And....we're back!
Sorry for the brief hiatus. Things have been very busy of late. I just finished up a very artistically satisfying run with the recent Decidedly Jazz Dancework's stage production of "The Year of The Horse: The Completely Fictional Adventures of Josephine Baker." It was a lot of work but the level of talent, creativity and overall artistry was incredible. It was quite an honour to be involved in this production.
I'm also proud to announce that I've finally completed and submitted my doctoral dissertation entitled "Melodic Jazz Drumming" that I've been working on for....well, some time now! Maybe I'll write more about that later...Special thanks to the many people who encouraged me along this journey and the many drummers, my heroes, who all lent their thoughts and opinions towards this project.
Anyhow, I'm still blogging when I can these days. Expect more to come now that these two major projects are out of the way....and here's a plethora of interesting things to check out this week:
- Pianist Renee Rosnes interviewed a number of important Canadian Jazz artists for CBC radio's series Jazz Portraits. Check these out (in particular the one with iconic Canadian Jazz Drummer Terry Clarke) archived over here:
http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2013/4/Inside-the-Archives-the-Jazz-Portraits-including-Don-Thompson-Guido-Basso-and-more
- Ethan Iverson over at his blog Do The Math interviews Billy Hart and Mickey Roker:
http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/interview-with-billy-hart.html
http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/interview-with-mickey-roker.html
These are older interviews but worth reading. More recently, check out this post from Ethan. Apparently there is an exciting movement afoot to publish some of Paul Motian's original music:
http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/2014/11/drum-music-or-leave-a-comment-about-paul-motian.html
Let's make this happen!
- Speaking of interviews, here's John Riley interviewed by Mike Dolbear:
http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=3061
And here's also a conversation between Steve Smith and Zakir Hussain, also from Mike's great website:
http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=3765
- Ali Jackson Jr. speaks with WBGO about his new album "Amalgamations":
http://www.wbgo.org/blog/drummer-ali-jacksons-amalgamations-listen-now
- I really enjoyed this blog post entitled "My Pretend Music School", some musings about the "ideal" music school in today's age:
http://ivandrums.com/2014/09/21/my-pretend-music-school/
Food for thought anyways...
- An interview with Buddy Rich by Mel Torme courtesy of Downbeat magazine:
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=947
- A Drummer's Memorial Roundtable on Billy Higgins thanks to Ted Panken over at Today is the Question:
https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/a-drummers-memorial-roundtable-on-billy-higgins-on-wkcr-may-7-2001/
- Here's a couple of great pieces from the New York Times...
An older 2006 article on Paul Motian:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/arts/music/20moti.html?_r=3&pagewanted=print&
And a more recent review of several drummer-led releases:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/arts/music/drummers-choices-setting-the-beat-calling-the-tune.html?_r=0
- I haven't seen it yet but the new movie out in theatres entitled "Birdman" features a music score of improvised drumming by Antonio Sanchez! I like it already. Check out this story about this unique film:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/10/17/birdman-soundtrack/
- George Colligan over at Jazz Truth interviews drummer Matt Jorgensen:
http://jazztruth.blogspot.ca/2014/09/the-matt-jorgensen-interview.html
- Montreal Jazz drummer Dave Laing (my former teacher at McGill and mentor of mine) has been posting regular recordings from his extensive career. Check out this saxophone trio recording of Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy" with Chet Doxas on tenor and Alec Walkington on bass:
https://soundcloud.com/dave_laing/gingerbread-boy-laing-doxas-walkington
- Need some advice? Kenny Washington has some good advice for us!
http://www.bangthedrumschool.com/the-thinking-drummer-advice-from-kenny-washington-2/
And now onto some music....
- Here's a fun one of Francisco Mela shedding at home:
I think he sounds great but somebody please get the man a new floor tom leg and/or bracket!
- I've really been digging Christian McBride's recent trio. Here's a couple of good ones of McBride and his drummer Ulysses Owen's Jr. in action:
- A brief brush solo from the master Lewis Nash:
- Here's a close-up of Greg Hutchinson in action with Joshua Redman (thanks Conor Guilfoyle!):
- And to top it off, here's Bill Stewart doing what he does so perfectly...
- What am I listening to these days?
Geoff Clapp "Bend in the River" - Geoff Clapp (drums)
Jim Brenan "January" - Dana Hall (drums)
Ignacio Berroa "Heritage and Passion" - Ignacio Berroa (drums)
Stan Getz & Oscar Peterson "Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio"
Brian Lynch "Back Room Blues" - Lewis Nash (drums)
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers "Caravan" - Art Blakey (drums)
Ali Jackson Jr. "Amalgamations" - Ali Jackson Jr. (drums)
Rodney Green "Live at Small's" - Rodney Green (drums)
Duke Ellington "The Piano Sessions" - Dave Black, Sam Woodyard (drums)
- And finally, today's Last Word goes to this guy...
