[Dixielandjazz] drums

[Marek Boym]

Ages ago, when synthesizers first appeared, I asked a drummer what he
would do when drums, too, become synthesized.  His answer was: "That
will never happen.  Drumming is not just about rhythm, it's a show."
Cheers

On 10/01/2008, BillSargentDrums at aol.com <BillSargentDrums at aol.com> wrote:
> Clive said
>
> <<Its an hoary old question, I know, but why is it that the great  bands of
> the
> 20's and early 30's (Oliver, Armstrong, Morton, Bix, Bechet et  al) seldom if
> ever featured drum solos (I am talking about the days of  electric
> recordings) - if they had featured drum solos when playing live,  would they
> not have recorded with said drum solos included? >>
>
> Two things,
>
> 1. For a long period of musical history, and in some prejudiced circles
> still today, the band consisted of "5 musicians and a drummer". The prejudices
> dictated that the drummer surely couldn't be a musician.
>
> Frankly, today, in many cases the reverse is now true. In many, not all,  but
> many cases the drummer is the most advanced, most musically educated
> musician in the band. Drummers for the past 3 decades have been elevating their
> skills to levels never before seen.
>
> I can tell you when a chord change or voicing is wrong. I can discuss
> musical phrasing, melodic choices. I choose my cymbal at any current moment in a
> song based upon the overtones from the cymbal matching the harmonic structure of
>  the section of the song being played at that moment. can sing you the key a
> song is usually played in, etc. etc., and I am, by far, NOT anywhere near as
> skilled as some of my contemporaries.
>
> Furthermore, in many cases a drummer today is well versed in many different
> genres of music. I wear so many different hats, musically . . . people
> pigeon-hole me in the particular genre they hear me in, usually having no clue  as
> to the other circles I travel in. And, once again, I am no-where near as  adept
> at that as some of my contemporaries.
>
> 2. You can't base the present, or the future, on the past. If that was the
> case, then none of us would be doing what we're doing now. It is highly
> irrelevant what anyone did or did not do in the 20's or 30's. If that's the  case,
> the why draw the line there. Why not the 18 or 1700's?
>
> The drum set itself is only about 100 years old. Gene Krupa brought the
> drums from the back of the band to the forefront in '38. Don't know exactly when
> singers started using a microphone.
>
> But things evolve and drummers deserve a piece of the pie just like every
> other musician. We have something to say too. That's said, there are many times
> I'm totally content with playing no solos at all and just making everyone
> else  sound good. But, when I have something to say, I like to be heard too.
>
> I guess it's a matter of taking one's eyes off one's self and being
> considerate to others . . . including the drummer.
>
>
>
> Bill
> 414-777-0100
> BillSargentBands.com
>
> Just released:  "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"
>
> Available at:  http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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