I didn't start to appreciate what a great drummer is until I played with Pat Mastelloto (King Crimson). I'm posting vids of some of my favorite drummers. Please do the same.
BTW- I think Bobby McFerrin is awesome. I got to know him a little bit when I lived in MN
---------- "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
Last Edited by on Apr 17, 2010 9:19 PM
I've been listening to drummers all night while I work and came across this vid from Pat. This video is worth watching because it gives you a window into the world of a real musician, meaning one who is not a superstar singer but rather a guy who has bills just like the rest of us so we have to work hard to make ends meet.
---------- "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
Buddy Rich must have been insane and carrying a heavy death wish as well. It is a wonder he was able to stay alive as long as he did. The guy was psycho. The musicians putting up with this were obviously total lamers.
Its hard to tell what really happened hearing it out of context. but i think i would side with buddy on this. it was his band, his money, his music and his reputation at stake. if word got around that his band had started to slack in performance then he may loose some ticket sales. but then again he may have been a real ass.
I have no video of my favorite drummer, katherine stevens, who has played with me for about 10 years when I break from the 1 man band. She is in her 60's and swings quietly like no other. The only other drummer I played with who could do this was jimmy carl black (original drummer for frank zappa and the mothers of invention). We played together on and off for about 6 years. He too could play so quiet, yet make it swing to death. I tried to find a video on him but nothing really decent could I find. I had some great ones behind me over the years: francis clay, uncle john turner, dave sanger, rock savage, frosty. My idea of a great drummer is one that stays out of my way, yet paves a foundation that I can do anything on. Walter
one other great drummer I used when I played the NYC/NJ area was kevin norton. Here is his info:
http://www.kevinnorton.com/bio.html
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
Harp playing is something new for me as I've been playing for less than two years. My Blues background is playing bass along with some vocals. It is such a pleasure to play with a really good drummer. When myself as a Bass player and drummer are together it is so exciting for me. I went to a jam session a while back and when I got there things were set up but nobody was playing. I asked If I could pick up the bass, was given permission and when I started the drummer sat down on his kit. He could really groove. I guess he could read my body language because we played like we had been together before. It is so much fun when the drummer has your back. This is a good post and kudo's to all of you on the sticks. We appreciate you.
Haing a good drummer and a good bass player makes life so much easier, and they have a much greater effect oh how good a band sounds than great lead players do because if those guys are weak, regardless of how good the lead players are, the band is gonna be god awful.
Having good drummers and bass players makes life for me so much easier and everything grooves well, and they can hide lead players' weaknesses, but bad drummers and bass players will expose that.
Often times the average player/hobbyist/listener's judgement is far too often based on their solos, but the really good ones, the real deal is the groove and solos are nice, but gravy, and when the groove is right, regardless of genre, it's magic. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I don't really slight Buddy Rich's behavior very much, or at least am not appalled.
Many team efforts,look like someone screaming at the team. When a payload is guaranteed and there is money on the line, leadership is required.
I know this from construction. Leading people can be like herding cats, every individual has their mind chatter, which can be very thick, certainly evidenced here from time to time, musicians have it worse than many.
It ain't easy being the leader, human nature is to kill the leader (undermine, whatever). The leader is the one who puts their rep on the line and takes responsibility, they are committed to the end result.
It takes that to cut through people's pissing and moaning about creative differences, pay, the "right way", etc.
The key is that this is the dance of professionalism and nothing more. It's not the individual being called out, it is the role they play, drummer, soldier, carpenter, salesman, whatever, nothing personal.
It can be lonely to be the leader, the leader is the one that commits to the results, and sacrifices their own right to gossip and bitch.
BTW, I love that clip with Bobby McFerrin and Omar Hakim, looked like they were in a space of rapture! ---------- There is nowhere to go and nothing to find, only something to create.
i know most of you probably wont like this type of music, but this guy is a good friend of mine.. at one point scene mag called him the best drummer in cleveland.. his speed is awesome at 1:32
