And....we're back !
Thanks to some clever planning and foresight on my part I was able to preprogram my blog to post while I was touring Italy for the past three weeks. Now I'm back home and will hopefully have some time to post more frequently and substantially. The wine and weather was fabulous although I think I can take a break from pasta for awhile...
Thank you to everyone has been emailing me from around the world lately regarding my blog. Your support is very much appreciated. If you'll notice, I installed a blog counter on the side of the page. I am flattered that over ten thousand people have visited my site since it's inception during the spring of 2009.
And yes, I will try to post more drum lessons on a consistent basis as well. These things take time ya' dig ?
A few random things that have been on my mind lately:
- I got a lot of use out of my ipod during my travels over the past month, especially considering the extensive flights, train rides and ferry trips we took. Here's a list of some of the music I enjoyed while touring the hills of Tuscany:
Kenny Clarke - "Kenny Clarke Meets The Detroit Jazzmen" - Kenny Clarke - Drums
Mark McLean's Playground - "Playground" - Mark McLean - Drums
Steve Nelson Quartet - "Communication" - Tony Reedus - Drums, Steve Nelson - Vibraphone
John Ellis & Double Wide - "Puppet Mischief" - Jason Marsalis - Drums
Kendrick Scott - "Reverence" - Kendrick Scott - Drums
Michal Karn - "In Focus" - Gregory Hutchinson - Drums
Kenny Barron - "Images" - Kim Thompson - Drums, Stefon Harris - Vibraphone
P.J.Perry - "My Ideal" & "Worth Waiting For" - Victor Lewis - Drums
Valery Ponomarev - "Beyond The Obvious" - Jerome Jennings - Drums
Third World Love - "Avanim" - Daniel Freedman - Drums
Barry Harris - "At The Jazz Workshop" - Louis Hayes - Drums
- Check out this clip of saxophonist Earl Bostic featuring some virtuostic saxophone playing sent to me from drummer Bob McLaren via saxophonist Cam Ryga:
I could be mistaken but I think Philly Joe Jones toured with Bostic's R&B band during the early 50s (?)
- If you happen to be flying with Air Canada anytime soon, be sure to check out the documentary "RUSH: Beyond the Lighted Stage" featured on the inflight entertainment (of course you could always just rent it or download it from itunes and save yourself the hassle of buying a plane ticket, going through airport security, etc...)
RUSH was a hugely influential band for me when I was in junior high school. They were really the first band that I really got into while searching for my adolescent musical identity. In particular their album "Exit Stage Left" convinced me that Neil Peart was a drumming GOD and his epic drum solo on YYZ was really something else, unlike anything I'd ever heard before (I had yet to get into Jazz music by that point). Years later I was shocked to learn that Peart composed everyone of his drum solos note for note and would play them exactly the same from night to night. That's an impressive feat in itself !
The documentary is an excellent insight into the history of the band and the phenomenon that has existed around RUSH since the late 60s (!) when Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson founded RUSH while still in high school (!) There is lots of commentary from current rock musicians and personalities who talk about the influence of RUSH on their careers. In particular check out actor/comedian/musician Jack Black's comments. He had me laughing out loud in the airplane. (is it true that Jack Black is Charlie Haden's son-in-law? Now that's one family Christmas dinner I would like to sit in on!)
Anyways, this documentary is highly recommended:
- Just another quick note: look out for a few special guest posts in the weeks to come. Several high profile Jazz drummers have graciously offered to contribute their ideas to Four on the Floor.
So stay tuned !
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