Glen Velez, Luca Recupero, and Alfio Antico at the Marranzano World Festival of Catania, Sicily, 2007
Glen Velez (born 1949) is a four-time Grammy winning American percussionist, vocalist, and composer, specializing in frame drums from around the world. He is largely responsible for the increasing popularity of frame drums in the United States and around the world. Velez is married to Loire.
Biography
Of Mexican American ancestry, Velez was born in Dallas and grew up in Texas but moved to New York City in 1967. He began by playing jazz on the drums but soon gravitated to hand drums from around the world (frame drums in particular), seeking out teachers from many different musical traditions. Among the many instruments Velez favors are the Irish bodhrán, the Brazilian pandeiro, the Arabic riq, the North African bendir, and the Azerbaijani ghaval. Although these instruments are similar in construction, they have their own playing techniques. Velez has studied each instrument traditionally, but he has also developed his own cross-cultural musical vocabulary, mixing and adapting techniques from various cultures and developing new ones (such as playing the bodhrán with brushes). He has been influential in the growing international interest in frame drums, and many younger players now use his techniques. He teaches percussion and frame drums at Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School.
Velez's compositions are frequently composed for cross-cultural ensembles in which he himself also performs; he is particularly fond of polyrhythm—superimposing different meters simultaneously.
The Selchie and the Fisherman, Malcolm Dalglish (Live Multimedia, 1997)
Modern Drummer Festival Weekend, Various Artists (Warner Bros., 1998)
Wendigo, Larry Fessenden (director) soundtrack (Magnolia Pictures, 2003)
Published scores
"Composed Improvisation for One-sided Drum with or without Jangles," for Glen Velez, composed by John Cage, New York Public Library Music Division Research Collection, c. early 1980s.
"Hymnody of Earth: A Celebration of Songs for Choir, Hammer Dulcimer, and Percussion" (Revised) composed and arranged by Malcolm Dalglish, poetry by Wendell Berry, percussion parts by Glen Velez. Published in Ft. Lauderdale by Plymouth Music Co., MDP-900, 1995.
Articles/interviews/books
Berendt, Joachim E. and Gunther Huesmann. The Jazz Book: From Ragtime to Fusion to Beyond. Brooklyn: Lawrence Hill Books, 1992, 6th edition, 358.
Blank-Edelman, David N. "Glen Velez: A Unified Approach to the Frame Drum." RhythmMusic Magazine 3, no. 8 (1994): 38-43.
________. "Glen Velez: From South India to Azerbaijan, Velez Finds a Unified Approach to the Frame Drum." Percussion Source 1, no. 1 (1995): 10-12.
Brooks, Iris. "Global Beat: World Drum Festival." Ear: Magazine of New Music 2, no. 3 (November 1986): 8.
________. "The World Drum Festival." Modern Percussionist 3, no. 1 (December/February 1986/1987): 14-17, 37, 39.
________. "Meet the Composer: Glen Velez." Ear: Magazine of New Music 12, no. 6 (1987): 16-19.
________. "Around the World: Glen Velez." Modern Drummer 11, no. 9 (September 1988): 76-79.
________. "Colors & Scents: Glen Velez Draws Inspiration From the World Around Him." Drum! 6, no. 1 (1997): 75-78.
________. "Glen Velez: Embodies the Essence of Rhythm." Drum! 10, no. 2 (March/April 2001): 67-68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 132.
Browning, Robert (editor). "Kavkazi," in Maqam: Music of the Islamic World and its Influences. New York: Alternative Museum, 1984, 40.
Dalglish, Malcolm with Glen Velez. Hymnody of Earth: A Ceremony of Songs for Choir, Hammer Dulcimer and Percussion [revised]. Ft. Lauderdale: Plymouth Music, 1995.
Dorsey, Ed. "Ethnic Percussion: An Interview with Glen Velez." Percussive Notes 25, no. 4 (Spring 1987): 56-60.
Dorsey, Ed, Iris Brooks and Antonio Gentile. "Glen Velez." Percussioni 7, no. 60 (January 1996): 12-16.
Johnson, Tom. "Music: The Real Tambourine Man." The Village Voice 26 (11 March 1981): 70.
________. The Voice of New Music: New York City, 1972-1982: A Collection of Articles Originally Published in The Village Voice. Eindholen: Apollohuis, 1989, 469-472.
Kwan-uk, Hyun (photographer). "Expo '93: The Culture of Science, The Science of Culture."
Koreana: Korean Art and Culture (Summer 1993): 40-41 (appears in photo only – International Drum Festival 1993).
Li Castro, Emiliano and Fabrizio Dadò. "I tamburi a cornice di Glen Velez." Percussioni 2, no. 6 (February 1991): 36-39.
Lieberman, Julie Lyonn. Planet Musician: The World Music Sourcebook for Musicians. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 1998, 6, 68.
Liss, Dan. "Music: Framing a New Sound." Aquarius 4, no. 12 (1997): 14.
________. "New Perspectives in Rhythms: An Interview with Glen Velez." New Age Voice 4, no. 7 (August 1998): 16, 18.
Moscov, Josh. "Glen Velez: Exploring Where East Meets West." Drum! 1, no. 6 (July/August 1992): 25-27.
Robinson, N. Scott. "Glen Velez: World Music Total." Batera & Percussão 3, no. 28 (December 1999): 30-32.
________. "Glen Velez: A World of Sound in His Hands." Modern Drummer 24, no. 4 (April 2000): 72-76, 78-80, 82, 84, 86.
________. The New Percussionist in Jazz: Organological and Technical Expansion. Masters Thesis, Kent State University, 2002.
________. "Frame Drums and Tambourines," in Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume Two: Performance and Production. Edited by John Shepherd, David Horn, Dave Laing, Paul Oliver, and Peter Wicke. New York: Continuum, 2003, 362-372.
________. “Performing the Past, Present and Beyond: Glen Velez and Researching Frame Drum History.” Percussive Notes 51, no. 4 (July 2013): 30-34.
Schaefer, John. New Sounds: A Listener's Guide to World Music. New York: Harper & Row, 1987, 130, 132.
Sofia, Sal. "The World Drum Festival." Percussioner International 2, no. 1 (1987): 66-72.
Solca, Alex. "Highlights of Modern Drummer's 1998 Festival Weekend." Modern Drummer 22, no. 10 (1998): 110-111.
