Thanks to everyone who tuned in last week for my inaugural episode of Four on the Floor *Live* featuring Chris Smith, creator of The Jazz Drum Hang. I am slowly getting the hang of this!
Please join me for our next episode happening this Tuesday, December 22nd at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live @fouronthfloorblog featuring my dear friend and one of Canada's greatest jazz drummers, Dave Laing! www.davelaing.com
Dave Laing grew up in a musical family in Ontario, Canada. His father was a jazz lover and his mother a skilled pianist. Following high school, Dave came to McGill University for music training where he studied with the late Lou Williamson and, later, Pete Magadini.
Within a couple of years he began to play on the local scene including appearances at the storied Montreal jazz club, Bar 2080, performing with such visiting artists as Clifford Jordan, Jimmy Heath, Junior Cook, Frank Wess, "Big" John Patton, J.R. Montrose, Fraser McPherson and many others. At that time he also began associations with such local luminaries as Andre White, Kevin Dean, Ranee Lee, Remi Bolduc, and Geoff Lapp that would continue over the coming years. He relocated to Toronto for a brief period and performed with many of the leading players there including Ed Bickert, Don Thompson, Lorne Lofsky, Pat Labarbera, Reg Schwager and Guido Basso.
Upon returning to Montreal, Dave continued to solidify his position as one of Canada's most in-demand musicians appearing on over 60 CD's to date. His performing credits include working with such artists such as Denzal Sinclaire, the Joe Sullivan Big Band, Barry Harris, Mark Murphy, Lage Lund, Danilo Perez, Jim McNeely, Dave Leibman, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Jon Ballantyne, Mulgrew Miller, John Stetch, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Kevin Turcotte, Peter Leitch, Ben Monder, Kenny Werner, Jerry Bergonzi, PJ Perry, George Garzone, Oliver Jones, Shelia Jordan and many more. He has travelled the world performing music including such diverse places as China, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, the United States, Europe, and across Canada.
Dave has also been heavily involved in music education for the past 30 years. He was a member of the McGill University music faculty since 1990, teaching private students and ensembles. He also taught lecture courses in Jazz History and Jazz Appreciation. Dave was recently appointed the head of drums and percussion at Grant MacEwan University.
While we are still patiently riding things out, awaiting the day when we can once again perform and safely appreciate music in person (all together and in close proximity!), it's still worth taking note of all the amazing on-line resources, webinars and live-streams that have come available over the past few months.
In the wise words of Dan Weiss:
Gigs cancelled.
Tours cancelled.
Practice....NOT cancelled.
If so inclined, there is no lack of great information and inspiration out there to check out. It's never been easier to connect with the world's great jazz drummers via social media or on one of the many music platforms currently available on the web.
With that mind, Russ Gleason has put together an incredible initiative called Drum Hangs in which he has been interviewing (or "hanging" with) the greatest drummers in the world, on a regular basis since last Summer.
Russ's sessions are conducted using Zoom, broadcast from the UK, and have featured such artists as Steve Gadd, Jack DeJohnette, Bernard Purdie, John Riley, Adam Nussbaum, Mike Clark, Antonio Sanchez, Bill Stewart, Martin France, James Gadson, Vinnie Coluaita, Ed Soph, Jeff Hamilton, Peter Erskine, Steve Jordan, Simon Phillips, Nate Smith, Jeff Hamilton and many, many more.
Check it out!
Russ was also kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about Drum Hangs.
Thanks Russ and keep up the great work!
Russ Gleason Drum Hangs Interview - Four on the Floor December 2020
1) Tell us all about Drum Hangs! What is it all about?
Drum Hangs is a platform hosted on Zoom which connects drummers around the world directly with their heroes.
When the pandemic hit, my first thought was “What are my favourite drummers going to do? All the work is gone!” After having this initial thought, I wrestled long and hard in my head about a way in which I could help to support musicians. I saw a lot of content going up on YouTube and social media but when I watched it, I didn’t feel connected and it was over-educational at a time when I felt isolated and didn’t really feel like practicing.
Without any gigs to work towards, what was the point?! I think we probably all felt that way. The drumming world needed a more laid back way of inspiring folks with more of a focus on music not just technique and stuff that was way too ‘drum heavy’.
About a month into the pandemic, the idea came to me. I was talking to my great friend and top session drummer, Neal Wilkinson, very regularly and one day we decided to chat on Zoom and that we would be by our drums and play ideas as we both weren’t really doing much practice at the time; we had the ‘Pandemic Blues’ if you will. I still have the notes from that day which are titled ‘Drums & Tea with Neal’. After about two hours we both came away feeling good and I suggested to Neal that we should invite people we knew the next week. Neal could share some ideas, and I would host. There was a nominal charge to take part and we ended up with around 70 people.
The energy that leapt out of the screen that day was insane! People felt connected and were able to communicate directly with other drummers; it was an incredibly profound experience for us all. Soon after, we decided that we would invite special guests to come and hang with us and because we had monetized the platform, we were able to pay. This was completely unique to anything else that was going on in the drumming world at that time.
The whole point of Drum Hangs is to support our favourite musicians whilst keeping drummers connected. Connecting Drummers Worldwide is our tagline and that’s really what we have been able to do; we have been able to connect drummers and musicians from over 30 countries around the world! With a few exceptions, we have had most of the legendary drummers in the world appear at Drum Hangs and it has been nothing short of incredible. I regularly awake the day after a hang thinking “was that a dream?”.
The other unique thing about Drum Hangs is that nothing is recorded. I get no end of messages from people around the world complaining to me that we should put it on YouTube. They’re missing the point completely! If only they would realise the fact that when the camera is on and you’re being recorded, you are less relaxed and it’s pretty stilted. I realise that commercially it would be a good idea for us to do such a thing but it wouldn’t be the same and we’re certainly not in it for the money. Drum Hangs is relaxed, spontaneous and in the moment; exactly how we feel music should be. Our guests feel comfortable, they will be very open, and participants can interact with them directly. Akin to being in a drum store and then your favourite drummer walks in!
A Hang can go in any direction. Some guys play, some prefer to take questions and hang out. We play records, we have fun - it’s MUSICAL!
2) Did you have any experience interviewing drummers or producing on-line content before the global pandemic hit?
Before the pandemic hit, I had no experience in interviewing drummers but I knew I could hang. After 25 years of working in the music industry in drum stores and for drum manufactures in sales & marketing roles, I’ve dealt with drummers every day of my working life; I guess it was second nature to some extent. In regards to online content, I’ve ran social media accounts and wrote a few things over the years but nothing that was really my own; always on the behalf of a company. I’ve always been active arranging masterclasses, gigs, and clinics, so I had built a few relationships up on the way, I guess.
Was it a steep learning curve in terms of learning how to use the technology?
We use the Zoom platform at Drum Hangs which was pretty straightforward for me to use. The tricky part at the beginning was the administrative side of things and making sure that I did a good job at being organised. Pretty soon after we started, I knew we needed a brand name, a logo, and then I was able to develop the website, www.drumhangs.com, and now everything is pretty automated in terms of bookings.
3) Tell us all about your colleague Neal Wilkinson and his role in this project.
Neal is one of my absolute favourite drummers. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it and I have admired his playing for as long as I can remember. I feel so lucky to have Neal in my life and to have him be a part of Drum Hangs is just out of this world!
To me, Neal is the ultimate working drummer. One minute he’ll be at Abbey Road doing a film session and then he’ll be out on tour with James Morrison, and then you’ll spot him on the drums on a TV show. He can do it all and he does it as good as anyone and he doesn’t make a song & dance about it; he’s working!
Neal has such common ground with many of our special guests, so the conversation at Drum Hangs tends to be on a different level to anything else I’ve ever seen. At Drum Hangs, Neal will share a few ideas and chat with our community before our special guest arrives and it’s always such a pleasure to hear him play and talk!
4) What are some of the highlights from Drum Hangs so far?
There have been so many truly magical moments since we started Drum Hangs back in May that I really need to write a book about it all to be honest. There’s never been a platform like this with so many of the world’s truly legendary drummers involved and I’ve been so fortunate to be able to have direct contact with all these heroes of mine in putting all this together. I’m hugely grateful to all of them for believing in me and for being a part of Drum Hangs.
I would love to share every magical moment here but I shall just pick one for now. Steve Gadd has appeared twice at Drum Hangs, which is a dream come true, and the first time he was on everyone showed up for it; and I mean everyone! It was just out of this world. To hear Steve and Vinnie Colaiuta chatting about the challenges of traditional grip, and then to hear Steve chatting with Ed Greene about the groove was just unbelievable. We all really celebrated Steve’s huge contribution to music that day and it was so special that I still get goosebumps when I think about it. The sense of community and the love in the room that day for Steve was just something else. As we all know, Steve Gadd is one of the greatest and humble people on the planet.
The thing is, you never know who may check into a hang. This very small corner of the internet that we have created has become a very special place for drummers. I realize that I’m being quite guarded on Drum Hangs highlights but believe me, if you’re not attending, you’re missing simply incredible moments with the world’s most legendary drummers!
5) What are some lessons you've learned from this project?
The most important thing anyone attending Drum Hangs will have learnt is that humility is one of the greatest attributes any person can have working in the music industry, or any industry for that matter. All of the guests that we have featured are simply the most incredible, inspiring, and humble people you’ll ever meet. Humility is incredibly powerful and the world could certainly do with more of it.
6) Can you give us a preview of the drummers who will be appearing on Drum Hangs in 2021?
We’re looking forward to 2021 at Drum Hangs and we’re in the process of scheduling our special guests for January. There are still many great musicians that we would love to have appear and we’d also like to do many ‘part 2’s’ with previous guests. Once the pandemic has lifted a little and folks are able to start travelling and touring again, we would love to assist in promoting live gigs, masterclasses, and clinics in the London area under the Drum Hangs banner.
7) What kind of drumming activities are you usually up to? (when not in the midst of a global pandemic!) Also, would you mind talking a bit about your relationship studying with Jim Blackley?
I’ve had the drumming bug since I was about 15 and have studied with some great teachers over the years including Jim Blackley, Bob Armstrong, Allan Cox, Spike Wells, and Phil Solomon. I love pretty much all styles of music and these days I’m not a big ‘practicer’ but I listen to so much music; the records are where all the magic is!
Since starting Drum Hangs, I’ve been asked a lot about my studies with Jim Blackley. In my early twenties, I was studying with Allan Cox who is a fantastic player, educator, and he also created the ‘Meet the Bass Player’ play-along series which has been so successful and helped many players & teachers around the world. I worked so hard on Jim Blackley’s material whilst studying with Allan, and one day during a lesson he said to me “you should go and study with Jim”. I looked at him and thought “is that possible? could I really do that?” He assured me that it’d be great and more importantly, life-changing. He was correct!
Allan put me in contact with Jim’s son, Kaja, and we arranged that I would travel to Canada from the UK for a week of lessons with the master! I couldn’t believe that the pilgrimage was going to happen, and it was all very overwhelming simply because I had worked so hard at Jim’s material and really made it a part of my being.
Jim’s material is incredibly musical. It will develop the drummer’s sense of swing and hopefully give your time that bounce and lift that the music needs. You learn to be able to listen and react; the music should play you! The material really helps to keep your ego in check and you develop rhythmically in your approach to musical phrases.
Like I said, people have asked me a lot about studying with Jim since I started Drum Hangs and I always say the same thing. The thing that affected me on the deepest and most profound level, was the warmth I felt when I was at Casa Blackley. His family are truly beautiful people; just amazing! The first time I went to study with Jim, his wife Aisha was still with us and I swear that she was an angel. It’s hard to put into words what it was like to be in her company, just an absolutely incredible lady and I was very sad to learn of her passing. Jim also sadly passed a few years back and I guess now he is reunited with Aisha. In their youth, they were champion ballroom dancers, so they’re dancing in the skies somewhere, no doubt!
I realize that I’m not giving too much away about what lessons were like with Jim. I guess I can say that you just played for around 6 hours each lesson and he guided you. He wanted you to find yourself and he seemed to know exactly where your head was at before you even said a word and he gave you that push you needed. The man was wise beyond words - HEAVY!
I can’t recommend Jim’s publications, ‘Syncopated Rolls for the Modern Drummer’ and ‘The Essence of Jazz Drumming’ highly enough. Get the books, but get your head out of the books! Make sure you seek out a teacher who has studied with Jim to take you through the material; there are many subtleties.
Playing-wise, I just try to be as versatile as possible and I’ve always admired the guys who can go and play any gig. I’ve just tried to prepare myself for any musical situation that may present itself. I’ll rarely miss an opportunity to go and play whether it’s 1920’s tea dance playing dixieland jazz, a Big Band playing Sammy Nestico charts, a theatre production, ‘Stuff’ style funk club date, a ‘Top-40’ wedding gig, or an all-out rock ’n’ roll thing, I’ll try to let the music play me and react accordingly. Playing the drums is no big deal; playing music is what we should be striving for and if we can meet some great people and build long-lasting relationships along the way, then surely that ticks many boxes towards achieving the ultimate goal; a happy life!
Don't miss out and visit www.drumhangs.com to learn more about this wonderful project.
*Hey, while we're on the topic of Hangs....don't forget to tune in to the inaugural episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening tonight Thursday, December 17th 7pm MST (9pm EST) on Instagram IGTV @fouronthefloorblog with special guest Chris Smith, curator of the Jazz Drum Hang! www.jazzdrumhang.com*
Please consider joining myself and Chris Smith, creator of The Jazz Drum Hang and author of "The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis" for the inaugural episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening this Thursday, December 17th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live @fouronthfloorblog
This masterclass with Max Roach, recorded in Torino, Italy circa. 1994 recently popped up on YouTube and since Max is my all-time drum hero, here it is!
I'm not sure who said it or where I saw this, but I recently saw this quote:
"Whenever you listen to Max Roach, you will never be disappointed."
And they are right!
And finally, I shared this one last week in my post featuring Joe Farnsworth's brilliant brush lesson. Here is Max demonstrating his beautiful ballad brushwork while singing the old standard I Love You:
Further to my post from last week, here's a few more comping exercises in the same spirit as the ones I shared before (btw the fellow above was not impressed that Mr. Octopus got all the attention last time, so here he is to set us straight...and if you haven't checked out "4-Way Coordination" by Dahlgren & Fine, you should!)
As with my previous exercises, I find these really help with my sense of balance while developing 4-limb coordination.
Play both of these exercises with the standard ride cymbal rhythm over top.
Exercise #1
Exercise #2
As before, these are a series of syncopated figures organized in three-beat phrases that create an over-the-bar-line loop.
You should also practice these rhythms with just the snare, bass drum and hi-hat individually with the ride cymbal. You could even play them between two limbs as well.
As I mentioned before, the orchestration between the snare, bass drum and hi-hat isn't by accident and intentionally by design. Have you figured out the logic of each example yet?
These are also helpful ways to integrate your hi-hat into your timekeeping/comping phrases (i.e. Roy Haynes, Alan Dawson, Bill Stewart, etc.)
Play it slow.
Balance the limbs dynamically.
Use a metronome.
Relax and strive for a sense of flow.
Make it swing!
* If you have any questions please let me know!*
** If you might be interested in taking a lesson with me and learn about more exercises and concepts such as these and more, drop me a line and we'll connect!!**
*** Don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list on the right hand side of the page!!!***
Well, another year has almost gone by and what a year it's been! Blogging will continue through the end of December (and I don't know about you, but this year can't finish soon enough...) however this will be the final Monday Morning Paradiddle column of 2020.
I've got a few more technique exercises to post in the weeks ahead and frequent guest columnist Tim Mah (of CJSW's award-winning radio program Jazz Today) will once again be offering his choice of this year's jazz releases by Canadian artists and great jazz drummers from around the world.
I am also going to attempt a little social media experiment in the coming weeks ahead called *Four on the Floor Live* and will be hosting informal interviews on a weekly basis with several jazz drumming social media personalities via my Instagram page @fouronthefloorblog. So keep an eye out for future announcements.
*Also, please don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list on the right hand side of the page to receive regular updates whenever I publish a new blog post. Don't miss out and get Four on the Floor delivered straight to your inbox!*
Anyhow, here's a collection of interesting items, old & new, for your consideration.
7. Peter Erskine has been sharing a great on-going list of influential drummers via Facebook lately. Here's a link to his Infinity Drummers Playlist via Google Docs
8. Rhythm guru Russell Hartenberger interviews the late John Wyre via the Nexus percussion website
9. I recently attended a wonderful Zoom masterclass with Ra Kalam Bob Moses last Saturday morning and was inspired by his explanations and ear-opening concepts such as "Living Music"(ie. singing and dancing!) and internalizing resolution points. I really took a lot away from this session and I'd also like to extend a big shout-out to Clifford Koufman for putting this together!
Here's a brief clip of Ra Kalam improvising, using Hemp Tempo mallets:
10. I also attended an incredible zoom session with Bill Stewart last week, courtesy of Russ Gleason and the fine folks over at Drum Hangs (check this site out!) It was a really great opportunity to hear Bill talk about his process, influences, ride cymbal technique, etc. and a tremendous insight into his musical mind.
Here's a great piece featuring Bill with the Blue Note All-Stars circa. 1996:
11. Open Studio recently featured Ulysses Owens Jr. and Greg Hutchinson in this livestream "Finding Your Beat":
And Edu Ribeiro continues with his excellent Drum Conversations YouTube series. Here is Edu's interview with drummer/vibraphonist Jason Marsalis:
12. Peter Apfelbaum and Mark Guiliana in a creative duet:
13. Check out this absolutely killing solo from Jack DeJohnette!
14. I thought this was interesting: tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain playing Steve Smith's drums during a soundcheck:
Yep, he's got it!
And here's Zakir in his usual element with a tabla solo from the Berklee College of Music:
15. Steve Fidyk offers this uptempo brushes demonstration:
16. Larnell Lewis with his composition "The Forgotten Ones":
17. Swiss jazz drumming great Daniel Humair in a 1961 solo spot:
18. Very rare footage of Canadian drummer Claude Ranger, playing here with Edmonton's PJ Perry, recorded during the early 1990s:
19. Looking for something to practice? Play along with these guys!!!
Thank you Mr. Carter and Christian McBride for sharing these!
20. I distinctly remember when I bought my reissued CD copy of Gretsch Drum Night at Birdland twenty five years ago at the HMV located in Regina's Southland Mall, featuring Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Charli Persip and Philly Joe Jones. Here's Philly's incredible brush solo feature from this epic drum summit:
21. What am I listening to these days?
Andrew Cyrille & Bill McHenry "Proximity" - Andrew Cyrille (drums)
Joe Farnsworth is back with more beautiful brushwork and ballad patterns, this time inspired by the likes of Louis Hayes, Vernel Fournier, Idris Muhammad, Roy Haynes and Jimmy Lovelace:
This video (and his previous one...) are SO important! Drummer's all too often take playing ballads for granted and just "stir the soup", get on with it and phone it in until the next (faster!) tune is counted off.
There is so much beauty in the subtleties and nuances that playing with brushes offers and, as Joe so eloquently demonstrates, playing a ballad is no different.
I don't think you'll find these patterns in a book, studying recordings will certainly help in terms of capturing the sound but since many of Masters are now gone, we are lucky to have someone share with us these brush patterns and choreography that he learned from the source (Adam Nussbaum and Steve Smith's The Art of Playing with Brushes is another good resource to check out too for that same reason).
Thanks Joe!
Oh yes, I almost forgot....this is a beautiful clip of Max Roach demonstrating his own ballad brushwork, from an Italian masterclass that recently appeared on the YouTube, all while singing the lyrics to the standard "I Love You":
Max Roach once referred to the drum set as being the "Four-Limbed Monster", speaking to the coordination and independence skills required to play it (and yes, I realize that the animation above depicts a drumming octopus who definitely has more than four limbs!)
Anyways, I've got a long and evolving list of things I've been practicing since the pandemic hit last March and I thought I would share with you a concept that I've been having fun with lately.
One of the goals as a drummer should be, in my opinion, to achieve a certain sense of unity and balance between all parts of the drum set. This is often easier said than done!
These are a couple of comping exercises that I've been messing around with. These have helped me towards developing a deeper sense of time and a unified sense of 4-way coordination.
Play both of these examples with the standard ride cymbal beat:
Exercise #1
Exercise #2
Rhythmically, both of these phrases are a series of syncopated, poly-rhythmic eighth-note figures that create an over-the-bar-line loop. This is challenging enough on its own, playing these figures with just one limb against the ride cymbal beat (for what's it's worth, this eighth-note figure was inspired by some Alan Dawson concepts I came across. You should practice this too!) but my exercise splits the rhythm in a sequence between the snare, bass drum and hi-hat.
The order of the orchestration between the snare, bass drum and hi-hat isn't by accident either and intentionally by design. I won't spoil it for you so play through these two examples and see if you can figure out the logic of each pattern.
I've also found this to be a helpful way to incorporate the hi-hat into my comping phrases (i.e. Roy Haynes).
Play it slow.
Balance the limbs dynamically.
Use a metronome.
Relax and strive for a sense of flow.
Make it swing!
* If you have any questions please let me know!*
** If you might be interested in taking a lesson with me and learn about more exercises and concepts such as these and more, drop me a line and we'll connect!!**
*** Don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list on the right hand side of the page!!!***
I was recently reading about Cindy Blackman Santana's latest album release "Give the Drummer Some!" in the pages of Jazz Times magazine this month. It seems like every November they like to feature drummers in particular and I think this is just fantastic (in fact, it's one of the very few magazines in print that I actually buy anymore. I can't even find a place to purchase a physical copy of Modern Drummer these days!)
Anyways, it was a great feature, I really look forward to hearing her new music and this also prompted me to dig around a bit and see what she's been up to these days.
The first time I heard Cindy play was actually in a short segment from a documentary about Art Blakey in which she was playing drums, subbing for Bu, in a rehearsal with the Jazz Messengers. While it was brief, it was swinging! Fast forward to the mid-90's when I first heard her band play at the Salle de Gesu in Montreal and I was completely blown away and unprepared for the power and energy that she played with. I've been a fan ever since!
Here's a few pieces featuring this wonderful musician:
- A recent interview and feature from PBS NewsHour:
- A solo feature from the 2020 DRUMEO Festival:
- And finally, I've really been digging this ongoing series of videos from the Drum Compilations YouTube channel (and will likely share more of these featuring other drummers in the future!) Here's Cindy's latest compilation:
Today's post features the great Joe LaBarbera, a fantastic drummer, overall musician, selfless teacher and a wonderful human being. This piece was filmed at the Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood, California:
I've really been digging the Pat LaBarbera/Kirk MacDonald album Trane of Thought lately, a tribute to the music of John Coltrane which features Joe on drums.
Pat and Kirk have been leading an annual birthday tribute to Coltrane at The Rex in Toronto for a long time now (20+ years?) Unfortunately it didn't happen this year for obvious reasons but I was happy to see that this project was finally documented when it was released last year.
I really appreciate the intensity with which Joe plays on this album, keeping the energy up and the engine fires stoked all without overplaying (in my experience, it's all too easy to get caught up in the energy in musical situations like this so you've got to be mindful to listen carefully and play the "long game" so to speak...) Joe's drumming on this album is a great lesson in musical accompaniment.
When Joe plays, it's all about the music, all the time!
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I shared this one several years ago (10 years ago in fact!) but I keep on returning to it and find it compelling and inspiring. This short film also comes up in conversation from time to time with several of my colleagues in the dance world so I figured I would share this once again.
"Life has a rhythm, it's constantly moving.
The word for rhythm (used by the Malinke tribes) is FOLI.
It is a word that encompasses so much more than drumming, dancing or sound.
It's found in every part of daily life.
In this film you not only hear and feel rhythm but you see it.
It's an extraordinary blend of image and sound that
feeds the senses and reminds us all
how essential it is."
- Thomas Roeber
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*Just a minor piece of housekeeping now that I've got your attention: I have added a SUBSCRIBE option on the right hand side of this page. Just enter your e.mail address (I promise not to spam you!) and you'll receive regular updates via Mailchimp in your Inbox whenever I publish a new blog post (isn't technology grand?) Stay connected and don't miss out!*
Anyways, now back to our regularly scheduled programming....
As I was reviewing my monthly Monday Morning Paradiddle column from a few weeks ago, I was prompted to revisit Terri Lyne Carrington's incredible Grammy award-winning album MoneyJungle: Provocation in Blue.
Here is a live performance of her Money Jungle project, interpreted by Carrington and her band (this music was originally recorded in 1962 featuring Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Charles Mingus):
To say the least, Carrington is an important figure and a leader in jazz today!
This also led me to spend some time listening to her latest work with her project Social Science and, of course, discovered a ton of other great videos and such as well.
Here's a few articles to check out:
- An interview with Heather Bambrick from Jazz.FM91
I've really been enjoying Andrew Cyrille's solo works of late and this took me down a bit of an internet rabbit-hole (which is always a good thing!) I find Cyrille's drumming to be very compelling and since I've been playing a lot of solo drums on my own these days (while also playing with records, play-a-longs, loops, the metronome, etc.) I've taken a lot of inspiration from Cyrille's musical approach to dealing with the drums on their own (and of course I will say the same about his playing with others as well...I was also really inspired by a recent trio set featuring Joe Lovano and Ben Street, live-streamed from the Village Vanguard).
I've shared a few of these items before but for my own sake and interest, here they are again plus some others.
Anyways, here's a few pieces that inspired me lately:
And here are a series of articles and interviews worth reading:
- Jazz Times Magazine features Andrew Cyrille: Art & SciencePart 1Part 2
Cyrille's discography is quite extensive to say the least (!) so I asked my friend and Toronto drummer Nick Fraser for a few of his suggestions.
Nick was kind enough to take some time to consider my inquiry and here is what he had to offer via e.mail (thanks Nick!):
"Andrew Cyrille: One of the most consistent artists in jazz. I've never heard him play on a bad record.
Here are a few of my faves:
The Hawk Relaxes - Coleman Hawkins
A mostly ballad session that might be Cyrille's debut recording. Not a typical record of his, and there are a few of those early in his career. Bill Barron's Hot Line with Booker Ervin is another.
The records with Walt Dickerson. He recorded many with this under-appreciated vibraphonist. I've been looking for the vinyl of this one, but haven't found it.
Anything with him and Cecil Taylor.
Sunny Murray and Tony Oxley also played on some classic Cecil, but I really think that Andrew had a touch and ear for Cecil's music that remained unmatched.
Jimmy Lyons' Other Afternoons is another Cecil-adjacent album that has some great Cyrille on it.
Leroy Jenkins: Space Minds New Worlds, Survival of America and John Carter's Castles of Ghana. These records are masterpieces.
Carla Bley: European Tour 1977. Interesting to hear him play some large(ish) ensemble music.
I almost forgot my very fave! Burnt Offering (duo w. Jimmy Lyons)"
Quincy Davis, Assistant Professor of Drum Set at the University of North Texas, recently released his latest musical offering Q Vision.
These are challenging times to say the least and my hat is off to all those artists who have chosen to release their new music in the face of our current circumstances. Despite the fact that the usual means for artists to perform, tour and promote their music in person have pretty much vanished (for now...) I still think there is tremendous significance in what these artists are offering and I think it takes a lot of courage to do so. In times of adversity we need these artists, such as Quincy, who are standing up, leading by example and offering us a sense of hope. When I hear compelling new music these days, such as Q Vision, I am inspired and reminded that "this too shall pass" and that we have much to be thankful for and much to look forward to.
With that in mind, I am reminded of this quote:
"Music is medicine!"
- Ra Kalam Bob Moses
I've always been a big fan of Quincy's drumming and of his original music. Quincy has played as a side person with many jazz greats over the years and I think this has really informed his own personal approach as a band leader and as a composer. He brings together a lot of different modern influences to his music while also still deeply rooted in the tradition.
Quincy was kind enough to take some time out of his busy teaching schedule at UNT to answer a few questions about his music (thank you Quincy!):
Quincy Davis Interview - Four on the Floor November 2020
1) Tell us about your latest recording! How did you choose your repertoire and sidemen? What inspired you to pursue the vibe and instrumentation that you did? Was there a particular message you were trying to convey to the listener?
For Q Vision, I wanted to move away from the vibraphone/sax quintet configuration of my first album (Songs in the Key of Q). But I did not want to completely abandon the quintet sound because I love it so much. So I decided to have both configurations on this album.
The music is all original music that I wrote specifically for this album and with these wonderful musicians in mind. I wanted to write music that was “easy on the ears” yet engages the brain, is fun to play and contains various aesthetics of the blues. I am always trying find the perfect balance of these elements. All of the musicians on this album are musicians who play with both intelligence and a lot of heart and soul. These traits are very important to me when considering someone for my band.
Q Vision is all about having vision of many different perspectives all at the same time: The drummer’s vision of their instrument, musician’s vision of music as a whole, vision from the music enthusiast’s perspective and vision and consciousness of things that are happening to people in the world.
2) Who are your influences, on and off the drums, and why?
My biggest influences include Billy Hart, Gregory Hutchinson, Bill Stewart, Philly Joe Jones, Carl Allen, Ed Blackwell, Dave Weckl and Clyde Stubblefield. All of these musicians are grounded in the tradition while playing in a very forward-leaning manner. Tradition is extremely important to me but I never want to be stuck only playing in that way. Jazz is ever evolving and I want to evolve with it. In addition, European classical music from the romantic and 20th century periods have influenced my overall perspective of music and composition quite a lot.
3) What are you practicing and listening to these days?
I’m doing a lot of metronome displacement exercises to improve my natural sense of time and pulse. My listening skills and ability to stay aware of what’s going on with the time and feel are also strongly challenged when doing these exercises.
4) What other current and future projects do you have on the go at the moment?
The biggest future project that I am working on is a method book. I am hoping to have a book come out in 2021. This book will incorporate many of the concepts I have been using in my teaching for the past 10 years. It will also be used as a part of the University of North Texas drum set curriculum.
5) What advice do you have for younger, aspiring jazz drummers?
If you want to play jazz professionally, understand today’s jazz drummer needs to be able to play many different styles comfortably so listen to as much music as possible. Also, study and KNOW the history of the instrument and the music. You can’t learn that stuff on Instagram!
To learn more about Quincy and check out his music visit his website www.quincydavisjazz.com
Quincy has also been quite busy with his ongoing YouTube channel, offering great lessons in his always informative Q-Tip series:
Well, it's been a minute since our last monthly column. Welcome back, thanks for checking in and I hope you are all keeping safe out there.
Fortunately, despite the challenges of our current circumstances, many great musicians are still doing and sharing really great things on-line these days. If so inclined, there is no lack of really great resources to learn from out there. I'd encourage all of you to take advantage of these opportunities and support those artists who are trying to make the best of the situation.
Onwards & Upwards!
Anyways, here's a collection of items, old and new, that have been making the rounds lately and caught my attention:
1. Hey look I now have a proper website! Thanks to Andrew Millar who did a fantastic job putting this together. You can click on the link on the sidebar on the upper right hand side of this page or visit: www.jonmccaslin.com (btw Four on the Floor will be staying right here but you'll be able to access it through my website as well...)
If you need someone to put together a website for you, I can't recommend Andrew highly enough and you can reach him through his own website www.andrewmillardrums.com.
Oh yeah, Andrew is a pretty mean drummer himself (as you'll see below) and he was always one of my favourite drummers to listen to during my brief time in living in Toronto (2007-2009):
2. Russ Gleason and Neal Wilkinson are doing really great things over at Drum Hangs, presenting weekly Zoom webinars with the world's greatest drummers. These are really well curated and I'm consistently impressed with the drummers who are invited and the discussions that take place. Some of the great drummers they have featured so far include the likes of Jeff Hamilton, John Riley, Adam Nussbaum, Bill Stewart, Martin France, Zildjian's Paul Francis, Mark Guiliana, Steve Gadd, Simon Phillips, Ed Soph, Terri Lyne Carrington, Peter Erskine, Johnathan Blake and many, many others.
Upcoming sessions include guests such as Ari Hoenig, Bernard Purdie, Jeff Tain Watts, James Gadson, Kenny Washington and Antonio Sanchez so don't miss out on these opportunities to virtually rub shoulders with these Masters and ask them questions.
Thank you Russ and Neal and keep up the great work!
3. Anders Mogensen has been offering great things to practice with his Weekly Drum Diary project. Check that out here and sign up for his mailing list to receive weekly lessons in .pdf with examples posted on YouTube.
Anders always has interesting and challenging exercises to offer!
4. Check out these recent JAZZ.FM91 Session Notes features with Ted Warren and Morgan Childs, two more really great jazz drummers from Toronto that I always enjoy listening to.
5. Jazz Profiles features the great Frankie Dunlop, an underrated drummer (in my humble opinion) and someone all jazz drummers need to study.
6. A series of articles from pianist Ethan Iverson on rhythm and jazz drumming:
10. Edu Ribeiro from Open Studio has been offering a wonderful weekly Q&A session with a host of great drummers (Edu is a really great drummer himself!)
It was really great to hear Edu's interview with Ignacio Berroa:
And here's his recent session with John Riley:
And speaking of John Riley, I've really been enjoying his series of cymbal features with Zildjian's Paul Francis, from the nice folks over at the Memphis Drum Shop.
Here's a recent spotlight with Paul Francis and John Riley on the history of Zildjian cymbals:
11. Congratulations to Terri Lyne Carrington who was recently named an NEA Jazz Master!
Here is a recent interview with Carrington, from Pablo Held:
12. Matt Wilson was featured in this Jazz Times piece by Nate Chinen and he also offered this liberating drum lesson in 2019.
Here is a recent interview on his latest musical offering "Hug":
13. Rudy Royston interviewed by The Drum Shuffle:
14. Joe Farnsworth on his latest album "It's Time to Swing!":
15. A wonderful duet featuring Jeff Ballard and Gilad Hekselman on Pat Metheny's "Last Train Home":
16. Peter Magadini in a solo spot with Slide Hampton, recorded live in Toronto at Bourbon Street circa. 1978:
17. An interview with the prolific Trilok Gurtu:
18. Here's a great duet with Milford Graves and Joe Lovano!
19. Many thanks to Travis Knights who shared this Max Roach interview with Ben Sidran:
And thank you Benny Green for sharing via Facebook this rare 1953 recording of Max Roach with Charlie Parker, Hank Mobley, Bud Powell and George Duvivier:
20. The University of North Texas offers this informative 10 Questions Plus+ Zoom session with veteran jazz great Roy McCurdy:
21. Here's Jeff Tain Watts on Giant Steps!
22. Chad Anderson remembers the late, great Alvin Fielder:
23. Jason Marsalis continues with his One Man Drums Show, this time with a piece entitled "Bench Brush Battle", inspired by his brush jams with Adonis Rose:
24. Thank you to the great bassist Ron Carter who offers these thoughts on what it was like to know and play with Elvin Jones:
25. Dig this: Alan Dawson playing the vibraphone while Joe Farrell plays the drums and it's killing!
26. What am I listening to these days?
Neil Swainson "49th Parallel" - Jerry Fuller (drums)
Andrew Cyrille "What About?" and "The Loop" - Andrew Cyrille (drums)
Chick Webb "The King of the Drums" - Chick Webb (drums)
Dave Robbins Electric Band "Zap!" - Dave Robbins (drums)
Owen Howard "Drum Lore Vol.2: More Lore" - Owen Howard (drums)
The North "Plays the Music of Kenny Wheeler" - Anders Mogensen (drums)
Bobby Hutcherson "Mosaic Select" (box set) - Eddie Marshall (drums)
Eli Fountain "Percussion Discussion"
27. And today's Final Word(s) go to Joe Lovano...
(who incidentally, is an accomplished drummer himself!)
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.
