And...We're Back.

Thanks for your patience as I took a good portion of this summer off from blogging. Sorry for the hiatus! Well, now we're back in the saddle and have plenty to share with you all in the weeks and months ahead. Our correspondents here at Four on the Floor are well rested and ready to get back to work. The break was nice and we have plenty of things to talk about.

So to get started, here's a few articles and links to check out from around the interweb:

- Christian McBride offers "All About That Bass, But Give The Drummer Some" over at NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2015/08/28/435576837/all-about-that-bass-but-give-the-drummer-some

Now wouldn't it be nice if the CBC also produced innovative segments such as this?



- Jeff Hamilton swing, swing, swings on this solo drum version of "Sing, Sing, Sing":

https://youtu.be/uvwCwLuPxP4

- An interview with Milford Graves from Clocktower.org:

http://clocktower.org/show/milford-graves

- Behind the scenes with tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel and his duet partner Eric Harland from his series "The Seasons":

http://www.benwendel.com/eric-harland/

- An article on unsung hero Winard Harper from Downbeat magazine:

http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=news&subsect=news_detail&nid=2810

- Leo Sidran interivews Bill Stewart on his podcast The Third Story:

http://www.podcastchart.com/podcasts/the-third-story-conversations-with-leo-sidran/episodes/episode-24-bill-stewart

- An older radio interview with Portland's Alan Jones from KMHD:

http://www.opb.org/kmhd/series/ajazzlife/alan-jones/

- Here's a preview of Kendrick Scott's new release on Blue Note records, "We Are The Drum":

http://revive-music.com/2015/07/16/kendrick-scott-oracle-to-drop-blue-note-debut-we-are-the-drum/#.VefObRZ0qTY

A few Canadian Jazz drummers to take note of...

- Anthony Michelli offers some wisdom over at The K Spot:

http://www.thekspot.net/podcasts/2015/8/31/episode-10-anthony-michelli-how-to-deal-with-competition-and-find-your-edge

- Morgan Childs talks about his new release (more on this soon!) and other great things over at Nathan Hiltz's recent podcast series "The Body Electric":

https://soundcloud.com/nathan-hiltz/the-body-electric-podcast-episode-7-morgan-childs-drum-edition-july-30-2015

- Curtis Nowosad also talks about his new release "Dialectics" over at Neon Jazz:

Alright, now onto a few video clips I've been enjoying this summer and so should you:

- Lewis Nash on "Second Balcony Jump":




- A brief feature on Rodney Green:





- Kenny Washington swinging in Paris at the Duc Des Lombards with Bill Charlap and Peter Washington:





- Willie Jones III in some grainy black and white footage from a recent hit of his at New York's Smoke:




- Greg Hutchinson jams with Dave Douglas and Reuben Rogers:




- Okay keep your eyes and ears on this young lad in the years to come:



Yikes! Has Tony returned? Needless to say, I'm very impressed...


- What am I listening to these days?

Alan Jones "Spirits" - Alan Jones (drums)

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

Francois Theberge "The Medium Band" - Alan Jones (drums)

Morgan Childs Quartet "On The Street of Dreams" - Morgan Childs (drums)

Alan Jones Sextet "Storyline" - Alan Jones (drums)

Pedro Martinez "Rumbos de la Rumba" - Pedro Martinez (congas)

Curtis Nowosad "Dialectics" - Curtis Nowosad (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to the great Jabali Billy Hart (who I recently heard in Banff, AB earlier this summer):

"Love is the highest form of intelligence in the Universe." - Billy Hart


Alright, that's all for today. Thanks again for sticking around and see you all again real soon.