What's in your CDP tonight? the minority report

Dizzy Gilliespie

Hello Loomis...OK.  Well, I watched the Baker/Blakey "drum battle".  With all due respect, I couldn't pick a clear cut "winner" there.  Not to my mind anyway.  Even if Blakey gets the edge overall, I didn't think Baker got humiliated.  I'm not a drummer though so I'll defer to those that know more...just expressing my opinion.  I was impressed by Art.  I knew the name but that's it.  Some of the rolls he did were outright ferocious.  Lot of sound from a smallish kit too, I thought.  He used an awful lot of cymbal though...not my preference.  Maybe give him a bit of an edge on variety.  Rhythmically, I found Baker's playing a little more complex but also thought he was more repetitious than Blakey.  Differences in styles for sure...seemed like Art had the lighter hands.  Baker more of a rock feel.  (If I were blindfolded, can't swear I'd say that - but that's how it seemed).    BTW - wish the video quality were better.  Hard to make out facial expressions clearly.  Found it interesting how intently AB and GB watched one another...esp.GB on Art.  Couldn't tell if AB's look was boredom, disdain or what...video quality was just not that great.  It WAS interesting stuff.  Thanks for bringing it up.  I will check out the Elvin Jones/Ginger Baker video too.

gh, thanks for checking it out. i don't really disagree with your analysis--my own sense (not being a drummer either) was that baker tends to default to that same sorta tribal/african rhythm while blakey shows a much wider dynamic range and in general, seemed to have supreme mastery--i.e. he  shifts from cool to frenzied in a heartbeat. i was probably being unfair to baker earlier--he's still a great rock drummer--but since he's generally regarded as the spawn of satan i won't apologize in person.

Loomis - I enjoy reading other viewpoints...especially articulate, well-presented ones like yours, that don't take on a condescending, pissy tone (yours don't).  

"baker tends to default to that same sorta tribal/african rhythm"...I think I agree with you on this.  It's like a trademark or something of his and what I was getting at when I said "repetitious".  

Have to say I give points to Blakey for having stayed (and, I assume, made his fortune) in jazz...rather than bailing to pursue (easier?) commercial success in rock.  

What would be really great in those videos is have some knowledgeable commentator break it all down...e.g., from 0:52-0:75 Art is using this and this to do that and that.  He's playing in double X time until 0:67 when he changes to XYZ, etc., etc..  Not a critique so much as a musical analysis.  
Spawn of satan...hmm.  Certainly a wee bit of a misanthrope!  He and Jack could make the sparks fly.

OK.  Later.