“The way guys like Bud Powell shaped their solos, they automatically left spaces for the drummers to contribute. A lot of times today, in student performers, I don’t hear that space being offered, because they’re […]
Category: playing
Some short tempered performance notes
Following are some comments I wrote after hearing some younger drummers— in a jazz setting, players far enough along with their playing to let their ambitions get the better of them, musically. I got a […]
Comments on some younger drummers
Since COVID especially I haven’t been playing as much as I should be, so I’ve been getting my lazy butt out to some jam sessions to try to stir up some work. Playing really is a […]
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 […]
Very occasional quote of the day: learning
“I learn something every time I play.” – Philly Joe Jones, 1982 Modern Drummer interview with Rick Mattingly
Very occasional quote of the day: you have to be there to play every night
“You have to work with the people for a while. I was talking to Jo Jones one day. He commented something like, ‘It’s very important how a person develops his own musical personality.’ He says, […]
Very occasional quote of the day: the hands are like monsters
From the late Barry Harris: “Are the hands doing something they’re used to doing, or is the mind leading the hands? Because the hands are like monsters— and they have a separate entity— and they […]
Very occasional quote of the day: the instrument itself
“If you get too involved in the playing of the instrument itself, you forget that the whole purpose of what you’re doing is to add to the music. There’s more to music than having control […]
Very occasional quote of the day: practicing vs. playing
Most important thing on this site: DL: How important is it to play, and how important is it to practice on your own? SM: It’s more important to play. I’ve always felt that playing is […]
Notes on the first playing gig in some time
I had my first actual jazz club gig since COVID the other night, thought I’d share some playing notes about it. This is the type of thing we talk about here. The rhythm section was […]
What are we doing
Been having a minor existential crisis in the last week or so— I played my first session in over a year last week, was feeling really unpracticed and generally out of touch with music… and […]
Very occasional quote of the day: master from the beginning
I’m just thinking about a VOQOTD from 2017 today— from the painter Robert Henri: “An art student must be a master from the beginning; that is, he must be master of such as he has. […]