Check out this drum intro and up-tempo performance from the always dynamic Victor Lewis, featured here with Steve Turre, James Carter, George Cables and Buster Williams:
And here's a bonus, a full-length drum duet from 2004 featuring Victor Lewis and Andrew Cyrille:
Seasons Greetings! Well, 2019 is quickly coming to an end and what a year it's been. Today's Monday Morning Paradiddle column will be the last one of the year. However, please visit back often over the next two weeks as blogging will continue with Tim Mah's highly popular year-end "Best of 2019" lists as well as other assorted interesting Jazz drumming items.
This year represents the 10th anniversary of Four on the Floor. Thank you for all of your continued support. Hey don't forget to follow and subscribe to my Instagram page!
Anyways, as always, here's a long list of interesting things to check out:
- Max Roach featured on Marian McPartland's NPR radio program Piano Jazz and also remembering Tony Williams from a 1997 Jazz Times article
- A 1981 Modern Drummer article by Scott K. Fish on Ed Blackwell entitled "Singing on the Set"
- Allan Cox recently released Meet the Bass Player Vol.2, a follow-up to his earlier and highly recommended play-a-long resource. Check it out here and then go practice!
- John Riley recently hipped me to Markus Leukel's unique drum book Grooves A to Z. There are lots of interesting patterns and grooves to check out here (download it for free!) Highly recommended.
And thanks to the kind people over at the Memphis Drum Shop, here's John demonstrating Zildjian's Swish Knocker ride/crash cymbal, designed with the great Mel Lewis in mind:
- Jerome Jennings interviewed by Neon Jazz on the heels of his excellent recent release Solidarity:
- Jamison Ross interviewed over at the Working Drummer podcast:
- Airto Moreira's tribute to Miles Davis
- Chicago's Dana Hall in some trio action with Clark Sommers on bass and Chris Madsen on tenor saxophone on Miles Davis' Little Willie Leaps:
- Jeff Ballard in some duo action with pianist Frank Woeste in the Libretto Dialogues:
- Some rare psychedelic double drum duet footage of Kenny Clarke and his big band compatriot Kenny Clare:
- What am I listening to these days?
Neil Caine "Backstabber's Ball" - Jason Marsalis (drums)
Kirk MacDonald & Pat LaBarbera "Trane of Thought" - Joe LaBarbera (drums)
Gerry Gibbs "The Trasher Dream Trio" - Gerry Gibbs (drums)
Joe Lovano "Sounds of Joy" - Ed Blackwell (drums)
Alvin Fielder & Damon Smith "Song for Chico" - Alvin Fielder (drums)
- And today's Final Word goes to Ronan Guilfoyle from his own fine blog Mostly Music, with some sage advice in the form of a blog post entitled On Being a Jazz Student - The Big Picture (just click on the link above and take a read through....it's just too long to copy and paste here but it's a fine read!)
Well, that's all I've got today. Thanks again for your support, please come back soon and all the best in the year ahead.
I've been working on an interesting collaborative project lately, which will make its debut next year in 2020, along with choreographer Catherine Hayward and dancer Davida Monk. This cool project involves a score of solo drums & percussion (composed and provided by yours truly) paired along with a solo contemporary dancer.
I've gained a lot of inspiration and ideas from Antonio Sanchez's various solo projects, in particular his solo drum score to the movie Birdman. Fortunately for us, here's a pair of wonderful interviews in which Sanchez discusses his music, background and philosophy:
And this one is a re-post but there is so much GREAT information to gain here so here it is again!
From a 2013 masterclass in the Netherlands with his trio (featuring the exceptionally musical talents of pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty) here's the great Jeff Hamilton demonstrating some important techniques on the drums and also sharing some very tried-and-true advice on playing the drums in a supportive and musical manner.
Follow this link for some background and further explanation. Check it out:
And I've posted this one before but I think it's really great (!) so please enjoy Jeff Hamilton's tribute to Ed Shaughnessy with this spectacular drum solo:
Adam Nussbaum recently hipped me to this amazing and rare footage of Mel Lewis giving a drum workshop in the Netherlands, circa. 1985. Fortunately, this footage was also recently uploaded to the YouTube so we can all appreciate the knowledge and wisdom that Mel passed on to a classroom of Dutch drummers.
My previous post featuring Art Blakey got me thinking about other Jazz drummers that wear and look good in cowboy hats and of course this led me to the Late Show's Joe Saylor...
For those of us who are into the current state of the art of cymbal making, the name Jesse Simpson should be all too familiar. Based in Brooklyn, Simpson has been hammering and crafting his own cymbals for a while now (and with great results too!)
Personally, I've employed Jesse's services to modify, re-hammer and re-lathe existing cymbals of mine with great success. I've also really dug the original cymbal works of his, currently owned and played by the likes of Jesse Cahill and Jeff Sulima.
Check out this feature on Jesse Simpson:
For more information about this emerging cymbal smith, check out his website (and buy his cymbals!): www.jessesimpson.com/cymbals
Here's a few words about an upcoming project and jazz series that I am currently part of here in Calgary (and quite proud of!)
The Calgary Jazz Composers Collective, Vol.1 is a co-operative ensemble that creates and presents new and original jazz music and arrangements.
About this Event:
The Calgary Jazz Composers Collective is a co-operative ensemble that creates and presents new and original jazz music and arrangements. The personnel of this group changes, morphs and evolves from concert to concert, featuring various forward thinking members of the Calgary jazz community. The constant theme of this group is the creation and presentation of new music, providing a showcase for local jazz artists to present their original works in a concert venue. Future editions of this on-going collective will present a various roster of artists and instrumentation. Musically, "the future is now!" and the music and artists presented in this series represent the current state of contemporary jazz composition in Calgary. Bringing together a diverse and variety of sounds and musical influences, the Calgary Jazz Composers Collective seeks to explore new sonic territory and become a forum for original music by Calgary jazz composers and performers.
About Jazz@1308:
Curated by jazz drummer Dr. Jon McCaslin, the original and creative voices of Calgary's jazz scene come alive, on stage at Theatre 1308.
This concert series features a diverse collection of sonic ideas, visions, styles, instruments and ensembles, all of which of fall under the wide reaching definition of jazz music. The central theme that binds these diverse and eclectic sounds together is that the artists involved represent the creative and forward thinkers of Calgary's Jazz community. These are the artists who have committed themselves to their craft, as improvisors and composers, and seek to create, collaborate and inspire. These local jazz artists aspire to share their diverse experiences and talents, and to create dynamic and original music in their own community. Come witness the present and the future of jazz in Calgary at Theatre 1308.
From Marcelo Perez' recent Generations project at the New England Conservatory, featuring many famous drummers all on stage together, here's Ra Kalam Bob Moses' percussive tribute to the great Alvin Fielder:
Those who follow this blog might recall that I am always a fan of drummers playing together (despite this being a rare occurrence!) I look forward to digging into the rest of the performances from this project, also featuring Billy Hart and Dafnis Prieto!
Jerome Jennings, a wonderfully musical and hard-swinging drummer of considerable accomplishment and acclaim, recently released his newest album Solidarity, a follow-up to his first release The Beast. I quite enjoyed Jerome's last album of original music and I look forward to hearing what he's come up with this time.
Lucky for us, Jennings has offered us this in-studio recording of his solo drum composition entitled Heart which is also featured on his latest album. Now dig this:
A big THANK YOU to fellow blogger and Canadian Jazz drummer Ted Warren who recently shared this interview with Jack DeJohnette, from Dom Famularo's artist series The Sessions, over at his blog Trap'd:
As per always, when the Masters speak...we listen.
The annual JazzYYC Canadian Jazz Festival runs November 6-10, in various venues across the city of Calgary. There is lots of great Canadian Jazz music happening next week and, in particular, many great drummers to check out too.
So on that note, here's my list of several not-to-be-missed shows to attend and the great drummers that will be performing in the coming week:
- Drummer Jeff Sulima & the Redline Trio have been performing regularly at Betty Lou's Library every Thursday night for the past couple of years now. Recent concerts have also featured this well-oiled group with the likes of pianist/composer David Braid and bassist Brandi Disterheft. They even have a new recording coming out soon!
You'll have plenty of opportunities to hear Uncle Jeff and this trio (co-led by saxophonist Mark DeJong) during this year's festival. They'll be hosting the Kawa Jazz jam on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9th 3-6pm and also backing up spoken word poets Quincy Troupe and Sheri-D Wilson at the Ironwood Stage & Grill on the evenings of Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th (930pm).
- Montreal's Michel Lambert will be playing drums with the Jazzlab Orchestra on Friday, November 8th at the Ironwood (7pm). Lambert is a creative force on the drums, whom I had the privilege of studying with at McGill University during the early 2000s. I am looking forward to hearing how he musically navigates the JazzLab Orchestra which, while not a full-on big band, will still cover a lot of sonic ground given its larger, five-horn configuration.
Here's some footage of the JazzLab Orchestra in action:
- Also from Montreal is drummer Louis-Vincent Hamel, who will be appearing with the award-winning Gentiane MG trio at the Ironwood on Saturday, November 9th (7pm).
- From New York and appearing with tenor saxophonist/Montreal-native Chet Doxas' group Landline is drummer Vinnie Sperrazza. I am personally looking forward to hearing this group, their modern New York sound and experiencing their collective/co-operative approach to composition.
Enjoy this preview of their musical process:
I know both Chet Doxas and bassist Zack Lober from my days as a student at McGill University and they are both incredibly talented and dedicated musicians. This will certainly be a show you won't want to miss.
- Local drummer (and another fellow McGill graduate!) Afo Fapojuwo appears with tenor saxophonist Nate Waters' quartet at Lolita's Lounge on Friday, November 8th (8pm). Afo also leads his own group at the Calgary Central Library, part of the family-friendly JazzWalk on Sunday, November 10th, from 2-3pm. Afo has been a wonderful addition to the local Jazz scene since his return to Calgary, following his studies in Montreal.
- Drummer Ted Warren has undoubtedly been one of the most significant Jazz drummers on the Canadian Jazz scene over the past 30 years. His resume reads like a "who's who" of Jazz greats, including a stint as the drummer with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass for a number of years. He's also one of the most creative and musical drummers you'll ever hear.
At this year's festival we'll hear Ted in action with guitarist Avi Granite's touring project from Toronto, performing music from his latest album Orbit, at the King Eddy on Thursday, November 7th (830pm).
- Alberta vocalist Ellen Doty appears at the King Eddy for two shows on Friday, November 8th (7pm & 930pm) with Edmonton's rock-solid Peter Hendrickson on the drums. Ellen is a lyrical storyteller and Hendrickson's drumming style offers the perfect accompaniment for Doty's vocals.
- Tap dancer Kelly Steele has been making her rhythmic style known to Calgary Jazz audiences over the past couple of years now. Young swinger Nate Chiang on the drums will be backing up Steele's quartet from 12-1pm at the Calgary Central Library on Sunday, November 10th.
- And last, but certainly not least, Regina's Brent Jefferson will be driving the band from behind the drums, backing up guitarist Jack Semple and his tribute to the music of B.B. King, appearing at the Calgary Central Library (in the Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall) on Sunday, November 10th (7pm).
Personally, I've known Brent Jefferson for over 30 years now (!) and consider him to be a good friend and an amazing drummer. The rhythmic team of Jefferson along with Jack Semple on guitar and Dave Chobot on bass is one of the grooviest things you'll hear and if this music doesn't move you, you are probably dead!
*I should also add that this festival isn't all about the drummers (!) Be sure to check out a couple of great drummer-less shows next week too including:
- Montreal pianist John Roney and Israeli-born alto saxophonist Tevet Sela at the Ironwood Stage & Grill on Thursday, November 7th (7pm)
- Tim Tamashiro's "Drinky Jazz Cabaret: Nat the Cat" featuring the life and music of Nat King Cole at the Engineered Air Theatre, Arts Commons on Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th (8pm)
For more information about this year's JazzYYC Canadian Jazz Festival please visit www.jazzyyc.com
Well, the Fall season is now in full swing around here and I hope you are all keeping busy, studying/practicing hard and digging the music wherever you may be. Remember, be humble and keep the dream alive!
People have been asking about my limited edition Four on the Floor t-shirts lately. My fist run has sold out but I'll keep you posted once the second run has been printed and is in stock. If you are interested in one, please email me at fouronthefloorblog@gmail.com and I will keep you updated once they are available.
Here's what has been making the rounds around the Four on the Floor office these days:
- Bill Frisell on the legacy of Ginger Baker from Rolling Stone magazine
- Mike Clark shares some wisdom on trading 4's and 8's over at the Drum Channel
- Peter Erskine's Modern Drummer article on dealing with off-beat rhythms
- Paul Francis with some very insightful history of Zildjian Cymbals from the Drum History Podcast
- Check out Kyle Andrews new drum blog. Lots of thoughtful ideas here.
- Thanks to frequent Four on the Floor correspondent Tim Mah for passing along this interview with Adam Nussbaum from BANG! The Drum School
- Hey look! Quincy Davis is back after a bit of a hiatus. I've always loved his series of "Q-Tips" and now that he's settled into his new position, teaching Jazz drums at the University of North Texas, I hope that we see more of these. They are always really great. In this edition Quincy talks about and demonstrates the legacy of Philly Joe Jones:
- From That Drum Blog here's a great recommended playlist from Brazilian drummer Edu Ribeiro, featuring his favourite Brazilian drummers. This is really worth checking out.
Ribeiro also has a new Brazilian drumming series through Open Studio that is worth some serious attention in my opinion!
Check out these 2-minute lesson previews:
- Jerome Jennings has what will undoubtedly be another amazing album coming out soon. Check out this preview of his arrangement entitled "Boom Bap Be-Bop":
- Jeff Hamilton shares some ideas on hi-hat technique from a recent drum clinic:
- A feature on Mel Brown, a seminal figure on the Portland Jazz scene:
- And speaking of Portland, here's one of my favourite drummers anywhere, the ever musical and inventive Alan Jones with his sextet:
- I've been really digging Jason Tiemann's Instagram posts lately and here's a couple of Jazz drum set compositions/etudes of his that you can actually check out and purchase:
- Finally, here's Chris Lesso with some words of wisdom from the teachings of Jim Blackley:
- What am I listening to these days?
Mike Allen "Just Like Magic" - Lewis Nash (drums)
PJ Perry "Time Flies" - Joe LaBarbera/Dave Robbins (drums)
Jodi Proznick "Sun Songs" - Jesse Cahill (drums)
Phineas Newborn Jr. "We Three" - Roy Haynes (drums)
Francois Theberge Group "Elenar" - Alan Jones (drums)
- And today's Final Word(s) go to these two wise individuals.
First, this one from Joe Dixon with some worthy advice to consider (via Ted Warren):
And these inspiring words from the renowned Canadian painter Ted Godwin:
"An artist's career can accelerate only if they begin with the premise that they are real professionals, "not the Sunday afternoon variety". So the first thing you have to do is set a space aside where you make art and only art, and sanctify it with art. Let music fill and activate the space."
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:
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.
