[Dixielandjazz] Listening to Live Drummers who Listen

[Stephen Barbone]

A while back I said that I spend most of my listening time these days,
listening to musicians who are alive, not dead. Basically, because I
listened to all the dead guys years ago, extensively, and many of them
were alive then. At age 70, there are no surprises in listening to them
over and over, except for Louis Armstrong once in a while to marvel
again at his genius.

The recent thread on drummers "who listen", is a case in point, Guys
like Howard Kadison, John Petters, Joe Ascione et al really listen to
the chord changes as well as to what the musicians are doing with them
in ensemble or solo. I listen to them, as well as to Bill Sergeant who
is that kind of drummer also, and to Johnny Blowers who was there from
1930 on and is still playing.

There are two other live drummers that I love to hear.

First one is a "complete jazz man".  Roy Haynes. He is a young 78 years
old and got his start with the Luis Russell Orchestra in 1945, and later
played with most of the GIANTS of the music. Not too many people left
playing these days whose pedigree goes that far back toward the roots.
And yes, he listens.

Pianist McCoy Tyner said: "The thing that sets Roy apart from other
musicians is that he listens so well. He teaches you to listen carefully
and to respond accordingly, to put things into perspective, not simply
go out for yourself. He can do this in a quiet fashion accompanying
singers or with those loose, powerful polyrhythms of his that are so
magnificent."

One thing Haynes does exquisitely well is make that seamless shift from
drumming the bar lines to interacting more freely with the horns as both
he and they improvise. He makes you realize that there is more to time
and bar lines with drumming, there is also space.

For a real treat, hear him play "listening" drums live. (he plays 50
gigs a year all over the world with much younger musicians) Or catch him
on "Swing Easy", a record with Sarah Vaughn from 1954, or on "Sarah
Vaughn With Clifford Brown" also from around that time. He was Sassy's
drummer for 5 or 6 years. Marvelous.

The other drummer is a young man from a musical family. Ed. Metz Jr.
Some of us have heard him at various OKOM festivals and most of us in
the USA know his Dad, Ed Metz Sr. I even think Sr, a swinging pianist,
has 40 songs or so, in the Charlie Anderson Fake book and may even
collect a royalty or two now and then.

Jr. is a listening drummer. A while back Sr and I were talking about Jr
and what a wonderful drummer/musician he was. Sr then related a story
about when they were recording together, the band felt the take was
fine, but Jr. said,  "No you guys missed a minor 3rd in bar so and so."
What? They played the take back, and sure as heck, there was the blown
chord. Yes, I would say that Ed Metz Jr. is a drummer who hears the
changes.

Not only that but he also understands time and space, and accents. He
plays extremely well.

Since by now I understand the roots, these are the drummers I listen to
because, this is where the future of Jazz is.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. I think the Metz's have, or are just about to release a new CD. I'll
get the details from Sr and post them. Suggest you get it if you are a
fan of current OKOM.

PPS. HAPPY MARDI GRAS.