Modern jazz drummers have always pushed the boundaries of rhythm, texture, and sound. One of the most critical components of their setup is their cymbals. Cymbals not only provide rhythm and accentuation but also contribute significantly to the overall sound and feel of the music. Let’s explore the cymbal choices of three renowned modern jazz drummers: Brian Blade, Mark Guiliana, and Antonio Sanchez. We’ll delve into their careers and the histories of their cymbals of choice.
1. Brian Blade
Career Overview
Brian Blade is celebrated for his versatility and emotional depth. He has worked with an array of artists, from jazz legends like Wayne Shorter to singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell. Blade’s ability to blend genres and bring a unique voice to each project has made him one of the most sought-after drummers in contemporary music. And Brian Blade doesn’t just ‘play the drums’. He plays the cymbals too! He draws music out of his cymbals with true artistry.
Cymbals of Choice
Blade uses Zildjian cymbals but also has included several of Roberto Spizzichino’s cymbals. Most notably, Blade incorporates larger cymbals than most drummers within his genre.
His setup often includes:
- Roberto Spizzichino Ride: Roberto’s cymbals only rival the warm personality he was known for. Loved dearly by his friends, Roberto’s contribution to the cymbal making community has created a legacy of cymbal smiths including Byrne Cymbals. After seeing the short documentary about his work, the long held desire to make cymbals no longer felt out of reach, but possible. Spizzichino’s cymbals are known for their complexity and capturing the best of the spirit of the beloved Old Turkish K’s. If you can’t lay out a few thousand for one of the increasingly rare Spizzichino’s, take a look at the line up of comparable Byrne Cymbals including the Vintage Series, Heritage, and Toscana lines.
- Zildjian K Constantinople Ride: Known for its complex and rich overtones, the K Constantinople Ride provides the perfect blend of darkness and warmth, ideal for the dynamic range required in modern jazz. Modern K Constantinoples are however still primarily representative of the machined, modern manufacturing of its other Zildjian counterparts. They are initially pressed to shape and even the ‘hammer’ marks are pressed-in with the bell or ‘cup’ press to create a more layered appearance of being hand made. While an excellent instrument, they are a modern cymbal not to be confused with the old traditional that they are named for. To capture the true spirit of those beloved Old K Zildjian Cymbals, you may consider Byrne Cymbal’s offerings the Reverse Quarter Turk for a diverse, well-rounded representation of a handmade instrument with complex, dark tonality with a clear stick presence.
- Zildjian K Custom Dark Hi-Hats: These hi-hats offer a dark, crisp sound that complements Blade’s nuanced playing style. For many, this line of hi-hats is the standard for hi-hats crafted with modern manufacturing methods. But if you are looking for something even more complex, Byrne Cymbal’s Vintage Series Hi-hats offer a darker, smoky ‘chup’ if you are looking for something more nuanced than a ‘chip’/‘chick’. Available for no additional charge with a light, butterscotch patina.
History of Zildjian Cymbals
The Zildjian Company, founded in 1623, is one of the oldest cymbal manufacturers in the world. In fact, its one of the oldest companies in the world, period. The K Constantinople series draws its name from the city where Avedis Zildjian, the founder, first began crafting cymbals. Zildjian is both the largest cymbal company and probably the most present in people’s minds. As the drum set grew in its development and importance, more sizes of cymbals were developed by Zildjian for specific purposes. The drum set greatly expanded cymbals from smaller, heavy hand cymbals used in marching and orchestral settings to a wide array of purposes. To that end, Zildjian, as the leading manufacturer opened the way for what cymbals are today.
Still, there is an elusive quality found amongst the cymbals of the first half of the 20th century. An honest review would be that many of these old K’s are, well, just ok. Some are too heavy, many are played out, and many now cracked, etc. But about one in twenty are still something truly special. Of course, this is one of many reasons that today’s Zildjian cymbals are machine made, so that they produce consistent results at scale. Nor could a large company afford to be dependent on a few craftsmen each making one or two cymbals a day. This is where cymbals from today’s cymbal smiths play an important role, one I might add, that now even Zildjian looks to for research and development! Even Zildjian bought a set of Roberto Spizzichino’s cymbals years ago, and its said that the K Constantinople line was a response to his work! With that said, today’s cymbal smiths provide the spirit of those cymbals made generations ago. Handcrafted, thoughtfully considered, allowed to rest and be re-visited before putting it out into the world. Cymbals by makers like Byrne Cymbals make it possible to still provide hand crafted cymbals from a shop that is not a quantity-oriented production environment as even the smaller cymbal companies of today are.
2. Mark Guiliana
Career Overview
Mark Guiliana is a modern jazz innovator known for his work with David Bowie on the album “Blackstar” and his own jazz-electronic hybrid projects. Guiliana’s precise yet exploratory drumming has positioned him as a trailblazer in the jazz world.
Cymbals of Choice
Guiliana often opts for Istanbul Agop cymbals, including:
- Istanbul Agop Signature Ride: Known for its dark and complex sound, this cymbal suits Guiliana’s intricate and expressive style.
- Istanbul Agop Traditional Series Hi-Hats: These hi-hats provide a classic jazz sound with a modern edge, perfect for Guiliana’s fusion of styles.
History of Istanbul Agop Cymbals
Istanbul Agop cymbals stem from a rich Turkish tradition of cymbal-making, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. The company was founded in the 1980s by Agop Tomurcuk after the closure of the original K. Zildjian factory in Istanbul. Istanbul Agop cymbals are prized for their hand-crafted quality and distinctive sound, blending historical craftsmanship with modern innovation. Agops are some of the most popular cymbals from Turkey today. They are excellent cymbals with a great history. Comparable to Agop lines such as the 30th anniversary, Byrne Cymbals Toscana and Double Quarter Turk series offer similar rough lathing to achieve a similar tonal spread. Byrne Cymbals by contrast are artisan crafted by a single, dedicated craftsman in the USA and actually come in under the price of the 30th anniversary line. Another defining characteristic would be the array of hammers used on Byrne Cymbals rather than the same hammer face(s) used in Turkish cymbal shops on most of their lineups. Byrne’s use of a variety of hammer faces throughout the manufacturing process which allows for a wider variance in compression to achieve a more tonally dynamic voice to both the stick and wash of each cymbal. A further difference would be that most Byrne Cymbals start with a hot-pressed bell that is one size down from the intended finished size and shape. Each bell is hand hammered to final size from the underside of the cymbal by hammering/stretching the metal to ultimately shape the timbre of the cymbal to have the best of both a hot-pressed bell and a hand-shaped bell.
Did you know? Byrne Cymbals coined the term “Quarter Turk” for skip lathed cymbals as a play on the idea of “Half Turk” cymbals as roughly one fourth of the raw tin oxide surface is left intact from before lathing. The use of the term Quarter Turk has since been adapted by other cymbal-smiths. Similarly, it was suggested to Roberto Spizzichino by his friend Lee Ruff to refer to cymbals lathed on one side as Half Turk. A term that has been widely adapted by the entire industry!
3. Antonio Sanchez
Career Overview
Antonio Sanchez is a Grammy-winning drummer, best known for his work with Pat Metheny and his soundtrack for the film “Birdman.” Sanchez’s ability to combine technical prowess with emotional depth has earned him a place among the elite modern jazz drummers.
Cymbals of Choice
Sanchez frequently uses Sabian cymbals, including:
- Sabian HHX Evolution Ride: This ride cymbal delivers a modern, cutting sound with a dark, complex character, fitting Sanchez’s versatile style.
- Sabian Artisan Hi-Hats: Known for their rich, vintage sound, these hi-hats complement Sanchez’s dynamic playing.
History of Sabian Cymbals
Sabian was founded in 1981 by Robert Zildjian, following a family dispute at the Avedis Zildjian Company. Sabian quickly established itself as a major player in the cymbal industry, known for innovative designs and high-quality craftsmanship. The HHX and Artisan series represent the pinnacle of Sabian’s efforts to combine traditional sounds with contemporary needs. Though Sabian is the result of the Zildjian family business breaking up by dividing off the Zildjian factory in Canada, the case can be made that Sabian is closer to the true roots of Zildjian’s past than Zildjian is. Craftsman from Istanbul K Zildjian were brought to the now Sabian location in Meductic NB. It was their Turkish-based style that was passed onto the employees of what became Sabian. It has also been Sabian that has continued to employ hand hammering along with modern manufacturing techniques, while reportedly, Zildjian no longer has any employees that know how to hand hammer a cymbal since the departure of Paul Francis. Zildjian now uses outside consultants for r&d as has been acknowledged on their social media. In my opinion, a shrewd move to save money on in-house talent development that went in step with a change in CEO and cleaning house of old management. Thus the larger, American side of the break has moved farther into its deep dive into modern manufacturing making wide use of automation which provides a consistent and efficiently produced instrument in place of the unique personalities of cymbals that are brought into existence by craftspeople.
With that said, Sabian makes fantastic cymbals that provide a consistent sonic palette for many professional drummers. One of my favorite cymbals for years was a 22” Manhattan Jazz Ride. It is representative in my opinion of one of Sabian’s best offerings. But for cymbals with a darker and more complex spread, you may consider adding an instrument from one of today’s modern cymbal-smiths. Byrne Cymbals has excellent, entirely handcrafted instruments to complement your setup of both modern and vintage cymbals.
The choice of cymbals is deeply personal and critical for modern jazz drummers. Brian Blade, Mark Guiliana, and Antonio Sanchez each showcase their unique musical voices through their cymbal selections. From the storied history of Zildjian to the artisanal craftsmanship of Istanbul Agop and the innovative spirit of Sabian, these cymbals make up some of the foundational brands in the music industry. But as drummers are always in search of that elusive cymbal sound, a hand crafted offering from Byrne Cymbals may be a great option to consider adding to your rotation.