The "Thursday" Morning Paradiddle

I meant to drop this post on Monday morning like I usually do but I've been on and off the road for the better part of two months now and unfortunately my blogging has consequently not been quite as consistent as I like it to be. Anyways, here it is and better late than never I guess! But actually, now that I'm home and almost caught up, I think I'll take a little break from all of this for the next few weeks to recharge my batteries. In the meantime, check this stuff out and we'll see you in a bit...


- An interview with the ever articulate Peter Erskine:

http://bcove.me/n54ak401


- Jason Marsalis is interviewed at Music Inside Out and also shares some insights into several other important Jazz drummers as well:

http://musicinsideout.wwno.org/jason-marsalis/


- An interview and feature with the ever swinging European Jazz drummer Eric Ineke entitled "I Want the Swing to be Alive":

http://jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl/2015/06/interview-eric-ineke-i-want-the-swing-to-be-alive/


- Here's a few worthwhile and relevant discussions from the Modern Drummer education team archives:

On Learning Jazz:

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2013/01/md-education-team-weighs-in-on-learning-jazz/?utm_content=buffer08191&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#_

Traditional Grip?

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2012/09/md-education-team-traditional-grip/?utm_content=buffer2150f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.VacoZBZ0qTb

On Learning Other Instruments:

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2015/05/modern-drummer-education-team-weighs-in-on-learning-other-instruments/?utm_content=buffer51e9a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.VacpSxZ0qTZ


- Clayton Cameron discusses "What are the Mathematics of Jazz?" over at NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/06/388519359/what-are-the-mathematics-of-jazz


- Australia's Simon Barker is a very unique, creative drummer that I've only recently been introduced to but I really dig his style:



Also check out his work for solo drum set here:

http://simonbarker.bandcamp.com/album/driftwood


- The ever resourceful Drummer's Resource Podcast features a very informative interview with John Riley:

http://www.drummersresource.com/john-riley-the-4-characteristics-of-a-great-player/


- What differentiates human drummers from machines? Fractals. Apparently. (And machines also work for scale haha):

http://mentalfloss.com/us/go/65703


- I recently ran into Montreal's ever swinging Dave Laing during my time at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. Check out this fantastic clip of him playing along with a Joe Henderson and Christian McBride track:




- Benny Green has recently been touring with an Art Blakey tribute project. Here's a clip of the band with Carl Allen taking on the role of Buhaina:



And here's a link to a complete concert featuring this band:

http://ia801502.us.archive.org/4/items/BennyGreenSextet2015-05-14MariansJazzRoomBernSwitzerland/BennyGreenSextet2015-05-14MariansJazzRoomBernSwitzerland.mp3?cnt=0

- I've really been fascinated by Max Roach's percussion ensemble M'Boom lately. Here's a concert from 1973 to check out:




- What am I listening to these days?

Curtis Nowosad "Dialectics" - Curtis Nowosad (drums)

Jan Jarczyk "Full Circle" - Jim Doxas (drums)

Jimmy Heath "The Thumper" - Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums)

Kirk MacDonald "The Atlantic Sessions" - Jerry Fuller (drums)

Phil Dwyer "Let Me Tell You About My Day" - Alan Jones (drums)

Keith Copeland "The Irish Connection" - Keith Copeland (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to Maya Angelou:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."


Alright, that's all I've got for now. Thanks again for checking in and we'll see each other in a bit. In the meantime, have a great summer!

Eric Harland with Ben Wendel

A brief post today as I am currently on the road in Saskatchewan and about to spend the next 10 ten days teaching at the Prairielands Jazz Camp, an annual summer Jazz workshop held at the University of Regina.

Last weekend I found myself in Saskatoon performing with a variety of groups at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. As I also heard several great groups during my stay including the band Kneebody
(with the great Nate Wood on drums). Trumpeter Patrick Boyle has been raving about these guys for years so I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to hear them play.

I was really impressed with this group and, in particular, tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel. I really dug his original concept, huge sound and the energy he brought to the music.

Ben has a series of duet videos up on youtube.com entitled "The Seasons". Check out this episode featuring a duet with drummer Eric Harland:

Higgins

And now a few words about Billy Higgins...





Here's a few more pieces to check out....

- Nasheet Waits offers his favourites recordings of Billy Higgins:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/28160-artist-s-choice-nasheet-waits-on-billy-higgins

- A drummer's roundtable discussion on the legacy of his drumming:

https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/a-drummers-memorial-roundtable-on-billy-higgins-on-wkcr-may-7-2001/

- And two more interviews and some words of wisdom with the man himself:

http://www.echo.ucla.edu/Volume2-Issue1/chapman-berish/higgins-title.html

http://jazztimes.com/articles/20257-shop-talk-billy-higgins

Lewis Nash with Renee Rosnes

Today we bring you a complete concert featuring the stellar quartet of pianist Renee Rosnes with Steve Nelson on vibes, Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums:





I recently heard this very same band in Toronto at the Jazz Bistro during the Toronto Jazz Festival. They are currently touring the Canadian Jazz festival circuit. I believe they will also be recording together this summer (lucky for us!)

The music I heard was outstanding and they exhibited a certain group sympatico that only comes from playing together for a very long time (in my estimation likely around 30 years given the different circumstances they have collectively played in...) I really identify with the style and sound of Jazz music in which these four music exhibit both individually and collectively.

I actually had the best seat in the house (!) and found myself directly behind Nash's drums (nice to see that the Jazz Bistro in Toronto has inadvertently continued the tradition of the "drummer's row", a strategically placed group of seats, not unlike those at the Village Vanguard, where you can enjoy an intimate and unobstructed view of the drummer...)

Nash's drumming was, of course, exceptional. I've seen him play many times but this time I was really drawn to his clear and constant orchestrations of not only the melody, arrangement and form but also the soloist in question. His ears and priorities are always tuned to the music and it all adds up to a very satisfying musical and hard swinging result. Quite a lesson indeed!

Dave Laing "Joy Spring"

Another post today featuring the amazing Dave Laing, my former drum teacher at McGill University (Montreal, QC).

Here's Dave demonstrating how to orchestrate melodic ideas around the drum set, in this case Clifford Brown's transcribed trumpet solo from the Max Roach/Clifford Brown hit tune "Joy Spring":



This is very impressive and a stark reminder of how much vocabulary and creative information we can gain from studying solos of jazz musicians of ANY instrument, not just the drums.

In fact, when I interviewed Dan Weiss for my doctoral research he spoke at length about how this particular concept has influenced and informed his own "melodic" approach to the drum set.

Boston's Bob Gullotti also spoke to me extensively about how he teaches students how to learn melodic drum solo vocabulary by means of studying Charlie Parker's solos and phrases found within the pages of the Charlie Parker Omnibook. I've been investigating these ideas myself and find it a fascinating study.

Well, back to the drawing board/woodshed...

Conversations with "The Birdman"

An insightful interview and "conversation" today with the world's "Birdman" of the drums, Antonio Sanchez:

Dave Laing!

I've posted a few of these clips from him before but, there's more! Here's Montreal's Dave Laing demonstrating many of his talents (actually in addition to being a great player he's also a GREAT teacher!) In particular dig his use of the hi-hat/bass drum ostinato underneath the Delecluse snare etude in the last clip:

Dave was my teacher at McGill during the late 90s and he continues to inspire with his great playing, hard swinging drive and creative spirit.

Keep 'em coming Dave!

Ali Jackson Jr. on Rhythm

Jazz @ Lincoln Center's Ali Jackson Jr. demonstrates a few important rhythms we should all consider:

Ralph Peterson Jr. Webcast

Courtesy of the nice people over at mycymbal.com here's a complete masterclass with Ralph Peterson Jr. demonstrating his Meinl cymbals:



There is a lot of great information here and Peterson is a very articulate teacher (in addition to being an iconic player of our time).

I also highly recommend checking out his DVD "Jazz Drumming Demystified" available through Jazzheaven.com (click on the link to the side of my blog).

Incidentally, I've been getting a lot of mileage lately out of this brush pattern found his DVD, a pattern with multiple applications Peterson likes to call the "Infinity Pattern":

Three Brush Players

These guys are having way too much fun...



Now who said that playing the brushes was a lost/dying art form?
Certainly not while these guys are around!

Thanks to Calgary's Kevin Willms who passed along this one.

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

And...we're back.

Sorry for the radio silence lately. This spring has been quite busy and I've been on the go, first playing for a very time consuming and soul satisfying modern dance production with a very talented and creative group of people, Calgary's Decidedly Jazz Danceworks production of "Ziriguidum". Then my wife and I recently took off to Paris for a couple weeks for a break. Now I'm home and back in the saddle. Blogging over here will resume accordingly. Thanks for sticking around!

This was my first trip Paris and surprisingly I was fortunate to hear many great Jazz drummers during my travels in addition to all the many things one does when they visit Paris (like eat lots of cheese...)

First we headed over to the Duc de Lombards, one of Paris' premier Jazz spots, and heard Kendrick Scott with virtuoso harmonicist (harmonicacist?) Gregoire Maret featuring Jon Cowherd on piano and a wonderful Polish bass player whose name escapes me. Scott's drumming was exceptional and he has really developed a very musical and unique voice on the drums (that I'm quite fond of actually). In particular his ride cymbal variations and techniques were a real lesson in themselves that offered me more than a few things to ponder and think about while waiting in line at the Louvre and Eiffel Tower in the days to come. I first heard Scott with Terence Blanchard about ten years ago and he continues to be one of my favorite "up-and-coming" drummers of our generation.

We stayed in a nice little hotel in the St. Germain district and happened to be there during the St. Germain Festival de Jazz. How convenient ! We were fortunate to catch a performance of pianist Vijay Iyer and his trio featuring Stephen Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums. I've heard Iyer a few times in Calgary and Banff now but this was the first time I've heard Gilmore play. Being the drumming grandson of Roy Haynes certainly sets up some expectations (for some anyways...) but I was actually very impressed with both his musicality and mature approach to the music. Some solo features he took demonstrated a real influence of Jack DeJohnette, especially in the way he would integrate and lead phrases with the bass drum. The trio was a very cohesive unit I look forward to hearing more of Gilmore in the years to come.

Finally, I was able to catch up with my dear old friend Karl Jannuska who we heard play with a singer/song writer and his trio on a boat, a sort of floating Jazz club on the Seine river. I first met Karl in 1995 when I moved to Montreal to study at McGill University. He's one of the nicest human beings you'll ever meet and it's no wonder that in the last 15 years he has quickly become one of the busiest Jazz drummers in Paris. Originally from Brandon, Manitoba Karl was always a popular drummer around McGill and a shining example how to make music of the highest level on the drum set. I haven't Karl play in a number of years but was quickly reminded of his great sound, brilliant phrasing and creative approach to the drum set. Karl is all about the music and I'm really happy to see him continue to do so well for himself. He has recorded a number of albums featuring his own original music that are definitely worth checking out. Karl tells me that he has another one in the works so keep your ears peeled for that one.

I wasn't expecting to hear any Jazz (or music for that matter) during our travels so the opportunity to hear these three incredible drummers was definitely a bonus.

Anyways, in other news, here's a mess of other things to check out thanks to our ever vigilant Four on the Floor foreign correspondents:

- Here's a great article on Jo Jones from Jazz Lives:

https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/smiling-jo-jones/


- Thanks to Calgary's John Reid who passed along this lengthy article on really OLD vintage drum sets:

http://www.polarityrecords.com/vintage-drum-kits-1920s-and-30s.html

After reading this I'm wondering if now is the time to bring back the practice of painting lush mountain and lake scenes on the front of our bass drum heads.


- Via Adam Nussbaum, here's an item on Albert Tootie Heath from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/14/392324106/albert-tootie-heath-drummer-extraordinaire-turns-the-tables?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jazz&utm_term=music&utm_content=20150316


- I'm always excited to find new interviews with the greats to listen and learn from. Ben Sidran speaks with a number of Jazz legends on his radio series, NPR's "Talking Jazz":

http://bensidran.com/project/talking-jazz-project

In particular, check out his interviews with the likes of Max Roach, Paul Motian, Art Blakey and Tony Williams.


- Speaking of interviews, here's an extensive conversation between Ethan Iverson and bassist Ron Carter over at Iverson's blog Do The Math worth checking out:

http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/word-association-with-ron-carter.html


- Todd Bishop has been very busy over at his fine blog Cruiseship Drummer. He's been blogging his tail off recently to promote his fundraising campaign. There's always lots of great things to check out on his blog. A few pieces of his that I've really enjoyed lately:

Barry Altschul on playing melodically:

http://www.cruiseshipdrummer.com/2015/05/barry-altschul-on-playing-melodically.html

(I could have used this one while finishing my doctoral dissertation last fall...oh well!)

A nice great Billy Higgins transcription from an interpretation of Othar Turner's Shimmy Shewobble:

http://www.cruiseshipdrummer.com/2015/05/transcription-billy-higgins-shimmy.html

And here's a some food-for-thought with regards to different ways to play the ride cymbal:

http://www.cruiseshipdrummer.com/2015/05/species-of-ride-cymbal-interpretation.html

This column was inspired by a piece from George Colligan's blog Jazz Truth and is also a good read:

http://jazztruth.blogspot.ca/2015/05/high-school-jazz-combos.html

Some great info here, especially the pedagogical statement on the importance of developing a good cymbal beat. I think Bill Stewart's paraphrased quote really nails it:

"You might know all the rudiments but if you don't get the ride cymbal together, nobody is going to call you!"

Jazz "truth" indeed.


- Another great post from Jazz Advice, with some ideas on improving your Time and sense of Rhythm:

http://www.jazzadvice.com/the-secret-to-great-time/


- Here's an interview with the ever articulate Peter Erskine and his new Tama drums:



- Dig the ever funky/swinging Mike Clark demonstrating his DW drums:



- And finally, here's an audio interview with drummer/percussionist Don Alias from the folks over at LP Percussion:




- What am I listening to these days?

Curtis Nowosad "Dialectics" - Curtis Nowosad (drums)

Elvin Jones Trio "The Ultimate" - Elvin Jones (drums)

Jimmy Heath "Really Big!" - Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums)

Harold Land "The Fox" - Frank Butler (drums)

Michel Lambert "Journal Des Episodes I & II" - Michel Lambert (drums)

Kevin Dean "Weather Permitting" - Dave Laing (drums)

Paul Chambers "Whims of Chambers" - Philly Joe Jones (drums)

Phineas Newborn Jr. "We Three" - Roy Haynes (drums)

Tara Davidson "Duets"


- Today's Last Word comes from the great, late Clark Terry. I recently watched the documentary "Keep On Keepin' On" during my flight to Europe and found great inspiration in his life, music and wisdom (which he was all too willing to share with any who would listen).

"You can't do it the easy way. You have to do it the right way!" - Clark Terry


Thanks again for visiting and see you all again real soon !

Brazil

I was rather fortunate recently to work with Calgary's premier contemporary Jazz dance company, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, for their latest production "Ziriguidum" for the month of April and beginning of May. This very creative show featured a live Jazz trio consisting of myself on drums with Rubim De Toledo on bass and Chris Andrew on piano accompanying a cast of very talented dancers. The original score was all composed by Rubim and the show choreographed by Kimberley Cooper. These artists never cease to amaze me.

The second half of the show featured an amazing Brazilian dance group called Cia Vata, under the direction of Valeria Pinheiro. This group hails from the North East of Brazil and mixed folkloric rhythms with movement and dance, even interpreting many of these rhythms with a very unique form of "tap" dancing. It was quite enthralling to hear them perform night after night and hear this music performed so authentically, with the right feel.

This whole experience has really prompted me to revisit those rhythms and get deeper into this music. Definitely no lack of things to practice and learn from!

A few resources I'll be diving into real soon:

- Ed Uribe's great book "The Essence of Brazilian Percussion and Drumset"

http://www.amazon.com/The-Essence-Brazilian-Percussion-Drum/dp/076922024X/ref=pd_sim_14_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HM87XNE04BVWTC9HJ21

- Duduka Da Fonseca's "Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset"

http://www.amazon.com/Brazilian-Rhythms-Drumset-Manhattan-Publications/dp/0769209874

- Todd Bishop's very helpful guide, "Playing Samba and Bossa Nova: A Field Guide for Drummers"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QZJ4GX2

Incidentally, Todd just posted a great clip of Brazilian drummer Milton Banana over at his blog today:

http://www.cruiseshipdrummer.com/2015/05/milton-banana.html

And of course, LISTENING to this music extensively is the way to go. Otherwise all the rhythms you might learn from a book will be meaningless unless you spend time also trying to capture the sound and feel.

So in the meantime, check out these examples of this great Brazilian Batucada ensemble:

Vernel Fournier

The piano trio of Ahmad Jamal with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums is MUST listening for any serious jazz drummer and/or rhythm section player. There are many lessons to be learned from the understated and highly swinging approach that these three gentlemen demonstrate together.

Vernell is a very unique drummer that's not a household name but definitely worthy of serious study. I really dig the way he plays the arrangements, his light touch and groovy two-feel. I don't think I've heard him really play a full-out drum solo. He was all about playing with other people and making the band feel/sound good. And I don't think you can go wrong with that...

I really have to thank Carl Allen for suggesting to me that I check out this trio and their recordings years ago.

Here's some rare footage to get started:





Thanks to Ted Panken here's an interview with Vernel Fournier to check out:

https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/vernell-fournier-on-ahmad-jamal-wkcr-1990/

And here Fournier discusses his famous New Orleans inspired groove from Jamal's arrangement of "Poinciana":



Here's what Jack DeJohnette has to say about Fournier's drumming:

http://www.studio360.org/story/184577-aha-moment-jack-dejohnette/


And oh yes, Four on the Floor is now SIX years old!!! Thank you for all your support.

Conversations with Jimmy Cobb

Another interview today courtesy of the folks over at NYU, this time with the legendary Jimmy Cobb:

Conversations with Jack DeJohnette

Another great interview today, this time from Jack DeJohnette:



When the Masters speak...

Antonio Sanchez: Creative Soloing and Freedom

Thanks to the forward thinking people over at Drumeo here's the "Birdman" of the drums himself, Antonio Sanchez, talking about and demonstrating some very important improvisation concepts on the drums:

Eyes of the Masters: Albert "Tootie" Heath

Check out this informative masterclass with the great Albert "Tootie" Heath from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music:

The Monday Morning Paradiddle

Welcome back and I hope you all had a nice weekend. As per usual, here's a number things to check out thanks to our busy Four on the Floor correspondents...


- Looking to learn a thing or two about Jazz music? Well, there's no lack of great lessons over at the Jazz @ Lincoln Centre Jazz Academy YouTube channel worth checking out:

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


- Thank you to Adam Nussbaum for passing along this BBC piece on Louis Armstrong:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009y1rb


- Gregory Porter speaks with GQ magazine about Jazz music:

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2015-02/06/guide-to-jazz-music-with-gregory-porter


- The Drummer's Resource Podcast contains a wealth of great interviews with many great drummers to listen to. Check out this episode with UNT drum set professor Ed Soph:

http://www.drummersresource.com/ed-soph-interview/

- Gary Chester describes developing "Good Time" over at Scott Fish's blog:

https://scottkfish.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/gary-chester-on-developing-good-time/


- What are the Mathamatics of Jazz? Well, Clayton Cameron tells us in his TED Talk via npr.com:

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/06/388519359/what-are-the-mathematics-of-jazz


-  Stewart Copeland shares a few good tips via Calgary's Jim Johnston:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/stewart-copelands-top-5-tips-for-drummers-619308


- When the Masters speak, we listen ! Here's Art Taylor from a series created by the New York Public Library:

http://www.nypl.org/audiovideo/arthur-taylor-full-interview

Thanks to Rochester's Mike Melito for this find...


- When another Master speaks, we still listen!  Here's a rare radio interview with Philly Joe Jones recorded shortly before he passed away in 1986:

http://www.nightjourneyrewind.com/home/night-journey-with-philly-joe-jones


- Interested in learning how to play a ballad on the drums? Check out this brief clip of Lewis Nash with Bobby Watson:



- Finally, dig this great piece about Toronto Jazz drummer Archie Alleyne:

http://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/blog/the-life-and-times-of-archie-alleyne-torontos-greatest-jazz-drummer


- What am I reading/listening to these days?

Peter Erskine "No Beethoven: An Autobiography & Chronicle of Weather Report"

Michael Philip Mossman "Springdance" - Marvin Smitty Smith (drums)

Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano "Soundprints" - Joey Baron (drums)

Gerry Mulligan & Thelonious Monk "Mulligan Meets Monk" - Shadow Wilson (drums)


- And today's Last Word goes to a few lines from Peter Erskine's autobiography "No Beethoven":

"Is is the charge of us who survive to see another dawn each day that we honour the memory of the kind and brave souls who have pioneered and lived and loved before us. They have taught us how to interpret a melody, or how to play a rhythm, or how to laugh at one of life's many absurdities. Life lessons. Good deeds. Mistakes. The sum of a man's or a woman's life can take years to absorb and understand, but we must always appreciate the sacrifice, wisdom, love, and humour that our fallen wisdom comrades have left to us."

Blackwell (returns)

Thank you to David Stanoch who reminded me the other day via the Facebook of these amazing clips of Ed Blackwell. I posted these here a few years back but they are so awesome it's worth reposting them just because....it's Ed Blackwell!









And if you are interested in reading some excellent research written on Blackwell's unique style, be sure to check out David Schmalenberger's DMA thesis "Stylistic Evolution of Jazz Drummer Ed Blackwell: The Cultural Intersection of New Orleans and West Africa".

http://www.pas.org/docs/default-source/thesisdissertations/schmalenbergerdj_2000.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Gregory Hines & Stanley Clarke

I've written a bit before about the important relationship between tap dancing and jazz drumming. Well, here's Gregory Hines, who I consider to be the "Tony Williams" of tap dancers (!), in a duet with Stanley Clarke to check out from a feature on the Arsenio Hall Show: