Maple 16

Formed in 1970, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were torchbearers of the progressive rock sound and one of rock’s first super-groups. The world-conquering, stadium-filling prog giants helped to broaden the audience for the genre from hundreds of thousands into tens of millions and were one the most commercially successful rock bands of the 1970s.

(3-CD set) Scott Joplin (c. 1867-1917) remains one of America's most important and original composers, renowned for his piano rags and ragtime waltzes. As the 'King of Ragtime Writers,' his mastery of the form is evident in such works as 'Maple Leaf Rag,' 'The Entertainer,' 'Gladiolus Rag,' 'Solace,' and many others that combine infectious rhythms with exquisite melodies. His piano works are at times overwhelmingly joyous and at times deeply poignant.

Jazz: Tenth Edition is a 2CD set that was originally a companion piece to a book written by Paul Tanner, David Megill and Maurice Gerow. Disc 1 features musical collaborations between the three authors while Disc 2 is a compilation of classic jazz ranging from John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman to Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, and Wynton Marsalis. This CD was put together by Sony Music Custom Marketing Group.

Summer Side of Life is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's seventh album. It was released in 1971 on the Reprise Records Label. The album marked a radical departure from the sound Lightfoot had established on Sit Down Young Stranger in its use of drums and electronic instrumentation, to which he would later return in the second half of the decade. “Redwood Hill” contains elements of bluegrass music.

It is difficult not to be won over by the rhythm and unmistakable thematic creativity of Scott Joplin's compositions. Born in 1867 or ’68 (the exact date is not known), and gifted with a natural talent, Joplin began to play as a self-taught pianist in the wealthy homes at which his mother worked as a maid. Later, he took piano lessons and learned the craft as a composer, a fact that is evident in the beautiful balance we identify in his works. Before turning thirty, Joplin was already known in the saloons, particularly thanks to Maple Leaf Rag, a piece that marks the evolution of a genre, and that makes him known to the wide public as “The King of Ragtime.”

Mapex have been making drum kits for over 18 years. This kit is a Mapex Saturn kit which is one of their Pro Lines. The distinct tone of the shells comes from the mix of Maple and Walnut. The kit is constructed from 6 plies of wood to create a shell thickness of 5.1 millimetres. The thinner hybrid shells provide a lower, warmer and darker tone than similar all-maple shells. Mapex also have a non-fussy approach to applying hardware to the shell. Too much metalwork on a drum can result in a dead tone.