It has been interesting to see (on the Sonormuseum forum) the posting of link to a 1982 Jack DeJohnette clip from the Montreal Jazz Festival in which JD uses a Signature kit.
One poster declares this to be proof that we have all been taken by ‘…wicked marketing schemes…’, consistent with his apparent newly discovered, ‘born again’ belief that all drums are now equally suited for all things.
Another, a relatively unknown endorser, puts the clip forward as evidence that square toms may be all the world needs, if properly tuned. There is no attempt in this particular post to reconcile this view to the apparently infinite and unnecessary array of variations currently offered as SQ2’s.
For a while, there was a complaint that the inmates had taken over the asylum over there; it seems now that the inmates have been restored to their proper station as resident nuts.
There are some real issues with what may be a deceptive perception of Signature versatility. The DeJohnette clip on the Sonormuseum forum does not mean much to me, as:
• The sound quality of the clip does not really facilitate any sort of assessment of what they sound like.
• The toms are barely used throughout the entire clip, in marked contradiction to JD’s usually very melodic style of playing.
All we know is that Signatures are what was available for Jack to play in spring of 1982. Not surprising, as Signatures were recently introduced, and both JD and the Montreal Jazz Festival are pretty high profile. I don’t know this for certain, but I don’t believe that JD has ever owned Signatures. Shortly thereafter, JD has most frequently seen playing Lites, and then HiLites.
My limited experience with playing jazz with Signatures is that they work for me with 10 mil single ply heads, if played with minimal attack. On the other hand, try to get this same set up to work at moderate un-miced volume, and I am going to work too hard, and end up with dented single ply heads.
My conclusion is that Signatures are versatile recording drums – maybe even more versatile than what they have been used for, but that I would not get overly optimistic about great versatility in ambient situations.
