The Chapman Stick
Written by Ben Poole on 15 Aug 2007
Categories / keywords: Music, Chapman Stick, Links
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I try to play the Chapman Stick. I hankered after one for around 7 years before I actually had the wherewithal to get one (I simply slapped my bass). Then I got married, concentrated on the career, moved house a few times, had kids, and so on.
But I still love my Stick (matron!), and hope soon to be able to devote some real time to it. This section of the site may well chronicle that event one day. In the meantime, it’s a Stick scratchpad. Check out some of these links...
Stick Enterprises, Inc.
Find out what the Stick is, and check out the husband and wife team behind it, Emmett & Yuta Chapman. They’re smashing!
Tony Levin
Possibly the best-known exponent of the Chapman Stick, and a brilliant musician. He’s one of the most pleasant musicians / personal heroes I’ve had the privilege of meeting, and runs a great website. He also loves coffee and carrot cake, so the man is clearly a god. Tony is often on tour with long-time “boss” Peter Gabriel. Hope I get to see them soon...
Nick Beggs (pictured)
Maybe the best known Stick player amongst the filthy proles? I suspect so. He played a Stick on Top Of The Pops way back in 1984 for gawd’s sake! He’s certainly like “Doctor Levin” insofar as he’s an absolute gent, a real pleasure to meet.
Nick’s a master of the plank, and can often be seen touting a funky / orchestral / rip-roaring Stick with John Paul Jones on tour (that’s the official site. Some other stuff can be found here). The third member of this awesome trio is the equally-astounding drummer Terl Bryant. If you get a chance to check out these three live, do! Nick has played for just about everyone (what a ho’), and yes, he’s the guy who wore the silly plaits in Kajagoogoo. Still, he fired Limahl, so he can’t be all bad... Kidding!
Final couple... If you want to know more about the Stick, and join a thriving on-line community, you could do worse than check out the "StickWire" mailing list. This website is the home of the email mailing list, StickWire, which has been going for years, and took over from the positively ancient (in internet years) Sticky Fingers mailing list. (I was on that one too...). There is also a wiki dedicated to the Stick, called StickiWiki. Of course
As a more general resource, you could also check out Manny’s stickist.com site, which is amazingly comprehensive. Links, sounds, videos, you name it. Go!
Update, August 2007
How about some video action in this YouTube age eh? Nick Beggs playing his solo Chapman Stick piece, Tava. Beautiful stuff:
Further reading:
