It's early April here in Berks County and the long winter is
finally yielding to spring's gentle advances.
But spring's much appreciated arrival also means the beginning of a
Berks County tradition, Jazz Fest. With
the scintillating sounds filling the air of our small county it's hard not to
get captivated by its allure. I had been
floating the idea of taking a month to listen to the work of the drummers
presented in "The Great Jazz Drummers." Since Jazz Fest is on, there would seem there
is no better time to start than now!
Before I get started with this journey through the Mount
Olympus of jazz I wanted to get some of my feelings about the genre on
paper. Most musicians have cut their
teeth by playing along to their favorite albums and it's an important part of
the growth of any musician. It gives the
young musician a chance to test his chops in a musical setting, and "fill
the spot" of one of his influences.
Even as one grows past the basics as a musician playing along with
records can be a way to open your mind to new possibilities.
Despite, or maybe because of, my admiration for jazz I have
never played along with a jazz record. There
is something almost otherworldly about the playing of greats like Elvin Jones,
Philly Joe Jones, Buddy Rich, Tony Williams and others (This doesn't even cover
those outside of the drumming spectrum.)
These are the giants whose shoulder we as drummers stand upon, and these
records are the hallowed grounds on which they made their mark.
Listening to these records is, in a way, like walking through a place with historical significance. They say if you walk through a place like
Gettysburg or Lambeau Field you can feel the gravitas of events that have
happened there. Since jazz is generally an
improvised art form when you listen to a record it's capturing a moment that
will never happen again, no matter how many times that song is played. When I listen to a record featuring Elvin, or
Philly Joe, or any of the greats I can feel the spirit of the player and the
moment exuding from the record.
So attempting to play along with these tracks, to interject
myself into that moment, is something I
find completely daunting. As much as I
understand the benefit of playing along to records, I feel it is almost
arrogant to try to interject myself into that moment. These songs are the playground in which some
of the greatest musicians of all time came together to play. Much like children in a playground the sheer imagination
and ingenuity creates some truly special moments.
Which leads me to what I'm hoping to get out of this little
experience. By listening to all these
drummers I'm hoping to get a better understanding of jazz drumming and the
players that shaped the instrument. To
me jazz drumming is one of those rare things that the more I understand the
more magical it becomes.
