[Dixielandjazz] Drum article

[Kurt]

Steve,

My favorite section from the Jeff Fitzgerald (Genius) article is, "Who can
say when the art of drumming began? I can, for one. For my money, it began
at Carnegie Hall in 1938, when Gene Krupa snapped his nervous bandmates out
of their stage fright with a cacophonous drum break and helped usher jazz
into a new era of respectability. It also began a long, proud tradition of
erratic behavior by drummers."

Kurt

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of Stephen
Barbone
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 10:57 AM
To: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Drums & Bass in Jazz 1945 on - Timekeeper?


List mates: John Petters said:

>Are you saying Max Roach, Kenny Clarke or Art
>Blakey took their time from the bass player?

No, I am not. They did, however, set the stage for later drummers to
cede time to other instruments.

>and then said: "All things are possible with jazz -
>hence any instrumentation will work if played with
>the right attitude". and

Yes indeed. For a humorous and mind expanding article on Drums (after
Krupa 1938) and Bass (Starting with Milt Hinton) list mates might enjoy
the article on the below website. John Petters, you will enjoy the
remarks about Krupa. And therein starts a reference to modern bass being
the timekeeper in some groups

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/articles/humr1101.htm

Also, for an interesting experience, listen to a piano player who
dictates the time, with the drummer following each time and rhythm
change the piano makes, listen to pianist Cecil Taylor's trio recording
(1962?). He is accompanied by Jimmy Lyons on Alto, and Sunny Murray on
Drums. In it, Taylor's percussive piano sets the time and rhythm,
Murray's drumming follows the piano lead on the time/rhythm changes.

Warning, this is Avant Guard Jazz at the beginning and not for all
people. IMO it is the genesis of the abandonment of fixed tempo in jazz.
It is a startling example of how a piano can set the time and rhythm for
the drummer. The tempo changes with no fixed pattern, as a result of the
energy coming from Taylor's piano on the spur of the moment. I have this
on an old tape and don't know the album information, however it was
recorded in Denmark circa 1962 if you are interested.

Also, a note on Basie's Band which had impeccable time and swung like
crazy. During the 10 years that Sonny Payne was his drummer, time, if
kept by Payne, would have been inconsistent and Basie would not have
swung. Payne was an indifferent time keeper, but a great accenter, great
fills, a great showman.

What saved the time and the ability of that band to swing, and Swing it
did, was Freddie Green's guitar, Basie himself and the bass player.
They, or one of them, kept the time.

Thelonious Monk also had a way of rescuing tempo when drummer or
bassist, or whomever started to falter. He would simply block chord them
back into tempo.

Cheers
Steve Barbone


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