From Jon Christensen’s Modern Drummer feature in the early 80s: MD: What makes a drummer interesting to you? What do you look for? JC: Having watched a lot of drummers over the years, you can […]
Category: very occasional quote of the day
Very occasional quote of the day: soloing
“My idea of a drum solo is that you play like you sing. It comes from different things you listen to. And the beauty is always in the simple things.” — Kenny Clarke, from 1984 […]
Hours
The true struggle comes in the practice room, facing those drums everyday for 10 hours. — Famoudou Don Moye When I was in college I decided that, at some point in their career, everyone who […]
Very occasional quote of the day: Buddy’s time
From the bassist Chuck Bergeron who was in Buddy Rich’s band in the 80s: “One afternoon, after a couple of nights of feeling that he wasn’t happy with where I was placing the beat, I […]
Very occasional quote of the day: Motian on time
“I believe that ‘time’ is always there. I don’t mean a particular pulse, but the time itself. It’s all there somehow like a huge sign that’s up there and it says time. It’s there and […]
More Robert Henri: on technique
SOMEHOW CONNECTED: The way art and music is taught, most artists and musicians really have nothing to say. There are acres of anonymously competent junk like this in the museums in Rome, as there are millions of hours […]
Very occasional quote of the day: the abilities you have at the moment
Hey, that looks like I can do it. WHY NOT TRY IT? From The Art Spirit, by Robert Henri: An art student must be a master from the beginning; that is, he must be master […]
Very occasional quote of the day: Ndugu on talent
Another great quote from Ndugu Leon Chancler, from his 1983 Modern Drummer interview: “I think the most important thing is your attitude. There were, and still are, a lot of musicians who have more technique […]
Very occasional quote of the day: Ndugu on musicality
“I think a drummer’s success and notability are based on sensitivity as a musician—not as a drummer. I don’t even approach myself as a drummer. I’m an orchestrator. The drums are just the instrument I […]
Very occasional quote of the day: groove interference
“Coordination is a nice thing to have going, don’t get me wrong. But taken to extremes, you set up rhythmic interference instead of maintaining a groove. It’s not that you’re being too busy. It’s just […]