vibraphones

Gary Burton, the renowned vibraphonist, provided wonderful and detailed insight into the Musser Company that he has been linked with for most of his life. He traced the company’s history through the Ludwig purchase and included his thoughts about the company’s percussive product line. He also spoke about PASIC and his memories of the NAMM Show. Luckily the interview also covered some of his many jazz career highlights.  

Val Eddy was a legendary vibraphonist and composer who played a large part in the early acceptance of the vibraphone in classical music and popular recordings. With his trusty 1922 Leedy vibraphone, Val composed and arranged a number of important books for the instrument including the renowned “Solos Suitable for Playing in Church” and the now famous “Bird Suite.” He arranged for the 80-piece US Navy band during World War II and was heard weekly over NBC. He also performed in many concerts for the Navy School of Music. After the war he was the drummer in the Navel Academy Band for many years before his work as a composer hit full swing.

Terry Gibbs seems to live for the vibes! As a legendary jazz percussionist, Terry’s power and unique style of mallet playing has singled him out as one of the top vibraphonists in the history of jazz. Being influenced by Red Norvo and Lionel Hampton, Terry gave the vibes a fresh new sound in the pre- and post-Bebop eras. For decades he has endorsed the Yamaha product line and has contributed ideas in function and design for a new generation of products.
 

Don Loeffler combined his love of music with his engineering skills to make several modifications to the percussion instruments he has used throughout his career. He has made his own vibraphones from PVC pipes and the clever square drum kit in which each drum fits inside each other for easier carrying. His square drums made the trade magazines in the 1990s and resulted in his earning a patent for the instrument. As a long time musician in San Diego, Don has played in nearly every venue with house and traveling bands of all sizes. 

Manny Lopez is known around the world as the King of the Cha Cha Cha for his 1950s band and hit records dedicated to the dance craze, but Manny’s musical career is far more than just the Cha Cha. Manny is a highly regarded Latino bandleader who wrote several songs that have been recorded by others and used in several movies over the years. His musical performances graced the stages in Las Vegas, Cuba and Los Angeles beginning in the late 1940s and continuing into the early 2000s. In addition to his performances, Manny built several musical instruments that he used on stage and in the recording studios including a marimba.

Dave Pike has made an indelible mark on jazz vibraphones! As a percussive based player, Dave wanted to play with both rhythm and pitch and to explore melodies within Bebop riffs. He played with many of the legends of jazz and in doing so created music that would result in his own status as a jazz icon. While in Germany in the 1960s, he made use of Fuzz tones and synthesizers with the vibraphones that few had even thought of. As a result, his style became much imitated and was influential on fellow vibe players and non vibe players alike. 

 Dick Richardson was working with the Lyons Band Instrument Company in Chicago in the early 1960s when he was given the chance to run the Musser vibraphone division of the company.  Dick become president and soon expanded the product line, bring on key endorsers such as Lionel Hampton and Gary Burton as well as building up the motivation of the employees.  His sharp insight into the industry soon resulted in a new and improved reputation for the vibraphone and marimba company.  In the 1980s he sold Musser to Ludwig Drums, then owned by Selmer and Dick went to work for Danny Henkin heading the Slingerland Drum Company.  Dick’s insightful NAMM Oral History interview was completed o

Del Roper performed the xylophone for several society big bands, playing on radio with Xavier Cugat in the early 1930s. Del was later a powerful force in studio orchestras and developed a double decker xylophone, which he played on several variety TV programs in the 1950s. The instrument, named the Carillon, was made in small numbers and sold to universities and large broadcasting organizations such as the BBC and CBS.
 

Gilberto Serna is the keeper of the Deagan flame! The mighty vibraphone company once produced professional level instruments used by symphonic and popular musicians alike. Shortly after the company’s 100th anniversary it was sold, it’s tools moved out of its original building and many of the veteran craftsmen asked to retire. One of the seasoned employees was Gilberto Serna who honored the company he cherished by naming his own repair and rebuilding company Century Mallets. He focused on Deagan products as well as building his own and over time assembled an impressive collection of photographs, catalogs and instruments to ensure the history of Deagan is preserved.