Welcome back and here's the Summer 2024 edition of the Monday Morning Paradiddle my more-or-less monthly jazz drumming variety column.
This will be my last post before I take a break for remainder of the summer months.
But first one last advertisement before I take my leave...
I have a handful of the classic black Four on the Floor t-shirts left in stock. Once they are gone, they are GONE it will very likely be a long time before I have any more printed (if at all...) so don't miss out and get yours today!
These shirts are available in small, medium, large, x-large and xxl sizes and are lightweight premium fitted 100% cotton tees. I am also told that they are very comfortable : )
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The Monday Morning Paradiddle - Summer 2024
1. Thanks to Will Chernoff who interviewed me for his podcast series Rhythm Changes
Keep up the great work Will!
2. The Practicing Drummer podcast featuring Colleen Clark
My friend Clifford Koufman has been working hard and is filming and producing a documentary on the life of Ra Kalam Bob Moses.
Check out the trailer below and learn more about how you can help bring this important project to life by visiting this link to his Indiegogo campaign: https://igg.me/at/livingmusic/x#/
About the Film
This is a film about groundbreaking drummer, composer, and artist Ra Kalam Bob Moses—one of the great musicians of all time. Growing up in the heart of the New York music scene, in the company of iconic musicians like Art Blakey, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, and Charles Mingus (whom he was jamming with by the time he was 13), Ra Kalam is among the legends who have shaped modern music.
He has played on historic records, including Pat Metheny’s Bright Size Life, and performed or recorded with fellow luminaries Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, Gary Burton, Jack DeJohnette, Carla and Paul Bley, Steve Swallow, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, John Scofield, Steve Kuhn, Pharoah Sanders, Todd Rundgren, John Medeski, Bobby McFerrin, and more.
Not content to limit himself to the realm of jazz music, Ra Kalam has created his own style and philosophy of “living music,” transcending from music maker to innovator. He has dedicated much of his life to sharing this philosophy with students and fellow musicians, with a mission to help great musicians of different genres find freedom in their expression.
Ra Kalam has received a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis and we are working hard to help him tell the story of his life and incredible musical journey while we still have him with us.
What have we accomplished so far?
Since last year, we have completed most of the filming for this project. We’ve conducted interviews with Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Steve Swallow, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Summers, and Peter Erskine, as well as many of Ra Kalam’s other musical colleagues, protegés, and personal connections.
Last September we spent an amazing week in New Orleans filming Ra Kalam recording, playing concerts, and interacting with legendary New Orleans musicians including Bill Summers, Johnny Vidacovich, and Tony Dagradi. He also gave masterclasses, passing some of his wisdom along to a new generation of hopeful musicians.
Since then we've traveled to several locations including Richmond, VA, to record a session with Ra Kalam and his spiritual mentor Tisziji Muñoz, and to Miami to interview the great vibraphonist and bandleader Gary Burton. We’ve also conducted Zoom interviews with many of those whom we couldn’t meet in person.
In this process, we have launched a self-contained production company, which has enabled us to film any time a cool opportunity arises, rather than having to hire crews and rent gear for every shoot. This has given us access to more intimate moments.
We have purchased two Netflix-approved cameras, a powerful computer, several high-capacity hard drives, and other necessary equipment, as well as paying for studio time, musicians, travel expenses, etc. We’ve put a couple hundred collective hours into learning Davinci Resolve, the film editing software that we are using for this project.
The depth and wealth of Ra Kalam’s creativity as a musician, composer, artist, and human are astounding. We have some amazing interview footage with a who’s-who of musicians, all of whom have had glowing things to say about him. And we can’t wait to share his story with you!
What’s left to do?
This summer we’re doing more on-location filming and interviews, including a week and a half in New York to fill in the last major pieces of the puzzle: visiting the areas where Ra Kalam grew up and lived among the pillars of Jazz music, documenting some of his favorite stories, and interviewing his longtime friends and family members.
After that, we begin post-production. At this point we will be focused on editing the hundreds of hours of footage we’ve captured and distilling it down to the most essential clips that will tell this story in the best way possible.
We’ll continue consulting with film industry experts on next steps and best practices, and will be working to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s as far as funding, rights, distribution, etc.
Our goal is not just to share this story with as many people as possible, but to do it in a personal, compelling way that captures the essence of Ra Kalam in all his colorful facets. Ultimately, we want him to be recognized alongside his peers for all his contributions to music and culture.
About the Filmmaker
This project is being spearheaded by filmmaker Clifford Koufman, who is a Nashville drummer, percussionist, visual artist, and educator. Clifford has interviewed more than 100 artists and creatives in his series ClifChats. He has developed a close relationship with Ra Kalam as a student, mentee, and friend over 18+ years. They have bonded not only over music but also over their common experiences as single fathers raising sons.
It is an understatement to say that Ra Kalam is a prolific artist. Do yourself a favour and take a trip through a living history of jazz, rock, and avant garde music. rakalamrecords.bandcamp.com
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.
