Aladdin - Ángel Crespo
Ángel Crespo's drum set setup for the International Production of Disney's Aladdin at the Teatro Coliseum, in Madrid, Spain.
"For me, being a musician in the orchestra of the Broadway Musical Aladdin has been a challenge, and a super enriching experience."
Read more from Ángel about the show (including the gear he's using) below the photos.
Below: photos of Ángel's rehearsal setup.
Below: Ángel in the pit.
Ángel~
"For me, being a musician in the orchestra of the Broadway Musical Aladdin has been a challenge (I love challenges) and a super enriching experience. It has been an intense period of rehearsals, preparation, supervision by the creators of the show (Casey Nicholaw, Ben Clare, Kyle Seeley, Michale Kosarin, etc) and working many days under a certain type of pressure (responsibility), but participating in the process and seeing how everything was taking shape has been fantastic.
This is my first time playing in a 'hybrid' setup with added percussion instruments and it's a lot of fun, and a great learning experience for me.
I'm using my Gibraltar Double Bass Drum Pedal in a small section of the tune 'High Adventure' that could be played with one pedal, but with the double pedal I can get more volume on the triplets that go in unison with the hands.
On the other hand I'm so proud of my bandmates, great musicians and great people. And we're lucky to have an exceptional director, Xavier Torras.
And not just the band, the cast is made up of true artists. Professionals with a preparation and a very high level.
And the great discovery was The Miller Machine. I found them looking for information (before starting rehearsals) about the setups that other drummers had used for this show. I saw the Machines and knew they'd make things much easier for me. That's how it was, and that's how it is. I think they are a marvel of design and amazing versatility. Thanks to Billy Miller, who is also a fantastic person, close and kind. He has helped me a lot and I thank him from the bottom of my heart."
Drums:
- Gretsch Brooklyn Series 18”x22” Bass Drum
- Gretsch Brooklyn Series 7”x10” Small Tom
- Gretsch Brooklyn Series 8”x12” Medium Tom
- Gretsch Brooklyn Series 14”x14” Floor Tom
Snare:
- Gretsch 5”x14” Bronze USA Custom
"I'm in love with these Gretsch drums. Without a doubt, Gretsch for me, is the best."
Heads:
- Bass Drum - Remo Coated Powerstroke 3
- Toms - Evans G2 Coated Top, G1 Clear Bottom
- Snare - Evans G1 Coated Top, Evans 300 Bottom
Cymbals:
- Zildjian 14” A Hi-Hats
- Zildjian 16” A Crash
- Zildjian 18” A Crash
- Zildjian 10” A Custom Splash
- Zildjian 21” K Custom Organic Ride
- Wuhan 20" Chinese
Percussion:
- LP Red Jam block
- Meinl 14” Frame Drum
- Meinl Copper Doumbek
- Meinl Artisan Riq
- Meinl Cow Bell
- Meinl Bar Chimes
- Meinl Bell Tree
- Miller Machine with LP 6" Aspire Triangle
- Miller Machine with Thomann Tibetan Tinza Finger Cymbal
- Wuhan 20" Wind Gong
Ángel is a proud endorser of Gretsch Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Heads, Gibraltar Hardware, and Regal Tip Sticks.
Bio:
Ángel Crespo was born in Madrid, Spain. One could say that he always felt a special connection to music, and the guitar was his first choice. But after listening to musicians like drummer Billy Cobham, he discovered the many possibilities of the drums and was so inspired that he decided to become a professional drummer.
He started his musical studies in the Conservatorio Superior de Música, in Madrid. There he studied music theory, choir ensemble studies, and percussion.
His first practice pad was a present from his brother Javier who was fed up of seeing him practicing by beating up on his school books. Years later his oldest brother, Emilio, gave him his first real drum kit, a Honsuy set which wasn't in a very good state, but hey...
Ángel continued his studies learning from books, records, videos, and anything he could get his hands on.
He started playing professionally with singers and bands of all kinds. Amongst those, the most well known are Ana Belén, Victor Manuel, Miguel Bosé, Ketama, Alejandro Sánz, Rosendo, Juan Perro, Luz Casal, Duncan Dhu, Cómplices, and many more.
He's also worked extensively in recording studios and can be heard on the albums of artists such as Ana Belén and Victor Manuel, Miguel Bosé, Antonio Vega, Hevia, Duncan Dhu, and more.
He was also a member of the live band for the musical "We Will Rock You" which premiered in Madrid in October 2003. He also played in the musical "Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar" and in 2010 he began a two-year tour with the show "Forever King Of Pop", a tribute to Michael Jackson.
Ángel has collaborated with several publications that specialize in drums, and has also devoted part of his time to teaching at both music schools and privately.
Performance with Ana Belén at the Roman theater in Mérida, Spain.
Live television appearance (Atresmúsica) with Víctor Manuel.
Performance with Ana Belén and Fito Páez in the Las Ventas Bullring, Madrid, Spain.
