Sabian - Because Sound Matters

SABIAN Honors Four with Lifetime Achievement Award

NAMM 2004

SABIAN LTD, leading cymbalmaker honoured four legendary drummers at their recent SABIAN Live! Event at NAMM, Anaheim 2004. Each recipient received an engraved gold watch and a commemorative certificate signed by Robert Zildjian, Chairman of SABIAN. Dan Barker, President of SABIAN, commented "These fine gentlemen and drummers have contributed immensely to the music industry we know today. We are better for it and for that we thank them."

Honored with SABIAN Lifetime Achievement Awards are the following:

Carmine Appice

Carmine burst upon the scene with Vanilla Fudge, a band that ranked alongside Cream, Led Zeppelin and other greats. His technique, power and creativity thrust him to the forefront at a time when many drummers played rock, but there were no real rock drummers. Until Carmine. With his thunderous grooves and chops-loaded fills he created the basis for everything from hard and heavy rock to speed metal. He also brought the multi-tom drumset, Chinese cymbals, gongs, over-sized drums and much more to the rock stage. And with credits including Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Cactus and Ozzy Osbourne there is no denying his success and influence. But much more than anything, it was Carmine who invented Rock Drumming.

Billy Cobham

He gained fame with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a fusion supergroup whose daring musical exploits and performance expertise sent audiences reeling in disbelief. But this Panamanian-born drummer from New York was already a leading light, playing with Horace Silver, Miles Davis, George Benson, and other legends before stardom arrived. After topping charts and touring the world with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy would go on to define himself in a solo career kicked off with Spectrum, an album that elevated and redefined contemporary drumming with a blistering blend of technique, speed, power and creativity. A musical visionary, a humanitarian, and a uniquely musical drummer, Billy Cobham continues to lead the way. Shown accepting the award on Billy's behalf is Takashi "Hagi" Hagiwara of Yamaha.

Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie

If ever there were a drummer who could 'groove', it would be Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie. In fact, it could be argued that with such patented rhythms as 'The Purdie Shuffle', he created The Groove. Gospel, soul, jazz, funk -- from Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Miles Davis, to Hall & Oats, Jeff Beck, and James Brown -- Purdie plays it all with grooves so deep and wide he swings like no other. One of the world's most recorded drummers, he's also one of the most influential, with fans in every part of the world attesting to his broad appeal. It's those sublime grooves, that great swing sensibility, and his knack for playing the right thing with the ultimate feel, that make Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie the legendary musician he is.

Harvey Mason

One of the most creative, most recorded, and most influential musicians of our time, Harvey Mason is a masterful drummer/ percussionist whose ability to enhance any composition, in any style of music has made him the legendary figure he is today. With diverse and notable credits including Duke Ellington, Erroll Garner, Herbie Hancock and Seal, as well as his own highly successful, all-star group Fourplay, Harvey has played on more gold and platinum jazz crossover albums than any other drummer. He has also performed on over 150 movie soundtracks, is the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his great musicianship, and his drumming can be heard on innumerable Grammy award-winning recordings. Shown accepting the award on Harvey's behalf is James Mason, Harvey's nephew.