The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Seasons Greetings! Well, 2019 is quickly coming to an end and what a year it's been. Today's Monday Morning Paradiddle column will be the last one of the year. However, please visit back often over the next two weeks as blogging will continue with Tim Mah's highly popular year-end "Best of 2019" lists as well as other assorted interesting Jazz drumming items.

This year represents the 10th anniversary of Four on the Floor. Thank you for all of your continued support. Hey don't forget to follow and subscribe to my Instagram page!

Anyways, as always, here's a long list of interesting things to check out:

- Max Roach featured on Marian McPartland's NPR radio program Piano Jazz and also remembering Tony Williams from a 1997 Jazz Times article

- Jack DeJohnette interviewed by Jazz Weekly

- Ralph Peterson Jr. on the legacy of Art Blakey from Philadelphia's The Key

- Terri Lyne Carrington featured in the New York Times

- Thanks to Tim Mah for forwarding this profile on Nate Smith from Jazz Times magazine

- An article from DRUM! Magazine on the legacy of the Gretsch Progressive Jazz drum set

- Brooklyn's cymbal wizard Jesse Simpson interviewed on the Seancast Podcast

- And from the Contraption Podcast several interviews with many great drummers including the likes of  Stanton Moore, Ulysses Owens Jr., Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Ed Soph and Johnny Vidacovich

- A 1981 Modern Drummer article by Scott K. Fish on Ed Blackwell entitled "Singing on the Set"

- Allan Cox recently released Meet the Bass Player Vol.2, a follow-up to his earlier and highly recommended play-a-long resource. Check it out here and then go practice!

- John Riley recently hipped me to Markus Leukel's unique drum book Grooves A to Z. There are lots of interesting patterns and grooves to check out here (download it for free!) Highly recommended.

And thanks to the kind people over at the Memphis Drum Shop, here's John demonstrating Zildjian's Swish Knocker ride/crash cymbal, designed with the great Mel Lewis in mind:




- Jerome Jennings interviewed by Neon Jazz on the heels of his excellent recent release Solidarity:



- Jamison Ross interviewed over at the Working Drummer podcast:



- Airto Moreira's tribute to Miles Davis



- Chicago's Dana Hall in some trio action with Clark Sommers on bass and Chris Madsen on tenor saxophone on Miles Davis' Little Willie Leaps:



- Jeff Ballard in some duo action with pianist Frank Woeste in the Libretto Dialogues:



- Some rare psychedelic double drum duet footage of Kenny Clarke and his big band compatriot Kenny Clare:




- What am I listening to these days?

Neil Caine "Backstabber's Ball" - Jason Marsalis (drums)

Jerome Jennings "Solidarity" - Jerome Jennings (drums)

Kirk MacDonald & Pat LaBarbera "Trane of Thought" - Joe LaBarbera (drums)

Gerry Gibbs "The Trasher Dream Trio" - Gerry Gibbs (drums)

Joe Lovano "Sounds of Joy" - Ed Blackwell (drums)

Alvin Fielder & Damon Smith "Song for Chico" - Alvin Fielder (drums)


- And today's Final Word goes to Ronan Guilfoyle from his own fine blog Mostly Music, with some sage advice in the form of a blog post entitled On Being a Jazz Student - The Big Picture (just click on the link above and take a read through....it's just too long to copy and paste here but it's a fine read!)

Well, that's all I've got today. Thanks again for your support, please come back soon and all the best in the year ahead.