I really enjoyed John Blackwell's first double-DVD set, Technique, Grooving and Showmanship. In fact, I think some of his tips on open-handed playing are the best I've found. Hudson Music announced yesterday that they are releasing a new DVD set next week called John Blackwell Master Series. According to Hudson's write-up, this three hour DVD features John in front of a live audience, playing some of his original compositions and focusing on laying down a solid groove without overplaying. Here's the video trailer from Hudson:

It looks like Master Series will be available on Amazon on October 21st. I know I'll be ordering my copy early.

A couple of months ago, I posted about the "Drum Your Way to Hollywood Contest" that Dixon Drums was sponsoring. Well, Dixon announced the winner about a week ago and I wanted to be sure to mention it here. The winner of a Dixon Demon drum kit and a trip to Hollywood, CA to play live Westlake Studios in front of an A&R panel is Lou Mars. Here's a video of Lou's winning performance at Herried Music in California:

Congratulation Lou on a job well done.