[Dixielandjazz] drums

[Jim Kashishian]

>I am really allergic to drum solos. Why is it that audiences always go
bananas after the drummer has beaten the s*** out of everything surrounding
him - has a drum solo *anything* to do with music or merely an athletic
exercise ?? I vote for the latter, with due apologies to my (few) drummer
friends !!
Clive Smith in New York


Clive, It's just a fact of life.  People love a loud, wild drum solo.  A
drum solo can be, though, a musical thing.  Other musicians in the band will
be able to follow where a drummer is in the actual song during his drum
solo...if the drummer is a musician, also (of course!).  The melody line can
even be played out by a clever drummer.

I translated (into Spanish) for a drum clinic given by Joe Morello years
ago. Your question, Clive ("has a drum solo *anything* to do with music")
can be answered with a big yes.  Just takes the right drummer. 

However, is that what an audience loves to hear?  Nope!  The more bashing &
more crashing that goes on, the more they seem to love it.

Our drummer, a Madrid Music Conservatory graduate in percussion & a teacher
at the conservatory now, mixes the two.  He does his "arty" bits, then
usually tosses in a bit of bashing to the crowd's delight.  When he doesn't,
I feel he has let the crowd down.  Educate AND entertain is a good rule.

Personally, I think an OKOM drummer's solo should be held down to just
several choruses, but it doesn't usually work out that way, and then it can
sound like an athletic exercise to some.  Trading 4s (4 bars band or someone
in the band, and 4 bars drums) is a nice way to get around the "that was too
long" problem.

A drummer can help a lot in a band just by having an enjoyable look on his
face.  I'm not talking clowning, just look like he's enjoying himself.  He
is lucky because his mouth isn't covered by a mouthpiece & can transmit the
fun in the music with facial expressions.  This is very useful during solos,
but seems to be a general no-no amongst drummers.  Don't know why!

But, then, I'm a trombonist....so, shouldn't probably be making comments.

Jim