Click HERE to read Garry blog post about this years Drum Boogie Festival.

Our entire nation is focused on the severe weather that has hit parts of Texas. All of us at Woodstock Chimes extend our deepest sympathy to those adversely affected by this unprecedented devastation.

The venerable Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu (1930 – 1996) is best known as a serious classical composer, and, to a somewhat lesser degree, an innovative creator of music for film. Although largely unknown in the west, his work in the popular song medium spans most of his creative life, and includes music for theatre and… Read more »

In November 2015 thirteen boxes filled with an archive of about 1000 78-rpm disc records were delivered to the Center for Mallet Percussion Research at Kutztown (PA) University. The purpose was to establish a permanent residence for the archive and to make its contents accessible to anyone interested in pursuing research on the performers and… Read more »

In today’s digital electronic world it’s rare to find recordings that are not highly processed, edited and even over-dubbed. All eleven pieces on the NEXUS Ragtime Concert LP (1976) were recorded using the direct-to-disc process – a method that required each full side to be performed in a single take. That’s six pieces in a… Read more »

I must brag a little and say we get a lot of fan mail from people who love Woodstock Chimes. I cherish every letter but recently got one that made all the blood, sweat and tears through the years worthwhile. It was beautifully handwritten by an 8-year-old boy living on the West Coast. Here is… Read more »

In a recent blog post (Dance of the Octopus and Red Norvo) I lamented the fact that some recordings with interesting repertoire are no longer available. In 1996 the CBC invited several musicians to create short improvised pieces for use on their Weekender radio show. At the time, Weekender was broadcast for several hours on… Read more »