WELCOME TO FOUR ON THE FOUR: A BLOG ABOUT JAZZ DRUMMING AND ALL THINGS UNRELATED, BROUGHT TO YOU BY JON McCASLIN
Monday, May 24, 2021
The Monday Morning Paradiddle - May 2021
And...we're back.
Thanks for checking in and there's no lack of interesting things to share with you all in this month's action packed variety column.
If you like what you are seeing here, please consider subscribing to my mailing list. Just click on the subscription box to the right side of the page. Don't miss out and sign up today to receive regular Four on the Floor updates straight to your inbox!
Thanks again to everyone who has been tuning into my ongoing, weekly Instagram interview series Four on the Floor *Live* happening every Tuesday evening. It's been really exciting to speak with and learn from all the artists who have generously taken time to speak with me.
Thank you for all for your ongoing support.
Please tune in tomorrow Tuesday, May 25th at 7pm mountain (9pm eastern) on Instagram IGTV @fouronthefloorblog for my interview with Johnathan Blake!
Alrighty, here's what's on the docket for this month's column:
1) Myself, Ted Warren of Trap'd and Todd Bishop of Cruiseship Drummer! (aka The Three Bloggers) offer another edition of our ongoing collaborative blog series, this time offering our individual thoughts on the concept of technique:
5) Check out Adam Osmianski's page That Drum Blog with several wonderful variations on an Elvin Jones coordination exercise that I shared right here on Four on the Floor many years ago Part 1Part 2
6) An interview with Lewis Nash:
7) A tribute to Albert "Tootie" Heath, recently named a 2021 NEA Jazz Master:
8) Buddy Rich interviewed by the BBC circa. 1967:
9) Master Drummer Jabali Billy Hart celebrated by Western Michigan University:
10) Open Studio's Edu Ribeiro interviews Matt Wilson:
11) Alvin Atkinson offers some tangible concepts on trading fours from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Academy:
12) Steve Fidyk with two brush pieces and some great concepts to share:
13) Another instalment of Quincy Davis's incredible, ongoing Q-Tips YouTube series:
Make sure to check out Quincy's excellent ongoing interview series Drummer 2 Drummer found on Instagram @qdjazz. I always learn something whenever I tune in!
And be sure to take a listen to Nick Ruffini's interview with Quincy Davis over at the Drummer's Resource Podcast.
14) John Riley with an introduction to the Art of Bop Drumming in a segment brought to us by the nice people at the Avedis Zildjian Company:
15) Billy Martin presented by Brooklyn Raga Massive and hosted by Daniel Freeman:
16) The Experimental Sound Studio and Option Talks Music presents Hamid Drake:
17) Newvelle Records presents the duo of Allison Miller on drums with Carmen Staaf on piano:
18) A creative percussion solo from Trilok Gurtu:
19) Jack DeJohnette (the pianist this time!) offers this composition "Ode to Satie":
20) What am I listening to these days?
Willie Jones III "Forgotten Heroes" - Willie Jones III (drums)
Lonnie Smith "Live at Club Mozambique" - Joe Dukes (drums)
Lou Donaldson "Alligator Boogaloo" - Leo Morris (drums)
Stan Kenton "Contemporary Concepts" - Mel Lewis (drums)
Hank Jones "The Oracle" - Billy Higgins (drums)
Kenny Barron & Dave Holland "The Art of Conversation"
21) And today's Final Word goes to Nadia Boulanger:
"To study music, we must learn the rules. To make music, we must learn to break them."
This is a blog about jazz, jazz drumming and all things unrelated. Thanks for stopping by!
A Bit About Me...
Jonathan McCaslin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. Jonathan began playing the drums at the age of nine. He progressed through the Regina Lions Junior Band and the music program at his high school, Campbell Collegiate, soon developing a passion for playing the drums and jazz. Ultimately, Jon's interest in music led him to enroll in the Jazz Studies program at McGill University, graduating with distinction in 1999.
While at McGill Jon had the opportunity to study with some of the finest jazz educators in the country including Gordon Foote, Kevin Dean, Jan Jarcyzk, Chris McCann, Andre White, Michel Lambert and Dave Laing. He also attended the prestigious summer jazz workshop presented by the Banff Centre for the Arts in 1997, where he performed with Canadian jazz greats Hugh Fraser, Don Thompson and Kenny Wheeler.
Jon has also been fortunate to have performed with many of Canada's jazz elite including Charlie Biddle, Brian Hurley, Louise Rose, Alaister Kay, Mart Kinny, Gary Guthman, Mike Rud, Hadley Caliman, Greg Clayton, Chase Sanborn, Andre White, Tilden Webb, John LaBelle, Kevin Dean, Dave Turner, Ralph Bowen, Don Thompson, Dionne Taylor, Jim Vivian, Kelly Jefferson, Ian McDougall, Brad Turner, Jim Brenan, The McGill Jazz Orchestra, Jeff Johnston, Lorraine Desmerais, Steve Amirault, Hugh Fraser, Chucho Valdes, Kieran Overs, The Altsys Jazz Orchestra, Pat LaBarbera, The Regina Symphony Orchestra and The Montreal Jazz Big Band.
In the spring of 2002 McCaslin completed his Master's in Jazz Studies at McGill University where he studied jazz drumming, improvisation and composition.
In January 2003 Jon released his debut CD, “McCallum’s Island”. Featuring his quintet, the CD contains an exciting collection of McCaslin’s original compositions, featuring himself and his band. The release of this CD was followed by a twenty-day tour of Western Canada, performing to enthusiastic, capacity audiences. During March of 2003 Jonathan was the recipient of a fellowship from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and attended the “Betty Carter Jazz Ahead” residency in Washington, D.C. Along with twenty other distinguished young jazz artists, McCaslin was featured with such jazz icons as Terence Blanchard, Carmen Lundy, Winard Harper, Curtis Fuller and John Clayton.
McCaslin’s quintet performed at the 2003 edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival and was nominated for the General Motors Grand Prix du Festival (awarded to the most outstanding Canadian group). From 2004 until 2006, Jon toured North America, Asia and Europe with the high-energy, critically acclaimed music production troupe “Barrage”. Featuring a cast of seven world-class fiddlers and a four-piece band, this dynamic show featured high-energy music and fiddle traditions from around the world set to upbeat choreography and movement.
In 2015, Dr. McCaslin received his Doctorate through the University of Toronto and completed his dissertation on the conceptualization of contemporary melodic jazz drumming. He is currently based in Calgary, Alberta where he maintains a busy performing and teaching schedule across Canada.
No comments:
Post a Comment