[Dixielandjazz] Rushing

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Drummers can wreck a bands tempo and he is probably the most important time 
keeper but certainly not the only one.  Monk was right that there is a tempo 
that rhythm players want to play at and sometimes it's hard to get their 
attention or to get them to change.  Hammering out block chords may be a way 
but it sounds bad and maybe worse than the rushing.

Horn players do rush but only if the rhythm section lets them.  I still 
maintain that horn players aren't the problem if the rhythm section is 
solid.

Rhythm players have to be leaders not followers.

Speaking of  section playing and not soloists in the rhythm section. 
Leaders lead by volume in that section.  The loudest guy wins..... the 
driver is the biggest guy ...... if someone is rushing or dragging or doing 
something else and the section is suffering I would bet that whoever it is 
he is the loudest.  Get him to play softer and take away the power to drive 
the section.  If you are lucky he will get p++++d off and quit.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 10:02 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Rushing


> Thelonious Monk believed that drummers were the culprits in either 
> rushing or dragging. He would tell you that your job (the other  players) 
> was to make the drummer sound good.
>
> He felt drummers had two speeds at which they like to play and would  take 
> the tempo to one of them if your didn't correct them. He was a  master at 
> putting the tempo back to where he wanted it. He would  simply play 
> percussive block chords in tempo until the drummer  followed him.
>
> One of the bands I play in as a side man has a banjo that drags, and a 
> piano that rushes. The trumpet also rushes. It is a challenge. <grin>
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
>
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