Istanbul Agop CBMR22 Cindy Blackman Mantra ride, 22-inch

General

Cindy Blackman is actually a true jazz drummer, of course, but she is best known to the general public as the power drummer behind Lenny Kravitz. You could possibly also know her as guitarist Carlos Santana's wife. She previously developed her own OM series - a series of dark and dry-sounding jazz cymbals - with Istanbul Agop. For her pop and rock work with Lenny Kravitz, this obviously didn't work well, which is why the Mantra series was created. The Mantra cymbals are made of B20 and have a traditional, lively, open sound that can be used all-round.

Istanbul Agop CBMR22 Cindy Blackman Mantra 22-inch ride

This 22-inch ride has very nice stick definition and a tasteful sustain. The cymbal is quite sensitive to the type of drumstick you use - a nylon tip sounds bright and sharp, while the same stick with a wooden tip gives a much more subtle sound. The cymbal top is relatively thin so you can also 'crash' this ride just fine - something ideal for a jazz drummer playing pop and rock, of course. The cup sounds clear and is nicely balanced with the cymbal. You can use this ride for all kinds of musical styles, which makes it a good choice for the all-round drummer.