Larry Wright (street drummer)
Larry Wright | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | c. 1975 |
| Origin | Bronx, New York, United States |
| Instrument | Drums |
Larry Wright (born c. 1975) is a well-known New York City street performer.[1][2] He is credited as the first major drummer to use five gallon plastic buckets instead of a normal drum kit.[3] He uses his foot to lift the bucket changing the sound patterns.
He has appeared in commercials, Mariah Carey's "Someday" video, Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk as well as the movie Green Card. In 2011 he appeared in the film The Yellow Card directed by Enrique Pedráza Botero. It is a short documentary based on subway performers in New York City, where Larry Wright and his wife Sonia Wright are one of the main acts in the film as they play their music and are being interviewed.[4][5] He is listed among the musicians performing on Ritual Beating System by Bahia Black, a 2016 CD produced by Bill Laswell. The CD features a track, "Uma Viagen Del Baldes de Larry Wright" (translation: A journey of the buckets of Larry Wright), which he co-wrote with Carlinhos Brown.[6] There is an independent movie about him as a high school student.[7]
He has played since he was five years old, and met his wife while playing in the New York City Subway.[8]
In 1990, at age fifteen, Wright performed a New Year’s Eve concert with John Lurie in Germany.[9]
His favorite drummers are Eyeon, Tito Puente, Max Roach, and Buddy Rich. He and his wife can typically be found at the Union Square, Penn Station, Port Authority, and 59th and Lexington subway stations.
A more recent interview with Larry and his wife Sonia appears in Issue Four of The Drummer's Journal.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Keepnews, Peter (December 6, 1998). "THEATER; His Bangin' Is the Sound of Music". New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ Marks, Peter (September 24, 1999). "THEATER REVIEW; A Symphony of Sticks, Ever So Loudly". New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ "DRUMHEAD Magazine". www.drumheadmag.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ "Enrique Pedráza Botero". Enrique Pedráza Botero. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ "Green Card- Soundtrack details - SoundtrackCollector.com". www.soundtrackcollector.com. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ "Bill Laswell". Ritual Beating System. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ^ "Web Page Under Construction". www.frif.com. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Kaye, Julia. “Subterranean Rolling Stock: An interview with Larry and Sonia Wright" Archived June 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, The Drummer’s Journal’’, New York, October 27, 2013. Retrieved on October 27, 2013.
- ^ John Lurie - A Lounge Lizard Alone documentary, 1990, retrieved January 16, 2024
External links
[edit]- Short film about a young Larry Wright from 1990
- Larry Wright and his wife performance in New York subway on 2010
- Drummerworld overview
- Film about Larry Wright
- 1990 Levi's 501 commercial featuring Wright, dir: Spike Lee
- A Lounge Lizard Alone documentary about John Lurie featuring Wright at age 15
| Authority control databases: Artists |
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- 1975 births
- Culture of New York City
- Living people
- American street performers
- American male drummers
- American performance artists
- African-American drummers
- 20th-century American drummers
- 21st-century American drummers
- Musicians from New York City
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American male musicians
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 21st-century African-American musicians