The Monday Morning/Early Evening Paradiddle

Today's post is a little late but I was busy running around all day putting up posters in advance of our next concert with the Calgary Creative Arts Ensemble on June 20th.

So here's a few things on the go around the Four on the Floor offices these days:

- Vic Firth recently featured this extended Steve Smith drum solo on their website:



I really dig the melodic approach that he plays around with during the first part of his solo (I think using mallets helps emphasize that point as well). I've often thought about adding more toms to my set-up just to explore that way of expressing melody around the drums, however I always find that it just messes with the placement of my ride cymbal (!) so I always go back to my usual one-up, one-down tom set-up. Oh well...

- George Colligan has a nice feature on drummer Jeff Williams over at his fine blog Jazz Truth:

http://jazztruth.blogspot.ca/2012/06/jeff-williams-another-time.html

Jeff is an incredible drummer. Check him out!

- Hey, is anybody hip to these new BeBop drumsticks made by Vater?

http://vater.com/products/

- Ralph Peterson Jr. is featured in the lastest installment of The Pace Report where he talks about his latest album release "The Duality Perspective":



I look forward to checking this one out!

- What am I listening to these days?

Johnathan Blake - "The Eleventh Hour" - Johnathan Blake (drums)

McCoy Tyner - "Time for Tyner" - Freddie Waits (drums), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone)

Cannonball Adderley - "Something Else" - Art Blakey (drums)

The 3 Cohens - "Family" - Gregory Hutchinson (drums)

Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell - "The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers" - Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Roy Haynes - "Out of The Afternoon" - Roy Haynes (drums)

Cannonball Adderley Sextet - "In New York" - Louis Hayes (drums)

Oscar Peterson Trio - "Oscar Peterson + 1 (Clark Terry)" - Ed Thigpen (drums)

Mike Downes Trio - "The Winds of Change" - Ted Warren (drums)

Wynton Marsalis - "Black Codes from the Underground" - Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums)


- Thanks to Irish bassist and blogger Ronan Guilfoyle who posted this insightful list of "Rules" from composer John Cage via the Facebook:

I think these are great guidelines to think of as an improvisor/composer. You could also live your life following these! Not bad advice at all...

- And finally, to finish off today's post I'd like to quote the greatest one-word Jazz poem ever written, penned by the great Jazz vocalist John Hendricks:

"LISTEN!"

'nuff said ya' dig?

Have a great week ahead everybody!