Brazil

I was rather fortunate recently to work with Calgary's premier contemporary Jazz dance company, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, for their latest production "Ziriguidum" for the month of April and beginning of May. This very creative show featured a live Jazz trio consisting of myself on drums with Rubim De Toledo on bass and Chris Andrew on piano accompanying a cast of very talented dancers. The original score was all composed by Rubim and the show choreographed by Kimberley Cooper. These artists never cease to amaze me.

The second half of the show featured an amazing Brazilian dance group called Cia Vata, under the direction of Valeria Pinheiro. This group hails from the North East of Brazil and mixed folkloric rhythms with movement and dance, even interpreting many of these rhythms with a very unique form of "tap" dancing. It was quite enthralling to hear them perform night after night and hear this music performed so authentically, with the right feel.

This whole experience has really prompted me to revisit those rhythms and get deeper into this music. Definitely no lack of things to practice and learn from!

A few resources I'll be diving into real soon:

- Ed Uribe's great book "The Essence of Brazilian Percussion and Drumset"

http://www.amazon.com/The-Essence-Brazilian-Percussion-Drum/dp/076922024X/ref=pd_sim_14_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HM87XNE04BVWTC9HJ21

- Duduka Da Fonseca's "Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset"

http://www.amazon.com/Brazilian-Rhythms-Drumset-Manhattan-Publications/dp/0769209874

- Todd Bishop's very helpful guide, "Playing Samba and Bossa Nova: A Field Guide for Drummers"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QZJ4GX2

Incidentally, Todd just posted a great clip of Brazilian drummer Milton Banana over at his blog today:

http://www.cruiseshipdrummer.com/2015/05/milton-banana.html

And of course, LISTENING to this music extensively is the way to go. Otherwise all the rhythms you might learn from a book will be meaningless unless you spend time also trying to capture the sound and feel.

So in the meantime, check out these examples of this great Brazilian Batucada ensemble:

Vernel Fournier

The piano trio of Ahmad Jamal with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums is MUST listening for any serious jazz drummer and/or rhythm section player. There are many lessons to be learned from the understated and highly swinging approach that these three gentlemen demonstrate together.

Vernell is a very unique drummer that's not a household name but definitely worthy of serious study. I really dig the way he plays the arrangements, his light touch and groovy two-feel. I don't think I've heard him really play a full-out drum solo. He was all about playing with other people and making the band feel/sound good. And I don't think you can go wrong with that...

I really have to thank Carl Allen for suggesting to me that I check out this trio and their recordings years ago.

Here's some rare footage to get started:





Thanks to Ted Panken here's an interview with Vernel Fournier to check out:

https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/vernell-fournier-on-ahmad-jamal-wkcr-1990/

And here Fournier discusses his famous New Orleans inspired groove from Jamal's arrangement of "Poinciana":



Here's what Jack DeJohnette has to say about Fournier's drumming:

http://www.studio360.org/story/184577-aha-moment-jack-dejohnette/


And oh yes, Four on the Floor is now SIX years old!!! Thank you for all your support.

Conversations with Jimmy Cobb

Another interview today courtesy of the folks over at NYU, this time with the legendary Jimmy Cobb:

Conversations with Jack DeJohnette

Another great interview today, this time from Jack DeJohnette:



When the Masters speak...

Antonio Sanchez: Creative Soloing and Freedom

Thanks to the forward thinking people over at Drumeo here's the "Birdman" of the drums himself, Antonio Sanchez, talking about and demonstrating some very important improvisation concepts on the drums:

Eyes of the Masters: Albert "Tootie" Heath

Check out this informative masterclass with the great Albert "Tootie" Heath from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music:

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Welcome back and I hope you all had a nice weekend. As per usual, here's a number things to check out thanks to our busy Four on the Floor correspondents...


- Looking to learn a thing or two about Jazz music? Well, there's no lack of great lessons over at the Jazz @ Lincoln Centre Jazz Academy YouTube channel worth checking out:

https://www.youtube.com/user/jalcjazzacademy/videos


- Thank you to Adam Nussbaum for passing along this BBC piece on Louis Armstrong:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009y1rb


- Gregory Porter speaks with GQ magazine about Jazz music:

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2015-02/06/guide-to-jazz-music-with-gregory-porter


- The Drummer's Resource Podcast contains a wealth of great interviews with many great drummers to listen to. Check out this episode with UNT drum set professor Ed Soph:

http://www.drummersresource.com/ed-soph-interview/

- Gary Chester describes developing "Good Time" over at Scott Fish's blog:

https://scottkfish.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/gary-chester-on-developing-good-time/


- What are the Mathamatics of Jazz? Well, Clayton Cameron tells us in his TED Talk via npr.com:

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/06/388519359/what-are-the-mathematics-of-jazz


-  Stewart Copeland shares a few good tips via Calgary's Jim Johnston:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/stewart-copelands-top-5-tips-for-drummers-619308


- When the Masters speak, we listen ! Here's Art Taylor from a series created by the New York Public Library:

http://www.nypl.org/audiovideo/arthur-taylor-full-interview

Thanks to Rochester's Mike Melito for this find...


- When another Master speaks, we still listen!  Here's a rare radio interview with Philly Joe Jones recorded shortly before he passed away in 1986:

http://www.nightjourneyrewind.com/home/night-journey-with-philly-joe-jones


- Interested in learning how to play a ballad on the drums? Check out this brief clip of Lewis Nash with Bobby Watson:



- Finally, dig this great piece about Toronto Jazz drummer Archie Alleyne:

http://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/blog/the-life-and-times-of-archie-alleyne-torontos-greatest-jazz-drummer


- What am I reading/listening to these days?

Peter Erskine "No Beethoven: An Autobiography & Chronicle of Weather Report"

Michael Philip Mossman "Springdance" - Marvin Smitty Smith (drums)

Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano "Soundprints" - Joey Baron (drums)

Gerry Mulligan & Thelonious Monk "Mulligan Meets Monk" - Shadow Wilson (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to a few lines from Peter Erskine's autobiography "No Beethoven":

"Is is the charge of us who survive to see another dawn each day that we honour the memory of the kind and brave souls who have pioneered and lived and loved before us. They have taught us how to interpret a melody, or how to play a rhythm, or how to laugh at one of life's many absurdities. Life lessons. Good deeds. Mistakes. The sum of a man's or a woman's life can take years to absorb and understand, but we must always appreciate the sacrifice, wisdom, love, and humour that our fallen wisdom comrades have left to us."

Blackwell (returns)

Thank you to David Stanoch who reminded me the other day via the Facebook of these amazing clips of Ed Blackwell. I posted these here a few years back but they are so awesome it's worth reposting them just because....it's Ed Blackwell!









And if you are interested in reading some excellent research written on Blackwell's unique style, be sure to check out David Schmalenberger's DMA thesis "Stylistic Evolution of Jazz Drummer Ed Blackwell: The Cultural Intersection of New Orleans and West Africa".

http://www.pas.org/docs/default-source/thesisdissertations/schmalenbergerdj_2000.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Gregory Hines & Stanley Clarke

I've written a bit before about the important relationship between tap dancing and jazz drumming. Well, here's Gregory Hines, who I consider to be the "Tony Williams" of tap dancers (!), in a duet with Stanley Clarke to check out from a feature on the Arsenio Hall Show:

Nash on Brushes

Just a short one today to get the week started off right...

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Exploring and Expanding the Canadian Big Band Songbook

Hey, just a quick plug for a very cool concert I'm involved with tomorrow night...


The Calgary Creative Arts Ensemble Presents:

“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Exploring and Expanding the Canadian Big Band Songbook”

Thursday April 2nd

8:00pm

Theatre Junction Grand
608 1st Street SW

$25 Students/Seniors
$35 Adults

Tickets available at:
http://www.theatrejunction.com
403.205.2922


The Calgary Creative Arts Ensemble is Calgary’s newest jazz big band. The CCAE features musicians who collaborate with international performers and composers in order to bring exciting, dynamic new music to Calgary audiences.

The mission of the CCAE is to provide a platform in which local, regional and national jazz musicians can explore and develop Canadian music for large jazz ensemble. The CCAE also features many of Calgary’s talented composers, and fortunately has much of that talent within the band. On Thursday, April 2nd the CCAE will premiere a brand new work that features the writing talents of trumpet section leader Andre Wickenheiser in addition to works by the great Canadian jazz composers and members of the local Calgary jazz community.


For more information please visit:

https://www.jazzyyc.com/jazz-events/calgary-creative-arts-ensemble-presents-standing-shoulders-giants-exploring-expanding-canadian-big-band-songbook/

When I Take My Sugar to Tea...

A few months ago I wrote a few posts about the benefit of playing along with drum-less recordings to improve one's time and overall musicianship on the drums.

Many people chimed in with many great suggestions of albums to play-a-long with. Adam Nussbaum suggested the early trio's led by Nat King Cole as a good place to start.

Well, here's a GREAT example from my old teacher, Montreal's Dave Laing, playing along, with the brushes, to the Nat King Cole Trio on "When I Take My Sugar to Tea":



All I have to say about this is yikes, wow and thank you...

Tony Williams & Billy Cobham Tokyo 1978

No video, just an audio clip today featuring a drum duet of epic proportions featuring Tony Williams and Billy Cobham circa. 1978:

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Hello everyone and welcome back. It was a super busy weekend for me, having just finished up a very brief but action packed tour with my quartet featuring Jason Marsalis on the vibraphone. We played music that was all penned by the late Herbie Nichols and had a great time playing for some enthusiastic crowds in both Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. It was a lot of fun and we got our collective butts kicked by Herbie's quirky and challenging music. I hope to see this project continue again in the future.

Anyways, as always, here's a round of things to check out from around the interweb:


- Why is the Clave rhythm so awesome? Well, this is why:
http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2013/why-is-son-clave-so-awesome/


- Irish bassist and blogger Ronan Guilfoyle offers this fine tribute to the late Keith Copeland who passed away in February: http://ronanguil.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-extraordinary-mr-copeland.html


- New York percussionist Bobby Sanabria penned this fine essay on the history of Salsa music and Latin Jazz in New York City: http://www.drummagazine.com/hand-drum/post/explosion-de-clave-afro-cuban-sounds/


- Ethan Iverson over at his blog Do The Math gives us this GREAT interview with the little known drummer Steve Lyttle (whose playing credits include playing with Duke Ellington and the Sesame Street band): http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/interview-with-steve-little.html

Also via Ethan we get "Traps, The Drum Wonder" by Mark Stryker, an interesting piece on Buddy Rich: http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/traps-the-drum-wonder-by-mark-stryker.html


- Here's Chick Corea with some ideas on how to improve your time: http://chickcoreamusicworkshops.com/blog/video-rhythm-time-secret/?inf_contact_key=9e31b5338eb48a9ba436b0df06344a5a82a34be9bcb095438c7333b0f38c7537


- From over at Jazz Profiles, here's a series of pieces on Joe Morello to check out:

http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.ca/2015/02/joe-morello-in-big-band-setting.html

http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.ca/2015/02/joe-morello-interview-with-les-tomkins.html

http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.ca/2015/02/joe-morello-drum-talk-down-beat-march.html

http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.ca/2015/02/a.html


- The University of Manitoba's Quincy Davis continues to impress with his series of very informative, weekly Jazz drumming tips:





As long as he keeps making these, I'll keep posting them!


- While unfortunately his efforts were not recognized by the Academy Awards, Antonio Sanchez still came up with a very brilliant improvised drum soundtrack to the movie"Birdman" (I've already seen it twice! And no, I haven't seen "Whiplash" yet....thanks for asking!)

Here's Sanchez in the BBC studios taking about and demonstrating his approach to playing drums for this film:






- Here's a nice one of Toronto's Robi Botos with bassist Mike Downes and Ali Jackson Jr. on drums:




- Playing with Jason Marsalis recently was a real eyeopener and learning experience for me. He's an incredibly dedicated drummer, vibraphonist and can talk enthusiastically at length about any topic related to Jazz and Jazz history (and we did!) And as you can see below, he's also a very creative and patient individual as well:




- And finally, here's a clip of New York/Cuban Jazz drummer Francisco Mela in action...




- What am I listening to these days?

Terry Gibbs Dream Band "Main Stem, Vol.4" - Mel Lewis (drums), Terry Gibbs (vibes)

Herbie Nichols "Love, Gloom, Cash, Love" - Dannie Richmond (drums)

Matt Wilson Quartet  "Humidity" - Matt Wilson (drums)

Jason Marsalis "In a World of Mallets" - David Potter (drums), Jason Marsalis (vibes)

Barry Elmes Quintet "Red Shift" - Barry Elmes (drums)

- Today's Last Word goes undoubtedly goes to this gentlemen:



Any questions?

Well, thanks again for checking in on my blog. Have a great week everybody!

New York Attitude

Two versions of a cool tune today, "New York Attitude" by Kenny Barron.

The first one is performed by Barron's own trio with Victor Lewis on drums:



And another older version featuring the New York Jazz Giants from the Newport Jazz Festival circa. 1992 with Mulgrew Miller on piano and Carl Allen on drums:

Lewis Nash Interview

When the Masters speak....we listen.

The Music of Herbie Nichols featuring Jason Marsalis

I've got a string of interesting gigs coming up these days including several dates leading a quartet featuring Jason Marsalis on vibraphone, playing the music of pianist Herbie Nichols.

I've been fascinated with Nichols' music for over ten years now. I was first introduced to his music while I was studying with Matt Wilson in New York City in 2004 and he was playing with the Herbie Nichols Project, a band co-led by Ben Allison and Frank Kimbrough that extensively researched and performed his music.

I'm also looking forward to finally working with Jason Marsalis. He's a force on the drums AND now the vibraphone as well!

We are at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, AB on Friday, March 20th:

http://yardbirdsuite.com/home.htm

And River Park Church in Calgary on Saturday, March 21st, presented by JazzYYC:

https://www.jazzyyc.com/jazz-events/illumin8-jason-marsalis-plays-the-music-of-herbie-nichols/

Here's a link to a little interview I did with JazzYYC in advance of our Calgary concert:

https://www.jazzyyc.com/jon-mccaslin-interview/?ct=t(Feb_92_9_2015)

Rufus Reid Trio with Lewis Nash

I believe this is from Rufus Reid's bass instructional DVD but the obviously the trio footage featuring Mulgrew Miller and Lewis Nash is pretty happening too:

Kendrick Scott - New York City Winter Jazz Fest 2015

Just a short post today...here's some up close footage of Kendrick Scott from the New York City Winter Jazz Fest 2015 to dig into:

Quincy Davis' Tip of the Week

Quincy Davis, who currently teaches Jazz drums over at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB has been posting his "Tip of the week" series over at YouTube.com, featuring some very important, useful and very well-articulated concepts: