Episode 116 – Interview – Jeff Sipe, Apt. Q – 258
In the snowy mountains of rural, western North Carolina Jeff Sipe (Apt. Q-258) resides. You may know him from his tenure with acts such as, John McLoughlin, Jimmy Herring, Leftover Salmon, Col. Bruce Hampton, Jazz Is Dead, and Shawn Lane/Jonas Hellborg. However most know him from the group that gained him his initial popularity, Aquarium Rescue Unit. To finish out our second season Jeff agreed to talk to us about all of the above including his current gigs and the publishing of his new method book, “Rhythm Patterns for Drum Set”.
Stories. Everyone likes to hear them and many musicians have colorful tales about being on the gig. If you look at Sipe’s past credentials you’ll quickly recognize that he’ll have plenty to offer in that category. We start with how he received the moniker, ‘Apt. Q-258’. We also spend a good bit of time discussing his upbringing abroad and how it fostered his love for music. Jeff also tells great stories about his time in Boston and attending the Berklee College of Music. One of the stories revolves around his friendship with guitarist, Steve Vai, and being present during Steve’s ‘transcription phase’ prior to his tenure with Frank Zappa.
Jeff then talks about his departure from Boston and subsequent arrival in Atlanta. From there he tells of how a chance meeting with Bruce Hampton ultimately led to a long relationship with the legendary performance artist. From there we go through the lexicon of his gigs including the formation of the Aquarium Rescue Unit and the bands that followed. We finish up talking about his current teaching studio including a description of his new method book. As always, we end the show by putting Jeff through the obstacle course that is the DWG Rorschach Test.
Jeff wants you to stay abreast of his upcoming gigs. Please go by his web site at: www.jeffsipemusic.com There you can find out where he’s performing and check out his new method book, “Rhythm Patterns for Drum Set”.
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