Another Cliché Control page for learning to solo in jazz, combining stock licks. This time centered around 5-stroke singles: RLRLR or RLRLB. We’re squarely in Philly Joe / Art Blakey territory here— and a lot of other people.
I never practiced anything like this— I’ve always been helpless to do anything but improvise my solos using stuff worked up through Reed. At times I could have used more of this squared off, pure idiomatic stuff at my disposal.
Learn all the measures individually, repeating, then play all combinations of measures. A together with B through Z, B together with C through Z, and so on.
Move the patterns around the drums however you like. Circled notes can be played normally, or as stick shots, or as flams, or with both hands in unison on two drums. Mostly they’re meant to be led with the right hand, alternating sticking on the 5s— find some video of Mel Lewis soloing and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Good for brighter tempos. In the presence of the 16th notes, many of the 8th notes will not be swung. Straight 8ths happen all the time in jazz, FYI, even in a swing context. Put on some Monk records.