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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hi all,<BR><BR>Bill "I believe in drums" Gunter
wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><EM>A drummer is much more than color and flourish AND, by
the way, color and <BR>flourish is a hot thing and EXTREMELY important in jazz
and not simply an <BR>idea which is tossed out as "merely . . . colour and
flourish."</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I fully agree. Most of the jazz world have
heard the banjo/washboard jokes but I did not appreciate till recently that
some people think "banging" the drums is just a noise (or akin to bagpipes as a
missing link between noise and music) and not engineroom "hot music". We
have a drummer friend in Sydney who's business card reads "musician's labourer"
(which could readily be adapted for banjo/washboard players) - available for
gigs and he obviously means it as a joke but apparently its not, for some
people. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I also agree with the heartbeat comments about
the bass but as the drums were being "knocked" at the time I went to their
aid. Previous drum comments apply to the full seven piece concert
stage line up or for dancing audiences such as the Cocanut Grove in Santa
Cruz or the Hot and Cool jazz festival in Portland, Oregon. We always
announce a free CD for the first couple up on the floor and it sets the night
off for both band and audience - it would be hopelessly inadequate without
a drummer (e.g. Tuxedo Junction). I agree that for smaller groups and
venues the drums would be one of the first to go where the band is often
relegated to almost background listening. Like most bands, and for
the purposes of earning a living, the Sydney-Zenith have quartets/trios within
the group which even as piano/manager I usually decline to play in because
I get my kicks from ensemble playing, filling in spaces within the
large full group sound.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Tom "no charts" Wood</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><A
href="mailto:zenith@ans.com.au">zenith@ans.com.au</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><A
href="http://www.ans.com.au/~zenith">www.ans.com.au/~zenith</A></FONT></DIV>
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