[Dixielandjazz] Big Four in New Orleans drumming.

[David Richoux]

Thanks, Steve!

For all the years I have been playing in, and playing recordings of  
New Orleans Brass Bands I had not heard of the exact term "Big 4"  
until this discussion started on TubeNet...

Dave RIchoux

On Jul 16, 2009, at 1:16 PM, Stephen G Barbone wrote:

>
>> David Richoux <tubaman at tubatoast.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> This question came up over on the TubeNet list and no really
>> satisfactory answers have been found, so I thought I would ask the
>> experts!
>>
>> Wynton Marsalis seems to give two very different meanings to the term
>> - in this video clip: http://jazz.learnhub.com/lesson/10127-what-is-the-big-four-beat
>> he is talking about the Buddy Bolden Band synchopated bass line
>> through a song,
>>
>> but in this lesson he seems to be talking just about the 1 2 3 4 beat
>> of the bass drum as part of the roll-off to a song:
>> http://www.weboschools.org/webo/staff/hiseyba/generalmusic/ 
>> lesson1.pdf
>>
>> Any other ideas or references, anybody? Not a lot turning up on web
>> searches nor in my New Orleans Brass Band / New Orleans Jazz  
>> reference
>> books (although I have not done an extensive study yet...)
>
> Hi Dave:
>
> Here is what Wynton Marsalis quoting Danny Barker said about "big  
> four" when interviewed by Dr. Billy Taylor  on one of Taylor's NPR  
> programs . . . Billy Taylor's Jazz.
>
> Dr. Taylor inquires about the importance of the famous New Orleans  
> bass drum beat as the foundation of the local style. Marsalis shares  
> a lesson from Barker, who explained, "Now, this bass drum is the key  
> to our whole music". He emphasized the "conversation" between the  
> drumbeat and responding cymbal crash on the first three beats. On  
> the fourth beat (known as the "big four"), the two are hit together.  
> According to Barker, "when they 'talk' together, that's the most  
> important point".
>
> For the rest of the article, see:
> http://www.npr.org/programs/btaylor/archive/marsalis_w.html
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>