This is just a brief investigation of an interesting rhythm, a sort of clave rhythm clapped by the lead performer in the video below— a candid video of three Aka Pygmy people performing a polyphonic […]
Year: 2018
List of basic orchestrations of a syncopated rhythm
This is just a one-page summary of elementary drum set orchestrations of a syncopated rhythm, written Ted Reed-style. I’m teaching my simple solo method to a couple of students, so a printed list of the […]
Drum intro: Billy Higgins – For Minors Only
Another intro, with a Latin feel, played by Billy Higgins on For Minors Only, from Jimmy Heath’s album Picture of Heath. The cymbal rhythm is reminiscent of a Mozambique-type rhythm, with an 8th rest on […]
Page o’ coordination: Midnight Special shuffle
Page o’ coordination based on the Midnight Special shuffle groove as played by Grady Tate and Donald Bailey with Jimmy Smith. We’re using two different cymbal rhythms, and the snare drum part varies, but the […]
Art Taylor interview
Another media item: a 110 minute interview with the drummer Art Taylor. You’re certainly aware of him; he’s best known for playing on a lot of hard bop records in the late 50s. He also […]
Daily best music in the world: Jack Walrath
Great record by trumpeter Jack Walrath, with Dannie Richmond, John Scofield, Ray Drummond, and Jim McNeely. Walrath was in Charles Mingus’s last band, and of course Richmond was a long time Mingus drummer and creative […]
Transcription: Frank Butler intro and fours
Maybe if I transcribe a bunch of drum intros and post them on the blog, I can guilt trip myself into finishing my Book of Intros. It’s still hanging around 95% ready to release. I’ve been blocked […]
Riley’n me
Anyone who follows this blog has certainly heard of John Riley— drummer and author of the book The Art of Bop Drumming, among other titles. He’s a leading authority, and one of the most influential […]
Transcription: Charli Persip solo break
This is a little solo break by Charli Persip, near the end of So Sorry Please, from Red Garland’s album Bright and Breezy. The tune is by Bud Powell. We’re just looking at the drum […]
Page o’ coordination: jazz waltz with syncopated 4:3
Here’s a jazz waltz page o’ coordination with a syncopated polyrhythm in the feet— if you must know, a 4:3 polyrhythm in half notes and dotted quarter notes, starting on the & of 3 of […]
A simple solo method
Here’s a simple, non-technical solo method I was just working on with a student… …a SKYPE student… did you know I teach lessons via Skype? I do. Anything you ever have questions about on the […]
MY NAME IS PABLO PICASSO
Digging through my old cassettes I found this rather hilarious avant-garde thing I composed in 1991 on a then-fancy HR-16 drum machine, doing with it things entirely unintended by the technicians at Alesis. It’s called MY […]