WELCOME TO FOUR ON THE FOUR: A BLOG ABOUT JAZZ DRUMMING AND ALL THINGS UNRELATED, BROUGHT TO YOU BY JON McCASLIN

Monday, April 17, 2023

Alvin Queen!










I had the opportunity to hear Alvin Queen play the drums with Oscar Peterson at Birdland in New York City circa. 2004 and his dynamic, hard swinging drumming left a profound impression on me. I waited in line outside the club for over an hour in the rain to hear Oscar Peterson's quartet (!) but it was worth it and I managed to secure a seat in the front row (sitting next to none other than the great bassist Ron Carter!) I recall that Alvin opened the set with a high energy drum solo bursting into a deep, funky second-line groove while the rest of the band took the stage (including Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass and Ulf Wakenius on guitar, supporting Oscar Peterson on piano).

• Here's a few pieces that chronicle Alvin Queen's life story:


• A short drum lesson with Alvin from New Morning Jazz TV:

https://newmorning.ch/index.php/component/allvideoshare/video/alvin-queen-on-drum?fbclid=IwAR3GZ5BrZdpmX8OQtCcrckLOs23hClnHiAu9aoUqoIyFhgfa2lkat18gzyE

• A drum solo excerpt filmed in Copenhagen circa. 1986:


• And a favourite and creative solo drum composition from his album Ashanti:



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