So, I've recently been spending a lot of time studying music...specifically percussion. When I was a kid, I couldn't imagine there would ever been a time where I didn't play drums every day. Sure, I played guitar, piano, bass, and some other random things, but my first love has always been playing drums. I've only played drums in a few bands...most notably The Purple Waxheads, Mars Retrieval Unit, and The Leftovers. For the majority of the last 8 years though, I've rarely played drums more than 2 or 3 nites a month. After recently playing a gig behind the kit with Patrick Morales (Right Click Here, Save As...), I've gotten the itch to be playing regularly again. So, I did some looking and picked up a new drumming gig...playing with a few great musicians in a project called Matt James. It's turned out to be a lot of fun...and I'm really enjoying getting back to it. All that being said, I've been really analyzing my drumming influences and figuring out what it actually is that they do that makes me gravitate to them. So, I'm gonna try and write some of that down over the next few weeks. I will say this, I typically do not like drum solos. I prefer drumming in the context of supporting a song. I'm usually bored and unimpressed by "soloists"...I tend to gravitate towards drummers that play musically, not showy.
So, to start things off...
Steve Gadd (Click Here)
Steve was one of the first drummers I could recognize just by hearing on a record when I was young. The first thing I probably heard him play on was Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" off the album "Still Crazy After All These Years". Besides being a master of the alternating high-hat/snare paradiddle, he's got an amazing laid-back feel, and a very dark/dry drum and cymbal sound. Gadd was probably my first drumming influence, and still continues to be at the top of my list.
Here's an example of him at his finest...simple, laid back, with an amazing feel.
Steve demonstrating one of his signature grooves
Steve Gadd Grooving with the band Stuff
Up next we have Levon Helm (Click Here)
Levon is the kind of cool I always wanted to be. He has played some of the simplest, most effective drum tracks I've ever heard. There is nothing extraneous about what he does...it fits the song perfectly. He also is usually singing while playing...bonus points. I spent many, many hours as a kid trying to get my old Pearl Export drumkit to sound just like his old Ludwigs. The one thing he does that is very subtle but effective...he often switches from Hi-Hat to Ride every other line of a verse...just adds another layer of texture...never seen anyone else be able to pull that off.
Levon with The Band...Cripple Creek
Levon and The Band...The Weight
The last one for tonite is Jim Keltner (Click Here)
Jim is not really know for playing with a specific band...he's really made his way as a session drummer. He's been the first call guy for people like John Lennon, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Warren Zevon, etc...OK...I just realized all those guys are dead except Tom Petty...but I assure you that Jim is still working. His loose, slightly behind the groove feel, deep snare, and dark cymbal sounds kept me practicing for years. I would put on headphones and play along with everything of his I could get my hands on. Notice how his snare hits are just at hair behind what most people would play...that's what really gives him his sound. Here's a few examples:
Jim with the Traveling Wilburys
Jim with John Hiatt
Pick Withers (Click Here)
Pick absolutely blows me away every time I hear him. His drum and cymbals sounds are amazing...he has an amazingly light touch and a jazz feel, but mostly played in rock and roll bands (early Dire Straits albums, Bob Dylan). He apparently retired from the music biz many years ago, so there's not much info on him. He's got this under-lying swing to everything he plays...and is very tasteful in his fills. I often copy his groove at the end of Telegraph Road (see below).
Here's two tracks off the Dire Straits "Love Over Gold" album.
Probably my favorite example of his playing
Great example of tasteful fills
Jim Gordon (Click Here)
Jim was another icon for me growing up. One of the first albums that I really knew note-for-note was Derek and The Dominos "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". The backwards beat on "Bell Bottom Blues", the amazing fills on "Little Wing" and "Anyday", etc...classic 70's drumming. He also played on The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds", Mason Williams "Classical Gas", and about half the pop records from the 70's. Unfortunately, he suffered a breakdown in the 80's and has been in prison since 1984. Let's hope he gets better and is able to be released one day.
Jim with Derek and the Dominos and Delaney and Bonnie:
This backwards beat is genius...and gives the song a whole different feel
Some great shots of him at work (also a cool guitar riff and Bonnie has a killer fro)
These Delaney and Bonnie vids are great...had to include one more. Notice in this video, Delaney seems to be playing George Harrison's Rosewood Tele from the Let it Be sessions, George Harrison is playing an odd Stratocaster, and Clapton is playing a Les Paul Black Beauty...all different guitar choices than what you usually see them with.
Will Sayles (Click Here)
I know John Cable will disagree with me on this point, but I think Will is one of the best, most tasteful drummers working today. I first heard him with Over The Rhine (Ohio album and tour), and then Derek Webb, Andrew Osenga, Griffin House, Matt Kearney, etc... I have probably copied more of his riffs than anyone else. He also has had a major influence on my preferred drum/cymbal sounds recently.
Here's Will with Derek Webb:
Love the deep snare
Nice, simple groove...that's what it's all about
Glenn Kotche (Click Here)
Glenn took over the drum chair for Wilco starting with the "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" album. I personally think they could not have made that album without him. The musical approach he brought to the kit made that album for me. Also, his playing on "Sky Blue Sky" is probably my favorite drum performance on any record in the last 5 years. Be sure and check out his solo records also...some really interesting stuff.
Wilco's I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. Couldn't find the studio version of this tune online...so here's a live version...sorry for the quality (welcome to the internet)
Some of Glenn's solo work...check out that groove at 4:10...wow
Darren King (Click Here)
Darren is the drummer for one of my favorite bands, Mutemath. he is a modern day John Bonham...an absolute nut behind the kit...and a lot of fun to watch. Not much more to say other than...every once in a while I bust into a Darren King techno explosion just for fun.
Mutemath's "Typical" Music Video
Mutemath's "Chaos"...sorry for the picture...why is it that people these days do NOT understand aspect ratio?
A pretty good example of what he does best
This is probably my favorite solo drum performance ever
And the last one: Karen Carpenter (Click Here)
Karen is probably best know as being the singer for The Carpenters...but what a lot of people do not know is that she also was the drummer...until the record label decided they preferred her to be out front singing lead (which led to her fear of being in the spotlite, which led to her anorexia, which led to her tragic death). She was often quoted as saying she was a drummer first and a singer second...and she was amazing at both. Buddy Rich called her one of his favorite drummers. Enough said.
Very strange song...and poor quality recording, but check out that groove starting at 2:30
Very cheesy TV show...but great drumming starting at 1:30
Some earlier, jazzier Carpenters stuff
Long compliation video...great solo stuff starting at 8:50
So there's my main list...there are a few others...but I could go on for weeks. I do recommend looking up the works of the following drummers:
Don Henley (The Eagles), Phil Collins (Genesis, Brand X, Solo), Richie Hayward (Little Feat), Phil Jones (Tom Petty, Roy Orbison), and of course Ringo Starr (The Beatles).
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
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