bdp - Thank you very much for that analysis. I enjoy learning the details behind a great music performance. I spent a lot of hours in my youth with Signore Clementi (for better or worse), so can appreciate some of the concepts. I think Gadd’s broad dynamics might be one of his traits I picked up on most readily (i.e., "nuanced") - that and his inventiveness. Thanks again. I appreciate the time you spent writing.
Best Drum Solos
I'm finding that I've been REALLY enjoying drum solos on my system lately. They seem to work the whole speaker, from the kick drum in the woofers, to the tom-tom in the midrange, and the cymbals and high hats in the tweeters. And when it all comes together, they are the instrument I have the easiest time seeing in front of myself.
I searched the forums titles to see if there were any good drum solo discussions going on, but I didn't see any. So here we go. In no particular order, here are some drum solos I've found to be very high quality:
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Drum Thunder Suite
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Caravan
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Far More Drums
Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick
Max Roach - Max's Variations
What are your favorite drum solos to listen to on your system?
I searched the forums titles to see if there were any good drum solo discussions going on, but I didn't see any. So here we go. In no particular order, here are some drum solos I've found to be very high quality:
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Drum Thunder Suite
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Caravan
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Far More Drums
Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick
Max Roach - Max's Variations
What are your favorite drum solos to listen to on your system?
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Here's a few you may not have heard. Dafnis Prieto - https://youtu.be/O_aUuzMeLkM Gergo Borlai - https://youtu.be/3w0JZpaHDz4 Giovanni Hidalgo - https://youtu.be/Ne3oSLlRiZU These guys give new meaning to the phrase "talking drums"! More like singing, sometimes screamin'!;) |
My pleasure, ghosthouse. There are plenty of other drummers with highly developed technique, but that alone is no guarantee of good drumming. It is that ability in combination with musical creativity and good taste that makes Gadd the drummer he is. Another was Johnny Barbata, as I previously mentioned. He was an L.A. studio drummer who was enlisted into The Turtles, and though the other Turtles were nothing special, he was very special. Listen to his playing in "Happy Together", "She’d Rather Be With Me", and "You Know What I Mean". Really cool parts that take a fair degree of technique to play (Buddy Rich was a fan of Johnny’s). Levon Helm had a fair amount of technique, along with off-the-charts musicality, taste, and creativity. He could play a "press-roll", which Ringo has yet to learn. That’s okay, Keith Moon couldn’t play one either, but both had their own style, and did pretty well without technique! The pursuit of technique as an end unto itself can lead to a style of playing that in nothing more than the vulgar display of athletic ability. It is only in the service of making music that it has true value. |
I have thoroughly enjoyed making playlists from these suggestions. I'll add a few of my own. I see Ginger Baker is somewhat controversial but I didn't see these so I'll list them. I really like his work with Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell. I guess I like that "off beat" sound and tend to gravitate to drummers that are not just there to keep the beat.
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- 117 posts total