[Dixielandjazz] DRUMMERS!!!!

[Bill Gunter]

Hi boys and girls,

My man, Steve Barbone quotes Ben Ratliff as saying:

>. . . drummers both centralize jazz and fan it out . . . all the major 
>innovations in jazz style emerge through the rhythm section.

Makes me quietly proud to be a washboard player.

I recently listened to the CD that has the music from the musical "Chicago." 
- It's in my car stereo. That recording is a perfect example of how the 
drums can drive a band.

Probably has something to do with the fact that our basic rhythms 
(heartbeats, for example) predispose us to respond to the beat. It even 
accounts for the popularity of Rap as an art form (whether we like it or 
not).

I would even extend Ratliff's thesis a bit and claim that ALL music began 
with primitive instruments that you had to beat.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Thimbles" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com

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