Here’s something great that deserves much better than the cursory treatment I’m about to give it: The Core, from Art Blakey’s record Free For All. Blakey’s doing a little bit of an Elvin Jones thing on this record— like it says, it’s very hard core.
On a forum someone asked what he’s doing on this tune. On a big part of it he’s playing off of this piano figure from the intro, that recurs for extended passages throughout:
He does a sort of rubadub treatment— these are two two-measure examples from the intro:
It gets pretty raggedy, so the transcription hardly does it justice. The occasional triplets are hardly calculated; when playing at the edge of your abilities things can weird— things emerge that are not in your control. A lot of other stuff happens. There’s a section with some horn hits. Part of the solos swing. Sometimes he deviates from that basic figure during those sections— he’ll extend playing in 3 over 4/4 time a la Elvin. It’s hot as hell in my office right now (101° in Portland today) and I have neither the patience nor the focus to listen through and figure out the form.
I am happy to help you with any of the materials on the site, and with anything else drumming related— contact me for private lessons, online world wide, or in person in Portland, Oregon. All levels of players, and all people, are welcome.
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