Dhen Tin
* Spearmint Pup
* Fencing
* Always Man
* My Immense Superiority Over The Silverfish
* Eno And The Actor
* The Car Song
* Heaven Likes You/Apple Pie
* Backstage With Wilson Phillips
* Here Is What I Dreamed
* Here Is Why
* Performing Miracles
* Spoon Guy
* And That’s Why It’s Called Spunk
* Johnny One-Note/The Exciting New Toothpaste From Mars
* Day Of The Cow 1
* Snowcow
* Day Of The Cow 2
* We’re Rockin’ All Night With The Tangy Flavor Of Cheddar
* Rosemary Girl
* Lightnin’ Roy

Disc Features Acclaimed Rush Drummer Nine-Minute Drum Solo

FOR RELEASE ON: MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006

NEW YORK — NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD development, design and authoring firm, today announced that it has received the ‘Excellence in Music DVD’ award by the DVD Association for development for Neil Peart’s “ Anatomy of a Drum Solo‚” which was released by Hudson Music in the fall of 2005. The announcement was made as part of the DVD Excellence Awards presentation at the Spring Digital Hollywood event, at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel on March 29th.

Bernie Mitchell, president of the DVD Association, presented the award to NewYorkDVD CEO, Brian Brodeur (pictured above with Bruce Apar).

Developed for Hudson Music, ‘Anatomy of a Drum Solo’ is a two-disc DVD which features Peart, the acclaimed drummer for rock group Rush, discussing the elements of his nine-minute tour de force solo, which is a highlight of each Rush performance. Brodeur completed the work for long-time client Hudson Music in the fall of 2005. The disc is a must-have for Rush fans as well as drummers, featuring more than three hours of instructional and performance material. “The DVD format is an ideal way for music fans to examine and enjoy multiple elements of the musicians they worship, and it was a treat to work with such a hard-working professional as Neil Peart,” said Brodeur. “I am extremely honored to have been chosen as the recipient of the Excellence in Music DVD award; as a long-time member of the DVD industry, this is a capstone to a career dedicated to the fusion of music and DVD.”

Using the “Der Trommler” drum solo recorded in Frankfurt, Germany in September, 2004, Peart describes the inspiration and conceptual thinking behind his solos. Included are three multi-angles of the Frankfurt solo, two “explorations” — 30-minute-plus improvised workouts on the drums — as well as a never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg, Germany in September, 2004 (“Ich Bin Ein Hamburger”); the Grammy Award-nominated solo “O Baterista‚” (from the “ Rush in Rio”‚ DVD); two full Rush performances (“Tom Sawyer‚” and “Subdivisions‚”) from the Frankfurt, 2004 concert, shot from the point of view of the drum cameras; interviews with Lorne Wheaton, Peart’s drum technician; Paul Northfield, Rush co-producer and engineer; a previously unreleased solo from the 1994 Rush “Counterparts” tour, alternate edits, audio-only bonus tracks, and a photo gallery. “The superb design, treatment of subject matter, and overall technical brilliance of the ‘Anatomy’ disc made it a clearly superior choice for the DVD-A Excellence award,” said Mitchell. “NewYorkDVD’s work with Hudson Music is a tremendous example of the creative choices that music producers can make with DVD.”

“Anatomy of a Drum Solo” is the latest collaboration between NewYorkDVD and Hudson Music, which includes the award-winning “Creative Control‚” with drummer Thomas Lang, “Liquid Drum Theater Featuring Mike Portnoy,” and high-profile live music DVDs, including “Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Concert‚” and the 2004 release, “Steve Gadd Tribute Concert.”

With NewYorkDVD, Brodeur has developed and produced numerous music DVD titles, including Rod Stewart’s “One Night Only” Live at Royal Albert Hall‚ for J Records as well as the “Dog” title from Mike Keneally’s Exowax Recordings label.

NewYorkDVD operates a turnkey studio for expert-level DVD authoring, menu design, and replication. The company offers record label clients – including Warner Music Group, Sony/BMG Music, EMI, and Universal Music Group, as well as leading independent labels “a true creative partner in the conception, production, design, and authoring of high-quality DVD titles.”

Brodeur has developed several innovative concepts for music DVDs, including the first integration of ACID loops into an instructional music DVD, as well as early work with Web-connected DVD functionality.

NewYorkDVD maintains several complete authoring suites, including several Sonic Solutions workstations, Surround-sound Pro Tools mixing and 1:1 Final Cut Pro motion graphics/editing stations.

About NewYorkDVD
NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur, has been producing music and multimedia for more than 15 years. He has created award-winning DVDs for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Columbia/Tristar, KINO International, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production; from audio/video compression to creative interactive design and stable DVD functionality programming that enhances the user experience. He is a sought-after DVD consultant for leading vendors, including Video Technologies Group and Sonic Solutions.
NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include expert-level encoding and authoring with Sonic Solutions systems, Final Cut Pro, comprehensive graphic design and motion menu development, surround sound mixing, multi-language translation/subtitling, DVD packaging, Adobe Flash development, and full-scale production and post-production services. NewYorkDVD provides competitively priced disc replication services, in small or large quantities, and offers comprehensive warehousing/fulfillment and e-commerce distribution solutions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.NewYorkDVD.com.
# # #
EDITOR’s NOTE: For a color photograph of screenshots the ‘Anatomy of a Drum Solo’ DVD or NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, or shots of NewYorkDVD production suites, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

NewYorkDVD has announced that it completed development of the late composer and guitarist Frank Zappa’s “Dub Room Special” DVD, which is distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The DVD, which has been released both in NTSC and PAL formats, features rare performances from Zappa’s 1974 and 1981 touring bands, the claymation art of Bruce Bickford, as well as video clips of Zappa in the “dub room”.

Long awaited on DVD, the “Dub Room Special”‚ was previously only available on VHS and Beta through mail order. The DVD features PCM stereo audio, motion menus, and a complete official Frank Zappa discography, as well as a “Valley Girl Documentary”‚ that features Zappa’s daughter, Moon Unit.

“Dub Room Special” offers perhaps the best visual record of any Zappa performances. The 1974 performance, originally released as “A Token of His Extreme”, was recorded at Los Angeles PBS affiliate KCET-TV, and features George Duke (keyboards), Chester Thompson (drums), Napoleon Murphy Brock (woodwinds/vocals), and Ruth Underwood (mallet percussion) joining Zappa for renditions of “Montana”, “Florentine Pogen”, “Inca Roads” and others. The performance showcases Zappa’s trademark sense of humor and the remarkable complexity and avant-garde flavor of his compositions.

The 1981 performance, from Zappa’s annual New York Halloween concert, features guitar legend Steve Vai with the band. Bruce Bickford’s stop-motion claymation (also featured throughout Baby Snakes, a 2003 Zappa DVD release) is featured, as well as various bits from Italian “journalist” Massimo Bassoli.

The “Dub Room Special”‚ DVD marks NewYorkDVD’s initial collaboration with Gizmo Studios. NewYorkDVD founder and president Brian Brodeur worked with Gizmo’s multimedia team to complete production in the fall of 2005.

“The ‘Dub Room Special’ is a treasure for Zappa fans and for DVD aficionados alike. We worked closely with the Zappa family on this project, and the results should convey the value of DVD in reawakening archival music video and film performances”, said Brodeur. “The audio quality is tremendous, and the two performances, combined with the extras, offer a remarkable presentation of the Zappa experience: brilliant, unconventional, and unparalleled.”

About NewYorkDVD
NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur, has been producing music and multimedia for more than 15 years. He has created award-winning DVDs for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Columbia/Tristar, KINO International, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production; from audio/video compression to creative interactive design and stable DVD functionality programming that enhances the user experience. He is a sought-after DVD consultant for leading vendors, including VCA Fusion and Sonic Solutions.

NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include expert-level encoding and authoring with Sonic Solutions systems, Final Cut Pro, comprehensive graphic design and motion menu development, surround sound mixing, multi-language translation/subtitling, DVD packaging, Adobe Flash development, and full-scale production and post-production services. NewYorkDVD provides competitively priced disc replication services, in small or large quantities, and offers comprehensive warehousing/fulfillment and e-commerce distribution solutions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.NewYorkDVD.com.

# # #

EDITOR’s NOTE: For a color photograph of screenshots from “The Dub Room‚ DVD or NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, or shots of NewYorkDVD production suites, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

—— End of Forwarded Message

• Two explorations – completely improvised workouts at the drums each over 30 minutes long.

• A never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg Germany in September 2004

• “O Baterista” Neil’s Grammy® Award-nominated solo

• Two full-band Rush performances from Frankfurt ‘04 all shot from the perspective of the drum cameras

BONUS FEATURES:

• Camera Option-during Neil’s performance of “Der Trommler” the viewer can choose between the program edit and two isolated cameras for different views

• Alternate Edits-during parts of Neil’s analysis of “Der Trommler” the viewer can choose between the program edit or an alternate edit with the playing example shown full-screen without Neil’s commentary

• Audio-only tracks “Momo’s Dance Party” and “Pieces of Eight” composed and performed by Neil which can be accessed at various points in the program.

• Interview with Paul Northfield Rush co-producer and engineer and Lorne Wheaton

• Neil’s drum tech Lorne Wheaton setting up and talking about Neil’s drumkit

• Two Rush performances from the perspective of the drum cameras

• Previously unreleased solo from Rush’s 1994 Counterparts tour

• Actors: Neil Peart
• Directors: Matthew Wachsman
• Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region All
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating:
• Studio: Hudson Music / Rounder Records
• DVD Release Date: December 12, 2005
• Run Time: 200 minutes

NewYorkDVD provided dual layer DVD authoring/development, hardware-based MPEG2/AC3 encoding, interactive motion.static menus and DVD-ROM weblink

Buy Here: Neil Peart’s Anatomy of a Drum Solo

DVD developed in NTSC and PAL Versions • Production Completed From Digital Betacam Master Tapes From HD Concert Shoot

FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2004

NEW YORK – NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD development, design and authoring firm, today announced that it provided expert-level authoring, encoding, and menu design on the recently-released JRecords DVD ‘One Night Only: Rod Stewart Live at the Royal Albert Hall.’

The NewYorkDVD team worked in conjunction with Victor Campanile, associate director of DVD production for BMG, and Tom Corson, executive producer at J Records, on the 90-minute DVD, including development of DVD architecture, DVD-ROM Web links, as well as seamless motion menu design. “The team worked flawlessly, and simultaneously, on several different aspects of the DVD,” said Brian Brodeur, NewYorkDVD founder and lead producer on ‘One Night Only.’ “Prior to completing the video encoding and 5.1/2.0 mastering and encoding, we were creating all the motion menus, and seamless motion transitions. Everyone on the team knocked it out. Our motion graphic design team produced amazing menus – from scratch – in rapid succession.”

Working from Digital Betacam master tapes created from the HD concert shoot, Brodeur’s team completed an all-region DVD product – in both NTSC and PAL – in rapid fashion. The PAL version was turned around in three days, with NewYorkDVD supporting Keith Morris, coordinator of the European release of ‘One Night Only.’ The ‘One Night Only’ disc also involved collaboration between Brodeur’s team and audio mastering engineer Dave Kutch, who handled the 5.1 and stereo mastering for both NTSC and PAL versions of the title, prior to authoring.

- more -

NewYorkDVD operates a turn-key studio for expert-level DVD encoding, authoring and menu design. Having won awards in recent years for such titles as Thomas Lang’s ‘Creative Control’ and ‘Liquid Drum Theater Featuring Mike Portnoy,’ NewYorkDVD offers record label clients – including Warner Music Group, BMG, Sony Music, EMI, and Universal Music Group, as well as leading independent labels – a true creative partner in the conception, production, design, and authoring of high-quality DVD titles.

In addition to its acknowledged excellence in instructional and studio music titles, the company has worked on high-profile live music DVDs, including’ ‘Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Concert’ and the recently released ‘Steve Gadd Tribute Concert.’ Brodeur has developed several innovative concepts for music DVDs, including the first integration of ACID loops into an instructional music DVD, as well as early work with Interactual’s DVD Sync-like features. NewYorkDVD maintains several complete authoring suites, including several Sonic Solutions Creator workstations, Avid Pro Tools 6.2.3 and 1:1 Final Cut Pro motion graphics stations.

- more -

About NewYorkDVD

NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur, has been producing music and multimedia for more than 15 years. He has created award-winning DVDs for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Hal Leonard Publishing, KINO International, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production, from audio/video compression to creative interactive design and stable DVD functionality programming that enhances the user experience. He is a sought-after DVD consultant for leading vendors, including VCA Fusion and Sonic Solutions.

NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include expert-level encoding and authoring with Sonic Solutions Creator systems, Final Cut Pro, comprehensive graphic design and motion menu development, surround sound mixing, multi-language translations and recording/subtitling. NewYorkDVD provides competitively-priced disc replication services, in small or large quantities, and offers comprehensive warehousing/fulfillment and e-commerce distribution solutions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.NewYorkDVD.com.

# # #
EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, shots of NewYorkDVD prodution suites, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

New York Metro

By David Weiss

Jul 1, 2004 12:00 PM

…A few blocks away at NYDVD (www.newyorkdvd.com), the focus is squarely on the wonders of the digital versatile disc. “I’ve always gravitated toward the role of producer,” explains Brian Brodeur, NYDVD founder, on establishing his company back in 2001. “DVD has always been thought of as the truer multimedia format, and my skill set as a musician lends itself to developing creative products. The advent of DVD and its obvious embrace by the consumer is an important point, not only for the large institutional companies, but also producers like me.”

Brodeur’s company, which is located within the large Manhattan Center Productions facility, focuses its services — DVD project management, encoding/authoring, static and motion menu design, and audio/video production — around two full-blown Sonic Solutions DVD Creator systems. “Those are desktop systems, but because of my background, I have them set up much like recording studios,” he says. “Manhattan Center is a perfect fit for us, with three complete Avid editing systems and two Neve VR recording rooms with surround capabilities. We are in a great position to provide DVD services to Manhattan Center.”

NYDVD can see how music in particular is relating to DVD. “There’s basically two products out there that are serving the music industry: the concert product and the bonus/behind-the-scenes product,” Brodeur says. “Independent artists are going to start embracing DVD because of its enormous power as a promotional tool and ability to deliver a wide variety of content, including multichannel audio and multilanguage capabilities. We’ve developed some wonderful surround mixes for the Dave Weckl Band and Steve Gadd, where we actually mix the band around the listener as if you were the drummer. There’s been no increase yet in DVD-A. That’s a function of the format wars and the installed base of players.”

DVD facilities have their own challenges with production increasingly available to in-house and home users. “People can spend very little money and have functional DVD systems — it’s only natural,” he continues. “We’ve begun shifting our business toward a service side, providing superior design and extensive quality control: making sure that discs are functionally compliant and error-free. NYDVD is not competing with the entry-level DVD producer who just hangs a shingle — we’re collaborating with clients to create content specifically for DVD.”

From ProSoundNews.com: Apr 15, 2004Manhattan Center and NewYorkDVD Partner for DVD Authoring

New York City (April 15, 2004)–Manhattan Center Productions (MCP), a leading audio and television recording and post production facility, recently signed an agreement with DVD design and authoring firm NewYorkDVD, in which NewYorkDVD will be the preferred, in-house provider of expert-level DVD authoring and project development for MCP clients. Manhattan Center clientele includes live music and performance acts that are booked into the Grand Ballroom and the Hammerstein Ballroom, the venues operated by MCP’s sister company, Manhattan Center Studios.

The agreement between MCP and NewYorkDVD provides a virtual one-stop video production, post production, and DVD development location for MCP’s live and studio acts, and further solidifies Manhattan Center’s reputation as New York’s premier live venue and production suite.

NewYorkDVD will operate from studio and office space located in MCP’s Studio 9, where MCP’s post-production suites are housed. NewYorkDVD is best known for its work with Hudson Music, for which it provides acclaimed DVD authoring and motion-menu design for the company’s music DVD titles, including the upcoming Tribute to Steve Gadd Concert, which includes performances and testimonials from James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, and others.

“With the addition of NewYorkDVD, Manhattan Center can now offer its clients yet another in-house service–expert-level DVD authoring and project development. As more of our music clients view DVD as both an integral promotional and long-form tool, we need to offer these services, and NewYorkDVD provides exceptional service,” said Peter Ross, president of MCP. “In addition to promoting a live musical event, one that can be broadcast live for television or recorded for later broadcast, and in addition to making a live album of the same event, clients will now be able to produce a related DVD product.”

NewYorkDVD maintains several complete authoring suites, including Sonic Solutions Creator and 1:1 Final Cut Pro motion graphics stations, as well as Digidesign Pro Tools 6.2.3.

“We are very pleased to join the Manhattan Center Productions team. They are a stellar facility, and will enable NewYorkDVD to expand its music DVD business, including work on live-event titles for Manhattan Center clients,” said Brian Brodeur, principal of NewYorkDVD. “Now, with the exciting growth and acceptance of the DVD format, DVD development is more of a bundled service for clients–whether for promotional or reference means, or as a full-featured retail title. Our partnership with Manhattan Center raises the DVD opportunity level for clients, while providing top-flight, end-to-end production services.”

April 12, 2004

Manhattan Center Productions, NewYorkDVD Link

By Christopher Walsh, N.Y.
New York-based Manhattan Center Productions (MCP), sister company to Manhattan Center Studios, has forged an alliance with with NewYorkDVD.

Under the agreement, NewYorkDVD will be the preferred, in-house provider of authoring and project development for MCP clients, which include artists recording at Manhattan Center Studios and those performing at the Hammerstein Ballroom and Grand Ballroom, the popular venues operated by the recording facility.

NewYorkDVD operates from Manhattan Center’s Studio 9. MCP’s Neve VR96-equipped Studio 7 serves the Grand Ballroom and Hammerstein Ballroom, while Studio 4 is a Neve VR72-equipped studio with adjacent tracking room. Manhattan Center also provides television production and postproduction services.

NEW YORK DVD DELIVERS DRUMMER DAVE WECKL ON DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME
WITH TWO NEW CARL FISCHER DVD INSTRUCTIONAL TITLES

‘A Natural Evolution: How to Develop Technique,’ and ‘A Natural Evolution: How to Practice’ – Demonstrate Master Drummer’s Instructional Tips, Along with Dave Weckl Band Performances

FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2003

NEW YORK, NY — NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD design and authoring firm, today announced that it has delivered the first DVD titles to feature renowned drummer Dave Weckl. The Dave Weckl instructional DVDs, which NewYorkDVD designed and authored for music publisher Carl Fischer, are ‘A Natural Evolution: How to Develop Technique,’ and ‘A Natural Evolution: How to Practice.’
Both titles, available with English Dolby Digital Stereo Audio and Japanese subtitles, feature unique alternate camera angles as well as live concert footage of the Dave Weckl Band from the recently-released Drummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary Concert DVD. Shot in New York in November, 2002, this footage is featured on a Hudson Music-produced DVD that NewYorkDVD also designed and authored.

“Dave Weckl is a consummate teacher, and is one of the most talented drum professionals in the business. We are very pleased that, with NewYorkDVD, we have captured Dave Weckl on DVD for the first time,” said Alex Teploff, creative director for Carl Fischer. “The video quality, and menu design, are first-rate, and ideally represent Dave Weckl’s talent and instructional knowledge.”

The ‘How to Develop Technique’ title captures Weckl explaining his natural approach to the drums, with thorough demonstrations, using drum pad and drum set. The DVD shows new concepts for stick grip, wrist technique, finger technique, and rebound approach for both hands and feet. The title also features live performances by the All-Star Dave Weckl Band, a special appearance by Freddie Gruber, as well as an interview with Dave Weckl, and information on the new Dave Weckl Signature line of cymbals.

The ‘How to Practice’ title demonstrates Weckl’s warm-up techniques, including hand and feet development, independent practice, and the Swiss triplet. A live performance with a special acoustic group brings this approach to the screen. Bonus footage, including footcam alternate takes, as well as live concert footage from the Ultimate Drummer’s Weekend 2002 Concert in Australia, is included.

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In addition to footage from the Ultimate Drummer’s Weekend 2002 Concert in Australia and the Drummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary concernt, NewYorkDVD used footage from the original Dave Weckl ‘How to Develop Technique’ and ‘How to Practice’ VHS titles, produced by Sandy Feldstein and directed by Sandy Feldstein, Dave Weckl and Vinne Testa, as well as additional footage produced by Sandy Feldstein and directed by Dave Weckl, Sandy Feldstein and Tai Erskine.

“Working with Carl Fischer, we were able to leverage the functionality and interactivity of the DVD medium to bring the viewer closer to understanding where the music comes from. The Dave Weckl titles are an in-depth look at the technique and methods of one of today’s great musicians,” said Brian Brodeur, president of NewYorkDVD. “As a fellow drummer, it’s an honor to develop this title for the many Dave Weckl fans, and aspiring drummers, who will learn from this marvelous player and teacher.”

Both ‘How to Develop Technique’ and ‘How to Practice’ are available at retail stores for $29.95.

About NewYorkDVD

NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur has been producing music and multimedia for over 15 years. He has created award-winning DVD’s for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Hal Leonard Publishing, Music Sales Corporation, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production from audio and video compression, to designing creative interactivity and programming stable DVD functionality that enhances the user experience.

NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include motion menu design, comprehensive graphic design, expert-level encoding & authoring with Sonic Solutions Creator systems, surround sound mixing, multi-language translations, subtitling, and multi-angle video. In addition, NewYorkDVD is capable of replicating discs in small or large quantities at competitive prices. NewYorkDVD offers clients a full suite of services, including video post-production, comprehensive color correction, motion computer-generated graphics and effects, and creative multi-level videos.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, as well as screen shots from the Dave Weckl DVDs, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or c.pfaff@att.net

FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2003

DRUMMERS COLLECTIVE 25TH ANNIVERSARY DVD DUE IN STORES JUNE 9TH; LEADING DRUMMERS AND BASSISTS CELEBRATE NOTED DRUM SCHOOL ON TWO-DISC SET

Hudson Music and New York DVD Team on Production of Classic Performance Title; Steve Gadd, John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, and Victor Wooten Featured in Classic Sets

NEW YORK, NY — Hudson Music, a leading music instruction video producer, and New York DVD, one of New York’s leading providers of DVD development services, today announced the upcoming launch of Drummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary Celebration, an electric two-disc DVD that captures some of the finest drum performances ever captured in a single event. Videotaped at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November, 24, 2002, the DVD is a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Drummer’s Collective, the famed New York City drum school that has taught and inspired an entire generation of drummers and percussionists.

Drummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary Celebration will be released on June 9th with a retail price of $49.95. The two-disc title, which contains an astonishing five hours’ worth of video, is the finest example of Hudson Music’s “education plus inspiration” line of music videos and DVDs, combining the live performance, on disc one, with an array of special features on disc two, including artist interviews, 5.1 surround sound mixes of performances, alternate edits of performances with the Footcam, as well as more information on the Drummer’s Collective.

Highlights of the DVD include:
- Kenwood Dennard, playing drums and keyboards simultaneously
- Dave Weckl, and The Dave Weckl Band, featuring Tom Kennedy on bass, Steve Weingart on keyboards, and Gary Meek on saxophone, performing a burning set, capped by an explosive Weckl solo
- Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and John Patitucci, along with Cuban keyboard player Oriente Lopez, playing a set that showcased the amazing rhythmic artistry of El Negro and the beautifully expressive playing of Patitucci
- Victor Wooten’s mesmerizing bass solo, followed by a touching solo performed by Felix Pastorius, in tribute to his father, the late, legendary bass player Jaco Pastorius
- Steve Smith’s brilliant solo performance, including tour de force playing on his jungle kit, followed by a duet with Victor Wooten
- Steve Gadd and the Gadd Gang, in their first performance in ten years, closing out the performance with a set of soulful R&B, featuring Cornell Dupree on guitar, Eddie Gomez on bass, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Larry Goldings on Hammond B3.

“We set out to capture an entire era of bass and drum performances in a single evening, and the final DVD presents the essence of that celebration as well as the story of the Drummers Collective,” said Paul Siegel, principal of Hudson Music. “We worked hard to ensure that the drum and bass performances were captured in such a way that the artistry of each performer is fully rendered.” Hudson Music’s Phil Fallo edited the title.

Hudson Music’s history is closely linked with the Drummer’s Collective, as Siegel and partner Robb Wallis, who met in 1979 while studying at The Collective, purchased the school in 1980, and later added the Bass Collective. They maintain ownership of the The Collective, with partner John Castellano conducting daily operations. Siegel and Wallis created DCI Music Video in 1982, which has produced some of the finest drum and bass instructional video and DVD titles in the industry, with a global following.

“The production and editing on this title were superb, with particular attention to the performers, and the final product reflects this work,” said Brian Brodeur, president of New York DVD, which will encode and develop the two-disc set.

Special DVD features include: 5.1 Surround Sound mixes (one per The Dave Weckl Band, Horacio Hernandez and John Patitucci, Victor Wooten and Steve Smith, and The Gadd Gang), Steve and Victor’s rehearsal, Artist Interviews, Alternate Edits with FootCam, More about the Collective, The Gadd Gang Soundcheck, a Photo Gallery and more.Limited Edition sets will be offered that will include a Bonus CD, comprising one song per The Dave Weckl Band, Horacio Hernandez and John Patitucci, Steve Smith and Victor Wooten, and The Gadd GangDrummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary Celebration will be distributed through Hudson Music’s distribution channels, including www.hudsonmusic.com.

Hudson Music products are available from your local music retailer or Hudson Music at 1-888-796-2992, fax 914-246-5282 or e-mail hudsoninfo@aol.com. Visit Hudson online at www.hudsonmusic.com. For dealer information please contact Hal Leonard Publications, 7777 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213, tel: 414-774-3630, fax: 414-774-3259, www.halleonard.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of Hudson Music or New York DVD executives, as well as production shots and artist performance shots, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or c.pfaff@att.net

CONTACT:
BRIAN BRODEUR
212-34-NYDVD (212-346-9383)
brian@newyorkdvd.com
www.newyorkdvd.com