The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Welcome back and here's our first Monday Morning Paradiddle of 2014. Thank you all for your continued support and everyone here in the office is working hard to continue bringing you more useful tidbits of Jazz drumming information on a regular basis.


- You've probably noticed the new Four on the Floor logo (see above!) I'd like to extend a HUGE special thank you to my friend Chad Anderson who came up with this one for us. Yes, t-shirts will be coming soon!


- Many great Jazz drummers were born in the month of January (Max Roach, Jimmy Cobb, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Jon McCaslin....haha) and Kenny Clarke is no exception. Klook would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year! Here is a nice piece from NPR's A Blog Supreme about Clarke's important contributions:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2014/01/08/260769892/the-drummer-who-invented-jazzs-basic-beat


- The kind people over at Crescent Cymbals were nice enough to put together some great and informative videos featuring some of their endorsers.

Here's Todd Strait with some tips on playing fast tempos:



And here's the great New Orleans master drummer Johnny Vidacovich sharing some secrets about New Orleans drumming:



I love the part where he says: "What it means to be a New Orleans drummer is that you have a lot of responsibility because in New Orleans drums is like a sacred instrument...it's an honour, it's a privilege, it's part of an elite group and you've got to keep it all together."

That's deep.


- Looks like Gregory Hutchinson is now endorsing Vic Firth drum sticks these days. Here he is in action with Joshua Redman's trio from a recent hit at the Berklee College of Music:




- I've really been Ralph Peterson Jr.'s drumming lately and learned a lot from that footage of his clinic at PASIC a few months ago. Here's another inspiring one of him doing his thing:




- Christian McBride has been taking up residency at the Village Vanguard for the past few weeks (with his fine trio and big band). Here's another one of McBride's bands, "Inside Straight", featuring Carl Allen on drums:




- Irish bassist, rhythm master and really nice guy Ronan Guilfoyle posted this interview a while back with European drummer Eric Ineke:

http://ronanguil.blogspot.ie/2013/11/interview-eric-ineke-big-beat.html

I wasn't familiar with Ineke at all prior to reading this but now I am and going to make a point of checking him out!


- The great Sam Ulano passed away recently. The man was legendary, to say the least. Here he is (in his later years) demonstrating the art of playing a press roll:




- Another great interview with Elvin Jones here to check out:

http://joebrazilproject.blogspot.ca/2012/04/interview-with-elvin-jones.html


- Here's a thought provoking article about one of the most powerful rhythms known to mankind: The Clave!

http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2013/why-is-son-clave-so-awesome/


- What am I listening to these days?

Duke Ellington "Such Sweet Thunder" - Sam Woodyard (drums)

Gerry Shatford "When I Sat Down to Play the Piano " - Terry Clarke (drums)

Harold Mabern "Live at Small's" - Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Lee Morgan "Live at the Lighthouse" - Mickey Roker (drums)

Max Roach "Deeds, Not Words" - Max Roach (drums)

George Colligan "Endless Mystery" - Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Dafnis Prieto Sextet "Taking the Soul for a Walk" - Dafnis Prieto (drums)

Quincy Davis "Songs in the Key of Q" - Quincy Davis (drums), Warren Wolf (vibraphone)


- Thanks to Chad Anderson for sharing this wonderful piece on drummer/percussionist Warren Smith:




There's lots more to come in 2014 but in the meantime I'd like to conclude this post with some words from the great Harvey Pekar, one of Jazz music's greatest friends: