The Monday Morning Paradiddle - December 2020

Well, another year has almost gone by and what a year it's been! Blogging will continue through the end of December (and I don't know about you, but this year can't finish soon enough...) however this will be the final Monday Morning Paradiddle column of 2020. 

I've got a few more technique exercises to post in the weeks ahead and frequent guest columnist Tim Mah (of CJSW's award-winning radio program Jazz Today) will once again be offering his choice of this year's jazz releases by Canadian artists and great jazz drummers from around the world.

I am also going to attempt a little social media experiment in the coming weeks ahead called *Four on the Floor Live* and will be hosting informal interviews on a weekly basis with several jazz drumming social media personalities via my Instagram page @fouronthefloorblog. So keep an eye out for future announcements.

*Also, please don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list on the right hand side of the page to receive regular updates whenever I publish a new blog post. Don't miss out and get Four on the Floor delivered straight to your inbox!*

Anyhow, here's a collection of interesting items, old & new, for your consideration.

And now on with the show...

1. Jazz drumming great Billy Drummond's feature in Not So Modern Drummer magazine.

And here's an amazing solo of Billy's from a hit at Small's on Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem":

 

2. Montreal's Michel Lambert featured via La Gazette Bleue d'Action Jazz 

3. A repeat episode from 2015, but an inspiring and motivating interview none-the-less with John Riley from the Drummer's Resource Podcast

4. Jazz Times magazine's Bright Moments with the great Andrew Cyrille

5. Brian Blade's Artist's Choice, also from Jazz Times

6. Billy Martin interviews the Grateful Dead's Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart

7. Peter Erskine has been sharing a great on-going list of influential drummers via Facebook lately. Here's a link to his Infinity Drummers Playlist via Google Docs

8. Rhythm guru Russell Hartenberger interviews the late John Wyre via the Nexus percussion website

9. I recently attended a wonderful Zoom masterclass with Ra Kalam Bob Moses last Saturday morning and was inspired by his explanations and ear-opening concepts such as "Living Music"(ie. singing and dancing!) and internalizing resolution points. I really took a lot away from this session and I'd also like to extend a big shout-out to Clifford Koufman for putting this together!

Here's a brief clip of Ra Kalam improvising, using Hemp Tempo mallets:

 

10. I also attended an incredible zoom session with Bill Stewart last week, courtesy of Russ Gleason and the fine folks over at Drum Hangs (check this site out!) It was a really great opportunity to hear Bill talk about his process, influences, ride cymbal technique, etc. and a tremendous insight into his musical mind.

Here's a great piece featuring Bill with the Blue Note All-Stars circa. 1996:

 

11. Open Studio recently featured Ulysses Owens Jr. and Greg Hutchinson in this livestream "Finding Your Beat":

And Edu Ribeiro continues with his excellent Drum Conversations YouTube series. Here is Edu's interview with drummer/vibraphonist Jason Marsalis:

 

 12. Peter Apfelbaum and Mark Guiliana in a creative duet: 

 

13. Check out this absolutely killing solo from Jack DeJohnette!

   

14. I thought this was interesting: tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain playing Steve Smith's drums during a soundcheck:

Yep, he's got it!

And here's Zakir in his usual element with a tabla solo from the Berklee College of Music:

     

15. Steve Fidyk offers this uptempo brushes demonstration:

 

16. Larnell Lewis with his composition "The Forgotten Ones":

17. Swiss jazz drumming great Daniel Humair in a 1961 solo spot:

18. Very rare footage of Canadian drummer Claude Ranger, playing here with Edmonton's PJ Perry, recorded during the early 1990s:

19. Looking for something to practice? Play along with these guys!!!

Thank you Mr. Carter and Christian McBride for sharing these!

20. I distinctly remember when I bought my reissued CD copy of Gretsch Drum Night at Birdland twenty five years ago at the HMV located in Regina's Southland Mall, featuring Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Charli Persip and Philly Joe Jones. Here's Philly's incredible brush solo feature from this epic drum summit:

 

21. What am I listening to these days?

Andrew Cyrille & Bill McHenry "Proximity" - Andrew Cyrille (drums)

Beaver Harris "African Drums" - Beaver Harris (drums)

Quincy Davis "Q Vision" - Quincy Davis (drums)

Dizzy Gillespie with Sonny Stitt & Sonny Rollins "Duets" - Charli Persip (drums)

Gerry Gibbs, Kenny Barron & Ron Carter "Thrasher Dream Trio" - Gerry Gibbs (drums)

Tony Willians "Young at Heart" - Tony Williams (drums)

Bobby Wiens "Talking Drums" - Bobby Wiens (drums)

Steve Reich "Drumming"

22. And today's Final Word(s) go to...

...veteran Toronto bassist Dave Young with these words of wisdom in this wonderfully written piece from the CBC entitled 9 Valuable Lessons I've Learned During my Life in Jazz

...and to conclude this week's column, a short film narrated by the late Neil Peart:

STAY SAFE EVERYONE!