This is a writing experiment, starting with a jazz waltz cymbal rhythm with triplets filled in, changing one note per measure— or two notes. The cymbal rhythm stays the same, and bass drum is added, […]
Category: jazz
Transcription: Dannie Richmond – Straight, No Chaser
For my man Michael Griener in Berlin, some more Dannie Richmond, this time with Bennie Wallace, playing Straight No Chaser, by Thelonious Monk of course. From the 1981 album Bennie Wallace Plays Monk, on the […]
Very occasional quote of the day: play what you hear
“Play what you hear, and if you can’t play it, then practice it.” – Barry Altschul, Modern Drummer interview by Rick Mattingly, November, 1982 Periodic reminder that, creatively, the fundamental equation is real simple. Of […]
Daily best music in the world: Dannie Richmond with Don Pullen / George Adams
Title track from Earth Beams, a great record by George Adams & Don Pullen, with Dannie Richmond on the drums— all three are Charles Mingus band alumni. Richmond was a key partner in that relationship […]
One measure 5/4 triplet fills with Reed!
Another one of my hack and slash jobs. This is something I improvised in a lesson— a student is working on some of the Pages o’ Coordination in 5/4, based on an Elvin Jones groove, […]
Transcription: Charli Persip blues
Charli Persip playing a medium blues with Oliver Nelson: J&B, from Nelson’s 1961 record Main Stem. Persip is really enjoyable to listen to, and has a little bit of Roy Haynes’s edgy, modern thing happening. […]
Transcription: Billy Higgins – Blackjack
Billy Higgins playing on a funky vamp with some kicks in it, on Blackjack, from Donald Byrd’s album of the same name. It sticks with the rhythm figure all the way through, and Higgins plays […]
Daily best music in the world: Tootie with McCoy
Here’s a nice performance on brushes by Tootie Heath, on Five Spot After Dark, from McCoy Tyner’s album Today And Tomorrow. I don’t know how it passed under my radar that he died just last […]
Groove o’ the day: two by Elvin Jones
I have a couple of larger transcriptions going right now, from a couple of Elvin Jones live albums, but don’t have time to complete them, so here are the major grooves from them. The first […]
Leading with SD/cym accent
I don’t know what to call this category of thing— I was listening to some Jack Dejohnette, where he would play something on the snare drum, beginning with a unison accent on the snare and […]
Daily best music in the world: Louis Hayes with Cannonball
Here’s an item from jazz writer Mark Stryker, which caught Peter Erksine’s attention on Twitter. Cannonball Adderley playing a fast tempo with Louis Hayes on drums, on an Adderley record I’ve never owned, Nippon Soul. […]
Solo transcription: Billy Higgins – Third World
Here’s a drum solo by Billy Higgins, from the tune Third World on Freddie Hubbard’s album Bolivia. I’ve never played this tune and didn’t count out the form. It starts with 8 bars of an […]