In the spirit of all the Canadian jazz festivals that are currently or soon-to-be underway, today's blog post features fantastic footage of Tony Williams' Lifetime band from the Montreux Jazz Festival circa. 1971.
Check out the 17:00 mark for a ridiculous version of Some Hip Drum Shit featuring Don Alias and Warren Smith (and a giant gong!) on percussion:
That was pretty cool.
I also went down a bit of a TW YouTube rabbit hole while writing this blog post last night and came across this excellent biography of Tony Williams courtesy of The Drum History Podcast:
And finally, if you need some recorded Tony Williams drum solos to study and gain inspiration from (and the answer is yes, you do!) here's a great compilation to start with:
Please join us for the final episode of Four on the Floor *Live* Season 3 happening next Tuesday, June 27th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring Keith Hall!
Keith Hall has established himself as a passionate educator and joyful performer over the last 25 years. For 12 years, Keith spent much of his time touring worldwide and recording with singer and Concord Recording Artist Curtis Stigers. Hall has also performed with the likes of Randy Brecker, Betty Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Sir Roland Hanna, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Phillip Mossman, New York Voices, Andrew Rathbun, Janis Siegel, Luciana Souza, Terrell Stafford, Joe Wilder, Steve Wilson. He has recorded four CDs with Curtis Stigers as well as many other artists and he continues to tour and record with his critically acclaimed NYC-based trio TRI-FI.
Hall lived and worked in New York City for nine years performing in a multitude of musical contexts. Although most of these were jazz, he was also a regular sub for Tommy Igoe on Broadway’s Lion King. Hall was a member of the Latin-jazz quartet, Grupo Yanqui, chosen by the United States State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center to represent the United States in the American Music Abroad Program. Hall was also a member of the prestigious Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead in 1997.
He is the Artistic Director of the Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive, a one of a kind jazz drum camp that celebrated its 14th year in 2020. He is also the Executive Director of TUNED IN, a nonprofit organization, which focuses on supporting the power of music education to change lives.
Keith is the author of two instructional jazz drum set books: Jazz Drums Now! Vol. 1 and Jazz Drums Now! Vol. 2 and is the radio host for Jazz Currents on WMUK, the NPR affiliate in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hall presents clinics worldwide for Remo Drumheads, Yamaha Drums, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Zildjian Cymbals, Cympad, Big Fat Snare Drum, Rhythm Tech, and Protection Racket Drum Cases.
Truer words of drum wisdom are rarely spoken and today's blog post reflects this profound statement and features the great Lewis Nash in a drum lesson, demonstrating his approach to playing melodically and his composition Skeeter Blues:
And thanks to the prolific Jazz Video Guy Bret Primack, here's Lewis Nash demonstrating his masterful brush playing in Painting with Sound:
And finally here's two Facebook video excerpts from a drum masterclass in Singapore circa. 2018:
Please join us for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Wednesday, June 21st at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring The Jazz Infidel, Vancouver's Tim Reinert.
Tim Reinert works in the Vancouver area as a jazz concert promoter, label head, event MC, podcast host, and occasional writer.
Under his Infidels Jazz brand, Tim works to build community around the music that he loves.
The Infidels Jazz is a jazz show celebrating the history and diversity of jazz music that streams weekly on Mixcloud. It’s also a brand new label that produces recordings of contemporary players and groups.
The Infidels Jazz was conceived in the distant era of the before-time, in the pre-pandemic, by Vancouver jazz aficionado, Tim Reinert.
Tim thinks, writes, and broadcasts about jazz a lot more than your average music fan. He’s as comfortable talking about the work of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Herbie Hancock, or Alice Coltrane, as he is riffing on the likes of Louis Moholo-Moholo, Gordon Grdina, Hamid Drake, Misha Mengleberg, and many many more.
I love my Gretsch drums. I always used to love playing the well-worn set they had at school and would practice on Jesse Cahill's beautiful Gretsch walnut stain finish drums too when I was studying at McGill back in the day. I currently own a set of newer Gretsch USA Customs in bebop sizes (blue sparkle) and a set of older, larger drums refinished in a sweet burgundy/merlot sparkle finish (in the spirit of Mel Lewis!) I've also got a small 16x12 bass drum that I made out of an old converted floor tom that I can sub in and out as the situation warrants. These are all great drums, they have a ton of personality and a serious vibe. They look great and they sound great too. I love playing these drums and they never disappoint me.
Today's post features a great documentary from the Gretsch drum company as they celebrate their 140th anniversary.
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Introducing: THE ROUND BADGE STORIES
In 1883, Friedrich Gretsch opened a small music shop in Brooklyn, New York. As American music like big band, bebop jazz, and rock n’ roll exploded in the next century, the round badge of Gretsch Drums became an iconic symbol of popular culture and “That Great Gretsch Sound” became the backbeat for popular music. What exactly is the ‘Great’ in Gretsch Drums?
From the start, it was personal to the Gretsch family. “My grandfather, Fred Gretsch Jr, gave me the spirit of this business at a young age in the 1950s,” says Fred Gretsch III. The company found a signature shell formula early on and, note by note, improved upon it as bebop jazz rose up around them in the cradle of New York City. Gretsch struck partnerships with countless legendary 20th century artists of cementing the brand’s position in American lore. “These drums have life in them,” says Cindy Blackman-Santana.
The Round Badge Stories investigates the mystique of Gretsch Drums with performances, interviews, and stories from artists, industry figures, and the Gretsch family. Take the journey with us to learn how and why the signature sound, feel, and spirit of Gretsch Drums has inspired such passionate loyalty from musicians that endures today.
Narrated by: Vinnie Colaiuta
Score By: Mark Guiliana
And from a recent Grestch celebration at New York's Cutting Room, here's the great Bill Stewart playing some Gretsch drums:
And from 1973 here's a Gretsch drum summit recorded in Central Park featuring Elvin Jones, Mel Lewis and Freddie Waits and Jo Jones:
Here is a link to the complete audio and, below, a portion of the concert via YouTube:
It's a Four on the Floor *Live* double-header next week on Instagram Live IGTV!
Please join us for the next two action packed episodes of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Wednesday, June 14th at 7pm MST (9pm EST) featuring Pete Zimmer and Thursday, June 15th at 11am MST (1pm EST) featuring Jason Tiemann, both appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog
Since 2001, Pete Zimmer has established himself as one of the top-call drummers in New York City’s music scene. In December of 2021, Zimmer relocated to Chicago to become active in the Chicago and Midwest scene while still maintaining his performance schedule and established musical associations in New York. Originally from Waukesha, Wisconsin, Zimmer has made his mark nationally and internationally as a versatile and articulate drummer, bandleader, sideman, composer, educator, and record label entrepreneur.
Pete Zimmer has released five (5) critically acclaimed albums since 2004 as a leader on his own record label, Tippin’ Records. The albums showcase both his consistent swing and his skillful and melodic compositions. His composition, “Time That Once Was,” a moving ballad recorded on his first album Common Man, was recently licensed to Sony Pictures Television where it was featured in the opening scene of the series they produce “Masters of Sex” (Episode 307, Monkey Business), aired on Showtime. He has received many accolades from major publications, including "Pete Zimmer has learned his New York lessons well, as his dry tone, meaty swing beat and subtle accents make him an old hand” (Down Beat), and "Zimmer's drumming boasts a crisp, swinging command with judicious musicality." (Modern Drummer)
Zimmer’s band has performed at many of the prominent jazz venues in New York City and throughout the United States, including The Blue Note, Jazz Standard, Smoke Jazz Club, Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Birdland Jazz Club, The Kitano, Fat Cat, Cornelia Street Café, Blues Alley, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Cliff Bells, Zanzibar Blue, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, NightTown, Andy’s Jazz Club, Winter’s Jazz Club, The Jazz Estate, Dazzle Jazz Club, Nocturne, Caffè Sole, Green Lady Lounge, Black Dolphin, Jazz Kitchen, Lagniappe, Jazz Factory, The Royal Room, and Le Chat, among others. He has toured throughout the United Kingdom performing at both Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express in London. Throughout the years his group has featured many of the top musicians, including Mike Rodriguez, Joel Frahm, Jeremy Pelt, George Garzone, Peter Bernstein, Wayne Escoffery, Avi Rothbard, David Wong, Peter Slavov, Rick Germanson, Toru Dodo, John Sullivan, Mike DiRubbo, Stacy Dillard, Miki Yamanaka, Yoshi Waki, Ryan Kisor, Vitaly Golovnev, George DeLancey, Jerry Weldon, Joseph Lepore, Jaleel Shaw, Jon Gordon, Robert Rodriguez, Jeb Patton, Tadataka Unno, Sam Trapchak, Patrick Cornelius, Daisuke Abe, Kuriko Tsugawa, Sharel Cassity, Marco Panascia, Yotam Silberstein, Nathan Peck, Michael Janisch, Pete Benson, Kyle Asche, Scott Burns, Geof Bradfield, Ivan Taylor, Jake Vinsel, Ben Markley, Ben Leifer, Matt Otto, Mitch Towne, Jim Pisano, William Flynn, Jeremy Thomas, Mark Small, Martin Bejerano, Alex Brown, Dion Kerr, Tim Jago, Fernando Ulibarri, Steve Allee, Jeremy Allen, Mark Davis, Jamie Breiwick, Dan Trudell, Jeff Hamann, Jeff Pedraz, Corey Kendrick, Ryan Freitas, John Gunther, Peter Sommers, Seth Lewis, Reggie Berg, Jason Crowe, Hans Teuber, Tim Kennedy, Geoff Harper, Bob Bowman, and others.
As a highly regarded educator and clinician, Pete Zimmer has presented clinics and masterclasses at many top collegiate jazz programs throughout the United States and United Kingdom. He was a faculty member with the New York Jazz Academy from 2009 until 2021.
As an active sideman, Zimmer has performed and/or recorded with the likes of George Garzone, Rodney Jones, Jeremy Pelt, Dennis Irwin, David Schnitter, Lezlie Harrison, Pat Mallinger, Champian Fulton, Akiko Tsuruga, Rick Germanson, Julius Tolentino, Gene Perla, Wayne Escoffery, Dan Nimmer, and many others.
Pete Zimmer’s record label, Tippin’ Records, was originally established to feature his own projects, but after having much success with his first few releases, it did not take long for other artists to solicit their projects to Tippin’. In 2009 Zimmer decided to expand the catalogue and encompass additional artists. The first additional artist was trumpeter Vitaly Golovnev with the release of To Whom It May Concern and was followed by guitarist Kyle Asche Organ Trio (featuring legendary organist Melvin Rhyne), Blues for Mel. The label now has a total of one dozen releases and six artists.
Zimmer’s education includes studies at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, earning his bachelor’s degree. He was fortunate to have apprenticeships with master musicians and teachers Danilo Perez, Cecil McBee, George Garzone, George Russell, Bob Moses, Jerry Bergonzi, Bob Brookmeyer, Robert Chappell, Rich Holly, Ronald Carter, Jeff Stitely, Joel Spencer, and James A. Sewrey.
Jason Tiemann is a New York City based jazz drummer, where he maintains a busy schedule as a freelance performer and educator. Admittedly drawing influence from the great(s) Philly Joe Jones, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones and Billy Higgins, Tiemann is quickly forging his musical voice on the New York scene by fusing his depth of historical foundation with crisp technique and propulsive, intuitive swing.
Tiemann is currently on the jazz faculty of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the university of Hartford. Additionally, he has been an artist/clinician for the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops since 1998. Before moving to NYC, he was an active component of the Midwest Jazz community where he was in constant demand throughout the region as a performer and educator and was afforded the opportunity to accompany numerous jazz luminaries.
Throughout his career, he has performed and/or recorded with an astonishing array of musicians including, but certainly not limited to, Benny Golson, David Liebman, Harold Mabern, Eric Alexander, Mike LeDonne, Peter Bernstein, Slide Hampton and countless others on the New York scene. Jason is an endorsing artist for Yamaha drums, Remo drumheads, and Innovative Percussion sticks, mallets and brushes.
Thanks for tuning in to the June 2023 edition of The Monday Morning Paradiddle, my regular ongoing and almost monthly jazz drumming variety column.
It's hard to believe but Four on the Floor is now fourteen years old (founded in the Spring of 2009!)
Thanks for all your continued support.
In case you haven't noticed, I rebooted my regular weekly interview series Four on the Floor *Live* on Instagram for a third season now and this will continue weekly through July before I go on the road for the month of August.
These interviews have been a ton of fun and I always come away inspired and motivated following each of my conversations with the many jazz drumming Instagram personalities that I connect with. Tune in and come join the fun.
Please join us for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Wednesday, June 7th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring New York drummer and educator Peter Retzlaff.
Anyhow, and now without any further adieu, here's this month's extensive offering of assorted and interesting jazz drumming items that I have to share with you:
2. From London Jazz News: Mondays with Morgan featuring Joe Farnsworth and his new album In What Direction Are You Headed?
3. Check out my friend Craig VanDerSchaegen's fantastic new podcast series Practicing Drummer with great interviews from Billy Drummond, Colin Stranahan and Brad Webb
5. The Working Drummer podcast features a ton of great interviews including the likes of Nasheet Waits, Joe LaBarbera, Bobby Sanabria, Cindy Blackman Santana and George Coleman Jr.
6. Vinnie Sperrazza continues with his excellent ongoing Substack series Chronicles with really well written and insightful commentary including:
9. Check out this AMAZING recent piece on Andrew Cyrille from Danish drummer Kreston Osgood's Facebook page:
10. John DeChristopher's series Live from my Drum Room featuring Jeff "Tain" Watts:
...and Cindy Blackman Santana:
11. And here's a great one of Cindy doing her thing:
12. Steve Gadd on his Yamaha Recording Custom drums:
13. Adam Nussbaum with Eliane Elias and Marc Johnson:
14. Portland's Mel Brown featured on Cedar Walton's Bolivia with bassist Alexander Claffy and pianist Randy Porter:
15. A few great solos from Allison Miller (my favourite drummer these days...) and a rundown of her drum set-up and cymbal selection:
16. The Hook Up from Montreal bassist Fraser Hollins interviews my good friend Rich Irwin:
17. Al Foster with Sonny Rollins:
18. Check out this 1978 drum duet featuring Tony Williams and Billy Cobham:
19. What am I listening to these days?
Artemis "In Real Time" - Allison Miller (drums)
Mulgrew Miller "Work!" - Terri Lyne Carrington (drums)
John Patitucci "Remembrance" - Brian Blade (drums)
Dave Holland "Prime Directive" - Billy Kilson (drums)
Pat LaBarbera "Pass It On" - Joe LaBarbera (drums)
Jimmy Cobb "So Nobody Else Can Hear" - Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Duke Ellington "The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943" - Sonny Greer (drums)
20. And today's Final Word goes to pianist Bill Carrothers. This post on Facebook earlier this year has been making the rounds amongst musicians on social media lately. I found it quite inspiring and felt inclined to share it with you all:
I recently had a young man write me asking for advice on how to proceed as an aspiring jazz musician. I'm always a bit nervous to dispense music/life advice to a stranger from my lowly perch, and it's all so subjective, but I told him what I tell my students every day. Maybe I'm just crazy. I can't tell anymore.
Here's the next step, the one that takes your whole life. Listen to the music you love, all day, every day, and imitate and assimilate. Listen to the way different guys comp and solo and try to do the same thing. Listen to instruments other than yours, to clue into what they do and how it's different. Study the instruments in the rhythm section to understand what each of them brings to the discussion and how they interrelate. Listen to how different people write, the history of all the folks who have written amazing things before you (Mozart, Bach, Ives, Cole Porter, Monk, Billy Strayhorn, Wayne Shorter, etc...). Dance around the room while you listen. Write. Call sessions. Play with others. Read poetry. Do things that scare you and things that aren't music. Box. Ride a motorbike. Jump out of an airplane. Whatever!
Now you are at the beginning of a very long journey which has no end, a voyage of self-discovery which is not a sprint but is instead the loneliness and persistence of the long-distance runner. Music is Mount Everest (a mountain that climbs as you climb it), and is strewn with the bodies of all the people who tried to do it before you. Pack accordingly. Learn to love the process more than the destination (which doesn't exist anyway).
SIMPLY LOVE THE MUSIC! In the end it's that simple. And that difficult.
- Pianist Bill Carrothers via Facebook, March 2023
Please join us for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Wednesday, June 7th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring New York jazz drummer Peter Retzlaff.
Peter Retzlaff is a New York City-based drummer. In his formative years, Peter studied with many influential teachers/performers such as Bob Breithaupt, David Garibaldi, Ed Soph, Jim Chapin, Gary Chaffee, John Riley, Kenny Washington, and Billy Hart. As a performer, Peter is equally at home in jazz, rock, funk, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, odd meter, and New Orleans drumming styles. Peter has played with Kenny Werner, Greg Osby, Diane Schuur, Ray Vega, Maynard Ferguson, Pete McCann, Kim Bock, Loren Stillman, The BMI Big Band, The Jamie Begian Big Band, Steeplechase recording artists Flow, Matt Savage, Bo Diddley, Neil Diamond, The Drifters, The Coasters, Gloria Gaynor, American Idol finalists Melinda Doolittle, Jordan Sparks, and Constantine Maroulis, and contemporary bassist and singer Adeline Michele.
As an educator, Peter teaches private lessons in jazz, rock, funk-RnB, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and Afro-Caribbean drumming styles. In addition, he teaches reading, chart interpretation, brushes, soloing, rudiments and snare drum technique (fundamental concepts, Moeller and push pull).
Peter is the author of two books, Turn It Up and Lay It Down: Baby Steps to Giant Steps (Hudson Music) and Contemporary Jazz Styles for Drums (Carl Fischer). Peter received a B.A. in Jazz and Commercial Music and a B.A. in Business Administration from Capital University. He also received a M.M. in Jazz Studies from the Manhattan School of Music.
The recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts Grants, Peter is a clinician for Sabian Cymbals, Canopus Drums, Innovative Percussion, Remo, and Prologix Percussion.
Please join us for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Thursday, June 1st at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring New York jazz drummer Alvester Garnett.
Alvester Garnett is an American jazz drummer who, among many other productions, has appeared on Great Performances on PBS in a tribute to Kurt Weill. Garnett has played with Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Regina Carter, Clark Terry, Pharoah Sanders, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Teddy Edwards, James Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, Charenee Wade, Lou Donaldson, Benny Golson, Al Grey, Rodney Jones, and Sherman Irby, and others.
German-born New York jazz drummer Jochen Rueckert was kind enough to answer a few questions about his recent release With Best Intentions featuring Mark Turner on tenor saxophone, Nils Wogram on trombone, Joris Roelofs on bass clarinet and Doug Weiss on bass.
I just released my 6th (jazz) album as a leader. It's called "With best Intentions" and features a quintet with tenor saxophone giant Mark Turner, Swiss/German trombonist Nils Wogram, Dutch bass clarinetist Joris Roelofs and NYC bass mainstay Doug Weiss. It's available at: https://jochenrueckert.bandcamp.com/album/with-best-intentions
2) How did you choose your repertoire and sidemen?
Well I have been trying to get Mark Turner and Nils Wogram together for a long time; they have been the two main pillars of my musical life - Mark has been playing in my quartet for over a decade and I have been playing in Nils's bands since 1994 or so! Mark is my favourite living tenor player and Nils is pretty much the only trombone player that doesn't do any of the stuff that makes people hate the trombone so much. I wrote almost all the songs specifically for this band, except for two quite old ones that I resurrected for this. It was pretty hard gauging if this little run of concerts in Europe and the recording were going to happen during the pandemic or not, so when it was finally confirmed I found myself a few tunes short so I dug through some old stuff. Kind of nice - in a nostalgic kind of way - to play some older unfinished stuff - like sleeping with the high school girlfriend you only got to first base with back then - at your 10 year class reunion, but in a nice hotel you paid for with money you made playing drums which she thought was just a hobby back then.
3) What inspired you to pursue the vibe and instrumentation that you did?
After four albums with guitar, tenor, and bass I wanted to try something with 3 horns and without a chordal instrument. I don't know how to write for trumpet - alto saxophone is a terrible instrument - so out of the question - and I hear my melodies more in the range of a tenor or the trombone so extending lower to the bass clarinet came naturally, especially after hearing Joris play a couple of years ago. Bass clarinet is like modern jazz fairy dust - you can sprinkle it on anything and it makes it sound better. Kind of dangerous!
I wanted to keep things kind of simple, something I often try and fail at but I think this time I actually got close, or as close as I probably can.
4) Who are your influences with regards to your style of writing and playing?
Playing - pretty much any jazz drummer known from their work in late 50s and 60's is a heavy influence then many drummers I listened to a lot during my "formative years" - the 90s : Tain, Brian Blade, Hutch and Bill Stewart.
Writing - oh boy. Duke Ellington, Wayne Shorter, Monk, Herbie Hancock, Gershwin, Bird, Bud Powell. Not that you could tell lol. Of course a lot of my peers - Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, some of Nils's writing; many of the people I play with....like Sam Yahel, Brian Charette, Sean Wayland kind of...Some less obvious folks that I steal ideas from are Olivier Messiaen, Deftones, Midlake, and other rock bands.
5) What are you practicing/studying/listening to/researching these days?
Researching: mostly how to make my son do his homework without crying and expanding his culinary palette beyond four items.
Listening: tons of electronic music, new stuff mostly, rediscovering lesser known gems from the 60s: Duke Pearson, Ahmad Jamal, Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson etc. Some fringe things like Car bomb, I like this droney organ music by Kali Malone. I listen to whatever comes out these days, you know, by the jazz youngins, and I do go see a lot of music at the Village Vanguard, Smalls, Jazz Gallery etc. Last night I caught a glimpse of Billy Hart listening to Al Foster in Peter Bernsteins's band !
I don't have much time to practice these days - when I do it's mostly maintenance/upkeep and expanding on some odd groupings and polyrhythmic things I've been working on over the years.
6) What other current and future projects do you have on the go at the moment?
I play a lot with Fred Hersch and also piano trios with Henry Hey and Sam Yahel are back! I am doing less touring this year but am busy playing around NYC with many great musicians. I still program and perform electronic music under the alias "Wolff Parkinson White" https://wolffparkinsonwhite.bandcamp.com I have a tour with that in September. Not much jazz band leader things on the horizon, I've been a bit burnt by the booking process and am just now slowly digging out of the COVID hole. My quartet is still going though it's harder now as Mark has moved to California, Lage to Norway and travel has become very expensive.
7) How does the drums and your overall approach to rhythm factor into your compositions and concept?
Well after years of maybe overcompensating by writing things with many many chords I slowly have been pushing towards overall simplicity as I said before, though I still like to use little rhythmic devices like displacement (that song "Mark of the Beast" for example) or odd forms or meters, but much less than before. The older I get the more I realize swing is one of the main things that draws me to jazz so I have been putting a lot of emphasis on having material that swings. It's much harder to do than you'd think. It's very easy to get into iffy/cheesy territory and also easy to overachieve, leaving the band sounding uncomfortable.
8) What advice do you have for younger, aspiring jazz musicians and jazz drummers?
I hear many amazing young drummers here in NYC, I mean just tons of very great young musicians overall. I sometimes I wish I'd hear more swinging music played by the younger musicians; it is one of the hardest things to do - especially as a drummer- and in my opinion maybe eschewed by many for that reason. It is sort of the litmus test, I feel like many musicians won't think of a drummer as great until they hear them play something swinging, or at least something that feels good otherwise.
Beyond NYC my advice for young drummers would be to play along with more records, play with as many people and better or more experienced musicians you can, and really find out what it is you like about the music you like and study that intensely. I would also like to remind many folks that nobody has to be a jazz musician and that it's maybe not the most rewarding or respected or practical job of all times. Maybe you're better at something that would be more useful.
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Jochen Rueckert is a jazz drummer, composer, band leader, and Oxford Comma-enthusiast born in Germany in 1975, currently residing in New York City.
Besides a decade of touring with his own quartet with Mark Turner, Lage Lund, and Matt Penman, he is known for his work recent work in Melissa Aldana's and Fred Hersch's trios, the mid-2000 Kurt Rosenwinkel New Quartet, Nils Wogram's Root 70, 12 years of the Marc Copland trio, his electronic music programmed under the alias "Wolff Parkinson White", as well as his series of ebooks aptly titled "Read the Rueckert - travel observations and pictures of hotel rooms". Jochen's deliberate avoidance of formal music education, albeit initially for budgetary reasons, provides a great lack of erudite nonsense in his playing and writing. He's celebrating his 6th album as a leader, titled "With Best Intentions".
Please join us for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Wednesday, May 17th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring Dr. Colleen Clark.
Colleen and I are going to have a conversation about PRACTICING (she's always offering great wisdom on her Instagram feed) and talk about all the great things she's up to these days.
Founder and Artistic Director of the University of South Carolina’s Jazz Girls Day, Dr. Colleen Clark is an Assistant Professor of Jazz at the University of South Carolina where she coordinates the small ensembles, conducts a big band, and teaches her drumset studio and jazz history courses. As a player, Clark has been described as "someone to watch" and "someone who will be turning heads in jazz for years to come." Clark was invited by the ASCAP Foundation to lead her band, the Colleen Clark Collective, at the Kennedy Center.
Dr. Clark has performed in prominent NYC venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland and the 55 Bar. Her debut album, consisting entirely of her original music, Introducing Colleen Clark, was produced by Gordon Stout and engineered by ten-time Grammy Award nominee/winner, Brian Dozoretz. Clark proudly joined the Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Combo on their premiere performance at the Jazz Education Network Conference in 2019. She has presented her research on the evolution of the ride cymbal pattern for the Percussive Arts Society and the Jazz Education Network.
Clark can be heard playing on SteepleChase record #900, Allegra Levy's Lose My Number: Allegra Levy Sings John McNeil and upcoming records released by Dr. Matt White and Michael Dease.
Dr. Clark is the only woman and drummer to earn a doctoral degree in jazz from the University of North Texas.
Clark joined the Percussive Arts Society Drumset Committee in July 2021 and was nominated as Vice President of the South Carolina Chapter.
Clark is now the Assistant Coordinator for the Jazz Education Network’s Sisters in Jazz program, of which she is an alumni.
Her latest project is CC & the Adelitas, which features the merging of the golden era of Mexican music and jazz.
She is proud to join the Zildjian, Vic Firth and Mono families as an official endorser of their products.
Today I'd like to share an excerpt from a new production I've been working on called TapBassDrums with tap dancer Lisa La Touche, bassist Jodi Proznick and visual media designers Jae Sterling and Contra. This was performed and filmed at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Calgary, AB) during a creative residency last February and thanks to a generous grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. I'm really excited about this new project and what we accomplished. I hope to bring this show to a stage near you in the future.
This movement is a solo drum piece (featuring myself!) called Melvin's Beat (water) and was inspired and dedicated to Alberta jazz drummer and civil rights activist Melvin Crump.
Season Three of Four on the Floor *Live* is back for Spring 2023. Please tune in via my Instagram Live feed for what will hopefully be another series of thought provoking interviews.
Please join us for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Wednesday, May 10th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram Live IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring Chad Anderson and Geoff Clapp.
These two are good friends and we're going to talk drums, cymbals and life in general. Looking forward to what should be a fun conversation.
Thanks to Chicago's Ted Sirota who shared this fantastic recording of Dannie Richmond's solo piece Melody from the Drums from the Charles Mingus album Mysterious Blues (1960):
Thanks for tuning in and it's been a minute since my last MMP column. Things are on the go however there are lots of interesting factoids to be found in today's piece and I hope you dig it.
Thanks again for all your support and please enjoy today's offerings:
1. A recent feature and interview with the legendary Ed Soph from Drumming News Network
2. There is a new documentary on Max Roach!
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes is the story of a musician whose far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him. His stunningly diverse seven-decade career marked him as one of the great musical artists of the 20th century and a pioneering cultural activist at times when the nation was steeped in racism. The film follows Roach across a rich and complicated life, years of now-legendary achievement, deep personal struggle, and the price he paid for his outspoken views. His was an epic musical journey -- from the revolutionary Jazz of the 1940s to the Civil Rights years, through experiments in hip hop, multi-media works, and beyond. (from www.maxroachfilm.com)
4. Vinnie Sperrazza continues to knock it out of the park with his regular Substack series Chronicles. I encourage everyone to subscribe to his series as his writing and insights are very compelling.
Check out these excellent and well researched columns including pieces on:
5. Carl Allen demonstrates a new microphone interface with his always supple and musical drumming:
6. Chicago's George Fludas offers these awesome lessons featuring phrases from both Max Roach and Elvin Jones:
7. Joe Farnsworth demonstrates some up tempo ride cymbal playing:
(and....if you listen very carefully, that was also the sound at the very end of me heading back into the woodshed. Yikes!)
8. Allison Miller was recently a featured special guest soloist in Stephan's Basement YouTube.com series:
9. The Drum History Podcast offers this feature, The Drum Legends of Wayne Shorter with special guest and historian Mark Griffith:
10. When speaking of the late Wayne Shorter and drummers, the conversation (as above) will invariably include Brian Blade.
Here's a great episode from the You'll Hear It podcast and Open Studio in which they share their appreciation and insights into Blade's influential drumming and music:
And course if one needed any reminding...
11. The Drum Candy Podcast features an interview with Jim White:
Jim doesn't know this but 30 years ago or so he wrote an article for Percussive Notes in which he listed about a dozen or so must listen to jazz drummers and recordings. I kept that list in a binder for years and made it my personal mission to find and listen to all of the them. Of course nowadays one can just find everything on Spotify or YouTube (!) but back in the day (ie. the 1990s!) one still had to track down physical copies of music in order to listen to them. Jim's article was an important part of my development back then and finding those recordings one by one was definitely part of that.
12. The always inspiring Adam Nussbaum interviewed by Drummer Nation:
13. Check out this orchestrated drum duet between Joe LaBarbera and Sinclair Lott based on Max Roach's Conversation:
14. Dig this up close footage and the graceful drumming of Portland's jazz drumming great Mel Brown:
15. Some incredible footage of Michael Carvin with Hampton Hawes' trio filmed in Paris (circa. early 70s?):
16. Montreal bassist Fraser Hollins offers his interview with Parisian drummer Karl Jannuska in his new and hopefully ongoing series The Hook Up:
Both Fraser and Karl are serious musicians and I learned a great deal going to school with Karl (attending McGill University) and playing with Fraser during my time in Montreal. I look forward to more episodes in this series.
17. A feature on Billy Hart from his recent masterclass at the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona:
18. And finally some recent footage featuring the duet combination of Dave Douglas and Joey Baron from their recent European tour:
I really hope that we see an album or recording of some sort come out of this collaboration!
19) What am I listening to these days?
Michel Lambert & Rakalam Bob Moses "Meditation on Grace" - Michel Lambert, Rakalam Bob Moses (drums & percussion)
Carl Allen "The Pursuer" - Carl Allen (drums)
Viviane Martin "I Know a Thing" - Owen Howard (drums)
Pat LaBarbera "Pass it On" - Joe LaBarbera (drums)
Morgan Childs "On the Street of Dreams" - Morgan Childs (drums)
Johnny V "Agonistically Eclectic" - Duris Maxwell (drums)
Andy Cree "Live at the Bassment" - Andy Cree (drums)
Kenny Barron & Regina Carter "Freefall"
20) And today's Last Word goes to the late Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock who, together, offered their wisdom via an open letter published on Hancock's website a few years ago (thanks to bassist Solon McDade who shared this via the Facebook following Shorter's recent passing):
An Open Letter To The Next Generation Of Artists – by Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter
To the Next Generation of Artists,
We find ourselves in turbulent and unpredictable times.
From the horror at the Bataclan to the upheaval in Syria and the senseless bloodshed in San Bernardino, we live in a time of great confusion and pain. As an artist, creator and dreamer of this world, we ask you not to be discouraged by what you see but to use your own lives, and by extension your art, as vehicles for the construction of peace.
While it’s true that the issues facing the world are complex, the answer to peace is simple; it begins with you. You don’t have to be living in a third world country or working for an NGO to make a difference. Each of us has a unique mission. We are all pieces in a giant, fluid puzzle, where the smallest of actions by one puzzle piece profoundly affects each of the others. You matter, your actions matter, your art matters.
We’d like to be clear that while this letter is written with an artistic audience in mind, these thoughts transcend professional boundaries and apply to all people, regardless of profession.
FIRST, AWAKEN TO YOUR HUMANITY
We are not alone. We do not exist alone and we cannot create alone. What this world needs is a humanistic awakening of the desire to raise one’s life condition to a place where our actions are rooted in altruism and compassion. You cannot hide behind a profession or instrument; you have to be human. Focus your energy on becoming the best human you can be. Focus on developing empathy and compassion. Through the process you’ll tap into a wealth of inspiration rooted in the complexity and curiosity of what it means to simply exist on this planet. Music is but a drop in the ocean of life.
EMBRACE AND CONQUER THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
The world needs new pathways. Don’t allow yourself to be hijacked by common rhetoric, or false beliefs and illusions about how life should be lived. It’s up to you to be the pioneers. Whether through the exploration of new sounds, rhythms, and harmonies or unexpected collaborations, processes and experiences, we encourage you to dispel repetition in all of its negative forms and consequences. Strive to create new actions both musically and with the pathway of your life. Never conform.
WELCOME THE UNKNOWN
The unknown necessitates a moment-to-moment improvisation or creative process that is unparalleled in potential and fulfillment. There is no dress rehearsal for life because life, itself, is the real rehearsal. Every relationship, obstacle, interaction, etc. is a rehearsal for the next adventure in life. Everything is connected. Everything builds. Nothing is ever wasted. This type of thinking requires courage. Be courageous and do not lose your sense of exhilaration and reverence for this wonderful world around you.
UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE OF OBSTACLES
We have this idea of failure, but it’s not real; it’s an illusion. There is no such thing as failure. What you perceive as failure is really a new opportunity, a new hand of cards, or a new canvas to create upon. In life there are unlimited opportunities. The words, “success” and “failure”, themselves, are nothing more than labels. Every moment is an opportunity. You, as a human being, have no limits; therefore infinite possibilities exist in any circumstance.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO INTERACT WITH THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU
The world needs more one-on-one interaction among people of diverse origins with a greater emphasis on art, culture and education. Our differences are what we have in common. We can work to create an open and continuous plane where all types of people can exchange ideas, resources, thoughtfulness and kindness. We need to be connecting with one another, learning about one another, and experiencing life with one another. We can never have peace if we cannot understand the pain in each other’s hearts. The more we interact, the more we will come to realize that our humanity transcends all differences.
STRIVE TO CREATE AGENDA-FREE DIALOGUE
Art in any form is a medium for dialogue, which is a powerful tool. It is time for the music world to produce sound stories that ignite dialogue about the mystery of us. When we say the mystery of us, we’re talking about reflecting and challenging the fears, which prevent us from discovering our unlimited access to the courage inherent in us all. Yes, you are enough. Yes, you matter. Yes, you should keep going.
BE WARY OF EGO
Arrogance can develop within artists, either from artists who believe that their status makes them more important, or those whose association with a creative field entitles them to some sort of superiority. Beware of ego; creativity cannot flow when only the ego is served.
WORK TOWARDS A BUSINESS WITHOUT BORDERS
The medical field has an organization called Doctors Without Borders. This lofty effort can serve as a model for transcending the limitations and strategies of old business formulas which are designed to perpetuate old systems in the guise of new ones. We’re speaking directly to a system that’s in place, a system that conditions consumers to purchase only the products that are dictated to be deemed marketable, a system where money is only the means to an end. The music business is a fraction of the business of life. Living with creative integrity can bring forth benefits never imagined.
APPRECIATE THE GENERATION THAT WALKED BEFORE YOU
Your elders can help you. They are a source of wealth in the form of wisdom. They have weathered storms and endured the same heartbreaks; let their struggles be the light that shines the way in the darkness. Don’t waste time repeating their mistakes. Instead, take what they’ve done and catapult you towards building a progressively better world for the progeny to come.
LASTLY, WE HOPE THAT YOU LIVE IN A STATE OF CONSTANT WONDER
As we accumulate years, parts of our imagination tend to dull. Whether from sadness, prolonged struggle, or social conditioning, somewhere along the way people forget how to tap into the inherent magic that exists within our minds. Don’t let that part of your imagination fade away. Look up at the stars and imagine what it would be like to be an astronaut or a pilot. Imagine exploring the pyramids or Machu Picchu. Imagine flying like a bird or crashing through a wall like Superman. Imagine running with dinosaurs or swimming like mer-creatures. All that exists is a product of someone’s imagination; treasure and nurture yours and you’ll always find yourself on the precipice of discovery.
How does any of this lend to the creation of a peaceful society you ask? It begins with a cause. Your causes create the effects that shape your future and the future of all those around you. Be the leaders in the movie of your life. You are the director, producer, and actor. Be bold and tirelessly compassionate as you dance through the voyage that is this lifetime.
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.
