I’m still having a hard time writing anything, so here’s a really great open drum solo played by Tony Williams, in a concert video with Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clarke. This is in 1972, […]
Category: solo
Transcription: Connie Kay – Cosmic Ray
A melodic drum solo with mallets by Connie Kay, on Cosmic Ray, from the Milt Jackson / Ray Charles album Soul Brothers. Kay is kind of a mysterious player to me, so I’m always on […]
Mel Lewis intro – One for Pat
I’m just taunting myself now— I’ve got this book of intros sitting around, almost completed, and I keep finding new things that should probably go in it, but I don’t have the nerve to open […]
Transcription: Max Roach – Dexterity
Max Roach’s drum breaks on just about the first jazz recording I ever noticed and liked— Dexterity by Charlie Parker. I dug an old LP compilation of Parker 78s out of my dad’s record collection. […]
Transcription: more Max
More from Max Roach: his solo on the same tune from last post— Flossie Lou from Clifford Brown & Max Roach At Basin Street. It’s 32 bars long, and starts at 2:39. He plays quarter notes […]
Transcription: Philly Joe brush feature
I heard this on the radio yesterday— Soft Winds, from Chet Baker’s album In New York. Philly Joe Jones also had a cool drum solo on it, played with brushes. Drumming right now is in a […]
Transcription: Ed Blackwell intro
A 16-bar drum intro played by Ed Blackwell on The Way You Look Tonight, from Mal Waldron’s album You And The Night And The Music. I like to post these things to shame myself for […]
Transcription: Al Foster – Egg Head
A smoking short drum solo by Al Foster, playing with Cecil Payne and Duke Jordan on their album Brooklyn Brothers. The tune is Egg Head, a little three minute burner. It’s a blues, and Foster […]
Transcription: Fred Braceful – All That Funk
Here’s an interesting performance by Fred Braceful, a drummer from Detroit who lived in Germany for most of his career, and recorded mainly with German artists. He also recorded a couple of albums with Mal […]
Transcription: Billy Higgins – two breaks
Continuing yesterday’s theme, here are two slick drum breaks by Billy Higgins, from Hank’s Other Bag, from Hank Mobley’s octet album A Slice Off The Top. They happen at the beginning and end of the […]
Transcription: Ben Dixon 8-bar break
A little 8 bar break played by Ben Dixon— this is really just an excuse to listen to his playing on this track overall. The tune is Lullaby of the Leaves, from Grant Green’s album […]
Transcription: Mel Lewis fours
Here is Mel Lewis trading fours on Stoppin’ at the Savoy, from Bob Brookmeyer’s album The Blues Hot and Cold. These are pretty interesting. Lewis isn’t anybody’s idea of a chops guy, but he’s not […]