[Dixielandjazz] The Turkish Drummer

[BillSargentDrums at aol.com]

The Turkish Drummer 

A  Turkish drummer has had a lifelong ambition to visit America to study jazz 
drumming with his  idols. In order to earn enough money for the venture he 
has joined 'Abdul  Ahmed's Club Date Band,' which specializes in Turkish folk 
music and is much  renowned in the circuit of well-paid society gigs. 

After saving up  enough money he leaves the band and moves to New York where 
he takes private lessons from  his favorite drummers, Steve Gadd and Elvin 
Jones.  

After two years of hard study and penniless, he returns to Turkey, where 
necessity once again forces  him to join the famous Abdul Ahmed. Eager to show off 
his recently acquired jazz  licks, the drummer crams every available space in 
the arrangements with fills  and breaks of astonishing complexity, displaying 
all of  his breathtaking technique. 

After enduring an hour of deafening  pyrotechnics, Abdul Ahmed approaches the 
drummer during the intermission and  takes him to one side. 

"You know, I think what you are doing is very  nice. Very, very nice," he 
says smiling patiently, "but all we need here is a  simple backbeat on seven and 
thirteen."