Mel Lewis and Big Band Drums

Thanks to Paul Wells and Jess Birch of the Good Hands Drum Shop in New York City for sharing this wonderful piece featuring Mel Lewis' custom made maple Pearl drum set:

I've been playing a lot of big band drums lately this Fall, rehearsing and performing regularly with Calgary's 9th Avenue Big Band, the new edition of the former Prime Time Big Band, that was directed by the late Dave Jones.

I've played with a lot of big bands over the years, basically since I even started playing the drum set and jazz music, going way back to high school and all the way through university. While it's not what I do exclusively, it is something that I really enjoy and has provided me many opportunities over the years. 

As I get older, I really think that Mel Lewis is likely my favourite drummer when it comes to big band drums. Whenever I find myself in New York City on a Monday evening, I make sure that I'm at the Village Vanguard to catch John Riley with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

I've checked out a lot of Basie over the years and all the drummers that drove that band back in the day (including Sonny Payne, Harold Jones, Rufus "Speedy" Jones, Butch Miles, Dennis Mackrel, Jo Jones, etc.). Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa were also the first jazz drummers I heard and that caught my attention before I discovered the likes of Max Roach, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, etc. 

I also have to thank Chuck Dotas, Gordon Foote, Brent Ghiglione, Hugh Fraser, Dean McNeill, Dave Jones and Bob Moyer who directed many of the bands I played in over the years and introduced me to a lot of different big band music that demanded a variety of specific ways of playing. I enjoy the challenge of playing with a larger ensemble and I consider it a privilege to play in a good band on a regular, weekly basis.  

Anyways, here's a few favourite clips of Mel Lewis to check out including a link to masterclass with Mel at North Texas State Univeristy circa. 1983:

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1553310/m1/

And here's an older one that I've shared before, a great lesson from Christopher Smith on Mel Lewis' "Rub-a-Dub" phrase. Make sure to check out Smith's fantastic book The View from the Back of the Band - The Life and Music of Mel Lewis