FOUR ON THE FLOOR

Monday, March 23, 2026

Tain - Black Nile

Just a quick post today as I'm on the road on Canada's West Coast for the next week.

Anyways, this track from Jeff "Tain" Watts' piano trio album Wattage featuring Kenny Kirkland on piano came on the radio the other day as I was driving home from a gig. This is a really great album and it was a nice reminder hearing this (I think I bought this CD at Jazz Record Mart in Chicago around 2005!).

And thanks to Peter Retzlaff for sharing this quick clip of Tain playing Al Foster's ride cymbal at Good Hands Drum Shop (New York City):

Monday, March 16, 2026

Billy Martin on Improvisation

Some fantastic lessons on drum set improvisation from a recent masterclass with Billy Martin:

Martin is a creative force and I've admired his multifaceted approach to the drums and music for a long time.

Make sure to check out his excellent film Life on Drums and his book Riddim: Rhythms of African Origin:

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Billy Hart Solo!

Thanks to Craig VanDerSchaegen, author of the Practicing Drummer blog and podcast, for this epic (and I mean EPIC!) solo from Billy Hart:

Monday, March 2, 2026

Bebop: Kendrick Scott & Warren Wolf

More incredible music from SFJAZZ's Alone Together series featuring Kendrick Scott on drums and Warren Wolf on vibraphone, playing Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop:

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Joe Farnsworth plays "Cute"

Epic drumming from Joe Farnsworth today, featured on Neal Hefti's classic "Cute", with pianist Emmet Cohen:

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.

Monday, March 23, 2026

Tain - Black Nile

Monday, March 16, 2026

Billy Martin on Improvisation

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Billy Hart Solo!

Monday, March 2, 2026

Bebop: Kendrick Scott & Warren Wolf

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Joe Farnsworth plays "Cute"

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Jon McCaslin - Sunalta

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