The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Well it's been awhile now since this column has made an appearance here at Four on the Floor (months, in fact!), but here we are and thanks for coming back to check in!

As per usual, here's a wealth of interesting things making rounds here, around the office:

- Thanks to Adam Nussbaum who passed along this rare gem, an audio interview with Vernel Fournier, talking about the musical legacy of bassist Israel Crosby:

https://soundcloud.com/ralph-kramden-300/vernel-fournier-on-israel-crosby


- Andrew Cyrille featured by the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/arts/music/andrew-cyrille-new-vanguard.html?_r=0


- Pianist Kris Davis has a new album out that features a variety of duet configurations, including tracks with drummers Marcus Gilmore and Billy Drummond. Here is a sample of one of these tracks featuring Drummond and Davis on Thelonious Monk's "Eronel":

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2016/10/video-premiere-billy-drummond-track-eronel-improvising-pianist-kris-davis/


- "Cat with Hats" is one of my favorite new discoveries in the world of on-line drumming blog's these days:

http://catwithhats.com/

This blog features many regular video interviews with many of the world's great drummers including the likes of Pete Lockett and Ari Hoenig:






- A nice interview with Winard Harper, a drummer who everyone should know about!

http://m.axs.com/interview-with-jazz-drummer-winard-harper-108168


- While I didn't quite realize it until relatively recently, drummer Jim White has been an influence on me for nearly 25 years (!) I distinctly recall reading a wonderfully written column he wrote for Percussive Notes in which he offered some listening suggestions, recommending which albums and Jazz drummers to listen to. These recordings have all stuck with me ever since and his article was huge help back when I was starting out. Thanks Jim!

Here's a four-part interview with Jim in which he talks about his career and development:

https://ourmanontheground.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/jim-white-pt-1-in-the-beginning/

https://ourmanontheground.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/jim-white-pt-2-in-the-tradition/

https://ourmanontheground.wordpress.com/2016/08/10/jim-white-pt-3-hittin-it/

https://ourmanontheground.wordpress.com/2016/08/13/jim-white-pt-4-now-he-beats-the-drum/


- Here's Bryan Carter interviewed over at the 180 Drums Podcast with some sage advice and practice ideas:




- Allison Miller demonstrates some cool ideas!






- Thanks to Tim Mah who passed along this one of Kendrick Scott:




- Elvin!





- What am I listening to these days?

Dave Holland "ECM :rarum - Selected Recordings" - Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Billy Kilson, Nate Smith, Gene Jackson, Barry Altschul (drums)

Chick Corea "ECM :rarum - Selected Recordings" - Airto Moreira (percussion), Gary Burton (vibraphone), Roy Haynes (drums)

Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom "Otis Was A Polar Bear" - Allison Miller (drums)

Cannonball Adderley "Nipon Soul" - Louis Hayes (drums)

Albert Vila "The Unquiet Sky" - Jeff Ballard (drums)

Kris Davis "Duopoly" - Marcus Gilmore, Billy Drummond (drums)

Victor Lewis "Eeeyyess!" - Victor Lewis (drums)

Andre White "El Toro" - Dave Laing (drums)

Andre White & Bill Coon "Esprit de Corps" - Dan Skakun (drums)

Andre White "Give the Drummer Some!" - Andre White, Dave Laing (drums)

Clark Terry & Red Mitchell "To Duke & Basie"

Joe Lovano "Classic! Live at Newport" - Lewis Nash (drums)

Willie Jones III "Groundwork" - Willie Jones III (drums), Warren Wolf (vibraphone)

Kenny Barron Trio "Book of Intuition" - Johnathan Blake (drums)

Charles Lloyd "Of Course, Of Course" - Tony Williams (drums)

Tom Harrell "Number Five" - Johnathan Blake (drums)


- And for today's Final Word, I leave you with this wisdom and this insight from the late Norval Morriseau, one of my favorite painters who's depiction of First Nation mythology and spirituality has really captured my imagination these days...

"I go to the inner places. I go to the source. I even dare to say, I go to the house of invention where all the inventors of mankind have been."

- Norval Morriseau, Ojibway Painter and Shaman

Ed Thigpen 1991

Another great Jazz drum clinic from the 1991 IAJE Conference, this time featuring Ed Thigpen on drums, sticks, cymbals and brushes:



And if you like that, then dig these!

Erskine!

I've always been a big fan of drummer Peter Erskine and have found his teachings to be a wonderful resource over the course of my own career. When I first got started on the drums back in the early 90s (living in an urban centre with relatively few Jazz drumming resources!) an important teacher of mine gave me a copy of Erskine's "Everything is Timekeeping" video series and, in many ways, this set the tone for my approach to the drum set in the years to come.

Peter always manages to find the perfect balance between technique and concept in his explanations and writings and he always puts the utmost attention to playing the drums with the highest sense of musicality at all times. In this day and age of over-the-top, sensationalist drumming, whenever I see a video or article from Erskine, I take note and pay attention.

Here's a few great resources that have come across our desks over here at Four on the Floor lately:

- A lesson demonstrating some basic drum techniques (Peter always does a great job stressing and contextualizing his "back to basics" philosophy):



- Highlights from a drum clinic at the Donn Bennett Drum Studio:




- An important brush playing concept (Peter is a great brush player!):




- A wonderful and articulate interview with Peter from The Drummer's Resource Podcast:

http://www.drummersresource.com/peter-erskine-interview/


- Some important considerations or "rules" for drummers to take into account:

http://www.stevesuchdrums.com/rulesfordrummers/007-peter-erskine-rules-for-drummers


- Erskine on bass players (the drummer's best friend!):

http://www.bassplayer.com/artists/1171/give-the-drummer-some-peter-erskine/57339


- And finally, thanks to the kind people over at NYU Steinhardt, here is an in-depth conversation with Peter Erskine:

Bellson 1991

And thanks to the same gentlemen who posted the Joe Morello masterclass earlier this week, here's a Louie Bellson drum clinic, also from the 1991 IAJE Conference:

Morello 1991

Thanks to Adam Nussbaum who passed this one along this morning:



The older I get, my appreciation grows exponentially for Mr. Morello's super-efficient and relaxed technique and exceptional musicality.

As per always, when the Masters speak....we listen!

Marty Morell on Brushes

I came across these great brush playing demonstrations the other day, featuring one of my all-time favourite piano trio drummers who played with pianist Bill Evans back in the day, the great Marty Morell:

Shuffle Diddles...

Today's drum lesson features a brief but fun little ditty that I came up with the other day while driving to a gig and waiting at a red light (does this qualify as distracted driving???)

Anyways, the pattern resembles this and combines one single paradiddlediddle followed by a single paradiddle combination:

You'll notice that the pattern switches hands every second bar, going back and forth between the right and left hand leads.

Ideally you'll want to work this two-bar pattern up to a very fast sixteenth note pace or even 32nd notes. This is because if you do, and if the accents are properly articulated, you'll start to hear a slow 12/8 shuffle pattern emerge from the accents.

You'll start to hear something like this:

You could also experiment with substituting double paradiddles in the beginning of each bar (leading with both the right and left hands of course).

I've also been having fun experimenting with this pattern, orchestrating it around the drum set.

This is a fun little phrasing exercise that gets your hands going, combines rudiments and also illustrates the concept of hearing larger accent patterns/phrases amongst denser rhythmic combinations.

Ulysses Owens Jr.

Some interesting masterclass footage today from Ulysses Owens Jr., a drummer who's recent work with Christian McBride's piano trio I've enjoyed quite a bit:









And thanks to the kind people over at the Zildjian cymbal company, here's Owens demonstrating a very nice collection of his Kerope cymbals:

Dom Moio Lessons

Today's post features several short but very practical and informative mini-lessons from Arizona drummer Dom Moio. I took a few lessons from Dom back in 2004 while visiting my brother who was, at the time, studying his Master's at ASU.

Dom's demonstrates these Latin grooves in a very clear and concise way and I hope he offers more in the future:

Mr. A.T.

 

Special thanks to Chad Anderson who passed along this very important interview with the great Art Taylor from 1994 (as part of the New York Public Library's Louis Armstrong Jazz Oral History Project).

As per usual, when the Master's speak...we listen.



*Edit*

And to remind us all of what a supreme & badass monster swinger that Art Taylor was, here's some great concert footage from 1958 with Zoot Sims, Walter Davis and Doug Watkins:

Tyshawn

Welcome back and I hope you all had a wonderful Labour Day long weekend.

Today's post features some excellent drumming and commentary from Tyshawn Sorey, a very unique drummer/composer/multi-instrumentalist/scholar who is quickly being recognized as a modern Master. Thanks to the kind people over at the Memphis Drum Shop for putting together and sharing these.

Tony Williams Drum Clinic 1987

And…we're back.

These two clips of Tony Williams from a 1987 drum workshop in Austria have been making the rounds this summer. What an incredible opportunity to see a Master up close like this.

In the first footage we see Mr. Williams "warming up":



Notice the extensive use of single strokes, doubles and various paradiddles, switching effortlessly and executed at a very high dynamic level and stick height. A "warm up" indeed!

And here's the following drum solo performed for his class:



I saw Tony perform a very similar type of clinic like this in San Antonio at an IAJE conference in 1993. This video, I think, is a great demonstration of Tony Williams' style during the 80s and 90s. Interestingly enough, drummer/vibraphonist Jason Marsalis also attended that same clinic and, while we were playing some gigs together last year, it was interesting for the two of us to compare notes on what we remembered and took away from the experience.

Somebody also sent me an audio recording of this clinic and once I have the opportunity to listen to that I'll provide the highlights later.

*Edit* Thanks to Camil Belisle, here's the audio recording I mentioned!

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Well it's been awhile since one of my Monday Morning Paradiddle columns so I've tried to make this one a lengthy one at that. I'm hitting the road shortly and not sure how much time I'll have for blogging, linking or posting and such while I'm out and about over the course of these next summer months. Maybe I'll pop by once-in-awhile to say hello, we'll see. In the meantime, here's some random beats to check out that I think you'll enjoy:

- From the Smithsonian here's a piece on the origins of our instrument entitled "The Birth of the Drum Set":

http://www.folkways.si.edu/magazine-winter-spring-2015-the-birth-of-the-drum-set/article/smithsonian#.V2WpnhTvvCU.facebook

- Albert "Tootie" Heath shares his experience playing with pianist Thelonious Monk:

 http://www.jazz.org/blog/so-the-story-goes-tootie-heath-and-thelonious-monk/

- Billy Hart shares five of his most influential albums:

http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/05/31/billy-hart-honored-in-heladsburg-picks-his-five-most-important-recordings/

- A great interview with my friend Adam Nussbaum:

http://www.60minuten.net/adam-nussbaum/

- The Drummer's Resource Podcast offers some insightful interviews with Eric Harland:

http://www.drummersresource.com/eric-harland-interview/

...and Billy Martin:

http://www.drummersresource.com/billy-martin-interview/

- Modern Drummer magazine features Allison Miller on their monthly podcast:

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2016/05/modern-drummer-podcast-allison-miller/

- NPR features Ralph Peterson Jr.:

http://www.npr.org/2016/05/19/478685085/ralph-peterson-proves-we-re-in-a-golden-age-of-jazz-piano-trios

...and Matt Wilson:

http://www.npr.org/2016/06/15/482153414/jazz-drummer-matt-wilsons-big-happy-family-is-heartfelt-and-harmonious

- Matt recently released a wonderful and joyous album in memory of his late wife Felicia. Here's a couple pieces about Matt's latest sonic offering:

http://kmuw.org/post/matt-wilson-celebrates-love-life-beginning-memory

http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/jazzblog/matt-wilson-cd-reviewed

- Billy Drummond talks stereos and such over at stereophile.com:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/musicians-audiophiles-billy-drummond

- A nice feature on percussionist Russell Hartenberger (my friend, teacher and former Doctoral supervisor) and Steve Reich from the BBC:

http://bbc.in/1T7IzvI

- Need some ideas for albums to play-a-long with when you're practicing? Here's albums to check out:

http://thatdrumblog.blogspot.ca/search/label/You%20Be%20the%20Drummer

- A great article on creativity and practicing from a blog I enjoy frequenting:

http://www.creativitypost.com/psychology/8_things_top_practicers_do_differently?utm_content=bufferdf103&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

- Jack DeJohnette's latest trio project with Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison is featured here:

http://web.musicaficionado.com/main.html#!/article/Jack_DeJohnette?compositeID=spencerschwartz-Jack_DeJohnette-1462924450016

...and here's some great duet footage of DeJohnette with baritone saxophonist John Surman:



I heard this duet combination at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2001 and it was nothing short of inspiring. These two musicians obviously have a long history of playing together.

-Thanks to Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Academy, Sherrie Maricle offers some very practical motivic drum soloing techniques:




- Chicago's George Fludas is a drummer that's not mentioned nearly enough, but I think he's awesome:




- Gerry Hemingway is a another very creative drum set artist who's music I've been meaning to get into for a long time now. Here's one reason why:




- John Abraham,  currently the drummer with Cirque du Soleil's Las Vegas production of "O", recently forwarded me this very interesting composition that combines a number of different techniques:



Well done John and thanks for sharing!

- Joe Lovano has a new record coming out soon that features one of my favorites, the great Lewis Nash on drums. Here's a recent performance of Nash laying it down with Lovano's "Classic Quartet":




- Brian Blade is touring with the trio of Chick Corea and Christian McBride these days. Here's an excerpt of his dynamic solo from the tune"Fingerprints":




- What am I listening to these days?

Mike Melito "New York Connection" - Mike Melito (drums)

Matt Wilson "Beginning of a Memory" - Matt Wilson (drums)

John Coltrane "Crescent" - Elvin Jones (drums)

Ben Henriques "Captain Awesome" - Dave Laing (drums)

Nick Fraser "Starer" - Nick Fraser (drums)

Eric Alexander & Vincent Herring "The Battle" - Carl Allen (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to Toni Morrison (via Tanya Kalmanovitch):

"I tell my students, ' When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab bag candy game.'" - Toni Morrison

*I think this is some really sage advice to anyone who might be in a position to help others. Don't be greedy. Don't hoard all the knowledge and spirits that others have undoubtedly shared with you. This is also very reminiscent of Dave Holland's of beautiful piece "Pass it on" (dedicated to Edward Blackwell) for the very same reason...



Alrighty, that's all for now. Be well and see you on the flip side!

The Whole Drum Truth!

A pretty amazing collection of current Jazz drummers, all collaborating together in one giant collective percussion discussion. Featuring Joe Saylor, Willie Jones III and Sylvia Cuenca, all led by the elder statesman Albert Tootie Heath on drums:



I've personally had two significant drum set ensemble experiences such as this, first playing with Joe LaBarbera at the Banff Centre in 1997 and then with Billy Hart in Lake Placid, New York in 1998. In both instances both LaBarbera and Hart insisted that we all set-up and play together during our daily morning, drum masterclasses (anywhere from 6-8 drum sets all at once, with our drums set-up collectively in a giant circle!) It's very rare that we as drummers have the opportunity to play together with other drummers and we should really encourage more of this sort of thing.

I don't think the label "drum battle" really applies to this sort of configuration (not like the friendly rivalry of Rich vs. Krupa for example) but this is more of an attempt to explore the idea of a group of drummers playing multiple drum sets, together as a true ensemble. Once we shed the competitive aspects of playing the drums in a context such as this, ensembles like this really become a positive experience and a chance to share and celebrate our collective love for rhythm, the drums and the "brotherhood" of drumming to which we all belong.

Here's another incarnation of the same group but with different personnel (this time with Billy Hart, Idris Muhammad, Louis Hayes and, again, Albert Tootie Heath):

Lost in Translation: "Jeef" Tain Watts...

I discovered a wonderful new jazz drummer the other day (unknown to me anyways Lol…) Anyways, typo or not, he has lots to say and sounds amazing...

Klook

I discovered these fantastic clips of Kenny Clarke last week and since there's not a lot of footage of Klook out there, these ones (especially the last one with Martial Solal, featuring some impeccable brushwork) are all mandatory watching/listening.

Notice the lack of a mounted tom on three of these clips and, also, as Brad Shigeta pointed out to me when I showed these to him: "Traditional Grip!" Indeed ; )

Lewis Nash Speaks

Definitely not the greatest audio/video quality but definitely some quality wisdom from the great Lewis Nash thanks to an intrepid audience member with his/her iPhone:



As per always, when the Masters speak....we listen.

Andre Ceccarelli 13"17

 I've been checking out a lot of great European Jazz drummers lately and French Jazz drummer Andre Ceccarelli is certainly no exception:



And here's a little masterclass/lesson to dig into:

Up Close with Billy Hart

A couple of interesting, up and close videos of Jabali Billy Hart in action with his quartet from a recent performance at Bimhuis:





It's always a lesson for me to watch and listen to Billy play. His clear sense of exaggerated dynamics, textural orchestrations and musical accompaniment behind other soloists is always a joy and a clear reminder of what it means to be a Jazz drummer.

Jon Christensen

An interesting one today featuring Norway's Jon Christensen (of ECM fame) with Sonny Rollins circa. 1971:

Roberto Gatto

Thanks to Toronto's Reg Schwager who passed along this one of Italian Jazz drummer Roberto Gatto, via the Facebook, a very fine drummer I wasn't previously familiar with:



And I enjoyed this one as well, featuring Gatto on a set of drums previously owned/played by Elvin Jones:

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Spring is upon us and here's what's on the go over here at Four on the Floor these days:

- Clayton Cameron offers some inspiring and refreshing perspectives in his TED Talk entitled "How I Fell in Love with the Drums":

http://blog.ted.com/how-i-fell-in-love-with-the-drums/


- Scott K Fish is always up to great things over at his blog Life Beyond Cymbals. Here's a recent piece on Keith Copeland:

https://scottkfish.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/keith-copeland-md-interview-1984/


- Todd Bishop is, as always, also offering great things over at his blog Cruiseship Drummer. Here's a great piece that Todd recently shared, some thoughts on Billy Higgins offered by Jeff Tain Watts:

http://www.cruiseshipdrummer.com/2016/04/jeff-watts-on-billy-higgins.html


- Another edition of "Life of Drums" from Billy Martin entitled "The Para-Riddle":




- An article/interview featuring Terri Lyne Carrington from Drum Magazine:

http://www.drummagazine.com/features/post/terri-lyne-carrington-jazz-soul-and-sisterhood/P3/


- Master drummer Jack DeJohnette has a trio album on ECM with Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison that drops this week. Here's a piece on DeJohnette from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2016/04/21/473830013/jack-dejohnette-a-drummer-who-stays-in-movement-by-keeping-good-company

And here's another interview with DeJohnette from the Jake Feinberg show:

http://www.jakefeinbergshow.com/2015/06/nftf-with-jack-dejohnette/


- Kendrick Scott shows off his new Yamaha drums, some nice Zildjian cymbals and one really hip, funky looking wide-brimmed hat:




- Speaking of new drums, here's a hip clip of Adam Arruda and Colin Stranahan double-drum-demonstrating their nice Canopus drums:




- Thanks to Toronto's Reg Schwager who passed along this one of legendary guitarist Sonny Greenwich in an old CBC clip featuring Jerry Fuller on drums:




- George Marsh discusses his concept and philosophy of "Inner Drumming" via Jake Feinberg:




- And an oldie, but still a goldie...Steve Gadd on brushes:




- What am I listening to these days?

John Coltrane "The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings" - Elvin Jones (drums)

Thelonious Monk "Monk's Dream" - Frankie Dunlop (drums)

Dick Oatts Quintet "South Paw" - James Oblon (drums)

Danish Radio Big Band "The Impaler" - Jeff Tain Watts (drums)

Nicole Glover "First Record" - Alan Jones (drums)

Dave Holland "Razor's Edge" - Marvin Smitty Smith (drums)

Jack DeJohnette "Made in Chicago" - Jack DeJohnette (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to Jack Mouse via my good friend (and fellow Canadian Jazz drumming blogger!) Ted Warren:

"The hardest part about practicing is taking your butt and putting it on the drum stool. Usually after that, it goes alright!"

Indeed.

Thanks again for taking time out of your busy day to read my blog and have a great week!

Francisco Mela Speaks

Mela is a drummer I've greatly admired, in particular his work with Joe Lovano, Kenny Barron, Melissa Aldana, his own projects and, most recently, with saxophonist Gary Bartz.

Here's a few interview clips with Francisco via Jazz Times:

Mr. Higgins

I posted a link to the URL containing this concert in its entirety a few weeks back….but here's a nice excerpt via the youtube.com featuring the ever soulful and swinging Mr. Billy Higgins at work:

Time Warp

Some "vintage" Canadian Jazz today via Toronto's Barry Elmes:

This band was quite influential to me during my first introduction to Jazz music around the early 90s. Drummer Barry Elmes and his group Time Warp (co-led with bassist Al Henderson) was one of the first examples of Canadian Jazz that I was first exposed to during my initial foray into the world of Jazz music. The Regina Public Library, my first source for recordings in the pre-internet era, was a good place to find not only Jazz records, but Canadian ones too.

During the 1990s Elmes was very active not only leading his own projects but also hitting the road and taking his unique music to different parts of Canada, many of which didn't see much Jazz music. I've always been a fan of Elmes' drumming, in particular his melodic approach to the drums inspired by such drummers as Max Roach and Dannie Richmond. He's also a prolific composer and his work has been quite influential towards my own efforts as well.

And here's a few links of some live, concert footage of Time Warp from the Sounds of Jazz Concert Series, courtesy of the Canadian Jazz Archive over at JAZZ.FM91

http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/concerts/time-warp-1982-12-13.html

http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/concerts/time-warp-1987-11-09.html

http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/concerts/time-warp-2002-12-02.html

John Ramsay

Thanks to Christian DeJongh who shared his lessons with Berklee drum professor John Ramsay via the YouTube.com:









I was first exposed myself to Ramsay's teachings via his fine books "Art Blakey's Jazz Messages" and "The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary (as taught by Alan Dawson)".

In particular, Ramsay's book on Art Blakey was a valuable resource for me when it first came out in the mid-90s. Ramsay's experience as Blakey's road manager and sometimes playing alongside him as his "double" drummer translates well in this text and provides a first-hand look at Blakey's style.

John was also very helpful to me personally during my doctoral research, providing some valuable insight into the melodic aspects of Alan Dawson's teachings. Aspects of these are also covered in his book, dealing with Dawson's extensive method and teachings. Highly recommended.

Mark's Blues

This little ditty is a simple and catchy snare drum cadence that I learned and played while marching with the Pride of Lions drumline back during the early 1990s in Regina, Saskatchewan. We would use this 4-bar phrase (or 8-bars if you are thinking in 2/4….and not actually a "blues" incidentally!) as a street beat during parades and as a stock, catch-all drum pattern that fit perfectly when accompanying band pieces for football games, etc. ("Green is Colour" and "On Roughriders" immediately come to mind!)

Lately I've been using this as a quick and easy warm-up, with sort of a funky and quick-and-dirty Wilcoxin vibe to it:

Unless otherwise notated, play this with natural, hand-to-hand stickings.

Btw - does anybody know who "Mark" was or why he had the blues?

Bill Charlap Trio

Some outstanding concert footage today of Kenny Washington with the Bill Charlap trio:



Thanks to Zion Afuang who passed along this one via the Facebook awhile back.

Jorge Rossy on Vibes

A pleasant surprise today (for me anyways...), here's drummer/pianist Jorge Rossy leading his own group, featuring Al Foster on drums, from the behind vibraphone(!):











I didn't know that Rossy played the vibes but he's such an incredibly talented musician, anything is really possible! I really hope to hear more of Rossy's vibraphone playing in the future.

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Here's the latest offerings in Jazz Drumming that the Easter Bunny brought for us yesterday…


- This footage of Billy Higgins with Cedar Walton's band has been making the rounds lately and definitely worth taking the time to check out:

https://tv.nrk.no/serie/jazz-i-munch-museet/FMUS20005075/18-07-1975

Make sure to check out the wealth of other great concerts from this collection as well. Thanks to Adam Nussbaum for passing this one along.


- A nice feature on former Count Basie drummer and long-time drummer with Tony Bennett, the great Harold Jones:

http://scottlaningham.com/2013/03/08/drummer-harold-jones-on-swinging-basie-tony-bennet-and-life/


- Danny D'Imperio offers a feature on the great swing drummers and some priceless stories over at his own podcast "Who Dat?":

http://www.whodatsound.com/wdmusicpro/WDRadio/Show012.htm


- An older Jazz Times article featuring Charles Lloyd and Billy Higgins:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/14734-charles-lloyd-and-billy-higgins-the-seekers


- A nice little introduction to playing the brushes that someone sent me and I thought I would share:

http://www.nyensembleclasses.com/an-introduction-to-brushes/


- A wonderful feature on the legacy of the VillageVanguard Jazz Orchestra from PBS:


http://www.pbs.org/video/2365697966/

The VVJO is celebrating 50 years of Monday nights at the Village Vanguard. They are always top on my list to go hear whenever I happen to be in New York City on a Monday evening.

The band (featuring John Riley on drums) will also be performing in Calgary, AB in a few weeks, this coming April, so I'm looking forward to hearing this great band in my hometown very soon.


- Thanks to John Riley who passed along this very impressive performance of Ruben Bellavia performing a Tony Williams transcription:



This is what you can achieve if you work hard and practice folks!


- Steve Fidyk offers this quick up-tempo brush lesson:




- A per usual, when the Master's speak….we listen. Here's Louis Hayes interviewed by Susan Brender:




- Not the greatest footage but here's Jack DeJohnette on drums with tap master Savion Glover (from Ornette Coleman's funeral):



Apparently these two have been touring lately as a duet. Let's hope some kind of proper recording is in the works. When I inquired with my dance colleagues they quickly described Glover as "The greatest living tap dancer IN THE WORLD today!".

George Colligan speaks to this collaboration over at his blog Jazz Truth:

http://jazztruth.blogspot.ca/2016/03/an-evening-with-jack-dejohnette-and.html


- Billy Martin and Allen Herman give us a taste of their new project, "Life on Drums (and Beyond)":



I'm looking forward to this follow-up to Martin's previous venture, "Life on Drums".


- A brief peek at Joshua Redman's latest project "Still Dreaming" with Brian Blade on drums:




- What am I listening to these days?

Ralph Moore "Rejuvenate!" - Marvin Smitty Smith (drums)

Conrad Herwig "Reflections" - Jeff Tain Watts (drums)

Claude Williamson Trio "Round Midnight" - Mel Lewis (drums)

Alan Jones Sextet "Storyline" - Alan Jones (drums)

Kenny Burrell "A Night at the Vanguard" - Roy Haynes (drums)

Red Garland "Swingin' on the Corner: Live at the Keystone Corner" - Philly Joe Jones (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to the late Dennis Irwin:

Thank you to Adam Nussbaum for passing along this gem.

Thanks again to you all for checking out my blog. See you all again real soon!

Lighthouse

I posted these on my blog a long time ago but have recently been revisiting this band and amazing music. Today's post goes out to Sean Craig, Jim Brenan and Al McLean - three very bad ass tenor saxophonists who've had a profound influence on my own playing over the years.

Enjoy!

Nussbaum

I really enjoyed this very musical drums and keyboard duet featuring long-time colleagues Adam Nussbaum and Richie Beirach:



Adam is a long-time reader of this blog and I consider him to be a friend and mentor too. The man is all about the music!

Here's some more of his wisdom:



And while we're at it, here's one of my favourite trios featuring Nussbaum with Dave Liebman and Steve Swallow:

Rick Considine on Brushes

I'm off to Brandon, MB to adjudicate at the Brandon Jazz Festival for most of this week, so here's some great brush lessons from Rick Considine to check out in the meantime. Lots of great information here:

Washington vs. Farnsworth

I'm just going to leave these here…

Wayne Shorter & Herbie Hancock Pen an Open Letter to the Next Generation of Artists

As always, when the Masters speak….we listen:

"To the Next Generation of Artists,

We find ourselves in turbulent and unpredictable times.

From the horror at the Bataclan, to the upheaval in Syria and the senseless bloodshed in San Bernardino, we live in a time of great confusion and pain. As an artist, creator and dreamer of this world, we ask you not to be discouraged by what you see but to use your own lives, and by extension your art, as vehicles for the construction of peace.

While it’s true that the issues facing the world are complex, the answer to peace is simple; it begins with you. You don’t have to be living in a third world country or working for an NGO to make a difference. Each of us has a unique mission. We are all pieces in a giant, fluid puzzle, where the smallest of actions by one puzzle piece profoundly affects each of the others. You matter, your actions matter, your art matters.

We’d like to be clear that while this letter is written with an artistic audience in mind, these thoughts transcend professional boundaries and apply to all people, regardless of profession.

FIRST, AWAKEN TO YOUR HUMANITY

We are not alone. We do not exist alone and we cannot create alone. What this world needs is a humanistic awakening of the desire to raise one’s life condition to a place where our actions are rooted in altruism and compassion. You cannot hide behind a profession or instrument; you have to be human. Focus your energy on becoming the best human you can be. Focus on developing empathy and compassion. Through the process you’ll tap into a wealth of inspiration rooted in the complexity and curiosity of what it means to simply exist on this planet. Music is but a drop in the ocean of life.

EMBRACE AND CONQUER THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

The world needs new pathways. Don’t allow yourself to be hijacked by common rhetoric, or false beliefs and illusions about how life should be lived. It’s up to you to be the pioneers. Whether through the exploration of new sounds, rhythms, and harmonies or unexpected collaborations, processes and experiences, we encourage you to dispel repetition in all of its negative forms and consequences. Strive to create new actions both musically and with the pathway of your life. Never conform.

WELCOME THE UNKNOWN

The unknown necessitates a moment-to-moment improvisation or creative process that is unparalleled in potential and fulfillment. There is no dress rehearsal for life because life, itself, is the real rehearsal. Every relationship, obstacle, interaction, etc. is a rehearsal for the next adventure in life. Everything is connected. Everything builds. Nothing is ever wasted. This type of thinking requires courage. Be courageous and do not lose your sense of exhilaration and reverence for this wonderful world around you.

UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE OF OBSTACLES

We have this idea of failure, but it’s not real; it’s an illusion. There is no such thing as failure. What you perceive as failure is really a new opportunity, a new hand of cards, or a new canvas to create upon. In life there are unlimited opportunities. The words, “success” and “failure”, themselves, are nothing more than labels. Every moment is an opportunity. You, as a human being, have no limits; therefore infinite possibilities exist in any circumstance.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO INTERACT WITH THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU

The world needs more one-on-one interaction among people of diverse origins with a greater emphasis on art, culture and education. Our differences are what we have in common. We can work to create an open and continuous plane where all types of people can exchange ideas, resources, thoughtfulness and kindness. We need to be connecting with one another, learning about one another, and experiencing life with one another. We can never have peace if we cannot understand the pain in each other’s hearts. The more we interact, the more we will come to realize that our humanity transcends all differences.

STRIVE TO CREATE AGENDA-FREE DIALOGUE

Art in any form is a medium for dialogue, which is a powerful tool. It is time for the music world to produce sound stories that ignite dialogue about the mystery of us. When we say the mystery of us, we’re talking about reflecting and challenging the fears, which prevent us from discovering our unlimited access to the courage inherent in us all. Yes, you are enough. Yes, you matter. Yes, you should keep going.

BE WARY OF EGO

Arrogance can develop within artists, either from artists who believe that their status makes them more important, or those whose association with a creative field entitles them to some sort of superiority. Beware of ego; creativity cannot flow when only the ego is served.

WORK TOWARDS A BUSINESS WITHOUT BORDERS

The medical field has an organization called Doctors Without Borders. This lofty effort can serve as a model for transcending the limitations and strategies of old business formulas which are designed to perpetuate old systems in the guise of new ones. We’re speaking directly to a system that’s in place, a system that conditions consumers to purchase only the products that are dictated to be deemed marketable, a system where money is only the means to an end. The music business is a fraction of the business of life. Living with creative integrity can bring forth benefits never imagined.

APPRECIATE THE GENERATION THAT WALKED BEFORE YOU

Your elders can help you. They are a source of wealth in the form of wisdom. They have weathered storms and endured the same heartbreaks; let their struggles be the light that shines the way in the darkness. Don’t waste time repeating their mistakes. Instead, take what they’ve done and catapult you towards building a progressively better world for the progeny to come.

LASTLY, WE HOPE THAT YOU LIVE IN A STATE OF CONSTANT WONDER

As we accumulate years, parts of our imagination tend to dull. Whether from sadness, prolonged struggle, or social conditioning, somewhere along the way people forget how to tap into the inherent magic that exists within our minds. Don’t let that part of your imagination fade away. Look up at the stars and imagine what it would be like to be an astronaut or a pilot. Imagine exploring the pyramids or Machu Picchu. Imagine flying like a bird or crashing through a wall like Superman. Imagine running with dinosaurs or swimming like mer-creatures. All that exists is a product of someone’s imagination; treasure and nurture yours and you’ll always find yourself on the precipice of discovery.

How does any of this lend to the creation of a peaceful society you ask? It begins with a cause. Your causes create the effects that shape your future and the future of all those around you. Be the leaders in the movie of your life. You are the director, producer, and actor. Be bold and tirelessly compassionate as you dance through the voyage that is this lifetime." - Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter via http://nesthq.com/wayne-shorter-herbie-hancock-open-letter/

Trilok Gurtu 2.0

Due to the overwhelming response of my last post featuring Trilok Gurtu, here's a few more that caught my eye (and ears…)

- Trilok Gurtu playing a collection of djembe drums from a workshop:




- Concert footage of Gurtu with keyboardist Joe Zawinul circa. 1994:




- And Trilok featured with a trio of percussionists including Brazilian rhythm Master Airto Moreira and Lisbeth Diers:

Trilok Gurtu Thursday

Trilok Gurtu is a very unique percussionist/drummer who's approach almost defies category. I've always been impressed with his creativity, musicality and deep sense of groove. His blending of traditional Indian rhythms and a host of other rhythmic influences and sounds creates an approach wholly his own.

Here's a solo piece from his performance at the Saptak Music Festival in 2013:

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Welcome back. Hope all is well in your respective parts of the Jazz drumming realm. Thanks to our hardworking Four on the Floor correspondents, working day and night to bring you only the very best that the wide world of Jazz drumming has to offer, here's some recent finds to check out:


- Drummer/drum set historian Daniel Glass has recently started a series of very informative podcasts to check out over at iTunes and his website:

http://danielglass.com/podcasts/


- Here's a piece via the Smithsonian on the legacy of the Zildjian cymbal company:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/arts-culture/how-zildjian-cymbals-made-it-from-the-ottoma/?no-ist


- Via Jazz Times magazine, here's Stanton Moore on his favourite brush recordings:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/147780-artist-s-choice-stanton-moore-on-great-brush-performances


- New York drummer Charles Ruggiero has recently published his father Vinnie's handwritten Jazz drumming method book and it is excellent. Find it here and buy your copy today:

http://www.vinniesbook.com/vinnie.html

More on this one very soon…


- A nice feature on Victor Lewis via allaboutjazz.com:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/victor-lewis-the-drummers-spirit-victor-lewis-by-victor-l-schermer.php


- Dig the drumming of Claude Ranger over at the Canadian Jazz Archive:


http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/concerts/claude-ranger-quintet-1982-02-01.html


- Renee Rosnes interviews Canadian Jazz drumming legend Terry Clarke on CBC's Jazz Portraits, a wonderful radio series featuring many icons of Canadian Jazz music:

http://www.batteryradio.com/Pages/JazzPortraits.html

And also from the Canadian Jazz Archives, here's Terry Clarke with his own trio:

http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/concerts/terry-clarke-trio-2001-01-15.html


- A series of podcast interviews with Jeff Williams, a veteran Jazz drummer who's only recently been on my radar but definitely one who I  look forward to hearing more of:

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/06/podcast-interview-with-jeff-williams.html

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/06/podcast-interview-with-jeff-williams_25.html

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/07/podcast-interview-with-jeff-williams.html


- Two interviews with Mike Clark via Drum Magazine and The Red Bull Academy:

http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/02/mike-clark-interview?linkId=21107638

http://www.drummagazine.com/features/post/mike-clark-forever-cool/

- I found this one on Todd Bishop's excellent blog Cruiseship Drummer awhile ago, wishing that some one had told me these things 20 years ago!

https://medium.com/@michael_dangelo/advice-to-a-college-music-student-dfdaf4b53429#.2hqvq4fxc


- A wonderful piece on the importance of listening via my dear friend, bassist Kristin Korb:

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/to-listen-or-not-to-listen-does-listening-to-a-recording-help-us-learn-faster-and-play-more-accurately/


- The ever eloquent Peter Erskine interviewed over Play Cajon:

http://playcajon.org/2016/02/18/ep-10-peter-erskine/


- From another recent blog/podcast I've only recently discovered, here's Jeff Tain Watts interviewed over at The Trap Set:

http://www.thetrapset.net/jeff-tain-watts-wyntonbranford-marsalis-alice-coltrane-solo/


- An interesting piece on the ever evolving rhythmic language of the Bata drums:

http://www.afropop.org/27508/ancient-text-messages-bata-drums-in-a-changing-world/


- Jazz at Lincoln Center's Alvin Atkinson breaks down his approach to playing the Shuffle:




- An interview with Matt Wilson from Neon Jazz:



And here's an excerpt from Matt's clinic at the JEN Conference Louisville, Kentucky last January:




- A nice drum solo from Johnathan Blake with Chris Potter and Scott Colley:




- Charles Mingus' sextet circa. 1960 performing "I'll Remember April" featuring Bud Powell on piano (with Dannie Richmond on drums):




- What am I listening to these days?

Mel Lewis Sextet "The Lost Art" - Mel Lewis (drums)

The Drummers of Burundi

Alan Jones Sextet "Climbing (Rough)" - Alan Jones (drums)

David Braid "Vivid: The David Braid Sextet Live" - Terry Clarke (drums)

Al Muirhead "Oop"

Dick Oatts "Standard Issue, Vol. 1" -  James Oblon (drums)

Wayne Shorter "The Soothsayer" - Tony Williams (drums)

Jill Townsend Big Band "Legacy: The Music of Ross Taggart" - Dave Robbins (drums)

Phineas Newborn Jr. "A World of Piano" - Louis Hayes (drums)


- And todays's Last Word goes to contemporary dance icon Martha Graham:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open...No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others” - Martha Graham

(thank you to Vancouver's Kelly Proznick for passing this one along…)

The Money Jungle Revisited

Dig this concert length, contemporary re-imagining of Ellington/Mingus/Roach's "Money Jungle" as interpreted by Terri Lyne Carrington:



Carrington isn't a drummer that's ever really been on my radar but this great music soon led me to these finds as well:





And this lesson from the kind people over at Zildjian:

What Do Artists Do All Day?: Evelyn Glennie

From the BBC series "What Do Artists Do All Day?", here's a wonderful feature on percussionist Evelyn Glennie:





Incidentally, the other features in this BBC series, featuring diverse artists from a variety of disciplines, are all very good as well and worth checking out.

And if you are looking for even more inspiration/motivation, the fellow who posted these videos also curates a great youtube.com channel entitled "Art Documentaries" worth exploring:

https://www.youtube.com/user/taran333tula/videos

Doctoral Studies: Melodic Jazz Drumming

A little over a year ago I successfully defended by doctoral thesis "Melodic Jazz Drumming" at the University of Toronto. This project was the culmination of many years of hard work and I learned a great deal from the experience. I am very fortunate to apply the concepts and ideas I learned every time, it seems, whenever I sit behind a set of drums or work with a student.

My dissertation is now available on-line and if you are interested in taking a look, check it out here:

https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/69408/3/McCaslin_Jonathan_D_201506_DMA_thesis.pdf

Tain Revisited

I originally posted this series of interviews with Jeff "Tain" Watts back in 2010 and they are still up on youtube.com so I recently decided to watch these again and repost for a little motivation and inspiration:







Here's a great JazzTimes article on the legacy and innovations of Watts:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/170486-jeff-tain-watts-how-he-revolutionized-jazz-drumming

And a couple more clips to remind us of what a bad ass he is on the drums!