An item I was working out with a student— making an Elvin Jones-like Latin groove/texture out of a Mozambique rhythm, for medium tempos, with swing 8th notes. It’s an entry, just the first, most obvious things I could think of for taking the groove that direction.
Swing the 8ths on everything here. At the top of the page is a Mozambique bell rhythm written Syncopation-style, then some basic left hand variations, which you can move around the drums however you like.
Then there is the bell rhythm written out as RH lead triplets— RH plays the complete cymbal part, LH plays the complete snare part. Which you can play as a fill at the end of the groove— note the circled bass drum notes on patterns 6-9, play them with those notes, and without them. As illustrated, you can end the fill with a cymbal/BD accent on 1, or on the end of beat 4.
With item 10, as it says, play the hand parts with one, some, or all of the written bass drum notes. Try some combinations. We’ll explore that more fully in another installment.
Would any of these work on Coltranes version of 'Summertime' or would that be a completely different pattern ?
I'm sure they would– when playing a similar arrangement, at least. Might not fit exactly with what's played on the recording.
I'm often surprised at how Elvin's stuff varies between similar Latin or waltz grooves on Coltrane's records and the Wayne Shorter records, eg.