Music for Drummers

Appreciating Brushwork and Some History

2010-08-31T11:49:00.005-04:00

I both love playing with brushes and listening to some of the brush masters who were pioneers as well as modern players who are carrying on the art.

While early adopters such as Vic Berton and George Lawrence Stone began codifying the vocabulary and technique, it was Papa Jo Jones who dramatically raised the bar with his approach to brush playing. Papa Jo's technique is the foundation of modern brush playing. Big Sid Catlett was another notable pioneer who influenced the art (see World's Greatest Drummers: My Short List).

The early years of brush playing are meticulously documented by Gerry Paton in an article he wrote titled, Never Swat a Fly! (the origins of brush playing in jazz). This article is on Mr. Paton's excellent web site devoted to brush playing, Brush Beat, and is but one of a growing collection of articles about brush history, tips and techniques.

I won't dwell too much on Mr. Paton's site in this post because I have written a more in-depth review of it in For Brush Players: A New Site.

While there were literally hundreds of outstanding brush players who came after Papa Jo Jones and Big Sid Catlett - including the likes of Max Roach, Kenny Clarke and Philly Joe Jones - I personally draw my inspiration from a handful whose playing touches my soul. I'll start with Joe Morello. His work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet grabbed me in the early 1960s when I was starting out, and he has been one of my main influences since. While most drummers will recommend the seminal album, Time Out, for Morello at his best I prefer The Essential Dave Brubeck. That album contains most of the songs on Time Out and many more. Note that Joe Morello isn't the only drummer on the album, but his style can easily be picked out, and there are many tracks on it with outstanding examples of brushwork. As a side note, Joe Dodge, the drummer Morello replaced in the quartet, is also featured and his brush playing is excellent.

Although not a well known name among younger drummers, Vernel Fournier influenced a generation of jazz drummers with his exquisite brush work, and is among the great all time brush masters. His work with Ahmed Jamal is showcased in Live at the Pershing Lounge 1958 and in Cross Country Tour: 1958-1961.

The drummer who took brush playing to another level in the 1950s and 1960s, and remains a major influence to this day, was the late, great Ed Thigpen. His work with the Oscar Peterson Trio between 1959 and 1965 is essential listening for anyone who aspires to mastering brush playing. Two albums I highly recommend from those years are Cole Porter Songbook by the Oscar Peterson Trio and Night Train.

Not to diminish the importance or contributions to the art by contemporary brush masters, such as Steve Smith and Clayton Cameron, the one drummer who most inspires me today (in a musical setting) is Jeff Hamilton. His credentials are above reproach as evidenced by the fact that he has played with Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson and other giants in Jazz. A good representation of his work can be found on selected albums by Diana Krall. I recommend When I Look in Your Eyes and Live in Paris (also grab the DVD of that performance.)

This post is focused on musical examples of great brush playing, and a bit of historical context. If you are interested in improving your brush technique see More on Brush Playing.

The Savoy King: Additional Information

2010-08-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

In my last post, The Savoy King: A Movie About Chick Webb and the Savoy Ballroom I reported on a movie about Chick Webb that is in post production. The producer, Jeff Kaufman, just sent me two additional links to share:

Enjoy.

The Savoy King: A Movie About Chick Webb and the Savoy Ballroom

2010-08-22T23:27:00.002-04:00

A few months ago I received an email from a producer named Jeff Kaufman, who informed me about a movie about the great Chick Webb and the Savoy Ballroom. The movie also features Ella Fitzgerald and other notables from that era who were connected with the Savoy and Chick. Because of a personal tragedy I am only now starting to write again.

The best way to present the project is to use Mr. Kaufman's description:

Chick's brief, inspiring life illuminates the society-changing power of music, the life-lifting effect of mentoring, a hard-fought breakthrough in racial understanding that reverberates today in many ways, and the ability of everyone (with or without disabilities) to reach beyond their apparent limits. Produced with The New Heritage Theater Group (New York's oldest non-profit Black theater), The Savoy King: Chick Webb And The Music That Changed America weaves together newly filmed stories from remarkable people who knew Chick Webb at every phase of his life, with quotes from some of the greatest figures in Jazz history. Bill Cosby has voiced the words of Chick Webb, and we also have Tyne Daly voicing Jazz publicist Helen Oakley Dance, Ron Perlman as Gene Krupa, Andy Garcia as Mario Bauzá, and Danny Glover as Count Basie. We just had a screening of the rough cut, which we will now polish. Unfortunately, I've hit a financing wall at this crucial time, and I am urgently seeking tax deducible finishing funds to complete our work. Donations are tax deductible, and any level of support can make a big difference.

As you know, the Savoy Ballroom was the home of the amazing Lindy Hop dancers, and the first venue in America where Blacks and Whites could dance and socialize together. It had a huge, but largely unheralded social impact. Born fatherless and poor, Chick Webb developed spinal tuberculosis and was a hunchbacked dwarf in constant pain, yet he virtually invented modern drumming and built the hottest band of the 1930s (it was the Savoy Ballroom's "house band"). Chick was mentored by Duke Ellington, toured with Louis Armstrong, argued with Jelly Roll Morton, jammed with Artie Shaw, married a beautiful dancer, discovered and practically adopted Ella Fitzgerald (in many ways, their relationship is the heart of the film), beat Benny Goodman and Count Basie in legendary battle of the bands, befriended Mario Bauzá ("The Father of Afro-Cuban Jazz"), encouraged a struggling Dizzy Gillespie, and helmed the first Black band to host a national radio show . . . all before drumming himself to death at age 30.
We've been privileged to film with some terrific people, each who could warrant their own documentary. They include: drummers Louie Bellson (with, I believe, his last filmed drum performance) and Roy Haynes (among other things, he does a charming scat version of A-Tisket, A-Tasket), trumpeter Joe Wilder, playwright-actress Gertrude Jeannette, Swing dance masters Frankie Manning and Norma Miller, basketball star John Issacs, composer-arranger Van Alexander, longtime Harlem physician Dr. Muriel Petioni, childhood friend Rev. Edward Wilson (minister emeritus at Waters AME Church), Ella Fitzgerald's son Ray Brown Jr., the son of the Savoy Ballroom's owner, and Chick's jazz-loving nephew.

Since I am a big fan of that era, and revere Chick, I found the news of this project to be exciting. Chick's name is becoming a dim memory among drummers, and too many younger drummers never heard of him. To keep his name and accomplishments alive is, to me, important. Mr. Kaufman's project could be not only a loving tribute, but may spark interest in the newer generations, which could revive swing in much the same way Squirrel Nut Zippers and similar groups did in the 1990s.

A better overview of the project is on Floating World Pictures page titled The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music that Changed America.

If you are not familiar with Chick or the Savoy Ballroom, this clip from Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns is a quick introduction:

For more information about Chick, recommended recordings and links to more information, see my March 11, 2010 post.

Reason for the three week gap in posting here

2010-05-03T17:28:00.000-04:00

I experienced a personal tragedy, so my posting was put on hold for the past three weeks.

In a day or so I will be back with some [hopefully] interesting information. The next post will focus on Stan Levey, one of the pioneers of bebop.

Joe Dodge: Brubeck's Other Drummer

2010-04-11T13:07:00.003-04:00

My first introduction to the Dave Brubeck Quarter's first drummer, Joe Dodge, came about when I purchased The Essential Dave Brubeck a few years ago. I had assumed that the drum chair on this 31 track CD set was Joe Morello. I marveled at the wide range of drumming styles, only to discover later that while Morello was on many of them, Joe Dodge (among other drummers) was on many of the tracks as well.

This knowledge started a quest to find out more about Joe Dodge. The most detailed resource is Joe Dodge: The Drummer as Time-Keeper from Steven Cerra's excellent blog, Jazz Profiles. As a side note, almost every time I need information about relatively obscure musicians I invariably find it in Mr. Cerra's blog.

While reading Cerra's account of Dodge, it became apparent why Paul Desmond was so incensed when Brubeck hired Morello. That story is well told in When drummer Joe Morello joined the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which was excerpted from Paul Ramsey's Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond.

Here are a few clips of Dodge in action with the Dave Brubeck Quarter circa 1956:

Dodge is straight ahead and low key, which is a direct contrast to Morello's playing. I love them both, but for different reasons. Morello certainly raised the bar in jazz drumming, but Dodge's restrained drumming complemented Paul Desmond's playing better - and I have always held that Desmond was the heart and soul of the Quartet.

It's probably not a little surprising that after Desmond struck out on his own that he chose Connie Kay for the drum chair. Kay's tasteful and restrained drumming was similar to Dodge's approach, and complemented Desmond's saxophone in ways that Morello's playing didn't.

Lest you get the impression that I am criticizing Morello, know that I consider him to be among the top ten drummers in history, and thoroughly enjoy his playing. Here is Take the A Train with Morello in the drum chair - contrast it with the way Dodge played it in the clip after it to see the differences in their approaches. Both renditions are excellent, and both are valid. My preference is Dodge's playing:

Joe Morello

Joe Dodge

If you want to hear more Joe Dodge and the early incarnation of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, I recommend Jazz: Red, Hot and Cool, as well as Jazz Goes to College. These two albums have live tracks that showcase Dodge's drumming style and how it supported Desmond.

Jazz on a Summer's Day Revisited

2010-04-09T12:20:00.002-04:00

In one of my original posts here I discussed Bert Stern's Jazz on a Summer's Day.

I find myself watching that excellent video often, but never knew the performances that Mr. Stern left out when he filmed the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Alan Kurtz, fortunately, wrote an excellent article titled, The Dozens: Jazz on a Summer's Day, that not only provides a list of all of the performances during that year's festival, but also critiques each performance that is in the movie.

More importantly (at least for those of us who are anal about such things), Kurtz also provides a list of the musicians who played on each of the performances.

Here are video clips of some of the performances from the video that you may enjoy:

See Anita O'Day: Jezebel of Jazz & Drummer's Vocalist for Anita O'Day's amazing performances that stole the show.

Jazz to the East and Jazz to the West

2010-04-07T13:18:00.003-04:00

I just stumbled across some excellent, inexpensive videos that are well worth adding to your viewing library: EFOR Films' Jazz Shots series. There are three DVDs covering the East Coast scene, and three covering the West Coast.

East Coast

Jazz Shots, Vol. 1: East Coast

1. Bill Evans Trio- Up With The Lark
2. Bill Evans- Waltz For Debbie
3. Ahmad Jamal Trio- Darn That Dream
4. Ahmad Jamal Trio- Ahmad Blues
5. Phil Woods Quartet- My Old Flame
6. Thelonious Monk- Blue Monk
7. Johnny Griffin- A Monk's Dream
8. Oscar Peterson- Newport Blues
9. Duke Ellington- Moon Indigo
10. Duke Ellington- Sophisticated Lady
11. Duke Ellington- Take the A Train
12. Keith Jarrett- Tagore
13. Keith Jarrett- Passin' Thru
14. Jimmy Smith Trio- Mack the Knife
15. Oscar Peterson- Newport Blues
16. Roland Kirk- Unknown Theme

Jazz Shots, Vol. 2: East Coast

MILES DAVIS QUINTET Feat. John Coltrane 8'59" / So What - M. Davis
ART BLAKLEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS 8'43" / Mx'B,C - R. Watson
CHARLIE PARKER 3'31" / Hothouse - T. Dameron
LOUIS ARMSTRONG 4'46" / Someday - L. Armstrong
LOUIS ARMSTRONG 3'23" / When It's Sleepy Time Down South - C. Muse - L. René - O. René
MODERN JAZZ QUARTET 4'46" / If I Were Eve - J. Lewis
MODERN JAZZ QUARTET 5'35" / Winter Tale - J. Lewis
BEN WEBSTER QUARTET 4'09" / Cottontail - D. Ellington
BEN WEBSTER QUARTET 5'05" / Chelsea Bridge - B. Strayhorn
BEN WEBSTER SEXTET 4'34" / Duke's Place - D. Ellington
ART FARMER - JIM HALL QUARTET 6'44" / My Kinda Love - L. Alter - J. Trent
COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA 6'40" / Dickie's Dream - C. Basie - L. Young
ART TATUM 2'36" / Art's Blues - A. Tatum
BOBBY HACKETT 3'51" / Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home - H. Cannon

Jazz Shots, Vol. 3: East Coast

1. JOHN COLTRANE 5'55" / Alabama - J. Coltrane
2. JOHN COLTRANE 7'08" / Afro Blue - M. Santamaría
3. WYNTON MARSALIS WITH THE JAZZ MESSENGERS 9'04" / My Ship- K.Weil- I. Gershwin
4. DIZZY GILLESPIE QUINTET Feat. Lalo Schiffrin 7'08" / Blues After Dark / B. Golson
5. DIZZY GILLESPIE QUINTET Feat. Lalo Schiffrin 3'42" / Lorraine - D. Gillespie
6. THAD JONES - MEL LEWIS ORCHESTRA 12'29" / St. Louis Blues - W.C. Handy
7. JIMMY SMITH TRIO 5'30" / The Champ - D. Gillespie
8. JIMMY SMITH TRIO 7'07" / Walk On The Wild Side - E. Bernstein - M. David
9. WOODY HERMAN BIG BAND 5'38" / Just Squeeze Me - D. Ellington - L. Gaines
10. WOODY HERMAN BIG BAND 4'51" / After You're Gone - H. Creamer - T. Layton
11. SONNY ROLLINS QUARTET Feat. Jim Hall 5'54" / God Bless The Child - A. Herzog Jr. - B. Holiday
12. MILES DAVIS & GIL EVANS ORCHESTRA 3'27" / The Duke - D. Brubeck
13. MILES DAVIS & GIL EVANS ORCHESTRA 5'51" / Blues For Pablo - G. Evans
14. MILES DAVIS & GIL EVANS ORCHESTRA 4'25" / New Rumba - A. Jamal
15. DUKE ELLINGTON Newport Stomp / D. Ellington
16. PONY POINTDEXTER 4'17" Another Get Together / P. Poindexter

West Coast

Jazz Shots, Vol. 1: West Coast

1. Art Pepper- D. Section
2. Chet Baker- If I should Lose You
3. Zoot Sims- On The Trail
4. Phineas Newborn Trio- Lush Life
5. Phineas Newborn Trio- Theme For Basie
6. Phineas Newborn Trio- Oleo
7. Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band- Hempecked Old Man
8. Shelly Manne- The Isolate Pawn
9. Shelly Manne- Fantan
10. Wes Montgomery- Jingles

Jazz Shots, Vol. 2: West Coast

1. WES MONTGOMERY 5'28" / Full House - Wes Montgomery
2. WES MONTGOMERY 7'56" / Round Midnight - T. Monk
3. WES MONTGOMERY 3'31" / Yesterdays - O. Harback - J. Kern
4. GERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET Feat. Bob Brookmeyer 5'30" / Open Country - B. Brookmeyer
5. GERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET Feat. Bob Brookmeyer 6'46"/ Darn That Dream - E. DeLange -J. Van Hensen
6. SHORTY ROGERS QUINTET Feat. Lou Levy 4'24" / Martians Go Home - S. Rogers
7. SHORTY ROGERS QUINTET Feat. Lou Levy 5'50" / Time Was - S. Rogers
8. SHORTY ROGERS QUINTET Feat. Lou Levy 6'12" / Greensleeves - Le Febvre - Rogers
9. PAUL DESMOND QUARTET 4'52" / Emily - J. Mandel - J. Mercer
10. LESTER YOUNG 2'20" / The Midnight Symphony (Ad lib)
11. LESTER YOUNG 3'07" / On The Sunny Side Of The Street - D. Fields - J. Mc Hugh
12. TEDDY EDWARDS 3'50" / Sunset Eyes - T. Edwards
13. TEDDY EDWARDS 3'20" / Afraid Of Love - T. Edwards
14. TEDDY EDWARDS 3'54" / The Cellar Dweller - T. Edwards

Jazz Shots, Vol. 3: West Coast

1. DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET Feat. Paul Desmond 4'56" / Take Five - P. Desmond
2. DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET Feat. Paul Desmond 5'34" / Castilian Blues - D. Brubeck
3. DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET Feat. Paul Desmond 5'18" / (It's a) Raggy Waltz - D. Brubeck
4. JIMMY GIUFFRE TRIO Feat. Jim Hall 5'00" / The Train And The River - J. Giuffre
5. STAN KENTON 4'56" / Malagueña (Arr. by Bill Holman) - E. Lecuona
6. STAN KENTON 5'23" / Waltz Of The Prophets (Arr. by Dee Barton) - D. Barton
7. STAN KENTON 3'56" / Maria (Arr. by Johnny Richards) - L. Bernstein - S. Sondheim
8. STAN KENTON 1'53" / Limehouse Blues (Arr. by Bill Holman) - P. Braham - D. Furber - B. Holman
9. JIM HALL 11'21" / Valse Hot - S. Rollins
10. HAMPTON HAWES 6'22" / Stella By Starlight - N. Washington - V. Young
11. FRANK ROSOLINO QUARTET 4'06" / Lover Man - J. Davis - R. Ramírez - J. Sherman
12. FRANK ROSOLINO QUARTET 4'22" / Well You Needn't - T. Monk
13. FRANK ROSOLINO QUARTET 4'01" / Yesterdays - O. Harbach - J. Kein

Sound of Swing - A Great Basie Video

2010-04-06T14:08:00.002-04:00

For drummers wanting to brush up on their brushwork, guitarists who can't get enough of Freddie Green, and Basie fans, Sound of Swing is an extraordinary treat. The complete line-up is Basie, Norman Keenan on bass, Freddie Green on guitar and Sonny Payne on drums.

Here are two clips that justify my excitement over finding this treasure:

Here is the entire DVD in a playlist. Trust me, this DVD is a winner.

Anita O'Day: Jezebel of Jazz & Drummer's Vocalist

2010-04-05T17:47:00.011-04:00

A remarkable woman with a remarkable story. Anita O'Day lived the jazz life - the same one that claimed other giants at an early age - but managed to survive that life to age 87. Her 72 year music career spanned swing, big band, bebop, West Coast jazz and other jazz-oriented popular music, and it still brings smiles.

Anita's ability to sing in fast tempos set her apart from any of her peers in any of the eras in which she contributed memorable performances. This ability made her highly successful with Gene Krupa and his orchestra, and allowed her to seamlessly segue into bebop and beyond as the swing and big band eras died.

She also had long associations with other drummers, notably Don Carter and John Poole. Carter, her first husband, gave her drum lessons. Poole was her favorite drummer and she maintained a professional association with him that spanned over three decades.

Here is a great video of Anita and John Poole (see also the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival clip further on):

I consider her male counterpart to be Mel Torme, who shared her ability to sing in fast tempos, and was a solid drummer in his own right.

There are some excellent biographical sources that balance Anita's Jezebel antics with her musical accomplishments and contributions to jazz:

John Poole's wife, Elaine, wrote a revealing biography, Jazz, Jail, and Genius: Adventures and stories of singer Anita O’Day and her drummer John Poole
Anita's own autobiography, High Times, Hard Times, is as open and revealing as Elaine Poole's bio above.

Both pull no punches. Moreover, both chronicle the good and bad of a remarkable career than spanned nearly three quarters of a century in detail.

I also highly recommend her bio pic, Anita O'Day - The Life Of A Jazz Singer, which comprehensively details her story without the usual embellishments or convenient lapses of less than flattering material that characterize many biographies. Other sources of information that I found to be balanced and accurate are Lara Pellegrinelli's 2002 article, Anita O’Day: Yesterday & O’Day, an NPR Jazz Profiles transcript produced by Joan Merrill, and a surprisingly complete Wikipedia entry. These two audio transcripts of NPR shows featuring Anita are also worth a listen: Anita O'Day: A Distinctive Voice Stilled and Anita O'Day: Revisiting A Classic Voice.

Personally I am not too fond of her early years (except for her stint with Krupa). I believe she hit her stride as an artist when the bebop movement started gaining attention; indeed, I believe that genre was perfect for her talents and musical gifts and set her well apart from any other vocalist of that era.

I have selected the following videos to show how she evolved throughout her career. The highlight for me is her performance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, which was beautifully captured in Bert Stern's Jazz on a Summer's Day.

With Gene Krupa

With Stan Kenton

At the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival(John Poole on drums)

Other Performances

Because her music spans many albums and genres I am reluctant to make firm recommendations. Here is a list of Anita O'Day Albums, ranked by highest reviewer ratings, that can guide you.

There are videos in addition to the ones I listed above that I do recommend: Jazz Icons: Anita O'Day Live in '63 & '70, Live in Tokyo '63 and Anita O'Day - Live at Ronnie Scott's all capture this great woman in excellent performances. Enjoy the music!

Music for Drummers and Music for Woodshedding

2010-04-02T13:38:00.004-04:00

This blog is devoted to music from which drummers can pick up grooves and understand how drum kit playing was rooted in jazz from which all popular music has evolved. That explains the fact that I don't cover rock drumming to any degree.

Another goal is to keep alive the names of the drummers who have unfortunately fallen into obscurity. An example is the email I received in response to earlier posts here about Chick Webb, Jo Jones, Zutty Singleton, Big Sid Catlett, etc., in which I was asked why I didn't consider drummers like Neil Peart and Travis Barker to be among the world's greatest drummers. Sorry, but not only do I not consider them to be, if asked, I am sure that Misters Peart and Barker would probably agree with my choices.

On the music selections, I personally believe that all drummers, regardless of their chosen genre, will benefit from exposure to jazz. Certainly the most influential drummers who have defined rock have benefited. Ginger Baker and Charlie Watts consider themselves to be jazz drummers. Mitch Mitchell was a jazz drummer who had the good fortune to join the Jimmy Hendrix Experience and imprint that sound with jazz-oriented playing. John Bonham's playing was - by his own admission - heavily influenced by Joe Morello (among others). So the focus here will remain on jazz.

I maintain another blog, Snare Drum Addict, that contains some material on playing techniques that are specifically aimed at drummers and may be of interest to the drummers who happen by. Some posts of interest include a series on brushwork, instructional videos, and great books and videos for woodshedding. If you are seeking that type of material, here are a few posts of interest:

In addition, that blog has articles on topics ranging from head selection to tuning to general drum maintenance, and is of specific interest to drummers (not all visitors to this blog are drummers!)

So, here, enjoy the music for the sake of the music, and learn about those drummers and other musicians who laid the groundwork for other genres. There is much to enjoy and learn and I will be continually adding to the knowledge base. Do check out the links on the left side of this page - they will lead you to some excellent blogs and sites that have amazing content.

Oh Dinah! The Queen of the Blues (and Jukebox)

2010-04-01T11:45:00.001-04:00

In my last post I mentioned that Dinah Washington was one of my favorite vocalists. She was much more than just a singer - she played piano and vibe as well. See that post for my recommended books, videos and CDs. This post will be a visual and audio tribute to a great woman whose life tragically ended at a too young 39.

One of my favorite visual performances, and an indication of her ability to do more than sing, is her singing All Of Me at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. This clip is from Jazz on a Summer's Day, Bert Stern's documentary of that event.

It's always a treat watching Max Roach in the drum chair, and a double treat to see Dinah on vibes.

That she could swing is beyond question, and is amply demonstrated in Teach Me Tonight (also featuring Max's drumming):

I personally love this version of Cry Me a River, complete with unedited banter between her and her producer. The woman could do a torch song!

Her rendition of What a Difference a Day Makes is, to me, the definitive version:

These three selections also show the exquisite quality of her voice and the ability to make standards and torch songs her own:

Torch songs were not the only genre in which she excelled. She could hold her own against Bessie Smith when it came to blues, do a credible cover of Hank Williams' Cold, Cold Heart, and cross over into pop and make the charts. These selections show her incredible versatility and ability to sing in any genre:

No survey of Dinah's music would be complete without her rendition of This Bitter Earth, which may be the most beautiful example of her soulful singing:

Finally, this three part documentary will provide you with a glimpse into the life of my favorite female vocalist:

Enjoy the music!

Divas: Jazz Voice Volume 1 - The Ladies Sing Jazz

2010-03-31T19:56:00.007-04:00

I just finished watching Jazz Voice, Volume 1: The Ladies Sing Jazz and loved both the diverse styles and the performances. There are a few issues, which I'll address, but the line-up covers Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Ethel Waters, Anita O'Day and Dinah Wasington.

Billie Holiday - most of Lady Day's performances were marred by poor video and/or sound quality. Of the 23 performances on the DVD, she has eight: The Blues Are Brewin', Easy to Remember, What a Little Moonlight Can Do, Foolin' Myself, Fine and Mellow, Strange Fruit, Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, (I Love You) Porgy. My favorite is Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, although she turned in an excellent performance of Strange Fruit. The performance of Fine and Mellow is from her 1957 last session with Lester Young, which is discussed in this post. Despite the poor video and audio of Billie's performances, it is always a pleasure to see and hear her. Here is the clip from the DVD of her singing Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone:

Billie Holiday - Please Dont Talk About Me (1959)
My recommendations for additional information and music are in Lester Young & Billie Holiday: the Krishna and Radha of Jazz.

Nina Simone - tracks 9 through 14 are devoted to Nina, with the following songs: I'll Look Around, Improvisation, When I Was in My Prime, Zungo, For All We Know, There Is a Book of Love. Most of this material is from a 1961 concert, and it not only showcases her unique voice and singing style, but also her mastery of the piano. If she had never sung a note, she would (or should) be remembered for her compositional and playing abilities. She was blessed with a natural talent and training at Juliard, which she was unfortunately able to complete. Most of her work was deeply rooted in African music, and the performances here show it. My favorite, Improvisation, is shown in this clip along with much of her 1961 concert:

This quick, 26 minute Nina Simone Documentary provides the essence of Nina. Digging deeper, I Put A Spell On You: The Autobiography Of Nina Simone tells her story in her own words, while Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone gives a view from the outside. Of of albums, Anthology: The Colpix Years, contains 40 tracks that are representative of her music and is a highly enjoyable listen.

Ethel Waters - sadly this DVD contains a single performance that does not do her the justice she deserves. Here is the clip:

As the first African-American superstar her life and work should be of interest to any jazz fan, and especially those who are interested in her early years. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information about her, including her book, His Eye Is On The Sparrow: An Autobiography, as well as Stephen Bourne's book, Ethel Waters: Stormy Weather. Her music spans decades, but the best single album I have found is Ethel Waters 1929-1939. It is not comprehensive, nor does it include her early, ground breaking work, but is an enjoyable listen of Ethel at her peak.

Anita O'Day - a remarkable singer who had the ability to sing in crazy fast tempos that made her the darling of the big band era. Her gift for managing fast tempos added significantly to Gene Krupa's orchestra. On the DVD she has two performances - Thanks for the Boogie Ride and Let Me Off Uptown, both of which were with Krupa. Note the edgy inter-racial flirting on Thanks for the Boogie Ride, which was scandalous in the 1940s. Also notice the tempo at which she sings it:

Anita's style grew significantly since the clips on this DVD were shot. I love her performances of Sweet Georgia Brown and Tea For Two in Bert Stern's iconic movie, Jazz on a Summer's Day. Her performances on Jazz Icons: Anita O'Day Live in '63 & '70 further evidence her continual growth as a singer who manages to keep abreast of the times. And this in spite of problems that she brought on herself, and that she wasn't the least bit shy about admitting in her biopic, Anita O'Day - The Life Of A Jazz Singer nor in her autobiography, High Times Hard Times.

Dinah Washington - the best for last. My favorite vocalist has six tracks, of which the following is the one I most enjoyed:

The complete track list of songs she performs on this DVD are Only a Moment Ago, Such a Night, I Don't Hurt Anymore, My Lean Baby, Lover Come Back to Me, Send Me to 'Lectric Chair. The latter, a Bessie Smith song, is my favorite because Bessie is another of my favorite vocalists.

Dianh's career encompassed everything from swing, to blues and jazz, to popular music. Two particular standards for which she is known are What a Difference a Day Makes and Teach Me Tonight. However, she also covered Hank Williams' Cold, Cold Heart, and even hit the pop charts with a duet with Brook Benton with Baby, You Got What it Takes (which is on an album she did with Brook titled Two Of Us.

She is also featured in a performance of All Of Me on Jazz on a Summer's Day (memorable not only for her singing, but because Max Roach had the drum chair and she displayed some skill on the vibes.) To learn more about Dinah check out Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington. Albums I recommend include The Best of Dinah Washington - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection and Compact Jazz: Dinah Washington, both of which cover the torch songs for which she was most famous. If, like me, you are a Bessie Smith fan, I highly recommend Dinah Washington Sings Bessie Smith. A great companion to that one is Dinah Washington Sings the Blues featuring Quincy Jones, as is Back To The Blues.

In a future post I will cover Anita O'Day in more detail, followed by a post about Dinah. Until then, enjoy the music!

RIP Herb Ellis (August 4, 1921 - March 28, 2010)

2010-03-30T12:11:00.004-04:00

The great Herb Ellis passed away on Sunday.

This obituary sums up an extraordinary life of a man who was a living link to Charlie Christian.

Some of Ellis' best work, in my opinion, was with the early incarnation of the Oscar Peterson Trio from 1953 to 1958. The line-up was Herb, Oscar and Ray Brown. An excellent recording from that era is At Zardi's.

When I think of Ellis the adjective great always comes to mind. One of his greatest albums after leaving the Trio is Thank You Charlie Christian, a tribute to one of his greatest influences. Another excellent album is Nothing But The Blues, which featured two of my favorite drummers, Stan Levey and Gus Johnson, as well as Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. Ellis was also a member of the Verve Records house rhythm section and a mainstay of Jazz at the Philharmonic, both of which were managed and promoted by the great Norman Granz.

Here are a few videos that show what a wonderful guitarist Ellis was. He will be missed.

With the Oscar Peterson Trio (1958)

With Barney Kessel

With Tal Farlow and Charlie Byrd

Rest in peace Herb.

Louis Jordan - Father of R&B; Grandfather of Rock

2010-03-29T18:31:00.002-04:00

Louis Jordan's influence on American music giants such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Little Richard and Chuck Berry is responsible for the direction of popular music after the Big Band era. More importantly, he laid the foundation for rock and roll, which has been acknowledged by his 1987 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Probably the two icons who were most influenced by Jordan - by their own accounts - were James Brown and Chuck Berry. James Brown carried the mantle of Godfather of Soul (and funk), while Chuck Berry was one of the early rock pioneers.

It would not be a stretch to claim that Jordan is one of the most important artists in popular music history.

Jordan started, like every musician of his era, in the big bands. Not just any big band, but Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra. He didn't last long with Chick, who fired him for trying to poach Ella Fitzgerald and other musicians.

Chick must have influenced Louis, however, because after working for the world's greatest drummer, Jordan's future drummers included Chris Columbus (Sonny Payne's father), and Shadow Wilson.

The best way to know Jordan is to watch and listen - in these clips you can clearly hear how his small combo - Tympany Five - was the prototype for what was to become R&B, as well as the foundation of what was to become soul via James Brown and Ray Charles, and rock via Chuck Berry and others Jordan heavily influenced such as Bill Halley.

Here is one of his signature songs

And another for which he is known

Another signature song!

Fun, energetic and danceable. I am not sure that his early audiences realized that these were groundbreaking songs because Jordan's style was as much visual as it was musical. They probably viewed it as sheer dancing and foot-tapping joy. There was a reason his music was referred to as jump blues. Here are a few more clips that are notable. The first because it is pure R&B, and the second because the great Shadow Wilson has the drum chair and the performance epitomizes Jordan's showmanship:

NPR's Jazz Profiles, hosted by Nancy Wilson, has this 53 minute segment that digs deeply into Jordan, the man and musician, and gives insights into his career and accomplishments as told by a number of guest on the show who knew and played with him:

If you want to learn more about Jordan I recommend John Chilton's excellent book, Let the Good Times Roll: The Story of Louis Jordan and His Music. Albums I recommend are:

The above cover the full range of Jordan's work. However if you are a die hard fan Let the Good Times Roll: The Complete Decca Recordings 1938-54 covers his most significant recorded output. An alternative - and a far less expensive one - is the 5 CD box set titled Louis Jordan & His Tympani Five.

Listening to Jordan is only half the fun - watching and listening is the best way to appreciate the full package. My recommendations: Hey Everybody -- It's Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (released in 2007), and the older and highly rated Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five.

Unique perspectives on blues (and jazz)

2010-03-29T15:40:00.009-04:00

While researching my next post about Louis Jordan I came across some interesting articles about blues.

Jazz would have been merely syncopated brass band music without the infusion of blues, and there are other ramifications. American popular music genres that were offshoots of blues, such as R&B, rock and even country would probably not have been created.

A brief history of Blues Music by Piero Scaruffi sets the context. Where it gets interesting is Gunnar Lindgren's The Arabic Roots of Blues and Jazz, and Jonathan Curiel's Muslim Roots, US Blues.

Lindgren's article traces the influence via the Spanish, who were influenced by the Moors, to the New World. His assertion that Spanish-Arabic culture survived best in the New World rings true, and he also provides evidence of the disconnect between Africa and the development of blues (and jazz) as independent art forms in the US as a black American achievement.

Having lived in the Middle East I can attest to the similarities between Muslim song and prayer, and forms of US blues music. In fact, since I heard the athaan - call to prayer - five times a day, every day, while living in the Middle East I often wonder why that connection escaped me.

One final article by John Petters observed the influence of the Catholic Church on the development of jazz and blues in his convincing article, The History of Spirituals in Jazz. Here is an excerpt:

Although this music had its foundations in the Catholic Church, it was not long before other Christian denominations found this music influencing their services. Today when one thinks of Black Gospel music it is usually in the context of southern Baptists or other Protestant denominations.

The above are not the last (or even the definitive) words on the origin of blues and jazz. Those origins will be debated long after I have departed this Earth. However, they add unique perspectives and insights to the debate and body of knowledge.

In Search of Jimmy Vincent

2010-03-27T16:34:00.000-04:00

It's not only frustrating when researching Jimmy Vincent, but, considering his influence on countless drummers, it's almost criminal that there is such a dearth of information about him.

Jimmy Vincent was born 30 June 1923 in Boston, MA as James Vincent Faraci, and passed away on 15 April 2005 in Las Vegas

He is mainly associated with Louis Prima with whom he began his 40-year relationship at 16. Prior to joining Prima he was in a teen band called The Goofers, and resurrected incarnations of that band later in life.

His influence, though, is beyond measure. For example, during the Louis Prima Las Vegas years Prima's shows were one of the most popular attractions in the city. According to narrators in the biographical movie The Wildest: Louis Prima, major stars, such Sinatra and other members of the Rat Pack, regularly caught Prima's show. You can be sure that there were more than a few drummers, and, perhaps many of those were drawn to the shows to admire Jimmy's style and learn a thing or two about shuffles.

However, Vincent's drumming influence extended well beyond Las Vegas - if you were an Italian-American of my generation Prima's music was inescapable. And Jimmy's shuffle was a constant rhythm that permeated your DNA. These examples of his amazing shuffle and tasteful playing showcase Vincent's skill behind the kit:

Shuffle after shuffle. It's axiomatic that any drummer sitting behind Prima needed to be a master of shuffles, which accounts for the fact that Jimmy was known for them. In fact, Jimmy so perfected shuffles that the Jimmy Vincent Shuffle was named for his style. It is also not surprising that Prima's music employed shuffles. The rhythm is embedded into Italian festive music, and it made people want to dance. Prima was renown for his ability to read audiences and engage them, and the bouncy, happy music based on a shuffle rhythm is a perfect vehicle. Prima's Italian heritage (as well as Jimmy's and sax master Sam Buttera's) was always a part of the act, so infusing such rhythms into their music is not a far-fetched idea. The story behind Luna Mezzo Mare explains the Italian connection.

However, Jimmy's music wasn't entirely about playing shuffles. Consider this gem, which Jimmy's drums drove with an exquisite groove that shows his touch and versatility behind the kit:

Or this one that not only shuffles, but alternates with a solid backbeat while swinging like crazy:

Jimmy is featured as a performer and commentator in The Wildest: Louis Prima - not surprising - but is also featured in Classic Rock Drum Solos! In both DVDs he is shown playing Sing, Sing, Sing with Louis Prima (who wrote the song that Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa made famous.)

If you want to study Jimmy's playing in depth I recommend these CDs as a good starting point:

For the drummers among us, and especially the Slingerland fans such as myself, Jimmy was a Slingerland Endorser:

Sadly, the above is all I could find about this great drummer, and I would love it if you have information to share, which I will gratefully include in an update to this post.

Ray Bauduc

2010-03-25T16:28:00.006-04:00

He would probably not make the top ten list of greatest drummers, or even influential drummers, but Bauduc's influence on me is strong.

Among the music my parents listened to when I was growing up in the 1950s were Dixieland albums. I am sure they were caught up in the end of the Dixieland revival. At any rate, many of those albums featured Bauduc as drummer. It was much later that I learned to appreciate the music, but at the time the beat was sinking into me at a subconscious level.

A brief, but accurate biography of Bauduc is about as much meat as you are going to find about him on the web. However, he is given a four-page chapter in Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years, and is also mentioned elsewhere in that excellent book. Helen Oakley Dance, quoted in the chapter on Chick Webb, mentioned that Bauduc was one of the drummers that Chick admired. Considering that Chick is [arguably] the best drum kit player ever born that is high praise of Bauduc's abilities.

He will be best remembered for his drum and bass duet with Bob Haggert, Big Noise from Winetka, shown here:

However, I will always be inspired by his fluid movement around the drum kit and his amazing press rolls, all of which are shown in this clip:

His drumming was tasteful, and despite being typecast as a 2/4 time Dixieland drummer, Ray could swing. Indeed, this was noted by Louis Bellson in the video Legends of Jazz Drumming. In the video segment that focused on Bauduc, Bellson also related a story about when he asked Benny Goodman who his favorite drummers were. Goodman cited Gene Krupa, Ray Bauduc and Ray McKinley. When Bellson told Goodman that he understood Krupa, since Goodman always had a love for Gene's playing, but why the other two? Goodman replied that they really knew how to play the snare drum. Indeed, Bauduc was a master on snare drum, which should be evident from the two clips provided above.

Here is Ray in a more swinging performance that shows his versatility. This song, Dark Eyes, is one of Gene Krupa's signature songs, and Ray does it justice:

Less known about Bauduc is the fact that he had a hand in both the design of the swish cymbal for Zildjian, and the Speedking for W. F. Ludwig.

From Jazz Archivist, Volume 4:

An imaginative drummer, who listed Zutty Singleton and Baby Dodds among his favorites, Ray Bauduc collaborated with Avedis Zildjian on a new cymbal design. Their Zildjian Swish Cymbal replaced a Chinese-manufactured cymbal no longer available in the 1930s because of the China-Japan war.

And from Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years:

Imopressive credentials that indicate Bauduc's influence extended well beyond the bandstand.

If the music from the video clips above inspires you to learn more about Ray Bauduc's style I recommend Dixieland Generation, which combines the 24 tracks from Riverboat Dandies and Two Beat Generation into a single CD. You will be treated to the full spectrum of Ray Bauduc's playing.

Lester Young & Billie Holiday: the Krishna and Radha of Jazz

2010-03-23T14:46:00.001-04:00

We'll overlook the fact that Lord Krishna played flute instead of tenor sax, but the divine (and platonic) love that is central to the story of Krishna and Radha is similar to the complex and deep relationship that the Prez and Lady Day enjoyed. And, it is also legendary in the history of jazz.

The Prez and Lady Day at their last session together

My intent isn't to delve too deeply into Lester or Billie, but to remind those who know, and introduce those who don't, to their incredible synergy.

For those who are not familiar, here are a few links to background information that will catch you up:

In addition, there are a few articles about them as a musical unit that are worth reading: Billie and Lester against the world is a touching retrospective by James Maycock, while Marc Myers' Lester Young, Singer gives insights about why Lester and Billie were magic together. However, words cannot convey that magic (or the Krishna and Radha connection) nearly as well as this 1957 session that was to prove to be their last together:

This excellent article, Reunion written by Joe Milazzo sums up that session perfectly.

Billie probably said it better than anyone:

Lester sings with his horn. You listen to him and can almost hear the words. People think he's so cocky and secure, but you can hurt his feelings in two seconds. I know, because I found out once that I had. from Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday and William Duffy

On their first meeting, in Lester's own words:

As for their estrangement prior to this session, Donald Clarke alludes to the cause in Billie Holiday: Wishing on the Moon:

In early 1951, Lady met Lester Young in Philadelphia, and thereafter did not see him for three years, as she wallowed in drugs and he withdrew in alcohol, each seeking release from several kinds of pain ... at the Newport 1954 reunion, Lester Young had refused to play with her. Gerry Mulligan did and Down Beat magazine hinted that Mulligan's baritone sax had stung Lester into taking his rightful place: He shuffled on stage and once again was part of a Billie presentation. They later embraced in the dressing room and the feud was over.

Another book that covers much of Lester's and Billie's relationship is Lester Leaps In: The Life and Times of Lester "Pres" Young, which is essential reading for any Lester Young fan. You can read an interview with the author, Douglas Henry Daniels, as well as excerpts from the book on this page.

Before recommending albums that showcase the Prez and Lady Day I'll add a few of my favorites from Youtube for your enjoyment:

Recommended listening: The aptly titled, A Musical Romance is one of my favorites, while a more comprehensive, 2 CD set titled Complete Recordings, features Lester and Billie on 42 tracks. It just doesn't get any better.

Norman Granz: An Angel in Disguise

2010-03-22T21:12:00.007-04:00

In my earlier post about Granz I focused on two movies he helped to produce: Improvisation and Jammin' the Blues (which is also included in the 2-DVD Improvisation set.)

Since that post I have been digging deeper into Granz' accomplishments and have come away in awe.

If he never produced a single movie he would have still left behind a body of recorded work that, in my opinion, is a national treasure. Music aside, what made him an angel in disguise were his moral and physical courage when it came to fighting segregation, his willingness to record artists because of their art when it made no business sense to do so, and his staunch insistence on paying equal wages (above the standard for the day, by the way) for white and black artists.

If you are young you may not understand my statement regarding physical courage. Back in the 1940s and 1950s Granz refused to play to segregated audiences or at venues that denied artists full use of facilities based on skin color. During those times that was a dangerous stance. It's one thing to publicly espouse those views from a remote office, and quite another to hold one's ground in a face-to-face confrontation in the US South. Granz did that at a time when lynchings were still too common, and such an act required the utmost in moral and physical courage. The following story, from this source, speaks volumes:

Oscar Peterson recounted how Granz once continued to insist that white cabdrivers take his black artists as customers even while a policeman was pointing a loaded pistol at his stomach from close range (Granz won).

Ella Fitzgerald was among the artists who Granz rescued from fading into obscurity and irrelevance, while countless other artists were given career boosts through Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) tours, and his unyielding insistence that they be recorded when conventional business wisdom would have dictated otherwise.

The best way to know and understand Granz is via this BBC Radio 2 program that was broadcast in eighteen segments starting in December 2003. Here is the opening show:

The entire series, comprising nearly three hours, can be watched on this Youtube playlist

Augmenting this material is a two piece Les Tomkins interview with Granz conducted between 1966 and 1967: Part I, and the concluding Part II.

I have compiled some of the more famous works produced by Granz in this list, however, two that truly showcase his contributions are The Complete Norman Granz Jam Sessions, and a box set titled The Complete Jazz At The Philharmonic On Verve: 1944-1949. Both sets document some of the most important live sessions recorded in jazz history. Interestingly, most of the performances on the Classic Drummer and Legends of Jazz Drumming videos come from concerts that Granz promoted and produced.

I hope you come away with the same appreciation for this remarkable man as I have. His memory deserves to be preserved.

Dave Tough's Advanced Paradiddle Exercises

2010-03-21T18:59:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Todd Reid this rare copy is available for download in PDF format. According to Todd there are three known copies in libraries, so enjoy this piece of history.

For more about Dave Tough see my previous entry.

Another piece of historical trivia is contained in these two articles, Dave Tough's proclamation that Dixieland is dead and a scathing rebuttal in a follow-on piece by Eddie Condon proclaiming otherwise.

Dave Tough

2010-03-21T13:35:00.004-04:00

Alcoholic ... intellectual ... one of the greatest drummers ever born. Those words sum up Dave Tough, and only scratch the surface when describing this complex man with God-given talent and a life cut short by his own vices.

I was planning to add to World's Greatest Drummers: My Short List by giving Dave Tough the number four slot. In researching material I immediately turned to my favorite resource, Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years. This great book devotes 39 pages to Dave, which provided me with ample background. When I went looking for secondary material I stumbled across what I consider to be the definitive source of material about Dave, and there is little I can add to it: Steve Cerra's excellent article titled, Davy Tough: 1908 -1948.

Mr. Cerra's blog, Jazz Profiles, is one which I either frequently visit on purpose to catch up on what he's writing about, or is at the top of the list when I am researching some of my favorite drummers. His articles are well researched, and always provide his personal perspective. He truly gets inside the drummers or music about which he writes, and I have always come away with insights and facts that I would not have otherwise known.

Although I have little to add to Cerra's article or the excellent background material and personal anecdotes of some famous drummers and musicians contained in Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years, I do have some personal perspectives to add regarding why Tough should be on the short list of the world's greatest drummers. First, the man could drive a band. Not just drive it, but swing it. His playing inspired his fellow musicians to perform at their best. In the video, Legends of Jazz Drumming, Louie Bellson related that one night while playing Apple Honey the saxophone player was so driven by Tough's groove that he played thirty choruses before he finally stopped, put his instrument down, and proclaimed he was in heaven. Few drummers can pull that off.

Another thing that draws me to Tough is he never took solos - he was focused on the groove and supporting the band. Woody Herman said it best:

A giant rhythm player! With the least amount of ‘chops,’ Dave inspired a whole big screamin’ band with his subtleties and strong feeling for time. And he was probably the most gentle, the kindest, one of the grooviest cats you’d ever want to know.

Thus Tough's approach to drumming has so influenced me that I consciously avoid fills unless they truly fit what the musicians are doing, and I eschew solos for the same reason. Not that I don't practice those things. I feel that I need to be prepared when they are called for, but I have learned to listen to what the musicians are doing and support them, in large part thanks to Dave Tough's playing as my imspiration.

The best way to understand what Tough did behind a band is to listen to him. I selected this 1946 performance from the Metronome [Magazine] All Star Band because it is musically beautiful, and also because it will give you insights into Tough's playing. Notice that he in under the music and supporting each musician as they solo. His drumming stands out by not standing out. He was there to make those musicians play their best and to provide the pulse and groove to make the song sound the best:

Here is a rare clip as well:

Eccentric Rag-Condon
by boberwig

Before closing this piece on who I consider to be the fourth greatest drummer ever born, I have a few recommendations for anyone who wants to learn more about the man or hear the music he played. First, do visit Steve Cerra's excellent article, Davy Tough: 1908 -1948. Second, if you want to study Tough's style listen carefully to Woody Herman's The V-Disc Years 1944-46, Vol. 1 & 2. You can also hear Dave Tough (and many more drummers) on the 4-CD set titled, Engine Room: History of Jazz Drumming.

Norman Granz' Improvisation

2010-03-18T12:52:00.003-04:00

Last night I decided to rewatch (for at least the twentieth time) Improvisation, which was intended to be a follow-up to Norman Granz' Academy Award nominated Jammin' The Blues. The earlier video is included in its entirety on Disc #2 of the Improvisation set. For more about Norman Granz, listen to Nancy Wilson's Jazz Profiles spotlight on Granz, as well as the 18-Part series from a BBC broadcast titled, Out of the Norm.

Disc #1 contains a significant amount of footage that was never made into the follow-on to Jammin' The Blues, so you are seeing a lot of unedited, raw history. The first session is interesting for a number of reasons: it captures the first session that Bird and Coleman Hawkins played together, and that session was pre-recorded in a studio, then shot in a different location requiring the musicians to mime their playing to the recording - something that they pulled off very nicely. Here is a clip from that session:

Another clip that is early into the DVD is this remarkable session:

In my last post, Basie (and Bass) I expressed my admiration for Ellington, while stating that it was Basie who touched my soul. In that post the clip titled, Nob's Blues, is from Disc #1, as well as this great clip of Ellington in a trio setting. Here the Duke plays off John Lamb in much the same way Basie played off Ray Brown, and I love Sam Woodyard's brushwork:

Disc #2 contains Jammin' The Blues, and with two of my favorite drummers - Papa Jo Jones and Big Sid Catlett - you can be assured that this video will please any drummer. Check the spot where Jo Jones takes over the drum chair from Big Sid.

This chip contains a few remaining seconds from a smoking performance, then segues into one of the most beautiful events in which Lady Day and the Prez reunite for what was to be their last session together. This one touches me on a number of levels, not the least of which is how wonderful Billie Holiday and Lester Young are together.

The bottom line is Improvisation contains some great music, made by some of the greatest musicians in our history. If you love jazz this DVD set should be in your collection.

Basie (and bass)

2010-03-17T13:25:00.002-04:00

The Duke may have been the genius who added immeasurably to the repertoire of great American music, but Basie is the one who is deep in my soul. No analysis here - just some great examples that will (or should) bring a smile to your face and get your feet tapping:

This one, Basie Boogie, smokes. Gus Johnson is one of my favorite drummers, and he especially shines here.

Basie's employs ingenuous use of the rhythm section, and especially bass, in his compositions and performance. This is shown in the following clips, starting with I Don't Know with Basie, Freddie Green on guitar, Norman Keenan on bass and Sonny Payne on drums. Pay careful attention to Payne's usual antics and his incredible playing.

This one is from the 1955 Rhythm and Blues Revue and is an outstanding example of Basie's interplay with bassists (Gus Johnson has the drum chair):

This clip is another that features the rhythm section (Freddie Green, Norman Keenan and Sonny Payne.) Payne's subtle brush playing here is a departure from his usual high energy, highly visual style of playing.

Another example of Basie and his penchant for interplaying with bassists is this amazing clip with Basie and Ray Brown (Jimmie Smith is on drums):

Another duet, this time with Cleveland Eaton during the 1981 Carnegie Hall Concert:

Here is the second set from the 1955 Rhythm and Blues Review with the band doing One O'Clock Jump (see my 9 March 2010 post for more about this great song). Gus Johnson on drums is swinging, and the interplay between Freddie Green on guitar and Jimmy Lewis on bass is a highlight for me:

One final clip - this one with the original All American Rhythm Section with Papa Jo Jones, Walter Page and Freddie Green:
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Understanding jazz through critical listening

2010-03-13T12:48:00.012-05:00

While the title of this blog is Music for Drummers, the focus is more on the music part, and mainly about jazz. I do enjoy covering drummers who inspire me and the music they supported, but my true passion is the music itself. And I love posting reviews and opinions, as well as any factual information I can scrape together, both here and in forums that I frequent.

Anyone who posts an opinion in a blog or forum is, by definition, a critic. The better informed, the better the quality of the critical analysis or commentary. While Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns will give you a reasonable background, what you are getting is a summary of Jazz according to Wynton [Marsalis] and Stanley [Crouch], and all of the bias they bring to it. If you are aware of the bias, the 10-DVD set is valuable and informative. If not, you will come away with a skewed view of jazz history and only one perspective of the music presented.

I have a few books that I strongly recommend to anyone who wants a deeper, less biased understanding of jazz and its early history.

First is a pair of books by Gunther Schuller: Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development, covering the beginning of jazz through the dawn of Swing, and The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. Neither book is what I would call a page turner because Schuller not only provides the historical context, but delves into the music itself. Indeed, in The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945 it took fourteen years to write because Schuller listened to 30,000 recordings as a part of his research. When he did sit down to begin analyzing songs, personalities and their context with the era and regions he created the definitive reference. He did the same, on a lesser scale, in Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development. Both books will give any diligent reader (and plowing through the nearly 1500 pages that comprise these two books requires a great deal of diligence) a solid understanding of jazz history and the music created during the periods covered. Moreover, you will be rewarded with the confidence to write accurate critical reviews and analysis of not only the music Schuller discusses, but any music if you incorporate Schuller's approach, which becomes apparent by the time you are a few hundred pages into either book.

While Schuller's two masterpieces may seem to be the final word of jazz studies, they are so deep in fact and analysis that nuance and color are not conveyed. In other words, while invaluable, the books tend to be somewhat sterile. For some grit, color and nuance I recommend Reading Jazz: A Gathering of Autobiography, Reportage, and Criticism from 1919 to Now (edited by Robert Gottlieb), and Jazz: An Introduction to the History and Legends Behind America's Music by Bob Blumenthal. While Gottlieb's book weighs in at slightly over 1000 pages, Blumenthal's is less than 200. Both books are easy reads, and both will give the nuance and color that Schuller's books lack. Granted, the articles and essays collected in Gottlieb's compilation lack the academic rigor of Schuller, as does Blumenthal's book, but many gaps are filled in by both of these wonderful resources.

For the jazz enthusiast who does not much care for traditional jazz or swing, and is more in tune with the bebop era and beyond, I highly recommend Swing to Bop: An Oral History of the Transition in Jazz in the 1940s as a good starting point because it covers the turning point where thhe focus of jazz changed from dance music to performance music. Perhaps that has a touch of hyperbole since one could make a solid argument that most swing music became so highly orchestrated that it ceased to earn the jazz moniker, but for sake of argument, I'll call it jazz. This book is filled with anecdotes, many apocryphal but entertaining, and factual first-hand accounts. Transcriptions of interviews and the thoughts of the key players who developed bebop into a jazz genre make this book invaluable. The author, Ira Gitler, follows up with another book that is along the lines of Schuller's works (sans the rigorous analysis) titled The Masters of Bebop: A Listener's Guide that dissects the music and provides a foundation for listening to and understanding a genre that bewildered many "jazz" musicians of the era who were slow (or refused) to adapt to jazz as it had evolved to that point. Another resource that I highly recommend is the 113 minute video, Stan Levey - The Original Original. Stan, whose son Bob is carrying on the tradition as a drummer in his own band, sometimes is eclipsed by Kenny Clarke (a.k.a. Kloop), considered to be the father of bebop drumming, and Max Roach, Roy Haynes, etc. Levey, however, was one of the first, playing with Dizzy when he was only 16, and earning the respect of musicians from Bird (with whom he roomed for a period) to other pioneers of bebop. This video gives an oral history of sorts through Levey's eyes, as well as some excellent performances. Moreover, Levey was also highlighted in Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns on a number of clips (Bird and Dizzy; Billie Holiday), and was a key player in the early years.

At the risk of doing what Burns did in Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns and breezing through the rest of jazz a la the infamous Disc 10 of the set, I'll provide a few resources that go in depth from bebop to at least the free jazz movement. A good starting point is Ted Gioia's, West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California, 1945-1960, which covers a period that was glossed over in Burns' film, and sometimes gets lost in the overall history of jazz. Gioia's The Birth (and Death) of the Cool is interesting from a different perspective that is more social or even anthropological.

Two other books by Ashley Kahn that are worth reading for insights beyond the iconic albums that the books focus on are A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album (a must read for any Elvin Jones fan too), and Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece (see my post on Jimmy Cobb for more information.) Another book is Ekkehard Jost's Free Jazz that covers the music of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, and Don Cherry, among others. And, to be honest, that is about as far as I go. Maybe I am becoming one of the Wynton & Stanley fans.

Before closing out, here are six videos of a series that will quickly describe jazz for the uninitiated. They will certainly not replace the above recommendations, but will give you the Cliff Notes version of the essence of this art form:

Zutty Singleton: Big Sid Catlett's Mentor

2010-03-12T13:34:00.006-05:00

In World's Greatest Drummers: My Short List I gave my opinion that Big Sid Catlett was the world's greatest drummer, second only to Chick Webb. It stands to reason that one would want to know who influenced Big Sid. Among his influences, Zutty Singleton stands out as Catlett's favorite.

Zutty is a link in that chain that goes back to [at least] Louis Cottrell, Sr., going through Baby Dodds via his influences, such as Tubby Hall, Andrew Hilaire, and others, and extends to this day. It is no mistake that Dodds, Singleton and Catlett all played for Louis Armstrong. Pops always had great drummers. Indeed, he needed them because his own sense of rhythm demanded that he be backed by only the best.

The contribution that Zutty made was to take Dodds' often busy and complex style, simplify it and straighten out some of Dodds' rough edges. That isn't to say that Dodds was a bad drummer. On the contrary, he would not have exerted such influence on everyone who heard him if that were the case, but Zutty's approach to drums was the bridge that crossed the chasm between the older, press roll-centric style and what was to become swing music. I had been listening to Zutty on various albums for years, mentally acknowledging him as a solid drummer. It wasn't until I heard him in his later years on Songs We Taught Your Mother that I started paying close attention. Particularly on the track in which he backed Lucille Hegamin on Saint Louis Blues. I have listened to so many variations of that standard over the years, each played a different way, but the rhythm Zutty brought to it was bedeviling to figure out. From that point on I became an avid Zutty Singleton fan, and [to me] it is clear why one of our greatest drummers, Big Sid Catlett, would practically idolize Zutty. And, like Big Sid, Zutty not only had the drum chair with the likes of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet, but also was part of Bird's and Dizzy's rhythm section on occasion. That alone shows that, while Zutty was deeply rooted in New Orleans style drumming, he could also hold his own as a bebop drummer. One interesting piece of trivia is Zutty was one of the drummers in Art Kane's iconic Great Day in Harlem photo.

And the chain continues ...

World's Greatest Drummers: My Short List

2010-03-11T17:40:00.003-05:00

It's Thursday afternoon and I feel like stirring up controversy. The catalyst for this post is going over some old posts I have made on various forums regarding who is the best drummer. The truth be known, the best is a matter of personal opinion and, often, is the drummer who most inspires you. I could easily whip out a list of ten, but coming up with the top three takes some deep thought.

Chick Webb is always going to top my list, and my reasons are simple: first, he overcame physical handicaps that should have kept him in a wheelchair. That he even could play drums is a feat in itself. Second, he combined chops that were superhuman with a sense of music that made him the idol of every drummer who saw or heard him. In Legends of Jazz Drumming Louis Bellson waxed enthusiastic about Chick's God given talents and cited him as one of three drummers who inspired him to take up drums. Even Buddy Rich whose normal mode was characterized by an overinflated ego cited Chick as the best. Bert Korall devoted 34 pages to Chick in Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years, but a real gem is Ron Fritts' Ella Fitzgerald: The Chick Webb Years and Beyond 1935-1948. If you haven't listened to Chick lately, try this Chick Webb discography (I definitely recommend Stompin' at the Savoy). That Chick was competitive is amply shown in stories of the many battles of the bands he won at the Savoy. Here is an account of the famous Chick Webb/Count Basie battle. Benny Goodman's band suffered the same fate every time they played the Savoy opposite Chick, and Krupa once said before one engagement that he was going to get another drum lesson.

The choice comes to - in my personal short list - either Papa Jo Jones or Big Sid Catlett as the second best drummer. I have made my admiration for Jo Jones clear in my 26 February post about him, but that does not automatically confer the number two spot.

Indeed, it was a tough call, but Big Sid Catlett wins it by a hair. Actually, it was a number of small factors that pushed my opinion towards Sid, foremost of which was the fact that he continued growing musically in his all-too-short life, starting as one of Louis Armstrong's favorite drummers, through the Swing/Big Band era, to bebop. Had his untimely demise not occurred at a short forty one years of age, there is no telling how he would have evolved, but I like to think that he would have gone the same route as one of his contemporaries, Panama Francis, and worked magic in the studio making pop and rock hits. We'll never know. Papa Jo, as much as I love and admire the man, became irascible as he grew older, walking out of studio sessions if the music didn't swing. That does not diminish his significant contributions to drumming, including practically defining hi-hat and brush playing that changed the art of drum kit playing, but it does tarnish my concept of greatness. Ironically, one of my favorite clips of Jo Jones is of him backing Chuck Berry on Bert Stern's Jazz on a Summer's Day (see my 19 February post.)

Big Sid, though, touched every drummer who saw him, and if I were to list testimonials it would take pages. Instead, I am going to quote Louis Bellson who is a drummer that should be on everyone's top ten list of greatest drummers. Here is what Louis said when inducted into the Percussive Arts Hall of Fame:

“My mentors,” Bellson told Modern Drummer in 1991, “were Jo Jones, Chick Webb, Big Sid Catlett, Baby Dodds, Davey Tough, and Gene Krupa.
"Let me say this, anyone today who does not say they were influenced by Big Sid, must not play the drums." ---Louis Bellson, 1995.

There are those who can say better than I what made Big Sid great: Michael Steinman's Sidney at 100 not only says it better than I ever could, but he includes some amazing sound files that epitomize Big Sid's playing. Two other pages, one by Sirazsocialist and the other by The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong also sum up my feelings about Big Sid. There is one final page on this great drummer's centennial, Big Sid, a force in the 1940s, that adds yet another set of reasons to hold Big Sid as one of the greatest drummers ever born.

I'll close with two of my favorite photos of Mr. Catlett, and hope you will dig deeper into the man and the musician.

Addena to Swing Set by David Rickert

2010-03-11T10:45:00.004-05:00

In my last post I promised to provide additional material on each of the musicians behind the anthems - here it is:

Benny Goodman - For entertainment value, the 1956 movie, Benny Goodman Story, is a fun-to-watch flick with appearances by Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Ben Pollack, Kid Ory, Harry James, and Sammy Davis Sr. While the historical accuracy is compromised by the Hollywood treatment, the music is excellent and it does give an approximate thumbnail of Goodman in a flattering light. For the serious fan, Swing, Swing, Swing by Ross Firestone is a highly regarded biography. Of course, as a drummer I am compelled to cite a few Gene Krupa resources as well. First, the movie, Gene Krupa Story. While this film takes a lot of liberties regarding chronology and other facts, it is plain fun. Sal Mineo does an amazing job of portraying Krupa. Although the actual soundtrack was made by Krupa himself, Mineo's movements mimic identically what is being played (with one exception, where his movements are not synchronized to what is being played during the "Cherokee" scene.) For more accurate information on Krupa's life I highly recommend Gene Krupa: Swing, Swing, Swing. Bruce Klauber took great pains to put together an accurate biography, which includes interviews with Gene, as well as some musical performances. I loved both versions of Dark Eyes he played on this DVD, as well as when he played Caravan. Another excellent DVD is Gene Krupa Jazz Legend, which is more performance-oriented.

Count Basie - My favorite video that focuses on Basie and the Kansas City scene during his era is The Last of the Blue Devils - The Kansas City Jazz Story. This movie goes well beyond Basie, covering other bands of the era (Jumping Jay McShann for example), and many of the musicians associated with the scene. There is a lot of reminiscing in this 1979 reunion of the Basie alumni, which provides insights and anecdotes that are priceless. There are also clips of some amazing performances. The Real Kansas City is an excellent companion CD to the movie, as is the book, Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop--A History. Zeroing in on Basie, his autobiography, Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie is must reading for the die hard Basie fan, although it is disappointingly short on many details. A book that fills in those gaps, as well as covers Basie's musicians, is Stanley Dance's The World Of Count Basie There is also a 56 minute movie that has not been released (I pre-ordered a copy) titled Masters of American Music: Count Basie - Swingin' the Blues that intrigues me. I'll post a review after I receive it.

Duke Ellington - The Duke is amply covered in Ken Burns' Jazz, and according to some critics disproportionately so. For more about that 10-DVD set see my 25 February post. A more focused video biography is A Duke Named Ellington, which any Ellington fan will enjoy. Ellington's autobiography, Music is My Mistress is excellent reading. Two other biographies I like are Stanley Dance's The World Of Duke Ellington and Mark Tucker's The Duke Ellington Reader. In the former, Dance (who gave Ellington's eulogy at his funeral) interviews many musicians who were associated with and played for Ellington, weaving a rich tapestry, while Tucker delves deeply into Ellington's life. Between these two books you will get a complete picture of Ellington. Of course, no picture is complete without closely examining Billy Strayhorn in detail because he and Duke were tied in some ineffable way that made them appear to share the same soul. Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn digs deeply into Billy's life, although a more detailed book that goes as deeply into the music this genius co-created with Ellington is Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn.

Artie Shaw - Nobody ever did a biopic of Artie, but he shows up in a number of documentaries, including an expected cameo in Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns, and in some unexpected places, such as the biopic, Willie Smith - Willie the Lion who Shaw met and learned from at an early age. Shaw walked away from music when he was on top, then channeled much of his creative energies into writing. His autobiography, The Trouble With Cinderella: An Outline of Identity, not only gives frank insights into Shaw the man, but clearly shows him to be a talented writer as well. Looking at Shaw from the outside, Ferdie Pacheco did a remarkable job of capturing the essence of Shaw in Who Is Artie Shaw...and why is he following me? - and managed to do that in 128 pages! John White also did a remarkable job in his book, Artie Shaw: His Life and Music, and at a mere 223 pages it's still a quick read that is packed with details. Yet to be released, but available for pre-order, is Three Chords for Beauty's Sake: The Life of Artie Shaw. I'm going to take a wait and see stance before jumping on it. If you are a hard core Shaw fan, though, it is probably worth taking a chance.

Tommy Dorsey - The Hollywood treatment of Tommy (and brother Jimmy) in this 1947 movie titled, Fabulous Dorseys, is interesting for a few reasons. First, Tommy and Jimmy star as themselves in the movie, and second, it was surprisingly frank with respect the the infighting between the two. It gets high marks for entertainment value, but also has some excellent music (especially the great jam session scene with Art Tatum, Charlie Barnet, Ziggy Elman and Ray Bauduc.) Paul Whiteman also plays himself. Like all Hollywood movies, there are factual liberties taken. Focusing on Tommy, Peter J. Levinson's Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way, A Biography is a detailed biography, while Herb Sanford does an excellent job covering both brothers in Tommy and Jimmy: The Dorsey Years .

Lionel Hampton - Hudson Music's Jazz Legend: King of the Vibes is a reasonable biographic DVD about Hamp, but does not begin to cover his many accomplishments. Still, I recommend it; indeed, I find myself watching my copy every few months. Fortunately, there is a plethora of video performances with Hamp on the web and on various performance and compilation videos, so it's easy to track down representative performances of him as a band leader or as an integral member of bands like Goodman's. Less known is what a great drummer as well as vibe player Hamp was, and [fortunately] that is covered in Jazz Legend: King of the Vibes. While Hamp: An Autobiography is essential reading, Flying Home: Lionel Hampton - Celebrating 100 Years of Good Vibes fills in a few gaps that Hamp left in his book. Leonard Feather also covers Hamp throughout The Jazz Years, which I believe deserves bookshelf space for those who truly love swing and big band music.

Glenn Miller - One Amazon reviewer aptly characterized The Glenn Miller Story as a rags-to-rags-to-riches story, and the Hollywood version is just that. Bear in mind that this is a circa 1954 movie that portrays Miller in the most sympathetic way. There is a lot of fact woven into the Hollywood treatment, and excellent music throughout, making it enjoyable. For a more factual examination of Miller I recommend Richard Grudens' Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life and Times of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, as well as Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (written by Miller's close friend, George Simon.) If you are into conspiracy theories you'll find some fodder in The Glenn Miller Conspiracy: The Never-Before-Told Story of His Life -- and Death. I personally don't buy into it, but the book is a fun read for a rainy afternoon.

If you are interested in the above musicians, and their peers, I strongly recommend a visit to Swing Music Net, which contains biographies, and additional content from what I consider to be the golden age in American music.

Swing Set by David Rickert: Deconstructing Anthems

2010-03-09T14:04:00.000-05:00

David Rickert has written a series of articles over the past five years that are essential reading for anyone interested in swing and big band, and especially the songs that we (and Hollywood in the form of soundtracks for period pieces) associate with that era.

The following seven songs, and background on the band and musicians who performed them, are covered:

Benny Goodman: "Sing, Sing, Sing"
Count Basie: "One O'Clock Jump"
Duke Ellington: "Cotton Tail"
Artie Shaw: "Begin the Beguine"
Tommy Dorsey: "Marie"
Lionel Hampton: "Flying Home"
Glenn Miller: "In the Mood"

Benny Goodman. In Benny Goodman: "Sing, Sing, Sing" Rickert provides an excellent background of the Goodman band during the time leading to and including the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, and pays a lot of attention to the key musicians who made Sing, Sing, Sing pure magic that night. While we drummers tend to think that Gene Krupa made that song, Rickert's analysis shows the contributions of Jess Stacy and Harry James, both of whom spiced the piece to the point that it will forever be the definitive rendition of the song.

I also enjoyed the background of the song itself, written by Louis Prima, one of my favorite musicians (I am Italian-American, so Prima provided the background music of my youth!) Indeed, I have a clip from Louis Prima: The Wildest of the original version with Jimmy Vincent in the drum chair. It was a great song before Goodman got his hands on it, but electrifying with Goodman's (and Krupa's) imprint. You can purchase the CD of the entire concert or download just Sing, Sing, Sing to your MP3 player (the entire 12:02 minutes).

Here is a clip that contains most of the original version from the concert (Youtube imposes a 10 minute limitation, leaving out approximately two minutes):

Count Basie. Rickert's article on Count Basie: "One O'Clock Jump" is comprehensive in his treatment of the song and musicians, but does leave out the interesting fact that it was originally titled Blue Balls, which was considered too risque by radio announcers to be used. Hence, One O'Clock Jump became the official title when it was released to record. What I like is Rickert's description of what set the Basie band apart, and especially his mention of the All-American Rhythm Section (Walter Page on bass, Freddie Green on rhythm guitar and Jo Jones on drums.) I personally consider Basie himself to be an integral part of the All-American Rhythm Section, but Rickert has a direct quote from Basie saying otherwise. Regardless, the song, and indeed the band during that period, were magic. You can download One O'Clock Jump to your MP3 player or purchase One O'Clock Jump: The Very Best of Count Basie, which contains the title song and 13 other original recordings that have been digitally remastered.

My favorite version is this clip from the mid 1950s; however, this clip shows the original line-up:

Duke Ellington. While I hold Ellington (and his alter ego, Billy Strayhorn) to be a national treasure, I'll confess that I listen to Basie a lot more. The bluesy jazz that was born in Kansas City touches my soul, and, of course, the All-American Rhythm Section would appeal to any drummer. That said, I have a deep and abiding fascination with Ellington, ranging from his compositions to his his approach to leadership (I am a retired naval officer). Rickert's article Duke Ellington: "Cotton Tail" was more focused on Ben Webster's contribution to this great song, but there were some interesting insights about Ellington as well. Specifically,

... It's no wonder, then, that he had an uneasy relationship with swing; "Jazz is music, he said. "Swing is business. He longed to get away from the three-minute pop song and devote his time to longer, more ambitious compositions.

To me it all adds more data points to that complex puzzle of Duke Ellington the man and the musical genius.

If you want to delve deeply into some of Ellington's best work, I recommend Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Duke Ellington, or you may just want to add Cotton Tail to your MP3 player. Here is an excellent clip of the song that is one of the truly great pieces from the era, and the one that secured Ben Webster's place in jazz history:

Artie Shaw. Begin the Beguine is a Cole Porter composition that became forever associated with Artie Shaw. In Artie Shaw: "Begin the Beguine" Rickert does an outstanding job of deconstructing the song, while providing insights into Shaw. As stated in the article, during the era there was considerable polarization between Goodman's and Shaw's fans, and there was professional rivalry between the two musicians as well. Personally I love listening to both, but the game point goes to Shaw in my estimation - after all, Shaw managed to marry one of the world's most beautiful women: Ava Gardner. Seriously, I think Shaw deserves greater study because his name appears to be losing the recognition that Goodman's name still enjoys. If you want some insights into Shaw the man I recommend Artie Shaw: The Reluctant 'King of Swing', which is an interview conducted by NPR in 2002.

If you are a Shaw fan, definitely grab Begin the Beguine 10-CD Box Set (an incredible bargain for the price), or download Begin the Beguine to your MP3 player. This clip shows why Rickert selected Begin the Beguine as one of the anthems:

Tommy Dorsey, more rooted in 2/4 Dixieland than in 4/4 swing, was a martinet as a band leader (much like Goodman), and in many ways was the antithesis of a swing musician (and certainly a jazz musician) with his highly orchestrated, note-for-note performances. Some of this is discussed in Rickert's Tommy Dorsey: "Marie". Regardless of Dorsey's style (and he did learn to swing eventually), Marie is one of the most beautiful compositions to come out of the era discussed, and Tommy's playing shows why he is considered to be one of the best trombonists ever. While I am not a die hard Dorsey fan, I frequently listen to this song, and it is often used in movie soundtracks from the period. One thing I will say about Dorsey is he had great taste in drummers, with Dave Tough being one of the best in Dorsey's lineup. For that reason alone I have some Dorsey albums that I frequently play.

If you want Marie on your MP3 player you can download it from Amazon. If you want to explore more Dorsey hits, I recommend The Best of Tommy Dorsey as a starting point. Here is the song in it's glorious beauty:

Lionel Hampton - Hamp - is one of my favorite musicians and drummers (he was no slouch behind a drum kit!) Moreover, Hamp was a consummate showman who held entertainment to be an important part of musical performances. This is in direct contrast to many of his peers who were purists, more intent on perfect delivery of a song, or compositions that may or may not lend themselves to dance. Rickert's article on Lionel Hampton: "Flying Home", thankfully, discusses Hamp the person as well as the genesis of Flying Home. In a future post I'll discuss Hamp in more detail, but for now check out the 11-song CD, Flying Home for a taste of Hamp's high energy work, or download the title song to your MP3 player. Here is Hamp performaing Flying Home:

Glenn Miller. When swing is discussed many "purists" dismiss Glenn Miller. Here is a quote by Buddy Rich, which sums up such attitudes:

I often say, in a little bit of humor, something to the effect that Miller's music was so bad that I wouldn't be surprised if one of our planes shot him down! I feel that there were enough people who wanted to hear good music, as opposed to what Miller was laying down, that it wouldn't be too unreal to visualize that.

What Rich and others fail to take into account is Miller wrote and performed some of the most popular music of his era. Music that was not only danceable, but swung. More importantly, many of Miller's compositions are those which immediately evoke memories or associations with the era - especially World War II - nearly to the exclusion of any other bands. Consider In The Mood: it is immediately recognizable to this day by young and old. And, dismissive comments by the purists and Mr. Rich notwithstanding, I defy anyone to listen to it and not tap their foot.

Rickert did an excellent job describing Miller and his music in Glenn Miller: In the Mood, and I hope that adds a balance to Miller's music. Listen to Glenn Miller's Greatest Hits to see why I think his music is important, and for moments when you need a lift, download In The Mood to your MP3 player.

In my next post I'll provide recommended books, videos and other resources on each of the seven musicians who made this remarkable music.

Oral Histories: Louis Bellson, Chico Hamilton & Roy Haynes

2010-03-07T12:07:00.007-05:00

Treasures all, and thanks to the Smithsonian these priceless oral histories are available to those of us who appreciate what these gentlemen did for music and drumming.

Louis Bellson - 108 page transcript.
Audio clips: Clip 1 - on joining Benny Goodman, Clip 2 - Duke Ellington's band, Clip 3 - More about Ellington, Clip 4 - Louie's first arrangement for Ellington, Clip 5 - Pearl Bailey, Clip 6 - playing Benny Carter’s difficult arrangement of Errol Gardner’s performance of "For Once In My Life", Clip 7 - performing with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Louis Armstrong

Chico Hamilton - 153 page transcript.
Clip 1 - challenges of timekeeping, Clip 2 - meeting Dexter Gorden, Clip 3 - on Jo Jones with Basie, Clip 4 - on Art Blakey, Clip 5 - his encounter with Illinois Jacquet, Clip 6 - discusses meeting Larry Coryell

Roy Haynes - 72 page transcript.
Clip 1 - early life, Clip 2- culture of Harlem and New York City, playing at the Apollo Theater, Clip 4 - Lester Young, Clip 5- Sonny Rollins, Clip 6 - on being a drummer, Coltrane

What I love about Louis Bellson in particular is his three greatest influences coincide with mine: Chick Webb, Papa Jo Jones and Big Sid Catlett. In fact, Big Sid was one of Louis' teachers. A great article about Louis that augments his oral history above is Louie Bellson: Drumming's Patron Saint.

Louis and Roy Haynes narrated Legends of Jazz Drumming, and between the two you will get not only a history lesson in jazz drummers, but personal accounts and opinions that are as priceless as the oral histories above. An example is when Roy went to the West Coast in the 1940s and was mistaken for Chico Hamilton. Of course, Louis' insights into Chick, Papa Jo and Big Sid are equally priceless. Roy Haynes fans will find even more about material this remarkable drummer in A Life in Time – The Roy Haynes Story, which includes selected audio tracks on three CDs, and a DVD

Chico is one of the artists whose performance was captured (and showcased) in Bert Stern's wonderful Jazz On a Summer's Day, which I reviewed earlier.

If oral histories and biographies of these great drummers interest you, I strongly recommend Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years and Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Bebop Years, both of which are by Burt Korall. The Swing Years edition is especially valuable if you want in-depth biographies of drummers such as Dave Tough, Papa Jo Jones, Big Sid Catlett, etc. I found information on each - and many more drummers - that I have not found anywhere else. Another book that provides a focused history and solid bios of some great drummers and musicians is The Commandments of Early Rhythm and Blues Drumming. I was totally drawn into this book, and was surprised by the deep knowledge the author brings to not only R&B drumming, but how Six Degrees of Baby Dodds and a chart tracing roots back to those early pioneers add another dimension to the history of drum kit playing and jazz.

Louis Cottrell, Sr. and Early Jazz

2010-03-06T10:20:00.003-05:00

One of my fascinations is with the early jazz pioneers, especially the drummers whose influence lives in some form to this day. One such drummer is Louis Cottrell, Sr. who is credited with being the first to use the press roll to keep time.

Louis Cottrell, Senior with the Piron's New Orleans Orchestra circa 1923

Baby Dodds is among those who Cottrell influenced (and taught), and Dodds is considered by many to be the root of US drum kit playing. Interestingly, Cottrell was taught by a man named John Kornfeld (see page 2 of Jazz Archivist, May 1997), which probably took place around 1890. Given Cottrell's influence it is possible that he and not Dodds is the true root of US drum kit playing, although it was Dodds who directly influenced the likes of Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, etc.

Certainly the use of press rolls for time keeping was an innovation, and that technique deserves qualification. Undoubtedly, press rolls were used before Cottrell employed them, but prior to his influencing style, music that was to become jazz was rudimental and precise. Cottrell's press rolls incorporated ragging (syncopation), and was an innovation in the same way as the "push" beat on the bass drum beat, which also originated in early New Orleans music that would become jazz. The push was an extra note on the and of four. One needs to remember that the early New Orleans dance band musicians were also parade musicians and the early parade music was straight, military style. Also, during the formation of what was to become jazz there was a heavy influence of the most popular music of the period, ragtime, which was characterized by syncopated rhythms, as well as the influence of blues. This confluence is covered in Episode One, Gumbo, in Ken Burns' Jazz series.

Examples of Cottrell's playing can be heard on Piron's New Orleans Orchestra . Today the music and drumming sound outdated and corny. However, as subdued as Cottrell's drumming is on that album, you can hear his playing in drummers who he directly influenced, and especially in Happy Goldston's remarkable press rolls. Goldston, born in 1894 was a generation behind Cottrell, but still a part of very early jazz. Here are two brief sound clips of Goldston's press rolls: Li'l Liza Jane and When the Saints Go Marching In.

Putting Cottrell and his contributions and influence into proper context, though, requires an understanding of early jazz itself. A great starting point (if somewhat academic in tone) is How the Creole Band Came to Be By Lawrence Gushee and Harry Carr. This paper provides details on the social fabric in which early Jazz was born, and cites important musicians. Another paper by Lawrence Gushee that attempts to pinpoint the origins is 19th Century Origins of Jazz. Both papers are important to understanding Cottrell's influences. While Cottrell was taught by John Kornfeld, those lessons were probably limited to rudiments that Cottrell later adapted to developing a press roll that had the syncopation and groove necessary to be used for time keeping in the early music.

Additional material for those who are interested in the early forms of jazz, and New Orleans jazz in particular include: Notes from the recording New Orleans Jazz: The Flowering, which is a fascinating history in itself and can be used as a guide to searching for early recordings. An even better resource for seeking the early recordings, though, are A History of New Orleans Music in 100 Tracks - Part 1 and Part 2. This two-part article focuses on the recommended songs to seek out from the New Orleans musicians from 1848 on to fully understand the New Orleans contribution to jazz and the enduring influence of New Orleans musicians who added to it elsewhere.

Additional resources I recommend to anyone interested in the early days of jazz include Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It (you can read the first five chapters in An Online Story of Jazz in New Orleans, and two excellent books by Daniel Hardie: The Birth of Jazz: Reviving the Music of the Bolden Era, and the companion, Exploring Early Jazz: The Origins and Evolution of the New Orleans Style. I also recommend Jazz Greats of Old New Orleans, which is a 47 minute video of a television broadcast in 1958 that featured some of the early pioneers who were still alive. Finally, Engine Room: History of Jazz Drumming from Storyville to 52nd Street contains not only excellent examples of early jazz drumming on the first CD of the set, but the remaining three CDs show how jazz and jazz drumming continued to evolve from the influence of the early pioneers to the innovations of those who followed. This is definitely a must have collection for any drummer interested in jazz.

Jimmy Cobb

2010-03-02T16:26:00.003-05:00

Thankfully not forgotten and still playing, Jimmy Cobb will forever be remembered from his amazing drum (and exquisite cymbal) work on Kind of Blue. However he has amassed a large discography since that seminal recording: Jimmy Cobb albums.

Insights into Jimmy surface during Marc Myers' four part interview with Jimmy (see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4). Also, more information is on Jimmy's web page that includes an extensive discography, his touring schedule (he may be 81, but he is an active 81),and other interesting information.

Back to Kind of Blue. Here is an excellent video on the making of the recording that anyone who loves the album, Jimmy, Miles or all of the above will appreciate:

Since Jimmy is inextricably tied to that one album, despite his many accomplishments in the half century after it was recorded, the following articles will probably be of interest: Ashley Kahn's interview in which he discusses his book, Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece . During the interview Kahn reveals many wonderful tidbits of information about the session, the musicians and himself that are fascinating. Kahn did a great article titled, Jimmy Cobb: The Reluctant Don that adds further insights.

Back to Jimmy - this brief interview conducted by WBGO's afternoon Jazz host Michael Bourne in March of 2005 is worth reading because it gives a glimpse into that Jimmy is doing today. Of course, his touring schedule is the most definitive way of keeping tabs.

In Search of Manzie Campbell

2010-03-02T13:25:00.001-05:00

Probably the most under recognized drummer is Manzie Campbell. You're probably asking yourself, "Who?" Papa Jo Jones claimed that Manzie was the greatest drummer who ever lived - a pretty strong endorsement considering the drummers Papa Jo knew and saw. Papa Jo mentions Manzie not only in The Drums and in his oral history with Milt Hinton (see my entry on Jo Jones), but also in Burt Korall's Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz: The Swing Years.

Sadly, aside from Papa Jo Jones' praise, Manzie is mainly known as both a stage actor and a comedian for the Silas Green Show. I thought I struck paydirt when I came across a Paul Motian interview in which he remembered Manzie Campbell as one of Fletcher Henderson's drummers, but further research revealed that Paul confused Manzie Campbell with Manzie Johnson.

Thus far I have been able to discover the following scant information. First, in Ragged but Right: Black Traveling Shows, “Coon Songs,” and the Dark Pathway to Blues and Jazz by Lynn Abbott and Doug Seroff, Manzie is mentioned on the following pages:

page 272:
Manzie Campbell had been the drummers' drummer of African American minstrelsy for more than a decade. With Rusco and Holland's Minstrels in 1903, he drew this endorsement: 'In street parades when Manzie Campbell...starts one of those long rolls on the snare drum and ends in rag-time to start a march, he never fails to have a crowd around him. Before the end of 1913, Joe White was pronounced "the king of the Southland since Manzie Campbell has stayed so long in Chicago..."

page 338:
...legendary drummer Manzie Campbell, who now seemed to be attracting more attention as a comedian...

Another mention of Manzie is in William Howland Kenney's book, Chicago Jazz: A Cultural History, 1904-1930 that indicates that Manzie played drums in a few Chicago venues between 1912 and 1914. Here is the quote from the book that pegs that period:. . . Thomas McCain’s Pompeii buffet and cafe at 20-22 East 31st Street, at the 31st Street elevated station, and Dago and Russell’s Elmwood Cafe presented such leading musical entertainers as Tony Jackson, Ferd “Jelly Roll” Morton, drummer Manzie Campbell, and the highly regarded tenor vocalist and drummer Ollie Powers.

Other sources that mention Manzie Campbell are: Oscar Joseph Henry's oral history, which places him in the Al G. Fields show as both a drummer and a stage comedian, and as a comedian in an article by Frank Dumont, New York Clipper, March 27, 1915 titled, The Younger Generation in Minstrelsy and Reminiscences of the Past.

Sadly, one of the world's greatest drummers - Papa Jo Jones - cites Manzie Campbell as the greatest drummer, and this obscure man is better known as a comedian in minstrel shows. However, it is important to remember the obscure and forgotten giants such as Manzie because their influence on drummers, like Papa Jo Jones, was passed down to a later generation, and continues to be passed on. An example is Louis Bellson's statement while narrating Legends of Jazz Drumming that Jo Jones was one of three drummers who inspired him to take up drums. Of course Louis went on to inspire generations of drummers himself, but at least some of his amazing playing probably has a touch of Manzie Campbell via Papa Jo. As an aside, the other two drummers who were Bellson's influences and inspiration were Chick Webb and Big Sid Catlett. At some later date I will write about both of those greats.

For now, I would appreciate it if anyone has more information about Manzie Campbell, including photos, recordings (if any exist) and even anecdotes.

Remembering the Forgotten

2010-02-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

This blog started life as a place to sell off gear, served its purpose, and only recently I decided to use it as a platform to share my passion for music from a drummer's perspective.

After reading the incredible blogs such as Michael Steinman's Jazz Lives, Steve Cerra's Jazz Profiles, Marc Myers' JazzWax, and Jon McCaslin's Four On The Floor it became apparent that there is not much I can add because those gentlemen provide some of the richest, in-depth content on the subject. My niche going forward is to ensure that some of the forgotten drummers are remembered, and there are many who were big names back in their day, but have been swept aside into obscurity.

In coming posts I am going to focus on Manzie Campbell, cited by Papa Jo Jones as the world's greatest drummer, and Louis Cottrell, sr. who not only influenced Baby Dodds, but all of Baby's influences as well. Louis may well be one of the most indirectly influential drummers in the history of US drum kit playing. And one of the most unknown.

Buddy Rich

2010-02-27T21:54:00.002-05:00

Although I view myself as a jazz drummer, Buddy Rich is not a drummer who inspires or moves me. Chalk it up to personal taste. However, his influence on generations of drummers is undeniable, so I am including a brief piece on him, mainly because while searching other topics I came across some excellent material that should be shared.

Buddy Rich was a complex individual to say the least. He could be overbearing, scathing and profane He could also be generous and loyal to friends to a fault. Regardless of the person, his drum kit skills from a purely technical perspective are amazing.

His temper is well documented in the infamous bus tapes that - thanks to the web - have skewed how many view him as a person. A great article that balances this impression is Bill Milkowski's article, The Buddy Rich Tapes. On the other hand, Marc Myers's excellent interview of Bobby Shew shows Buddy in a different light - this excellent, three-part interview is at Bobby Shew on Buddy Rich (Part 1), Part 2, and Part 3.

A few other gems I have unearthed that will be of interest to Buddy fans are: Les Tompkins' 1980 interview and Buddy and Gene interview Metronome Magazine, March/April 1956. Interviewed by Willis Conover for Voice of America Radio. In all of the interviews, Buddy comes across as ... well, Buddy, making the bus tapes unsurprising. However, his generous side is amply shown by Don Sweeney's account of how he came to own one of Buddy's kits via Johnny Carson.

For those who are truly interested in Buddy, Mel Torme's Traps - The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich gives a good, if not fawning, account. Mel, a pretty darn good drummer himself, was close to Buddy, so take that into account while reading the book. A more balanced view of Buddy is John Minahan's The Torment of Buddy Rich: A Biography. This book is, in my opinion, more objective than Mel's book, but both are valuable for the diehard Buddy Rich fan, as is a DVD documentary titled Buddy Rich Jazz Legend.

For performances I own (although don't often watch) Buddy Rich - At the Top is my favorite. This DVD has a great performance of West Side Story Suite, which is why I own it. It also has typical Buddy who plays way over the bar on many of the selections, which is why I am not a Buddy Rich fan. Still, the majority of drummers I have met love that kind of playing, so I have to strongly recommend the DVD. Another highly regarded video performance is Jazz Icons: Buddy Rich Live in '78, which contains a few solos that will leave you breathless. Two other DVDs that are worth a look - and both from the same concert series - are The Lost Tapes and Buddy Rich and His Band - Channel One Suite. Of the two I recommend Channel One Suite, but if you are a big fan, get both.

For audio CDs I think Very Alive at Ronnie Scott's is one of the better and representative choices to hear Buddy at his best. Of course, the seminal Rich Versus Roach is must have in my opinion (while I am not a Buddy fan, I definitely love Max Roach!) Better yet, spend a few hours browsing the catalog, Buddy Rich Albums on Amazon.

Here are a few of my favorite solos:

Papa Jo Jones

2010-02-26T18:30:00.007-05:00

Papa Jo Jones is among my top three favorite drummers as well as [in my opinion] one of the top three greatest drummers ever born. Just to clarify, Buddy Rich is not in that short list.

First, since I first wrote this page a new book about Papa Jo Jones has been published and I highly recommend it: Rifftide: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones. In addition to the book, there are plenty of pages dedicated to this extraordinary man, but I have culled a few that I find particularly interesting.

First is an article by Chip Stern titled, Wilson Driver: Reflections Of An Urban Griot. Mr. Driver was Jo Jones' early mentor, but has [unfortunately] faded into obscurity. Steve Cerra has an excellent page devoted to Papa Jo on his blog Indeed, Steve's blog, Jazz Profiles, is one of the best jazz drummer blogs on the web! Another excellent jazz-oriented blog with a well written personal account of Jo Jones is a the brainchild of Michael Steinman whose Smiling Jo Jones fills in more anecdotal information. However, Jo Jones is best told by Jo Jones. Danny Britt's brief article on THE DRUMS by Jo Jones, an old LP recording that is out of print, is a great synopsis. Another excellent review of this album is in the October 1976 issue of Gramophone (page 148). Here is the album in its entirety:

Taking it ever further, there is a long interview circa 1973 in which the late, great bassist Milt Hinton interviews Papa Jo. This interview wanders and is obviously rough around the edges, but is priceless as an oral history. You will hear Manzie Campbell mentioned on both pieces - an unknown who Papa Jo considered to be the world's greatest drummer. The scant information on Mr. Campbell is focused on Silas Green's shows, and all of the information points to Manzie as a comic and stage actor in the shows. One must ponder the injustice of history when one of the greatest drummers cites someone even greater and the man is forgotten. Here is the oral history conducted by Milt Hinton who keeps Papa Jo moving forward in his recollections:

A few albums that I recommend are:

The Everest Years
Jazz Icons: Coleman Hawkins Live in '62 & '64 (featuring Papa Jo)
The Essential Jo Jones
Any album by Count Basie between 1936 and 1948

Some clips:

More videos of Papa Jo are on Jon McCaslin's Four On The Floor blog entry titled, Jo Jones: Born to Swing.

UPDATE (27 Feb 2010) Thank you Michael Steinman for a flattering article about this post!

Earl Palmer

2010-02-25T10:28:00.000-05:00

In my 19 February post, Recommended for your iPod/MP3 player - Part 3 I devoted a paragraph to the late and very influential Earl Palmer. This video encapsulates who Earl was and recounts his many accomplishments and contributions to music and drumming.

Earl Palmer Bio - the most recorded drummer in history, with Mitch Woods. from Jeff Roth on Vimeo.

Jazz : A Film By Ken Burns

2010-02-25T10:17:00.003-05:00

I have Jazz : A Film By Ken Burns and have watched the entire set over five times. Can't get enough of it. If ever you wanted to understand jazz, or perhaps gain an appreciation for artists you may have not particularly cared for in the past, I cannot recommend this set highly enough. Case in point - I was never a particularly big fan of Billie Holiday and rarely paid attention to Lester Young. However, after watching and listening to the synergy between the two I have become a big fan of any recording where the two are on the same song. I also have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Louis Armstrong's genius. There is the controversial Disc 10 that has earned the set scathing comments and reviews, but that - in my opinion - does not diminish the value of this treasure. The many hours of performance clips, narration and the social and historical context in which this music was born and grew up will give anyone a different perspective and appreciation of the music and those who created it.

A good critical review by Steven F. Pond will show the degree of controversy I discussed above. Another critique by Chris Kelsey and a truly tongue-in-cheek piece by Gerry Hemingway titled, Skunkbucket LeFunke.

If you are loath to spend the money on Jazz, but want to take a trip down memory lane, then these clips documenting Chicago Jazz (circa 1958) will provide a taste of history of a specific period and the musicians who made that period golden.

(this one says part 3, when it's really part 2)

(the real part 3)

Buy This DVD and Watch it Instantly

Watch the Video On Demand version on your PC, Mac, compatible TV or compatible device at no charge when you buy this DVD season from Amazon.com.

Some of my drum idols - Part 3

2010-02-25T09:47:00.001-05:00

Jeff Hamilton (a modern brushmaster). He is Diana Krall's first call drummer, and a drummer for whom I have the utmost admiration:

Gus Johnson (with Basie - also, smokin', is Freddie Greene and Walter Page locked in towards the end)

The focus in this clip is Basie's great rhythm guitarist Freddie Green. However, the musical and performance value are the beautiful interplay among Green, Sonny Payne on drums, Basie and bass player Norman Keenan. Payne's brushwork (and theatrics)are amazing. Performed in 1968; title: "I Don't Know".

Some of my drum idols - Part 2

2010-02-24T15:13:00.002-05:00

Here is Part 2, with more of my influences and idols.

The subtle, tasteful playing of Max Roach

Frankie Dunlop with Monk

Philly Joe

Ray Bauduc

Ed Thigpen (one of the world's greatest brushmasters)

Some of my drum idols - Part 1

2010-02-24T11:26:00.005-05:00

The playing starts around 1:06. Jo Jones' brushwork here is simply amazing. He practically invented brush playing, and is also known as Mr. Hi-Hat (he took that to an art form in the 1930s.)

One more, showing his absolute skill with both hands and sticks. His timing and musicality - not to mention relaxed playing - are reasons why he is one of my favorites:

Joe Morello is no slouch either :)

More to come ...

Baby Dodds - the root of our drumming

2010-02-24T09:57:00.007-05:00

Dodds was probably the most influential drummer in history. He certainly wasn't the best; in fact, his playing is considered rough by today's standards. However, he had a profound influence on drummers who saw him, and, who in turn, had a profound influence on drummers to this day. To name a few: Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson have all cited Baby Dodds as a major influence. It goes without saying that Krupa and Rich in particular remain both well known to this day, and very influential as well.

While his name is recognizable by many today, and he is in the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame, few people are familiar with his biography or the extensive discography that define his career. I have attempted to put together some background material on Baby Dodds to keep his name alive. Among the list of resources, there is a lot of redundancy, but each resource contains strands of information that are unique and can be woven into a whole picture.

The entry in jazz.com is a brief sketch that does cite some of Dodd's influences and contemporaries. John Petters' page on Dodds is rich with links to recordings and other information. More about Petters later; however, suffice to say that Petters is someone who I consider to be an expert on Dodds, and his admiration for him shows. Bob Koester's essay on meeting Dodds adds anecdotal information to the picture. Beyond that, the essay does not contain information otherwise known. Bill Russel and Chip Stern have a wonderful transcription of an interview titled, Baby Talk: Playing for the Benefit of the Band that is revealing. Baby's redhotjazz.com's bio isn't particularly rich in detail, but does contain a comprehensive discography that is worth checking out. A review of Dodds' Talking and Drum Solos on All About Jazz is an excellent discussion of a recording Baby made titled, Talking and Drum Solos. I also highly recommend the book, The Baby Dodds Story Edition: As Told to Larry Gara , which is a rewrite of the 1992 edition. William Howland Kenney's Jazz On The River covers the riverboat era that launched Louis Armstrong's, Baby's and countless other early careers. There is an excellent interview with the author that discusses the book and the era in depth. Finally, I have highlighted Louis Cottrell, Sr. in a subsequent post that is interesting because Louis was one of Baby's teachers.

Other material that delves into Dodds' background (or puts it into context), as well as allows you to hear the man himself, includes:

Baby Dodds
Talking And Drum Solos + Country Brass Bands (1946/54) (see This excellent review)
Jazz la Creole: The Baby Dodds Trio
The works of Jelly Roll Morton, which featured Baby on many of his recordings
Sidney Bechet
Bunk Johnson
Johnny Dodds (Baby's equally famous brother's albums in which Baby had the drum chair on many recordings)

Back to John Petters, mentioned above. Here are a few videos he has put together that demonstrate Baby's playing style:

In Memory of Bruce Felter Feb. 23, 1947 - Dec. 20, 2007

2010-02-23T13:30:00.001-05:00

I want to take a moment to remember someone very special. The memory is of Bruce Felter, Feb. 23, 1947 - Dec. 20, 2007.

Bruce was many things: a Rogers collector of some renown (Rob Cook devoted a few pages to his collection in The Rogers Book, and an incredible drummer who can be heard on Cathy Sings (his wife is the vocalist on this album.) Bruce's brush playing on the album, in particular, is inspiring to me.

However, Bruce was much more than a drum collector or even a drummer: he was one of those rare spirits who went out of his way to provide advice and guidance to anyone, and who was, well, nice. His [too short] life touched a lot of people, especially those who got to know him on Drum Forum Dot Org, a.k.a. DFO, where Bruce went under the username of Longroll. Do a search of DFO and you will see more than one thread that was a tribute to Bruce's memory, but more importantly, the posts by Bruce himself where his eagerness to impart knowledge and help is manifestly evident.

Here are a few pictures of Bruce and a link to a site in his memory. I, for one, was deeply touched by his approach to life and want to do my part in keeping his memory alive.

In Memoriam: Bruce Wayne Felter.

A New Feature: Product Page

2010-02-20T18:26:00.003-05:00

When I cite a product in this blog (or my Snare Drum Addict blog), I will also include that product in my online store so that visitors can quickly track down items about which I write and/or recommend.

Going Back in Time: Videos of the Greats

2010-02-19T16:21:00.004-05:00

One can grab a metronome, practice pad and head to the woodshed, as well as load up an iPod with the downloads I recommended in the three previous posts (hopefully both). However, reading a transcription from a book, while a precise way of communicating 'how to', is brought to life by actual video footage of some of the drummers who got us to where we are today. This post is going to focus on some videos I recommend. Each is a compilation of the work of many different drummers. At some later time I'll post on individuals, and the aggregate of the recommended videos is a panoramic view of the history of US drum kit playing.

To start off, there are three videos from Hudson Music that I have spent hours watching (many hours in fact.) In them are well known drummers who we remember today, as well as drummers who were well known in their era, but today are sadly forgotten. The videos are:

Classic Jazz Drummers: Swing and Beyond-DVD - Highlights include films of the legendary Sid Catlett with Louis Armstrong, Ray Bauduc with Jack Teagarden, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich with their own orchestras, Gus Johnson with the rarely-heard Count Basie small group, Joe Harris with the pioneering Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, Panama Francis with Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, never-before-seen solo footage of Philly Joe Jones, Stan Levey with a small group, the groundbreaking bop of Kenny Clarke and many others.
Classic Drum Solos and Drum Battles DVD - Sonny Payne, Rufus Jones, Buddy Rich, Sam Woodyard and Louie Bellson; and small group giants Art Blakey and Joe Morello. Drum battles include meetings between Gene Krupa and Cozy Cole, Buddy Rich and Ed Shaughnessy, Chico Hamilton, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton; Elvin Jones, Sunny Murray and Art Blakey; and a once-in-a-lifetime battle between Buddy Rich and Jerry Lewis.
Classic Drum Solos & Drum Battles Volume 2 DVD - drum solos from legends like Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, 'Papa” Jo Jones, Art Blakey, Shelly Manne, Sonny Payne, Sam Woodyard, Rufus 'Speedy” Jones, and others, spanning the years 1947 to 1989.

The format is both sparse and simple: a name and date are flashed onscreen, followed by a clip of the drummer, mainly in a musical context. The good news is you get to see these masters in action in typical musical settings and contexts; the bad news is you will not get much history or biographical information beyond the performance itself. Fortunately we have google and Drummerworld's page of drummers to use to drill down into the true history of these pioneers.

My personal favorite DVD set is Legends of Jazz Drumming, which is a two DVD set that is narrated by the late Louis Bellson, with additional commentary by Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette. Tiger Bill's excellent review covers this DVD so thoroughly and accurately that there is little more I can add without being redundant.

I liked New Orleans Drumming for a number of reasons, foremost among them is Earl Palmer is featured. Also, Herlin Riley's drumming and his explanation is like traveling back in time despite the fact that Herlin is relatively young. Moreover, the additional demonstrations and discussions by Johnny Vidacovich and Herman Ernest clearly show a direct link that can be traced back from modern New Orleans drummers to Louis Cottrell, Baby Dodds and the other jazz pioneers who literally started it all. Cottrell is credited with using the press roll as a time keeping element of early jazz grooves, and Baby Dodds is probably the most influential drum kit player in history (by no means the best, but he influenced just about everyone who probably carried that influence on to other generations of drummers.)

Last on my list is Steve Smith-Drumset Technique/History of the U.S. Beat DVD. Steve is not only an amazing drummer, but a respected historian of drum kit playing. This DVD set is in two parts, with the first DVD purely instructional (and darn good too!) The second DVD is the history lesson in which Steve imparts his vast and impressive knowledge of the pioneer drummers and the music they played. He demonstrates the evolution of American popular music from early ragtime to jazz to swing and beyond. He used period correct configurations used in each era, and adeptly and accurately demonstrated each style. I strongly recommend this DVD for both the history lessons (and demonstrations), as well as the instructional segments. My copy is a treasured part of my DVD library.

Amazon.com Widgets

Recommended for your iPod/MP3 player - Part 3

2010-02-19T13:51:00.005-05:00

Although not jazz per se, those of us who learned drumming in the late 1950s and early 1960s were heavily influenced by a few drummers. Some we knew about, which are listed below, and others we didn't because they were on nearly all of the hits of the day as behind-the-scenes session drummers whose names are finally surfacing. More about them later.

Every aspiring young drummer, and many inspired to take up drumming, were influenced by Sandy Nelson. Among his hits that received much air play are Let There Be Drums, Teen Beat, and Birth of the Beat. Sandy's idol - mentioned further on - was Earl Palmer.

Cozy Cole played with musicians ranging from Louis Armstrong's early New Orleans style jazz to bebop. He was one of the few who managed to make the transition from early jazz to swing to big band to bebop. He had a top 10 hit with Topsy, making him one of the very few drummers to have a top hit on a drum-centric recording.

While there were many groups that played a role in the surf music craze in my era, the most popular was The Ventures. They went through a few drummers early on, but Mel Taylor's amazing, if somewhat simplistic, grooves influenced us and it was reflected in our playing. Back in the day a lot of teen and garage bands were strictly instrumental groups playing at local sock hops and teen clubs. Vocals didn't become required until the British Invasion.

The unsung drummers I mentioned above - those prolific session drummers who dominated all of the hit records - influenced us all even if we didn't know who they were. Bear in mind that this was long before the world wide web where you could look up the musicians on a recording (or a wiki page), and there was no Rolling Stone Magazine. The only periodicals that covered music for the masses were Downbeat Magazine, the excellent and short-lived, The Jazz Review (not to be confused with the British journal Jazz Review, and local publications, all focused on jazz.

Hal Blaine is one of those unsung drummers who, today, is a legend. His resume includes this amzing list of recordings Hal played on, and much of his story is told in Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew: The Story of the World's Most Recorded Musician (Book).

Equally as prolific and sadly no longer with us is Earl Palmer. Fortunately Earl got the recognition he richly deserved, and his life story can be read in Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story. There is a CD titled Backbeat: The World's Greatest Drummer, Ever! that has 30 songs on which Earl played that will give you a sense of history and Earl's accomplished playing. It's safe to say that had Earl not come along many grooves we associate with popular songs from back in the day would not have happened. Earl was that inventive and good.

The final session drummer who had a significant influence over my generation is Panama Francis. Had he never stepped foot in a studio to make an early rock or pop record he would still be remembered as one of Cab Calloway's best drummers, as well as a highly respected jazz drummer who evolved with the music. His studio work and contributions to rock and pop recordings are still relatively unknown, so I am hoping that folks who stumble upon this blog will dig deeper into this remarkable man's career and contribution to music.

In my next post I'll recommend videos of some of the old timers and giants of bygone times. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a million.

Recommended for your iPod/MP3 player - Part 2

2010-02-19T12:19:00.004-05:00

Continuing from my previous post, here are some more recommendations to expand musical horizons. Again, my recommendations, while jazz-oriented, are to expose drummers young and old to the shoulders of those giants upon which we stand. Of course, for the jazz aficionados the names will be familiar, as will most of the albums and songs to which I have linked for download. These - and the ones listed in Part 1 - are the musicians to which Ginger Baker, Steve Gadd, John Bonham, etc. listened. Bonham, by the way, was heavily influenced by Joe Morello and the Dave Bruubeck Quartet!

Modern Jazz Quartet - drummer Connie Kay is the primary drummer in the MJQ's extensive body of music. This group managed to fuse together classical and jazz to a point, and the playing required a great deal of restraint on Kay's part. His playing is a study in dynamic range and how to maintain a solid swing feel in complex musical structures.

Thelonious Monk - Monk had some of the best drummers of his day, and his son (T.S.Monk) is a drummer himself. Monk's music is complex to say the least, and is ideal for drummers who like playing with a lot of space. I think Frankie Dunlop epitomized the style of drumming that complimented Monk's music, although luminaries such as Roy Haynes and Philly Joe Jones also are on some of Monk's albums.

Charlie Parker - everyone who was someone had the drum chair at one time with Bird. Roy Haynes was one of his early drummers, as was the great Stan Levey (more about him in a later post), Max Roach and ... the list goes on. However, Bird is worth listening to for the music alone, and in that context you can clearly hear the birth of bebop and how elements persist in other genres of music. Parker, like Armstrong before him, revolutionized music.

Chico Hamilton - Another highly innovative drummer who, like Art Blakey, had his own group and the creative control over his material. Chico's music was off the beaten path, with some similarities to the Modern Jazz Quartet with respect to dynamic ranges of the music, but also almost spiritual in content. One could learn much in the way of groove construction, integration with the music and even harmony from a percussion perspective from listening to Chico's work and music.

Shelly Manne - one of the proponents of "West Coast Jazz" in the same basic style of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Shelly's career ranged from big band to Dixieland to more modern forms of jazz. He was all about fitting drums totally into the musical context of what was being played. At one point to achieve the sound he wanted he sprinkled rice on his snare drum head to get subtle sustain from that instrument. As an aside, Shelly portrayed Dave Tough in The Gene Krupa Story

I'll finish up in Part 3, covering three major influences of we baby boomer drummers who got our start in the late 50s/early 60s (I started playing in 1964.)

Recommended for your iPod/MP3 player - Part 1

2010-02-19T11:20:00.003-05:00

Regardless of the type of music you play (or even normally listen to), it all sprang from jazz and the music that came before jazz to create that amazing American art form. If you are a drummer, some of the jazz drumming greats and the music they played will give you fresh ideas about grooves, solos, and the structure of some great music that came before you. Here are my recommendations, and why:

Art Blakey - Art and his Jazz Messengers not only showcased Art's amazing and influential drumming, but Art's group was an incubator of musicians who went on to form their own successful groups and continue the evolution of jazz.

Max Roach - while the father of bebop drumming was Kenny Clarke (affectionately called "Klook"), Max Roach took Kenny's ideas and techniques and significantly advanced them. His playing continues to influence drummers to this day.

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Joe Morello, the drummer, is one of the few jazz drummers who is readily recognized, especially when "Take Five" is played (and it still gets a lot of airtime over a half century since it was first released). More about Joe on his web site, as well as in this post of recommended practice materials.

Tony Williams - Child prodigy who started with Miles Davis at the tender age of 16, Tony spent the rest of his [all too short] life taking jazz and drumming to heights that have influenced drummers from all genres of music. His ride cymbal patterns are simply amazing and his playing inspiring.

Philly Joe Jones - Another major influence and a character in his own right, Philly Joe was the drummer to emulate - and many did until they found their own sound. Philly Joe toured as a fill-in drummer for Buddy Rich, as well as played on countless recordings with the best musicians of his day. Listening to his drumming is an education, and hearing it in the context of the music is like getting a post graduate degree.

Roy Haynes - Roy's long music career spans pre-bebop, a stint with Charlie Parker, and just about every major musician to this day. He has a very unique sound, both from his playing and how he tunes his drums, and is one of the few of the old masters remaining.

I'll continue my recommendations in a new post later today. For now, if you aren't familiar with any of the musicians or their work, go exploring, listen to some sound clips (or look them up on Youtube), and start filling your player.

A Great Day in Harlem

2010-02-19T10:44:00.005-05:00

A Great Day in Harlem is an iconic group portrait of 57 jazz musicians by Art Kane. Iconic is an adjective that has been long associated with this photo to the point of being a cliche, but it is [to some of us] a touchpoint in the history of the music I - and many like me - love. Here is the photo for reference:

I personally own two, one of which hangs in my living room and the other a spare.

Here is a full list of the musicians in the photo, including the drummers, of course.

In addition to the photo, which is available for purchase by clicking Harlem Jazz Portrait ~ A Great Day In Harlem ~ Art Kane Photo ~ 24x35, you can also purchase or pay-per-view the documentary that describes how the photo came to be, as well as interviews with many of the 57 musicians who were captured on film that day:

There is also a book, The Great Jazz Day, that is ideal for fanatics such as myself, and even a t-shirt (see Jazz Portrait T-Shirt ~ A Great Day In Harlem ~ Photographer Art Kane ~ Hanes Pre-Shrunk Cotton ~ Size L) for the the truly faithful.

Back to the video, here is a short clip that gives a taste of what's inside:

Jazz on a Summer's Day

2010-02-19T00:41:00.001-05:00

I took an exquisite 84 minutes out of the weekend to immerse myself in Jazz on a Summer Day.

What a treat. It is not a music video, nor is it exactly a documentary of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Instead, it is a mixture of Americana, people watching, music and Newport itself. In fact, a lot of the scenery - aside from the town of Newport - is of regattas. I felt as though I were wisked back to 1958 (I was 9 at the time of the festival). So, the good news is you go on a trip down memory lane. The bad news is the camera isn't always on the performers.

Headliners: Jimmy Giuffre, Thelonious Monk, Henry Grimes, Sonny Stitt, Sal Salvador, Anita O'Day, George Shearing, Dinah Washington, Gerry Mulligan, Big Maybelle Chuck Berry, Chico Hamilton, Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Mahalia Jackson.

Supporting musicians: David Baily, Bob Brookmeyer, Buck Clayton, Bill Crow, Eric Dolphy, Eli's Chosen Six (short segment), Art Farmer, Harold Gaylon, Nathan Gershman, Terry Gibbs, Urbie Green, Jim Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Jo Jones, Ray Mosca, Armando Peraza, Max Roach, Rudy Rutherford.

Set List (my favorites are marked with a star):

Train And The River (The Jimmy Guiffre Trio)

Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk)

Loose Walk (Sonny Stitt)

* Sweet Georgia Brown & Tea For Two (Anita O'Day) Sweet Georgia Brown was in a strange tempo, but when Tea for Two got underway a real highlight - aside from Anita's great singing and good looks - was when she traded phrases with the drummer. I don't recall any shots of the drummer, unfortunately, so that would have been a disappointment except the camera cut to some cuties in the audience. Of course, those cuties are now in their 70s and 80s or dead.

* All Of Me (Dinah Washington) This was the highlight for me. Dinah, at one point, picked up a pair of mallets and did a duet with the vibe player (with a smiling Max Roach looking on). Max was in great form and Dinah did a remarkable job on the vibes! Oh, and this rendition is probably her finest. If you've ever listened to a Dinah Washington compilation album with All of Me on it, this may be the cut you heard.

Catch As Catch Can (Gerry Mulligan) Great 50s style jazz.

I Ain't Mad At You (Big Maybelle) Blues epitomized!

* Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry)Until I watched this video this was my favorite clip. I discovered it on YouTube and it's the first post in Post Your Favorite YouTube Videos thread. Jo Jones on drums. Chuck doing his skip-walk across the stage while Jack Teagarten is looking on not knowing what to think, and the unidentified clarinet player getting into it.

Blue Sands (Chico Hamilton Quintet) On the fence about this one. Chico is a great and innovative drummer who did some amazing mallet work (now I know why he used concert toms). The piece, though, was a cross between Carribean and New Age. It definitely grew on me.

Up A Lazy River, Tiger Rag, Rockin' Chair, When The Saints (Louis Armstrong) The drummer, Danny Bercelona, was a chops monster with great taste. The duet with Jack Teagarten and Louis was great.

Walk Over God's Heaven / Didn't It Rain, The Lord's Prayer (Mahalia Jackson) What can I say? - there never was nor will there ever be again a Mahalia. What a grand finale.

The DVD was worth every penny and I'll be watching it again soon. There is too much on too many levels to take in during a single viewing.

RIP Ed Thigpen December 28, 1930 - January 13, 2010

2010-01-13T13:28:00.001-05:00

It's with sadness that I write that one of the most inspirational drummers of an era has passed away at a young 79. Ed's web site has a brief bio and discography of "Mr. Taste" who was renown as a brush master and a key to the Oscar Peterson Trio. He was the son of Ben Thigpen, a highly respected drummer in his own right.

Insights into Ed can be easily discerned by his demeanor and skill on The Essence of Brushes, an instructional (and performance) DVD that showcased Ed's teaching style as well as him in performance demonstrating techniques.

Here is Ed in action (with sticks):

With Oscar Peterson