Here is Mickey Roker absolutely killing it on the tune Impressions, on A London Bridge, a live recording by Milt Jackson. Tempo is about 334 bpm— half note = 167. And it does pick up quite a bit by the end, to around 370/185*. Most of us who could even survive at that tempo would be feeling the heat. Mickey Roker, meanwhile, is on it, he is absolutely in his element, he’s a rock, and actually grooving.
* – About that difference in tempo.
You’re probably saying, oh my goodness, the tempo picked up by 35 bpm, that’s terrible, but 35 bpm in the 300s range isn’t as dramatic as it would be at normal moderate tempos. It’s actually equivalent to about 83 and 96 bpm— meaningful, but not insane. You can test yourself in a possibly more relatable way playing a funk beat with right handed 16th on the hihat at each of those tempos.
Listening closely, you can hear that there’s some air between Roker and Ray Brown— the bass’s attack and the attack of the cymbal are not sounding exactly together. It sounds to me like Brown is sounding ahead of him— he may be driving the increase in tempo, maybe together with the soloists, though it sounds like he’s a head of them, too. I could be wrong, listen closely, see what you think.
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Ray Brown was always so ahead of the beat, it feels he was almost one beat early.
Actually Adam Nussbaum was mentioning that in his drum clinic and said to be aware of this when playing along to records.
I know that a lot of people really love Ray Brown’s playing (especially Buddy Rich did) but he’s not the kind of bassist I would look forward to play with.
Corrected your typo there!
That’s kind of wild– another example, he’s way out front of Jeff Hamilton here:
https://youtu.be/OXzSjLFI0j8?si=ONUXvPp34dUiXngY
I was talking to someone about Richard Davis– not so much rushing as all over the place. At least I can’t understand his time concept.
Thanks!
Pierre Favre told me that playing with Richard Davis was extremely difficult for him.
On the other hand, Kent Carter was the easiest bass player for him to play with.
Jeff Hamilton also had some great stories to tell about playing with some veteran players.
You can learn so much when you play with people from different generations, which you just don’t get when you only play with your peers.
Each generation plays time in a different way.
I’d like to hear those Jeff Hamilton stories! I told you that story from Jeff Johnson about playing with Philly Joe– “find your own time!”– it never occurred to me as a way to think, but you hear those Miles records and there’s clearly that air in there, everybody’s not locked down on the precise same pulse. Then when you do hear somebody doing that, it sounds real R&B.
I tend to like real muscular rhythm players– they’re not just walking, they don’t ignore you, but they’re not swayable either.