Here's some more rare footage of drummer Ed Thigpen, courtesy of the kind folks over at Drummerworld (www.drummerworld.com) presenting a masterclass at New York's Drummer's Collectve circa. 1982.
He will be missed.
Some interesting connections I made while watching these clips:
If you listen carefully in the second clip, you'll hear Thigpen singing along to his brushwork. I recognize that tune as being the spiritual "David Danced Before the Lord" - the same piece arranged by Duke Ellington that featured drummer Louie Bellson and tap dancer Dr. Bunny Briggs in one of his Liturgical Concerts.
Here's the link to my previous post where I discussed that:
http://jonmccaslinjazzdrummer.blogspot.com/2009/11/milt-jackson-wkenny-clarke-and-more-tap.html
Hearing this also reminded me of an Ed Thigpen brush clinic I attended in Montreal around 1996. When demonstrating his graceful brush patterns he uses for ballad tempos, Thigpen sang the lyrics and melody to the jazz standard "What's New".
Again, as I posted last week, I think there is a connection between knowing the lyrics of a song and the rhythms we play.
Obviously Ed Thigpen had this figured out a long time ago !
Thanks for posting these - it's great to see Thigpen in action. In reference to the second video, the melody is actually original to Ellington. It's his song "Come Sunday" from 1943's Black Brown and Beige suite. Ellington used it again with the David Danced lyrics in the Sacred Concert, but it was his song.
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