Peter Erskine’s Infinity Drummers

I'm setting out to share a track a day for the next 50 days, each one highlighting a favorite drummer. Whoa, my list is already busting out ... expect track #51 on September 23! Meanwhile, here's the great Mickey Roker driving the Duke Pearson Big Band. (Other great examples of Mickey's drumming can be heard on Herbie Hancock's "Speak Like A Child" and Randy Brecker's "Score" albums ... not to mention the rest of this Duke Pearson gem ... check out "Straight Up and Down" while you're at it.)

So yesterday I announced a 50-day/50 drummers' recordings deejay thing (featuring an excellent Mickey Roker track w/ Duke Pearson's Big Band), and today I've already decided that this will be a 100 drummer/100 recordings venture ... which should take us to 11/11/2020. Neat. Day #2, and on his birthday no less, here is a terrific Airto Moreira recording that he made for CTI in the early 1970s. Happy Birthday, Airto, and thank you for SO MUCH MUSIC.

Day #3 of the 100 Drummers Tracks deejay party thing. Bill Goodwin, come on down! Pretty sure this was my introduction to your drumming (I was in high school ... hence my calling you "Mr. Goodwin" when I met you at Mr. Kelly's in Chicago when you were with Phil Woods and I was with Stan Kenton 2 or 3 years later). I love your drumming on this, Mr. Goodwin, and everything else I've ever heard you play.

Day #4 of 100 drummers a-drummin' ... and what better drummin' is there than Mel Lewis' with the Terry Gibbs Dream Band, recorded here in 1961 by Wally Heider at a club known as The Summit. What a band. What a chart. What solos. What drumming!

Day #5, 100 Drummers drummin' ... here's the great (and under-appreciated, in my opinion) Ed Shaughnessy driving the Oliver Nelson Orchestra on this most important recording, Afro-American Sketches, recorded in late 1961. Ray Barretto is playing congas and Art Davis is the bass player. I love this album.

Day #6, pick up sticks ... and some headphones, and check out Osie Johnson on "Miss Fine" with Oliver Nelson! You can hear him singing alongside his drumming ... just flat-out fun fills and rock-solid big band playing (Ed Thigpen recorded a fine version of the tune a few years later with Oliver Nelson's big band in Los Angeles). Happy Sunday, everyone.

100 Drummers. Day #7 ... the number of Steps to Heaven. The 1 and only Tony Williams.

100 Drummers. Day #8. Listen to this guy, Jack DeJohnette's great.

100 Drummers. Day #9. This track jumps to The front of the line. Allyn Robinson playing with Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders. This was recorded before Jaco joined the band. Terrific bass playing by Artie Goleniak. Eric Hochberg turned me onto this record in early 1972 when we were both students at Indiana University. He knew that Alan Pasqua and I were both into Edgar Winter's White Trash band at the time ... and I remember Eric saying to me, "What are you guys listening to that for? Check THIS out, THIS is hip." He was right. Check it out.

100 Drummers. Day # 10. Here's Shelly Manne, With some other Men. ...and, aptly enough, today (August 13) is George Shearing's birthday. There are hundreds of recordings to choose from when it comes to Shelly. The good news is that every single one of them is great, and this is one of them. Stay tuned for a pleasant surprise tomorrow. DJ Dr. Um

100 Drummers, Day #11. Yesterday we heard Shelly Manne playing this tune with George Shearing. Today, the great Earl Palmer drives this Neal Hefti big band arrangement with Frank Sinatra singing. As prolific as Earl Palmer was, listening to him never ceases to surprise or amaze me. No better way to celebrate a Friday than to listen to this. Pick Yourself Up and have a great weekend and stay safe, y'all.

100 Drummers, Day #12. Jack Sperling playing "Satin Doll" on Mancini '67, one of the great recordings of all time. Jimmy Rowles on piano, the great Ray Brown on bass ... everyone sounds wonderful on this album, and Henry Mancini's writing is, as always, superb. Enjoy!

100 Drummers, Day #13. Yesterday we heard Jack Sperling driving Hollywood's best on the Mancini '67 version of "Satin Doll." Now let's enjoy Rufus "Speedy" Jones playing the same tune on Duke's 70th Birthday Concert album, recorded "live" in England, with THE single most amazing fill and big band set-up I have ever heard (starting at around :43 ... but just listen to the whole thing!). Nice coincidence that John Clayton posted this same album yesterday ... great students of the music think alike, I guess. (John and I both went to Indiana University, along with Jeff Hamilton and Alan Pasqua, Jerry Hey, Larry Williams, Dave Slonaker, Eric Hochberg, David Derge, Susan Scofield and others!) ANYWAY ... enjoy, and stay safe and wear your masks, wash your hands, and buy some stamps while you're at it.

100 Drummers, Day #14. I received this album on Christmas morning in 1962, and it was my favorite present that year. Art Blakey's drum solo is the gift that keeps on giving, not to mention the cheerful melody as played by Solomon Ilori on penny whistle and Yusef Lateef on the flute ... plus Ahmed Abdul-Malik's incredible bass work. "Ife L'ayo (There Is Happiness in Love)" ... indeed!

100 Drummers. Day #15. Joe Morello. Take 5.

Thelonious Monk. Oliver Nelson. JOHNNY GUERIN on drums. 100 Drummers, Day # 16. (Not so many people realize that John played the drums on this album. There were no credits on the original vinyl LP, and the CD release showed him playing tambourine only. You can hear him playing here, sublimely so. John told me that he was especially proud of this recording.) Dig it.

Day # 17 of the 100 Drummers playlist. How to choose one Grady Tate track from the hundreds of recordings he made? IMPULSE-ively, that's how. Here he is playing the Oliver Nelson arrangement of the Dave Brubeck theme from the short-lived TV show, "Mr. Broadway." Enjoy.

100 Drummers, Day #18. Bill Lavorgna really shines on this Pat Williams arrangement of Neal Hefti’s “Girl Talk.” Phil Ramone’s recording sparkles, as does the entire band. All of Pat’s albums are a joy to listen to. Dick Hyman does the calliope honors here. Light and hope and love, folks.

100 Drummers, Day #19. Every drummer I know from my generation considers Harold Jones' playing on the "Basie Straight Ahead" album as being the Bible when it comes to big band drumming. Equally wonderful is how he propels the Basie band here on this recording of Frank Foster's "Shiny Stockings."

100 Drummers, Day #20. The very much unsung drummer Jerry McKenzie ("Detroit Jerry"), who made a series of recordings with Stan when he was quite young, and who defined much of the Kenton drumming ethos or style. Jerry did 2 stints with Stan's band, the second one just before I happened to join in 1972. I learned a lot by listening to his drumming, and his easy-to-understand set-ups and fills belie how sophisticated and technically proficient he was as a drummer, in my opinion. Always a fan of Jerry.

100 Drummers, Day #21. You Gotta Have Hart. BILLY HART.

100 Drummers, Day #22. Eddie Marshall. Recorded when he was all of nineteen years old, check out "When You Meet Her" (the first track of the album) and stay for the entire album listen ... great playing, too, by Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charlie Mariano and Gene Cherico. I became a huge Eddie Marshall fan as a kid thanks to this recording, and only became more of a fan when I heard the first Fourth Way album in high school.

100 Drummers, Day #23. Joe Chambers playing "Herzog" with Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Chick Corea and Reggie Johnson on Bobby's album "Total Eclipse." Recorded in 1968. Sounds as fresh today as ever.

Okay! 100 Drummers, Day #24. Inspired by Jay Burrid Mitthauer's posting on my page this morning, let's dig on the great Louis Hayes playing "Dizzy's Business" with Cannonball Adderly's Sextet, recorded live in New York at the Village Vanguard. The hook-up between Louis and bassist Sam Jones is a wondrous thing. Joe Zawinul wrote the arrangement.

Have a swingin' Thursday, my friends.

100 Drummers, Day #25. Max Roach. We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.

100 Drummers, Day #26. Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. So many recordings to choose from. Ever since I first heard him playing on a Gabor Szabo album (a wonderful oddity titled "Jazz Raga"), if Purdie's name was on an LP, I bought it (pretty much all through high school, those years when music can make such a strong impression). Not sure why but this selection seems as apt as any today. Great writing by Gary McFarland, and great playing by all involved. Everyone stay safe and remember that Black Lives Matter.

100 Drummers, Day #27. Bill Cobham. This is short, sweet and different from everything else I've been posting...Billy is playing the piano here, accompanying his long-time musical pal Randy Brecker.

I was aware of drummer/composers Max Roach and Shelly Manne (and would later discover the writing talents of Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette), but this short song really spoke to me (I was playing in Stan Kenton's band at the time): it was an example as well as invitation to the dance and calling the tune. And I would follow Billy's example and record with Randy on multiple occasions (my first album, plus Motion Poet and Sweet Soul ... and many other projects over the years, including Jaco and Bob Mintzer, plus the WDR Big Band). Anyway, back to Billy. He proved to be such a strong influence on my playing that I had to go Cobhams Anonymous for a while. But he remains a positive role model and I'll always be grateful for his unbelievable drumming, and for his pursuit of compositional and photographic excellence! (Nobody, and I mean *nobody* did what William Cobham was able to do on the drums. He was a game-changer.)

So, with all of that said, here's one minute of Billy playing the piano. Happy Sunday, all. Black Lives Matter.

100 Drummers. Day #28 (Monday, August 31, 2020). Mike Clark. It does not get much funkier than this. Mike’s a total swinger, too. Jazz is the source. Black American Music. I’m posting this early so you can all start your Monday off right. p.s. yeah, Mike. p.p.s check out the tuning of the drums.

100 Drummers. Day #29. Yesterday I posted Mike Clark and the band he shared with bassist Paul Jackson, The Headhunters. Here's a fun track from Harvey Mason's first solo album, "Marching in the Street," where he pairs up with his old Herbie Hancock bandmate Paul Jackson, Herbie et al plus a nice horn section. Speaking of drummer/composers, I believe that Harvey penned this funky and clever little ditty, "Hop Scotch."

100 Drummers. Day #30. Speaking of drummer/composers, here's one of my very favorites: Bob Wilson. We first met when his band was known as "Ox," whose members included several Indiana University alums and our paths crossed, first in Arizona and then in Honolulu. Ox would go on to become Seawind. Here is a cut from their first album featuring vocalist Pauline Wilson and Jerry Hey on flugelhorn... kudos to Larry Williams who played keyboards and tenor saxophone. The entire band was great and their fans are legion. Bob is a sublime drummer. (Harvey Mason produced their first 2 albums on CTI.)

100 Drummers. Day #31. Ndugu Chancler. Here is a song he wrote for George Duke's "I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry" album, featuring Ndugu, George Duke and bassist Byron Miller. This album was my introduction to Ndugu. The man's musical legacy is incredible (Miles Davis, Weather Report, Michael Jackson), and he mentored and inspired countless young musicians over the years. We miss him at the Thornton School of Music at USC. I'm happy that he is being inducted into this year's Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. Black Lives Matter.

100 Drummers, Day #32 ... almost 1/3 of the way through. Don't know about you, but I'm feeling the very strong need for some very strong beauty right about now. And what could be more beautiful than this? "We Kiss in a Shadow" by Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones.

100 Drumers. Day #33. Frankie Dunlop. Maynard. Oleo. Birdland. (Zawinul on piano)

100 Drummers. Day #34. We've Got A World That Swings. Tony Inzalaco with Maynard Ferguson. This is some perfect big band drumming right here, folks.

100 Drummers. Day #35. Joe Cocuzzo ... driving the Gary McFarland Orchestra in concert, recorded in Lincoln Center back in 1966. Great band. "Winter Colors" (on such a blistery day)... The album is titled "Profiles." The titles of this three-part suite are: a. An Early Morning Winter Stroll b. Grey Afternoon c. January Jubilee The musicians are: Gary McFarland – vibraphone, marimba, arranger, conductor; Bill Berry, John Frosk, Bernie Glow, Joe Newman, Clark Terry - trumpet, flugelhorn; Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Cleveland – trombone; Bob Northern - french horn; Jay McAllister - tuba; Phil Woods - alto saxophone, clarinet; Jerry Dodgion - alto saxophone, clarinet, flute; Zoot Sims - tenor saxophone, clarinet; Richie Kamuca - tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, english horn; Jerome Richardson - baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, piccolo; Sam Brown, Gábor Szabó - guitar; Richard Davis - bass; Joe Cocuzzo – drums; Tommy Lopez - percussion

100 Drummers. Day #36. ‘Philly’ Joe Jones. My first experience hearing Philly Joe Jones was the Gretsch Night at Birdland album on the tune “Wee Dot” where he plays in duet with Art Blakey. But “Tenor Madness” remains my favorite Philly Joe track. Like always, his playing is perfect ... but it’s even extra more way special perfect, somehow, with John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Red Garland and yesterday’s birthday hero Sonny Rollins as heard here. Enjoy and Happy Tuesday, world.

100 Drummers. Day #37. Not being clever enough to check the calendar while doing this, I'm missing some opportunities to match drummers to their birthdates. But I think that Elvin would approve of us all listening to Shadow Wilson with the Count Basie Orchestra today, playing one of the most famous and fabulous drum breaks ever recorded. This YouTube version with a 78 rpm disk is especially great. For your listening and dancing pleasure! Happy Birthday to Elvin Jones. Black Lives Matter.

100 Drummers. Day #38. Vernel Fournier. Poinciana. Ahmad Jamal and Israel Crosby. Magic.

The 100 Drummers listening series will resume tomorrow.

100 Drummers. Day #39. Chick Webb. Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away). Louie Bellson told me, “this was the source for all of us.” I came to it late. Jon Faddis set me straight. Thank you, Jon. Thank you, Louie. Thank you, Chick.

100 Drummers. Day #40. Andre Arpino. Michel Colombier's "Wings." A masterpiece of composition, orchestration, production and playing. The rhythm section and orchestra tracks were recorded separately in France, and the additional horn section played their parts in Hollywood (led by the indefatigable Chuck Findley). The vocals were also recorded in L.A. at A&M. The link here plays the first 8-and-a-half minutes of this opus, but I hope you will find the time and inclination to listen to the entire work. Arpino's drumming is nothing short of a revelation (and dig the sound of his drums). 1971. Happy Sunday, all.

100 Drummers. Day #41. Dannie Richmond. Charles Mingus. Pre Bird. “Prayer for Passive Resistance” Every track on this album is great. The synergy between the bass and drums is a thing of constant beauty. Happy Monday, y’all.

100 Drummers. Day #42. Roy McCurdy. So many tracks to choose from, here’s something that not only captures the zeitgeist of the times when it was recorded (1970), it also speaks to us today AND it shows where Weather Report was coming from. I love this man and his drumming and am proud to be his colleague in the USC Thornton Jazz Studies program at the University of Southern California. He’s not just a great swinger, he was an essential ingredient AND a chef of the jazz-soul movement ... and is a role model on how to be a human being. Quick story: at a not-so recent drummers’ lunch (with Jeff Hamilton, Joseph La Barbera, Stan Keyawa, Bill Selditz, Paul Kreibich & Peter Donald), one or the other of us was talking about a gig we had done at the Montmartre Jazz House in Copenhagen (which, unfortunately, has just closed its doors at last report) ... anyway, talking about the gig and mentioning the artist played with, etc., when Roy quietly volunteers that he first played at the Montmartre in 1961. So, of course, one of us asked, “Who was that with, Roy?” “Bud Powell.” “... uh, WAITER, more bread, please ...” Ladies and Gentlemen: for your listening and dancing pleasure, AND on Cannonball Adderly’s birthday no less, the great Roy McCurdy.

100 Drummers. Day #43. Gary Chester. Known by many as the author of "The New Breed," as well as by the handy reference of being the "East Coast Hal Blaine." Gary was a jazz drummer who became one of the busiest studio drummers ever in New York. Not too many videos to be found of him but plenty of recorded evidence of his legacy, including this track from the Burt Bacharach album "Reach Out." Check out his perfect drumming on the title tune, including this uncanny cross-stick to multiple bass drum 8th-notes transition (the first time at :52) that's simply wonderful. Dave Weckl formally studied with Gary ... I studied with Gary from afar without even knowing his name until years later. That's Marvin Stamm playing the trumpet or flugelhorn.

100 Drummers. Day #44. Donald McDonald. Gone way too soon (check him out with Mike Mainieri's pioneering "White Elephant" band that had both Donald and a very young Steve Gadd playing the drums). But to the record at hand: Mike Mainieri's "Insight" with the maestro playing vibes, Joe Beck on guitar and Lyn Christie on the bass. Here is the entire album, and it's very much worth a listen.

100 Drummers. Day #45. Dee Barton was a trombonist, composer and drummer, wearing all three of those hats with Stan Kenton. Stan and Capitol Records wisely showcased Dee's writing and drumming on this album, along with a roaring edition of the Kenton band that featured two very modern and stunning soloists, saxophonist Ray Reed and John Daversa's dad trumpeter Jay Daversa.

There's a moment in this composition that always struck me as (for lack of a better term) "that which must be expressed" and this morning I realized that the bridge of this tune is "Milestones." Dee got Stan to play Milestones!

100 Drummers. Day #46. Roger Humphries. His playing is so good and perfect for the song and moment that you could take it for granted if you weren’t paying attention. I was one of those listeners who enjoyed the music of Horace Silver for years without properly paying attention ... like, grateful for the mail coming every day but not thinking about the person making the delivery.

Roger Humphries always delivers.

100 Drummers. Day #47. Ed Thigpen. Incessant swing from the ultimate gentleman drummer. With Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson. Of course.

100 Drummers. Day #48. Al Foster. I used to think it was wild that there were two great drummers, both of them named Al Foster: the one who played with Miles Davis, and the other one who played with Blue Mitchell, Horace Silver, et al. Blew my mind when I realized that he was one and the same and that there's only one Al Foster, who continues to blow my mind every time I hear him play.

Here's a delightful track, and "this could be the start of something big" this week. Stay tuned for the fun.