I’m not happy with this title for this series, but I’m going to hang with it as long as we’re posting on the blog. It’s rapidly evolving into a Stick Control-like system for funk drumming […]
Year: 2016
Orchestrating and embellishing backbeats
What do we do with this? Someone bored with playing backbeats all night asked this question on the Drummerworld forum: “What do you do to spice up the 2 & 4?” My answer is: I […]
EZ Tony Williams-like method: another setting
Here’s something that was leading me into a very modern, hiccupy, vaguely Chris Dave-like jazz concept. I was practicing along with the Coltrane recording of Big Nick, a medium-slow swing tune, and found myself doing […]
Support
The most irritating stock photo I could find to accompany this post. By the way, I want to give a shout out to some people who have donated to the blog since August— Peter, Benoit, and […]
Very occasional quote of the day: it’s an instrument
“You don’t beat the drums— you play them.” – Kenny Clarke Thanks to Scott K. Fish for the quote— be sure to follow his excellent blog Life Behind The Cymbals.
Basic funk ideas: four iterations – 03
Another page of this modern funk method— we’re going to need a better name for this thing, as we’re getting well beyond basic. This is turning into quite an epic. Normally, working on fairly demanding […]
Negotiating for prostitutes
Not to hire one, to be one— good not to have too many illusions about our economic place in society, as musicians. From the Quartz web site, an excellent piece on business negotiation as practiced […]
Transcription: Joe Dukes – Hallelujah Time
I was rooting through some early George Benson the other day, and turned up this smoking number, which I had never heard before: Hallelujah Time, played by Brother Jack McDuff, with his long time drummer […]
Daily best music in the world: Breezin’
Here’s something very great: Harvey Mason playing Breezin’, written by Bobby Womack, on George Benson’s album of the same title in 1976. As far as I’m concerned there’s really no higher artistry in drumming than […]
Very occasional quote of the day: Bozzio studies
I always loved this photo from the original interview. First copy of MD I ever read. Also had Jim Keltner and Ed Blackwell. In his 1981 Modern Drummer interview with Robin Tolleson, Terry Bozzio discusses […]
Creative tips from Brian Eno
From 99u.com, a creativity site, retweeted by the actual Brian Eno, an article about a few of Eno’s creative strategies: 1. Freeform capture. Grab from a range of sources without editorializing. According to Tamm, one […]
Daily best music in the world: Puddles Waterworld tribute
Last week I got to see Puddles Pity Party, a one man show with video accompaniment, by a depressed clown who happens to be an amazing singer. After a lengthy setup where he attempts to […]