On drums...

No, David, not really any other instruments. I have flirted with the piano on occasion and I enjoy it although I don't own one. I owned a bass for a while but that was a non-starter.

In most great music, and this includes rock, first hearing is not necessarily first liking. And some of what might be, or is said to be, great music never improves. I am opposed to the psychotic beehive approach to jazz, and I'm vehemently opposed to most modern "classical" that seems to embrace angst as the proper response to everything. I noted the value Munch's Scream just brought at auction. Stupid, and who wants that in their living room? "Honey, the world seems a little chaotic today. Why don't we have a look at our Munch?" I think it is an interesting painting in its time and as a singularity, but if I had painted it, it would not be hanging on my wall.

I can certainly relate to the state of liking something more the better one gets at it. And I wonder, now that you mention it, if my liking (or not) for jazz is not directly related to my hands being able to relate to what the drummer is doing. I have non-musicain friends who love jazz. I have no musician friends who can't play jazz but love it. As a musician, if you love jazz it would seem that you would pursue it, but there is about this a little of the old chicken-and-egg.

I believe that jazz is a more demanding language than rock. Rock is the common music, and that is the beauty of it. As I said, hit 2 and 4 and you've got it, add a bit of style and the world is yours. While one can add much more to the mix, it isn't necessary to convey the message, whereas jazz requires, at a minimum, understanding of rudiments, time and its divisions, syncopation, and dynamics.

What intimidates me is the vast body of jazz about which I know almost nothing, because I think that one needs to be educated in the form in order to play the genre well. But then I would have to want to listen to it, which I don't... or I'm not very adventurous in my listening habits... or something.

Whatever I'm going through is like a birth. There's a lot of pain involved.

_________________
Gregory

I would not try let the "vast body" part overwhelm you. Most great players that I've heard do clinics or teaching have said to find 3 or 4 cds (or 1 or 2?) that you really like and can relate to and learn them well. Listen to them. Play along with them. Transcribe them (if you're up for it). Try to figure out what it is about that recording or band that speaks to you. And that can spawn a huge growth all its own.

For instance, I know that for a lot of Tony William's fanatics that cd was Miles Davis' "Four and More". That cd was also one that Pat Metheny used to say was on his top "4 or 5" list. For me, it has been more modern cds (I like the hi-fidelity better) that have a nice variety of tunes (swing, 3/4, bossa, ballads, etc.) in varied tempos that are sometimes very challenging, but that don't make me tense up too much. And that force me to pull out the brushes once an hour too!


No pain, no gain. I just made that one up.

- D.

Thanks for the encouragement and pointers, David.


I know you did, and it shows a great flare for language.

_________________
Gregory

Wow.
3 pages on Jazz




Kidding aside. It's actually very good reading from both of yous. "Both of you" for the rednecks.

_________________
Gregory

Philly Joe Jones in Cuba:

_________________
Gregory

Yup - that's a 12" deep bass drum... They sound quite interesting actually...

_________________
Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!