Various Artists - The Big Bang [Ellipsis]

Nothing comes close to the coverage in this new percussion collection, from Chinese drumming to Olatunji and Patato to Panamanian tamborito (ours!) to bodhran virtuoso Tommy Hayes, plus the usual new age luminaries such as Glenn Velez. The balance isn't perfect: there's no Hindustani classical drumming (Zakir Hussain's "A Quality of Seven" notwithstanding), and no Arabic or Maghrebi drumming at all (!!). But it's still phenomenal. The packaging is fancy, with a very posh booklet printed on politically correct paper, with lots of illustrations and the usual enthusiastic but not awfully informative notes. Still, all in all, it's smashing. ~ John Storm Roberts, Original Music, All Music Guide

Name Credits Abass Doodoo Vocals, Drums Abdel Wahab Drums, Dholak Abdu Rahim Dambura Abdur Rahman K Addy Vocals, Drums Abdur Razak Oluquaye Commodore Drums Abdurahim Leaye Addy Drums, Vocals Ahad Chaman Ara Producer Airto Moreira Whistle (Human), Conch Shell, Chimes, Clapping, Producer, Djembe, Vocals, Bird Calls, Sound Effects, Caxixi, Tambourine Airto Moreria Producer Albert Ruwizhi Vocals (Background), Drums Alex Foster Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor) Aly Camara Bolon, Djembe Amampondo Performer Amara Soumah Doum-doum, Gongoma Andreas Möhring Vocals, Balafon, Percussion Angel "Cachete" Maldonado Leader, Percussion, Timbales Angel Romero Producer Anna Matienzo Drums, Choir, Chorus Anthony Carrillo Bongos, Cowbell, Bata Drums, Drums Arafan Toure Djembe Avo Chakhlasyan Dhol Ayisha Shabaaz Vocals Baba Bara Quatara Bara Baba Diarra Doudoum'ba, Balafon Baba Ouatara Bara Babafunmi Ohene Djembe, Log Drums Babatunde Olatunji Vocals, Ngoma, Shekere, Ashiko Drum, Drums, Djembe, Producer Baka Forest People Performer Batacumbele Performer Ben Palm Bara Bernie Krause Liner Notes, Engineer Bernie Worrell Clavinet Biboul Ferkouzad Mimbe, Mintsas, Percussion, Vocals, Balafon Bill Gouge ? Binnette Diallo Fiddle, Vocals Bob Bellinger Choir, Chorus Bobby Vega Guitar (Bass) Bruce Langhorne Agogo, Vocals C.K. Ganyo Djembe, Drums Carl Palmer Drums Carlos "Patato" Valdes Producer, Conga, Choir, Chorus Carolyn Seibron Vocals Chin-Long Chan Drums, Percussion Choi Jong Sil Tsching, Voices, Vocals Christine Bronder Engineer Chyn-Chun Lan Fiddle David Beal Producer David Rosado Percussion Demita Frazier Choir, Chorus Dizu Plaatjies Akadinda Donald Graham Producer Dr. K Raghavendra Veena Duck White ? Dudu Tucci Bamboo Flute, Cowbell, Producer, Conga, Vocals Edward Haber Technical Director Emerson, Lake & Palmer Performer Ephraim Saturday Bass, Vocals (Background) Fandith Drums Farafina Performer Fatala Performer Frandith Choir, Chorus Frank Ekeh Vocals, Agogo, Shekere Gary Panter Illustrations, Illustration Concept Gaspar Lawal Drums, Producer, Percussion George Jinda Udu, Performer George Wellington Engineer Gilson Mangoma Marimba, Vocals (Background) Giovanni Hidalgo Drums, Conga, Bata Drums Glen Velez Riqq, ? Gordon Ryan Vocals, Drums, Bells Greg Lake Producer Henry Matimbe Marimba, Soprano Marimba, Vocals (Background) Hiram Bullock Guitar Hossain Tehrani ?, Performer Hya-Chung Chan Fiddle, String Conductor, Conductor Ibrahim J.C. Commodore Vocals, Drums Imaniye Montgomery Vocals Iyalu Akanbi Vocals J. Bruce Agogo, Vocals J.R. Anderson Liner Notes Jack DeJohnette Keyboards, Drums, Producer Jamal Khan Fiddle Jean Nkodo Ferouze Darouiche Vocals, Percussion, Guitar, Balafon Jeff Levine Organ Jeffrey Charno Executive Producer Jerry Gonzalez Conga Jerry Median Vocals Jerry Medina Vocals Jerry Sheer Synthesizer Jimmy Rivera Drums JoDee Stringham Design John A. Schaefer Producer John Abercrombie Guitar (Electric) John Dillberto Liner Note Compilation, Liner Notes, Track Notes Jorge Dalto Producer Jorge Reyes Log Drums, Clay Flute, Producer, Tarahumara Drum, Flute, Drums (African), Drums, Rainstick, Water Bowl, Ocarina Jose Luis Ramos Vocals Jose Ramirez Bata Drums Joshua Gumisai Guitar Joshua Gumisai Mufunde Guitar Juan Mari Beltran Txalaparta Juanma Vincente Txalaparta Kakraba Lobi Xylophone KangMin Seok Voices, Vocals Karen Copeland Choir, Chorus Karen Kane Producer Karen M. Digesu ? Kay Gardner Producer Kay Garner Producer Kim Doo Soo Vocals, Tschanggo, Voices Klaus Wiese Tibetan Bowls Kutuk Budi Kempur, Bende Kutuk Kondra Calung Kutuk Masa Kendhang Kutuk Mika Ceng-ceng Kutuk Narsa Penyacah Kutuk Wenia Kantil Kutuk Wis Rayong La Parrand Choir, Chorus La Parranda Choir, Chorus Ladji Camara Djembe Larry Blumenfeld ? Larry Fast Synthesizer Louis White ? Louise Grasmere Choir, Chorus Lu-Gin Lin Gong, ? M.A. Nagaraj Tamboura M.V. Sampathkumar Morsing Mabinty Sahko Vocals Made Bawn Penyacah Made Brandi Rayong Made Cenged Gong Made Dirga Kendhang Made Glembor Kempur, Kempul Made Karda Ceng-ceng Made Nyar Kempur Made Ratep Trompong Made Reta Rayong Made Rita Ungal Made Sinar Ungal Made Subur Kantil Made Trongking Penyacah Made Wela Calung Mahama Konaté Balafon, Vocals Malang Drums Mandla Lande Akadinda Marija Especialze Shekere, Agogo Marlon Klein Producer Martin Cradick Producer Maruva Chikwatari Ngoma, Hosho Matara Kidd Choir, Chorus Michael DeMark Engineer Michael Shrieve Producer, Drums, Tom-Tom Michel Schaer Producer Mickey Hart Producer, Drums (Snare), Vocals, Drums, Triangle, Drums (Bass), Tambourine Ming-Chun Puppet Troupe Photography Ming-Chun Sheng Producer Mino Cinelu Producer, Udu, Shaker, Balafon Misri Khan Fiddle, Soloist Mohammad Akram Rohnawaz Rubab Motilewa Chitombo Choir, Chorus Mustapha Tettey Addy Drums, Chimes, Vocals, Talking Drum, Producer Mxwansile Qotoyi Akadinda Nicky Marrero Percussion Noo Maui Drums Nurudafina Pili Abena Drums, Producer, Percussion, Vocals Nyoman Nanta Ceng-ceng Nyoman Rapi Kempli Nyoman Seleman Kantil Olabisi Hunter Vocals Orchestra of Chinese Central Music College Vocals (Background), Orchestra Orlando Castillo Vocals Orrin Keepnews Producer Overdrive Producer Pablo Rosario Choir, Chorus, Drums, Claves Paco Ye Producer Paco YeAdama Vocals, Djembe Pasha Amed Darouiche Balafon, Mintsas, Percussion, Vocals, Mimbe Patrick Lee-Thorp Producer Paul Demain ? Peter Warren Bass Preston Larson ?, Leader R.A. Rajagopal Mridangam Rahim Abdul Lute Rahim Bux Dambura, Lute Randy Fredricks Fills, Guitar Reinhard Flatischler Buk, Tschanggo, Sambuk, Rantang Rene Lopez Producer Rotimi Byrd Djembe Rouruina Tou Drums Roy Raveora Drums, Vocals S. Raghavendra Prakash Konnakol S. Sudarshan Dholak Sabeú Martínez Choir, Chorus Sabu Martinez Drums, Conga Sanga Francis Djembe Sarah Abukusta Vocals Shun-Hya Chuan Fiddle Sikiru Adepoju Talking Drum, Cowbell Simpiwe Matole Akadinda Soji Randolph Vocals Solá Akingbolá Cowbell Souleyname Sanou Doudoum'ba, Maracas Soungalo Coulibaly Vocals, Flute, Maracas Stan Harrison Saxophone Stella Chiweshe Maracas Mbira, Ngoma, Vocals Stepan Partamian Producer Steve Berrios Drums Steve Skinner Synthesizer Suleiman Amanor Ofori Vocals, Drums Sundiatta Keith Djembe Suso Saiz Producer Suwa-Daiko Hozonkai Drums T. Shashikumar Kanjira T.M. Stevens Fills, Bass T.N. Ramesh Ghatam Taaroa Tangianau Drums Tagar Percussion Taiwo Shabaaz Vocals, Ashiko Drum Tangaroa Tekeu Drums Terence O'Neill-Joyce Producer Terry Bozzio Producer, Drums Theodore de Vane Choir, Chorus Thomas Akuru Vocals, Balafon, Percussion Tiawara Keira Doudoum'ba, Tama, Talking Drum Tiawara Keitha Tama, Talking Drum Tom Hayes Bodhran, Tabla, Water Drums, Djembe, Producer Tumuenua Dance Group Performer Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman Mridangam, Mirdangam Vandy C DJ Vera Brandes Producer Verna Gillis Producer Virginia Mukwesha Vocals (Background), Hosho, Maracas Mbira Voodoo Gang Producer Wang Fu-Jiang Conductor Wang San-Ti Producer Wayan Adur Jegog Wayan Buana Jegog Wayan Drama Jegog Wayan Kocot Trompong Wayan Muliastra Kantil Wayan Sandi Jegog Wayan Simber Trompong Wayan Sueca Kempli Wayan Sugama Rayong Wayan Wirata Penyacah Willard Gouge ? Womad Producer Xola Mlambo Akadinda Yacouba Camara Harmonica, Conga, Vocals, Balafon Yao Tamakloe Ashiko Drum, Vocals Zakir Hussain Tabla, Producer, Drums, Udu, Balafon