The rhythms above are some rudimental exercises and variations that I recently wrote out for a student. I originally posted these on Instagram the other day and Ted Warren reminded me to share them here as well. So here they are.
These are a few simple "wrist twisters" that I like to play and warm up with but there is some backstory in terms of how and why I play them too...
During my graduate studies at McGill University during the early 2000s I had the opportunity to study with Michel Lambert for a semester. He was a great teacher and really opened my ears to a lot of things that I still think about today.
Michel really encouraged me to "open" up my sound on the drums and explore my sonic and dynamic range by means of playing larger strokes. We would do this playing really big double and triple strokes around the kit, really exaggerating the strokes by not just playing from the wrist but by using the forearm as well. He also had me play big huge flam taps in the same manner.
Anyways, taking that sonic concept into consideration I use the above combinations with the same mentality in mind, meaning...create a BIG sound! (try it with brushes too...) Hope you dig it.
A short but informative radio interview with the great Billy Higgins circa. 1991 in which he talks about his time playing with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and the importance of listening:
As per usual, when the Masters speak...we listen.
Also, check out these reflections of a Billy Higgins/Shelly Manne drum duet (!) from 1984 via Mark Weber:
Matt Wilson is always a source of creative inspiration. I am always reminded that Jazz music is supposed to be FUN when I hear Matt play and talk.
Here's a recent interview with Matt from Drummer Nation in which he shares his wisdom and creative energy:
And here's some full concert footage from a few years back of Wilson in action with Benny Green, Martin Wind, Chris Potter and Marcus Strickland from Jazz Baltica 2010:
An awkward but fun double stroke exercise that I've found to be a useful little warmup/wrist twister.
Check it out:
It looks simple enough: a routine RRLL double-stroke sticking pattern BUT the challenge is to accent every THREE notes grouping in succession. It is harder than it looks/sounds but worth the trouble (really exaggerate those accents ya dig?)
Another instalment of excellent Jazz drumming tutorials from Chris Smith via The Drum Hang. I've posted all of his videos before and will continue to share these because I think they are really great. I have really learned a lot from these.
Now, there are a ton of so-called experts in the online world and on YouTube.com and Instagram these days, all too eager to share their "expertise" but, in fact, there are really only a small number who actually know what they are talking about! (this is of course my biased opinion....)
Chris Smith not only knows what he's talking about (and he's a really good player too!) but he also offers his explanations and concepts in a very concise and articulate way as well. This series is significant and I think he should write a book or something...oh wait never mind, he did! Check out his excellent biography on Mel Lewis entitled "The View From the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis".
Anyways, sit back and learn something from this collection of instructional videos, produced by someone who really knows what they are talking about:
Montreal's Dave Laing is one of Canada's greatest Jazz drummers and has long been a huge influence on my own playing. I studied with Dave during my time at McGill University back in the mid 1990s (he really kicked my ass!) and I also frequently took advantage of the opportunity to hear Dave play on a regular basis for many years around town with a variety of artists (he was always playing everywhere!)
Dave is a consumate musician whose playing mixes sensitive and thoughtful musical accompaniment with fire, a burning ride cymbal beat and a deep sense of swing. I want to be like Dave Laing when I grow up!
Lucky for us, Dave will be performing in Calgary this coming Friday with Montreal's Sam Kirmayer on guitar and Ben Paterson on organ.
Check out this footage of Dave in action with this trio in the studio:
And here's a brief clip of Dave burning through Min Rager's composition "Say What You Mean" from her 2016 studio recording:
Dave was also nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions:
Dave Laing - Four on the Floor Interview September 2019
1) How did you get your start on the drums? Who were your teachers and describe your education.
Some of my earliest memories are of the drums---my Aunt Florence could play a pretty mean rock beat and my older brother Mike was a drummer so that's really how I was introduced to the instrument. Mike was a talented player through high school and college and being 6 years older than me, he was a big influence on my early development. This was the 70's and he was listening to studio players like Steve Gadd and Jeff Pocaro. Incidentally, a lot of records from those days, even the pop recordings, would list all the musicians and it really drew attention to the individual contribution to the players, which the current format of music listening doesn't prioritize.
My dad was a jazz listener and so there was lots of jazz around the house, and back in those days you would still occasionally see jazz performers on tv shows--talk shows and variety shows, and even exclusively jazz programs like the Peter Appleyard show, which would have great bands. I had a chance to see Buddy Rich when I was a teenager and that was mind-blowing! My mom was a country and pop music listener and I remember spending many hours just going through all those records so there was a real mix of things in my early days. I personally gravitated toward funk and R&B bands, as the attraction for me was the feel and the groove--a deeper interest in jazz came a little later for me.
As for formal training, I didn't study until university and there my teachers were Lou Williamson and Pete Magadini. I also listened intently to Andre White and would pick his brain whenever I could so I would put him down as a teacher as well.
2) Who are some of the drummers that have influenced you, and why, over the years?
Every drummer influences me! That sounds a bit trite, but I do take things from every player I see and hear, since everyone has something different and unique about playing the instrument. I had an early encounter with Kenny Washington that was hugely influential in many ways. Of the elite drummers, I'd say I was most influenced by Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe, Jack Dejohnette, and Billy Higgins. I return again and again to their playing and I"m always finding new things. But honestly, there are too many names to list!
3) What are some of the projects and recordings you've been involved with that you are most proud of?
I consider myself a career accompanist and I take great pride when someone chooses me from among the many great players available to help fulfill their project or recording. I've had long associations with a lot of great players in Montreal like Kevin Dean, Ranee Lee, Joe Sullivan, Geoff Lapp, and Remi Bolduc and each of those players has many recordings that I'm quite happy with. I've done many projects with great younger players that I think sound great like Sam Kirmayer, Josh Rager, Carlos Jimenez and others.
4) What are you practicing and working on these days?
I studied a bit recently with a great Cuban percussionist in Montreal named Kiko Osorio and I'm trying to get some of that language together. After seeing players like Antonio Sanchez, Bill Stewart, Eric Harland and others, I'm trying to get some hipper foot ostinatos and odd times together but that's a work in progress!
5) You have been an influential teacher at McGill University now for over 25 years. What is your teaching philosophy and what skills do you focus on with your students?
I usually only have a few students at a time so I try dial in on what each particular player is motivated to work on while also addressing areas where I feel some attention should be focused. I like to come at development from two sides: one is the technical/rational side--which is usually what the books and methods address while the other is the emotional/feeling side of things which is harder to teach but vital to developing something personal and unique. All of our drum heroes were/are technical virtuosos but also developed something unique that made them stand out.
6) What exciting projects do you have coming up?
After this current tour with Sam, I've got a nice gig with Donny Kennedy in October at the Upstairs club in Motnreal with visiting bari sax player Paul Nedzela who's a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and a McGill alum. Following that, I have some shows with Remi Bolduc and also singer Ranee Lee lined up so it will be a busy fall.
7) Tell us about the current tour with Sam Kirmayer and Ben Paterson!
Sam originally put this band together two years ago with a record date and we did some shows last year at this time and we're back at it this year but on a bigger scale. We're doing 15 shows in 19 days, hitting 6 out of 10 provinces, so it's a lot of flying and driving and packing and unpacking but we are having a gas. We do a mix of Sam's originals and some standards and we've had some great crowds so far. I've known Sam for close to 10 years now and it's been great to watch him grow into such a polished performer and composer.
Ben is a fantastic talent and really knowledgeable about the organ tradition so it's fun to play these gigs with a great musician on a rarely-played instrument.
Dave Laing is currently touring Western Canada with the Sam Kirmayer trio featuring Ben Paterson on organ and will be appearing at Lolita's Lounge in Calgary on Friday, September 27th at 7pm.
To commemorate the Fall Equinox, the end of Summer and the beginning of the Fall season, I'd like to offer these clips of Steve Jordan laying down some convincing backbeats to get everyone's attention!
Well, we are full into the swing of things now that Fall is here. Hope you are enjoying your time and working hard wherever you might be, back to school or back to work...
This is the first Monday Morning Paradiddle column in awhile now so here's more than a few things being passed around the Four on the Floor offices these days for your perusal and inspiration:
- Check out Ryan Shaw's new Jazz drumming blog Learn Jazz Drums. Lots of really great and practical Jazz drumming tips and advice to be found here on a regular basis!
- Listen to Dr. Collen Clark interviewed by the Drum History Podcast on her doctoral research "The Evolution of the Jazz Ride Pattern"
- Trumpeter Nicholas Payton recently offered his thoughts and opinions on the influential comping style of Elvin Jones (via the Instagram) and how to get it right. Definitely some important points to consider here:
"The “Elvin thing” most drummers get into, it often ceases to be conversational and becomes filler. You gotta make sure there’s substance and reason for everything you play. Don’t just play noodlely shit on the drums because you can. All fills and accents have to be about creating an energy, moving the song forward, and a dialog. If not with the soloist, a conversation between the kick and snare or the toms. Whatever part of the kit you’re engaging with, make it purposed. What a lot of kats miss with Elvin is his ideas were about cascading and signaled a buildup to some sort of resolution. He just had a verbose way of doing it. He wasn’t that far off from Philly Joe. He just took longer to get there. Only then does playing all of that stuff inbetween make sense....There’s a code in Black music. Every question has an answer. It’s also about getting into and creating a space when you’re comping. Not about what you’re playing as it is about propelling the energy. You have to speak the language. Certain phrases have a logical answer or maybe several, but there’s a complementary rhythm to every phrase, that’s what “comp” is short for. It’s like boxing where you gotta be able to read your opponent’s move before they make it. But you’re not fighting, it’s more like dancing or playing with LEGOs. You gotta provide the framework and setting to make what just happened make sense and suggest the next possibility. Elvin set up these points of tension and then had a release, but they’d appear to be more busy than what they were. It was all about creating these pivot points leading to a resolution. How you setup the melody dictates what will follow. Don’t default to being too busy on the head in. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with playing that much shit out of the gate, but there has to be a reason to support it. Comping for a soloist is oftentimes like answering a knock at the door. Look through the peephole to see who it is, then respond accordingly. Opportunity could be knocking, don’t miss it! You’re not there to fill up space, you’re there to create space. You’re also there to create resolutions and solve problems. Sometimes you’re both creating and solving those problems. ALERT! Repetitive phrases are always an easy opportunity to interact. But don’t interact at the expense of making it dance. It should feel good, regardless of how bombastic. Be able to keep it dancing in short bursts as well as when playing complex figures with longer resolution points. And don’t just focus on the soloist while missing the chance to lock in with the other rhythm section players. And if you’re going to play a lot of shit, you must justify it with larger points of resolution. And it has to be more about where it’s leading than the shit you’re playing at the moment." - Nicolas Payton, via Instagram
- Vancouver's Mike Allen was recently caught playing this tenor/drum duet with the great Andre White:
- Poly-rhythm maestro Peter Magadini shares this poly-rhythmic paradiddle triplet concept from a recent drum clinic:
- Nate Smith offers a lesson in counting and takes everyone to school!
- Tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake unleashing on Giant Steps with Joe Farnsworth stoking the fire from behind the drums:
- Thanks to Cruiseship Drummer's Todd Bishop for sharing this amazing music!
- What am I listening to these days?
Scott Colley "This Place" - Bill Stewart (drums)
Gonzalo Del Fra "Standards in Dublin" - Gonzalo Del Fra (drums)
Peter Beets New York Trio "Page Two" - Willie Jones III (drums)
Christin McBride's "New Jawn" - Nasheet Waits (drums)
Gary Smulyan "Alternative Contrafacts" - Rodney Green (drums)
Mike LeDonne "Partners in Time" - Lewis Nash (drums)
Nathan Hiltz "Songs Poetic" - Morgan Childs (drums)
Charlie Rouse "Unsung Hero" - Dave Bailey (drums)
Craig Scott "Introducing Craig Scott" - Joe Poole (drums), Craig Scott (vibraphone)
- And today's Final Words go to Ron Miller with these important thoughts on improvising (sorry...the text is a bit fuzzy but it's worth the read!):
And then this one of course...
"Listening is the most important thing in music" - Duke Ellington
From a recent performance at the Cotton Club Tokyo, here's Kenny Washington in action with the Bill Charlap trio, demonstrating his exceptional brush technique on a set of Canopus drums:
Check out this amazing and recently discovered French television footage of Miles Davis from 1957 featuring Kenny Clarke on drums with Barney Wilen on tenor saxophone, Pierre Michelot on bass and Renee Urtreger on piano:
Apparently Kenny Clarke was also the very first Jazz drummer to play on the moon. Who knew?
Recently I was excited to come across this trailer for John Riley's latest web-based instructional initiative through onlinelessons.tv:
I've always learned a great deal from John, while taking lessons with him privately over the past ten years as well as working from his excellent books "The Art of Bop Drumming", "Beyond Bop Drumming", "The Jazz Drummer's Workshop"and his DVD "The Master Drummer". John is a great player and a wonderful teacher and I always learn something from him, whether it's from watching him play or benefiting from his extensive experience and tremendous insight as a pedagogue.
Here's what John has to say about his latest project:
"The online course is for Florian Alexandru-Zorn’s platform. Maybe you’re familiar with a great brush DVD he did years ago. I did 4 hour+ courses which are progressive and will be available in October by subscription from onlinelessons.tv.
I discuss the aspects of jazz drumming, demo techniques, discuss philosophy, play with a trio and provide play-along tracks. I’m really happy with the way the lessons came out and the way everything was captured from the sound to the camera work and to the transcriptions of the lesson material."
So make sure to sign up for John's latest offering once it launches later this Fall.
In the meantime, here's an older interview with John to check out from All About Jazz:
Hope you all had a nice summer and now that September's here, it's time to get to work and back in the swing of things, so to speak...
And what better way to do so than with a few doses of inspiration from the great Bill Stewart, shown here in a quartet with John Scofield, Joe Lovano and Ben Street:
Some B3 organ trio action featuring Stewart with Peter Bernstein and Larry Goldings on Miles Davis' "Milestones":
And this one is a repost but it's so darn good, here it is again (!) featuring Bill Stewart close-up and in action with Nicolas Payton's trio from a few years back at Washington D.C.'s Jazz Alley:
Finally, here's a more recent interview with pianist Pablo Held whose ongoing interview series offers some real depth and insight into the minds of Jazz music's current generation of creative artists:
Jazz drumming great Charli Persip recently turned 90 years young and Adam Nussbaum has informed me that Persip is also facing some medical challenges these days. A Go Fund Me fundraiser has been set up in his name to help with the cost of the medical bills and he would sure appreciate any help you can offer:
From the Go Fund Me webpage: "Famed jazz drummer, Charli Persip, known for his band SuperSound, has played with jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine. Unfortunately, in recent years, Charli Persip has been struggling with illness. Due to this, he had to stop doing what he loves the most; performing and teaching. This has left him to fall on hard times financially due to medical bills. We are reaching out to the jazz community at this time for any contributions towards the Charli Persip medical fund. He would greatly appreciate the support. You can e-mail his family at charlipersip@yahoo.com as well."
Fortunately for us, Charli's 90th birthday celebration concert was recently shared on YouTube and featured a plethora of great musicians and drummers including appearances from the likes of E.J. Strickland, Kenny Washington, Taru Alexander, Lloyd Haber, Warren Smith, Marcus Baylor, Jack DeJohnette, Nasheet Waits, Eli Fountain, Jeff Tain Watts, Carl Allen, Andrew Cyrille, Darrell Smith, Adam Nussbaum and more. Check it out:
Happy Birthday indeed!
Adam Nussbaum was also kind enough to offer these words, some thoughts on the impact that Persip had on his own development:
"Charli was one of my early teachers. He was such an inspiration beyond just the drums. What I got from him was that it was all about the music and the commitment. That had a major impact on me. It still does!"
Personally, I was first made aware of Charli Persip's drumming from listening to the 90s CD reissue of the album Gretsch Drum Night at Birdland. This album featured Persip along with the drumming powers of Elvin Jones, Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones in an epic drum battle but Charli Persip, at the time, was brand new to me. However, once I heard him do his thing (and, in my opinion, more than keep up with the others!) I was like...."okay now who is THIS guy???" Needless to say, I've been a fan ever since.
Adam Nussbaum, Chad Anderson, Jesse Cahill and Brad Shigeta also all reminded me to check out Persip's swinging playing with Dizzy Gillespie (Have Trumpet Will Excite, Dizzy Gillespie at Newport and Sonny Side Up with Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins), Lee Morgan's Blue Note recordings, Cecil Payne's The Connection, piano trio dates with Red Garland, Benny Golson's New York Scene and his own Charles Persip and the JAZZ Statesmen:
Some wonderfully musical and inspired drumming today from Allison Miller with her Boom Tic Boom project:
And thanks to Four on the Floor correspondent Tim Mah for sending along this recent interview with Miller over at the Burning Ambulance Podcast.
I've also posted these next two before but because they are so much fun and I really dig them, here they are again:
As you can see from the informative clips above, Allison Miller is a creative force on the drums, a musical drummer that brings together the legacy of jazz drumming in the present while also pushing the sonic possibilities of the instrument forward in a highly personal way.
A few interesting things to listen to today that I've been enjoying lately...
- Uncle Paul's Jazz Closet is an excellent podcast curated by Paul Motian's niece Cindy McGuirl that features the life and music of Paul Motian, including many unreleased and private recordings.
A recent episode features some rare rehearsal recordings of Motian's in which he is tuning his drums, practicing the drums (!) and rehearsing original material with other musicians.
I was also really impressed with a previous episode that featured Motian's private recordings of him practicing the piano and playing through several of his original compositions (on a piano that he allegedly bought from Keith Jarrett and apparently Motion was a very serious student of the instrument, even taking regular lessons for a number of years). I don't think that Motian meant for these recordings to be heard by anyone other than himself however I don't think he would really mind either (*this is purely my speculation of course!)
Anyways, I think these recordings are highly significant and I think we can all take a lesson from this. Given the technology readily available to us, there is no reason why we all shouldn't be recording ourselves on a regular basis for self-evaluation (even if not intended to be shared with others). Perhaps no one will be curating a podcast in our name after we're long gone however there is still much to be learned and gained by regular documentation of your own creative process.
I recently spoke with Dr. Patrick Boyle about this very subject, Ted Warren blogged about this earlier in the week and Chad Anderson is a constant inspiration via his posts on Instagram.
- Jerry Fuller is a name that often comes up in Canadian Jazz drumming circles. When I ask other musicians about him, he is always remembered fondly (in fact, whenever Nick Fraser is asked: "Who is the best Jazz drummer in Toronto?" Fraser usual replies: "Jerry Fuller"....even though he's been deceased since 2002!)
Here's an article written by long-time Montreal Jazz critic Len Dobbin on Fuller's career.
A couple of great examples of Jerry Fuller's drumming to check out, both from the Canadian Jazz Archives on-line (a great resource!):
Both of these concerts were recorded live at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto.
- Here's some more Canadian Jazz: guitarist Sonny Greenwich with pianist Don Thompson, bassist Jim Vivian and drummer Barry Elmes, recorded at the Upstairs Jazz Bar in Montreal on a spirited version of Cole Porter's "I Love You":
I think I may have been in the audience for this concert now that I come to think of it...
- Thanks to Adam Nussbaum for passing along this rare one of the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960, recorded at the Jazz Gallery, featuring Pete LaRoca on drums:
- And speaking of Coltrane....here's Montreal's Yannick Rieu and his quartet performing Trane's Untitled Original 11383 from a recent performance at the Montreal International Jazz festival with ANDRE WHITE on drums:
- Kenny Washington first played this Philly Joe Jones drum solo for me a few years ago at his apartment in Brooklyn. It's extremely rare and out-of-print but fortunately it's still up on YouTube:
Some creative drumming today from Antonio Sanchez featuring his expansive drum set-up and the Sensory Percussion trigger system (also recently featured on this blog with performances from the likes of Marcus Gilmore and Kendrick Scott):
Further to that example, Sanchez discusses his personal approach to soloing on the drums:
And here's an interview with Sanchez in which he talks about his influences, working with Pat Metheny and his recent projects:
Okay, one more (!) Here is a quick lesson on his approach to cymbal technique:
As you can see and hear, Sanchez is not only an accomplished drummer but a creative artist as well who is pushing the boundaries of his craft.
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.
