A sketchpad for my own practicing— a set of velocity studies using one paradiddle inversion in particular, the massively fun and useful RLLR-LRRL form. In case you’re listening to all that Antonio Sanchez and thinking […]
Alejian cymbals
I made an interesting purchase at that Chehalis, Washington drummer swap meet— an 18″ Alejian brand cymbal. At 1368 grams, it would be categorized as approximately a medium thin crash, maybe a crash-ride— it acts […]
SOME NEW(ISH) MUSIC: Antonio Sanchez – Three Times Three
Hey, I should make some kind of effort to hear some new music. I’m in danger of being a total dinosaur, only listening to decades-old music, and not knowing anything happening this century, let alone […]
Percussion swap meet in Chehalis, WA tomorrow
If any of you are in… whatever you call that part of Washington state— the I-5 corridor between Olympia and Longview… there’s going to be a drummer swap meet/gathering tomorrow, Sunday, July 17th, at Alexander […]
Germany/Istanbul tour wrap up
I returned from Germany a few days ago, and am still quite loopy with jet lag. I took as many Cymbal & Gong cymbals as my wife and I could carry, and had a couple […]
CYMBALISTIC: Becken Deutschland – June 27-July 11
CYMBALISTIC: Germany tour is happening NOW, from June 27 to July 11— I can’t believe it’s been three years since our last visit. Follow me on Facebook and/or on Twitter for updates and pictures from […]
Joe Chambers interview
I’m getting ready to travel on Sunday, and have other things on my mind, so here’s a 2021 podcast interview with Joe Chambers. The interviewer seems like a pretty knowledgeable fan, but he doesn’t talk too much […]
Reassessing some free jazz drummers
There was a period of about five years where I was listening to a lot of early free jazz— Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp. Ornette (and his circle) is the only one […]
Daily best music in the world: Sunny Murray
Getting ready to head to Germany in a week, so content will be a little light. Here’s a cool record by Sunny Murray— usually the outest free guy in the world, here doing some swing […]
CYMBALISTIC: travel set, 11th Anniversary rides
CYMBALISTIC: I paid a little visit to the Cymbal & Gong warehouse (aka, Tim’s basement) to play some cymbals for Michael Griener, a great drummer, friend, and supporter in Berlin. Michael is very active playing […]
Bill Frisell’s advice to musicians
Posting this article from Guitar Player in it’s entirety, because it’s too important to be permanently entrusted to their little site: Bill Frisell’s advice to guitar players, which applies to all musicians, and all humans […]
Chaffee linear phrases in other rhythms/meters
In the comments of the recent Chaffee linear phrases in 4/4 post, someone asked about other rhythm possibilities for the same phrases. The phrases there were ten notes long, so basically any rhythm and meter […]