The Monday Morning Paradiddle 2012 Edition

And...we're back!

It's been a busy and exciting few weeks and I had a nice holiday break but I'm happy to be back in the saddle here and ready to get Four on The Floor rolling for 2012. Look for more blog posts, lessons, interviews and more interesting things to come in the year ahead. Thank you for your continued support.

Here's a few things that have been making the rounds around the office lately here over the past few weeks:

- Special thanks to the kind folks in Regina with the YQR Creative Arts Association who produced a great concert that I participated in last Wednesday that featured Andy King on trumpet, Donny Kennedy on alto saxophone, Kelly Jefferson on tenor saxophone, Jeff McLeod on piano and Joel Kerr on bass along with myself on drums. The music was outstanding, we played to an enthusiastic and standing-room only full crowd at the Exchange and the hang was great (with special thanks to Tumblers/Western Pizza, Bonzinni's, Bushwakker's and John Styles!) This was sort of a reunion/homecoming type of concert as I don't get to play with these fine musicians nearly as much as I used to back in the day. But we certainly make it count when we do get together to play! I think we set the bar pretty high this year and hopefully this particular configuration will do some more performing and recording in the future.

- Pianist George Colligan over at his great blog Jazz Truth has a great interview with Jack DeJohnette that was recently done while Colligan was touring Europe with DeJohnette's band:

http://jazztruth.blogspot.com/2011/12/jack-dejohnette-interview.html

- Speaking of interviews, follow these links to see a series of video interviews with Jeff Hamilton where he discusses various aspects of his drumming and his influences:

http://www.snapshotsfoundation.com/articles/88-jeff-hamilton-interview

- I've posted this clip before but this concert has recently popped up in it's entirety (thanks to Chad Anderson who shared this with me) Here's an epic concert and drum battle that features an all-star line up of Art Blakey, Sunny Murray, Elvin Jones and Max Roach!



- Holidays are always good times to catch up on one's listening. Here's a few things that I've been checking out lately:

Wayne Shorter "The Soothsayer" - Tony Williams, drums

Wayne Shorter "Night Dreamer" - Elvin Jones, drums

Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" - Shelly Manne, drums

Warren Wolf "Warren Wolf" (self-titled) - Warren Wolf, vibraphone & Greg Hutchinson, drums

Mike LeDonne "Common Ground" - Kenny Washington, drums

Dexter Gordon "A Night in Copenhagen" - Art Taylor, drums

Michael Spiro "Bata Ketu" - various, percussion & vocals

Matt Wilson "Xmas Tree-O" - Matt Wilson, drums


- 2012 looks to be a busy and action packed year with lots of exciting projects coming up and on the go. Here's a plug for my first gig of the year and it looks to be a good one:



OCTAGONE

Featuring:

Andre Wickenheiser - Trumpet
Mark DeJong - Alto Saxophone
Jim Brenan - Tenor Saxophone
Carsten Rubeling - Trombone
Sarah Matheson - Baritone Saxophone
Michelle Gregoire - Piano
Rubim DeToledo - Bass
Jon McCaslin -Drums

Appearing at the Beatniq Jazz & Social Club

811 - 1st Street SW
Calgary, AB

Friday, January 6 2012

9:00pm

www.beatniq.com

This fun band made its debut last May as part of the new Summit Jazz Series which is being coordinated by some fearless and forward-thinking local Calgary Jazz artists in conjunction with the Cantos Music Foundation. Inspired by many of the great medium-sized Jazz ensembles such as the Joe Lovano Nonet, Rob McConnell's Tentet, The Birth of The Cool and Art Pepper + 11, this band will feature a program of hard swinging numbers that features great ensemble writing and a line-up that features many of Calgary's finest Jazz improvisors. Check it out!