Jazz for aficionados
Since you've said all I can think of to say, I've been waiting for others to comment on Joe. I would like Frogmans comments on drummers in general. I like Chico Hamiltons music, but I don't think of him as a drummer. I'm conflicted when it comes to drummers, although Joe Morello certainly set himself apart from other drummers. Another example is Blakey and "The Messengers"; is it his drumming, or maybe the other musicians that make them so fantastic. |
And if you hold any doubt, here is Exhibit B - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kx1GVYPOos I'm not a musician and am generally bored by long drum solos, but JM could sometimes be an exception. And note the respectful comments below the video. BTW, o10, I like Blakey too. And respect there goes at least as much for his ability to discover great new musicians as much as his drumming prowess. |
When I think of drumming, I think of anything that can be struck with a drumstick, a mallet, or the hand and produce a sound. Art Blakey has the ability to use all of these things, plus maybe even pots and pans to produce rhythmic beats. This is one of his early albums that incorporated various African drums; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htv_f0r6l_A Those carvings on this album cover have incited me to tell you a very interesting story. The name "Benin" has been bounced around quite a bit in Africa. The country presently named "Benin" is in reality "Dahomey", a country with a history that was so violent, no one wants any part of it; that is the Kingdom of Dahomey, the ancestral home of "Voodoo". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin Those Bronze Castings come from the real "Benin", the one all Africans would rather be associated with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin_Bronzes If you ever meet anyone from the current Benin at a party, and you mention "Dahomey"; they will get a look on their face that says, "Please, lets not go there", and I wont, but that look just told me they are completely aware of a history so violent that no one wants to talk about it, or have anything to do with the name "Dahomey" That will provide some very interesting, hair raising reading, if you care to go there. |
Shelly Mann is an interesting drummer we haven't discussed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1h8mJR6SB8 |
