Steve Smith, shiny headed drummer extraordinaire has done it again! Standing on the Shoulder’s of Giant’s is Steve’s tribute to all the greats that came before him (and he does them justice.) Steve Smith’s Jazz Legacy was originally Buddy’s Buddies, a tribute band to the work of Buddy Rich. As they went on, they started expanding to the work of other jazz drumming greats. Eventually the name was changed to Jazz Legacy because they had left the realm of a Buddy Rich tribute band and became something more.
This video contains the entire 2006 Modern Drummer Festival performance of Steve Smith’s Jazz Legacy and after each song there is a long discussion about it between John Riley and Steve Smith. John Riley’s presence does help make the DVD much better and I’ll explain how. If you remember my review of Steve Smith’s Drum Set Technique & History of the U.S. Beat, my one criticism was that Steve Smith was very stiff when he was talking to the camera. Well, because John Riley is there, Steve has an actual person to talk to. The effect being, Steve is much more personable and easier to watch. But Riley is more then just someone for Steve to bounce conversation off of. He is a Jazz scholar in his own right and adds much insight and a different perspective to Steve when they discuss the performances and the artists to which the performances are tributes.
THE GREAT jazz drummer Elvin Jones carried on a constant musical conversation with John Coltrane. It inspired me to have that kind of dialogue with Jim Morrison. Not that I was in Elvin’s league, but his courage gave me the “huevos” to stop the steady rhythm on the Doors’ “When the Music’s Over,” and just jab at my kit during Jim’s rap about “What have they done to the Earth, what have they done to our fair sister, rip her and bit her, stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn, and dragged her down.”
As a teenager, I saw Elvin play many times at these “sacred gin joints” (jazz clubs) in Los Angeles. I was too young to make the Central Avenue scene, but I knew it was much more than a major thoroughfare.
On an off night from the Orbit, a Santa Monica bar gig I got with my very lame fake ID from Tijuana, I stumbled into the Renaissance Club on the Sunset Strip, where Lenny Bruce had performed. It was my first time in a jazz club, and I was ushered to a table in the back behind a pole. I was one of very few white people in the place, and the Renaissance Club was intimidatingly cool. It had an attitude. I hadn’t cultivated one yet.
Today, we talk about our worst gig experiences. Chris Pennie is the drummer of the week, the 17-stroke roll rounds our our roll rudiments as rudiment of the week, and Ask Dave answers where to get a cheap drum set online! Show Notes
The problem with reviewing these old drum technique instructional videos is that their modern counterparts just blow the old ones out of the water. These new DVD’s likeSecret Weapons for the Modern Drummer and Drum-Set Technique/History of the U.S. Beat are so thorough and comprehensive that there is not very much to be gained by viewing these old ones. This is somewhat true of Joe Morello’s Drum Method 1 & 2, but not as much as I expected.
There are only two volumes. Morello mentions a third installment in both volumes one and two, don’t bother looking for it, it doesn’t exist. Each volume is sold separately and comes with it’s own little booklet with detailed transcriptions of the exercises Morello goes through. It would be perfect if they would just sell it as two disk set with one big booklet/downloadable PDFs… but, alas, they don’t. I’m reviewing these two as a pair because they are at there best as a pair. I wouldn’t recommend buying one buy itself and I wouldn’t recommend renting them if you are serious about learning from them. The reason I wouldn’t rent them is because you won’t get the little booklets that come with them. The reason I wouldn’t buy one without intending to get the other is because the second volume is the juicer one of the two, but it refers you back to the first volume on several occasions. Meanwhile, the first disk just isn’t worth it in terms of content if it isn’t paired with the second. What a pickle. (more…)
I’ve already sung the praises of traditional grip, so now I have to give matched grip it’s fifteen minutes. This probably won’t be fifteen minutes worth of reading so please just read it at a slower pace.
Traditional grip was developed out of necessity. It was created because of marching snare drums that were suspended with a strap. The severe angle prevented the common sense matched grip from being used. So they made up traditional grip which became a marching tradition (this sentence sounds very redundant now that I think about it.) The marching tradition was naturally passed on to the drum-set because the drum-set is a direct descendant of marching drums. Go figure. (more…)
Traditional grip has come under considerable fire as of late in the drumming community. They say that because of its origins in marching where the drums were tilted, it loses most, if not all of its relevance in a world where mostly position our drums with much less angle then in the old days. They also cite (correctly) that matched grip is a much more natural grip. Both arguments have their merits, but I am of the opinion that traditional grip is and shall remain formidable presence for as long as there are drummers.
I will be the first to admit that matched grip has many advantages over traditional and may be a better general grip. However, there are some areas where traditional grip is superior to matched. One of these area is subtlety. Much of which has to do with the upside down nature of the traditional grip and its placement in front of the fulcrum an opposed to behind it. Subtly comes from the ability to control the stick beginning, during and after the stroke. While matched and traditional are roughly even in the beginning and the end of the stroke, traditional excels in the area of control of the stick during flight. This comes mostly from its being in front of the fulcrum. (more…)
The old saying goes, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” As we grow as musicians we seem to settle deeper and deeper into ruts. Everything just becomes permutations of our old bag of tricks. As time goes on, adding to that bag of tricks seems as difficult as soaking up honey with a sponge.
The problem isn’t necessarily an age problem (though that’s possible too) the problem is that you failed to practice the one of the most important skills you have. Learning. Think about it. If you could start out with only one skill what would it be? I would choose the ability to learn. It’s like being able to wish for more wishes! (more…)
On today’s show, we talk about the best bang for your buck in terms of books and gear. Carmine Appice is the drummer of the week, the 11 Stroke Roll is the rudiment of the week, and we talk about Stanton Moore’s new album, Emphasis (on Parenthesis). Show Notes
The drummer’s number one enemy when grooving isn’t an inability to keep time (though that’s a big one too)… it’s the itch. It’s the feeling you get to break out (musically) when you are locked in the pocket. It’s like the musical equivalent of claustrophobia. Staying in a groove can make your musical universe seem very small. So you leave the pocket to come up for air… deep breath… and then you’re back in again. You did it even if the music would have been better served if you had just stayed in the pocket. Just like with an itch, scratching isn’t good for you but it satiates the itch for that instant that you give in… then it’s back again. (more…)
Vanderbilt University has a cool student article on the importance of drummers in rock history. Includes takes on John Bonham, Ginger Baker, Charlie Watts, and Keith Moon.
Imagine listening to a band live and what you remember hearing. Was it the shredding of your favorite electric guitarist? Was it the serene vocals of an idol of yours, American or otherwise? Maybe one of these was your answer. However, more people might admit that it was the drummer and his percussive elements connecting the rest of the band together. The drummer is the backbone of the band, yet seems to be constantly overshadowed by other band members like guitarists and singers. For many, if it were not for the drummer, the band would not have made music in the first place.
On the Creative Coordination DVD, Thomas Lang states that Independence and Interdependence are both different states of mind. And after considering and pondering what he said for a couple of minutes, I came to agree. If you think about it, the only difference between interdependence and independence is how you view what you’re playing. If you view what each limb is doing as a separate rhythm, that’s independence. if you view each limb as playing a part of a larger rhythm, that’s interdependence. (more…)
Here’s a little food for thought next time you sit down to practice.
Drummers are often guilty of growing their kit instead of growing themselves, and I’m as guilty as anyone else. We often try and open new doors (musically) by adding something to the kit. New ride, new hats, cowbells, shakers, special effects crashes, and octobans. in the hopes that one of these new additions will spark a new creative streak, I think we actually are doing ourselves harm. We’re trying to medicate an internal problem with stuff, and it doesn’t work. You’ll feel better for a little while but after that you’ll be in the same place but with a shiny new toy that might have cost a small fortune. I challenge you to do the unthinkable. I challenge you to shrink your kit. (more…)
In the last episode (February 29th, 2008) of Drummer Talk, the guys discussed how to get out of a musical rut. Many good ideas were discussed, but I wanted to challenge you to consider this: how, or in what, do you find inspiration? (more…)
Drummers (and musicians in general) have a lot in common with wine snobs (no offense to people who enjoy wine and aren’t snobs.) There always seems to be a longing for something that has passed. A “back in them good ol’ days” kinda thing. We criticize drum companies for lack of innovation and then whine when they lack that “vintage” sound/feel when they change something. It must be difficult trying to please consumers with such schizophrenic desires.
Athletes call it “The Zone,” Billy Ward calls it “Playing with the Creative Side of the Brain,” and samurais call it “Mushin” which loosely means “mind of no mind.” If your brain is a band (metaphorically) then Mushin is when the improvisation guy gets to take a solo. Every one shuts up and he does his thang. There’s no miscellaneous thoughts to impede improv guy from expressing himself. It’s just him, the music, and the instrument. (more…)
Steve Smith, shiny headed drummer extraordinaire has done it again! Standing on the Shoulder’s of Giant’s is Steve’s tribute to all the greats that came before him (and he does them justice.) Steve Smith’s Jazz Legacy was originally Buddy’s Buddies, a tribute band to the work of Buddy Rich. As they went on, they started expanding to the work of other jazz drumming greats. Eventually the name was changed to Jazz Legacy because they had left the realm of a Buddy Rich tribute band and became something more.
The problem with reviewing these old drum technique instructional videos is that their modern counterparts just blow the old ones out of the water. These new DVD’s like
It would be perfect if they would just sell it as two disk set with one big booklet/downloadable PDFs… but, alas, they don’t. I’m reviewing these two as a pair because they are at there best as a pair. I wouldn’t recommend buying one buy itself and I wouldn’t recommend renting them if you are serious about learning from them. The reason I wouldn’t rent them is because you won’t get the little booklets that come with them. The reason I wouldn’t buy one without intending to get the other is because the second volume is the juicer one of the two, but it refers you back to the first volume on several occasions. Meanwhile, the first disk just isn’t worth it in terms of content if it isn’t paired with the second. What a pickle. 
Traditional grip has come under considerable fire as of late in the drumming community. They say that because of its origins in marching where the drums were tilted, it loses most, if not all of its relevance in a world where mostly position our drums with much less angle then in the old days. They also cite (correctly) that matched grip is a much more natural grip. Both arguments have their merits, but I am of the opinion that traditional grip is and shall remain formidable presence for as long as there are drummers.
The old saying goes, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” As we grow as musicians we seem to settle deeper and deeper into ruts. Everything just becomes permutations of our old bag of tricks. As time goes on, adding to that bag of tricks seems as difficult as soaking up honey with a sponge.
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