[Dixielandjazz] New Orleans Drumming & the Big Four

[John Petters]

Greetings folks,
I have been taken to task by a YouTube viewer over my Traditional Jazz 
Drumming Basics video on the press roll.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yrNJ_HpFCAo
The comment said
"u didnt mention the ' BIG 4'. ie the way the emphasis falls on the 4th 
beat of the bar. this is an important part of the feeling of new orleans 
jazz".

My ears tell me this comment is incorrect. With the pioneers early 
drummers, Dodds, Singleton, Goldston etc, the bass drum plays a steady 2 
or 4 beat.

My correspondent cited Herlin Riley as an example of what he meant. I 
checked it out

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zBvtWqpvo9Q

Herlin is accenting beat four on the bass drum to some degree. I wonder 
if this is a contemporary thing in New Orleans. I'm not convinced that 
Herlin is really at home with the early styles. Sure he can play and he 
swings, but I find  his interpretation to be somewhat sterile with his 
block work to be right on the beat and not at all like Baby Dodds or 
Bauduc with that great breadth of time.

To me there was a magic sound in those pioneer drummers from the 
Crescent City that I do not hear in todays musicians.
Observations received with interest.
-- 
John Petters
www.traditional-jazz.com
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ