The Monday Morning Paradiddle - December 2022

Well, here we are! Yet another year of music, drumming and blogging has gone by and now here before you is the December 2022 edition of the Monday Morning Paradiddle, my almost monthly jazz drumming variety column. Hope you dig it.

I'll be taking a break over the holidays and will be back at some point in the New Year. In the meantime, enjoy a nice holiday break and check out all the cool stuff below. There's always something new to watch, listen and learn from.

However, CJSW's Tim Mah will also be back next week for one more guest blogpost of the year, with his compilation of Recommended Canadian Jazz Albums of 2022. His annual selections are always eagerly anticipated and highlight a lot of the great jazz music that came out of Canada in the past year so make sure to check that out.

Hey, I've only got a small handful of the classic black Four on the Floor t-shirts left in stock!

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And now, and without further ado, here's today's offerings:

1. Check out this piece from Jazz Wax on the historic new Elvin Jones release on Blue Note Records: Revival - Live at Pookie's Pub

2. Thanks to Chad Anderson for sending along this recorded interview with the great Alvin Fielder

3. Tyshawn Sorey featured by in this Tidal interview Personal Standards

4. Check out and subscribe to Vinnie Sperrazza's excellent new Substack series Chronicles with extended pieces on Paul Motian, Tony Williams, Pete LaRoca, Freddie Waits and more

5. Francisco Mela does all the talking in these podcast episodes of All the Talking Part One Part Two

6. Antonio Sanchez featured in Jazz Times magazine Not Such a Bad Hombre After All

...and in this interview with Leo Sidran from his The Third Story podcast:

 

7. Fantastic brushwork from Jeff Hamilton!

8. And even more great brushwork from Portland's Mel Brown!!!

 

9. George Fludas interviewed in the podcast series Off The Bandstand with Christian Wiggs:

10. Ed Soph interviewed by Aldo Mazza for his ongoing series Shaping Your Journey:

11. Billy Drummond interviewed by Eric Hayslett:

12. John Riley featured on Drummer Nation!:

13. Quincy Davis continues with his fantastic and always informative YouTube series Q-Tips:

 

14. Jerome Jennings offers his masterclass Drum Evolution: From Jazz to Hip Hop:

 

15. 10 Reasons to Love Brian Blade from Thomas Wendt and the Drum Candy Podcast:

 

(What only 10 reasons? Lol)

16. And this interview with Duduka Da Fonseca:

 

17. These two recordings of Big Sid Catlett have been making the rounds lately including this solo with Louis Armstrong...

...and this one with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker:

18. A wonderful drums and piano duo session from Allison Miller and Carmen Staaf!

19. Ulysses Owens Jr. offers these thoughts on snare drum tuning brought to us from the nice people at Evans Drumheads:

20. And dig this trio of Ulysses Owens Jr., pianist Peter Martin and bassist Bob DeBoo on a burning rendition of Cherokee:

21. Joe Lovano and his Classic Quartet featuring Lewis Nash, on Lovano's composition Big Ben from a recent performance at SFJAZZ:

 

22. What am I listening to these days?

Archie Alleyne & Frank Wright Quartet "Up There" - Archie Alleyne (drums), Frank Wright (vibraphone)

Elvin Jones "Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub" - Elvin Jones (drums)

Miles Davis "A Tribute to Jack Johnson" - Billy Cobham (drums)

Dave Holland "Triplicate" - Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Ben Webster & Harry Edison "Ben & Sweets" - Clarence Johnson (drums)

Oscar Peterson Trio "We Take Requests" - Ed Thigpen (drums)

Jeff Hamilton Trio "Dynavibes" - Jeff Hamilton (drums), Frits Landesbergen (vibraphone)

Jim Hall & Ron Carter "Alone Together"

23. And today's Final Word goes to Antonio Sanchez via Instagram:

"Playing in a band is one of the best exercises in democracy. It encourages individualism/self-expression but you're all working towards a bigger goal. The exercise also fails if you're not constantly looking out for one another. Everybody should try it at some point in life."

- Antonio Sanchez

Thanks again for all your support, keep swinging' and see you in 2023!