Peter Erskine’s Infinity Drummers

Infinity Drummers. Day #385.

John Bonham

"Kashmir"

Physical Graffiti / Led Zeppelin (1975)

"Kashmir" is, undoubtedly, the big kahuna when it comes to rock drumming, Zeppelin and John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham. The power, sound, simplicity and sophistication of the drumbeat all combine to make it "legend." Included on their sixth album Physical Graffiti (1975), it was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant with contributions from John Bonham over a period of three years with lyrics dating to 1973.

According to Wikipedia, "Page recorded a demo version with drummer Bonham late in 1973, when John Paul Jones was late for the recording sessions. Plant later added lyrics and a middle section; in early 1974, Jones added orchestration. Page and Plant had previously travelled to Mumbai in 1972; they worked there with various Indian musicians, gaining production ideas during the re-recordings of "Four Sticks" and "Friends". Session players were brought in for the string and horn sections for "Kashmir" and Jones added a Mellotron.

"The lyrics were written by Plant in 1973 immediately after Led Zeppelin's 1973 US tour. None of the group members had visited Kashmir. Instead, Plant was inspired during a drive through a desolate desert area of southern Morocco.

"All four members of Led Zeppelin have agreed that "Kashmir" is one of their best musical achievements. John Paul Jones suggested that it showcases all of the elements that made up the Led Zeppelin sound. Led Zeppelin archivist Dave Lewis comments: Unquestionably the most startling and impressive track on Physical Graffiti, and arguably the most progressive and original track that Led Zeppelin ever recorded. 'Kashmir' went a long way towards establishing their credibility with otherwise skeptical rock critics. Many would regard this track as the finest example of the sheer majesty of Zeppelin's special chemistry.

"John Henry Bonham was born on 31 May 1948, in Redditch, Worcestershire, England, to Joan and Jack Bonham. He began learning to play drums at age five, making a kit of containers and coffee tins, imitating his idols Max Roach, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich. His mother gave him a snare drum when he was 10. He received his first drum kit, a Premier Percussion set, from his father at age 15. Bonham never took formal drum lessons, although he received advice from other Redditch drummers. While at school, between 1962 and 1963, Bonham joined the Blue Star Trio and Gerry Levene & the Avengers.

"... After leaving school in 1964, he worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter between drumming for local bands. In 1964, Bonham joined his first semi-professional band, Terry Webb and the Spiders, and met his future wife, Pat Phillips, around the same time. He played in other Birmingham bands such as The Nicky James Movement and The Senators, which made a single, "She's a Mod", in 1964. Bonham took up drumming full-time. Two years later, he joined A Way of Life. After the band's demise, Bonham joined a blues group called Crawling King Snakes, whose lead singer was Robert Plant.

"In 1967, Bonham agreed to return to A Way of Life while keeping in touch with Plant. Plant formed Band of Joy and chose Bonham as the drummer. The band recorded demos but no album. In 1968, American singer Tim Rose toured Britain and asked Band of Joy to open his concerts. When Rose returned months later, Bonham joined Rose's band.

"After the breakup of the Yardbirds in July 1968, guitarist Jimmy Page formed another band and recruited Plant, who in turn suggested Bonham. Page's choices for drummer included Procol Harum's B.J. Wilson and Paul Francis. However, on seeing Bonham drum for Tim Rose at a club in Hampstead, north London, in July 1968, Page and manager Peter Grant were convinced he was perfect for the project, first known as the New Yardbirds and later as Led Zeppelin. Bonham was initially reluctant. Plant sent eight telegrams to Bonham's pub, the "Three Men in a Boat", in Walsall, which were followed by 40 telegrams from Grant.

"During Led Zeppelin's first tour of the United States in December 1968, Bonham became friends with Vanilla Fudge's drummer, Carmine Appice. Appice introduced him to Ludwig drums, which he then used for the rest of his career."

John Bonham died at the age of 32.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Plenty of great Led Zepellin tracks to choose from, please feel free to post your own links below as part of the conversation. Otherwise, simply enjoy this monumental recording by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham.

P.S. that foot.

Infinity Drummers. Day #386.

George Wettling

"Royal Garden Blues"

This show featured the whole Eddie Condon gang: Billy Butterfield, Cutty Cutshall, Wild Bill Davison, Edmund Hall , Vic Dickenson, Henry Duncan, Al Hall and the great George Wettling.

"George Godfrey Wettling (November 28, 1907 – June 6, 1968) was one of the young Chicagoans who fell in love with jazz as a result of hearing King Oliver's band (with Louis Armstrong on second cornet) at Lincoln Gardens in the early 1920s. Oliver's drummer, Baby Dodds, made a particular and lasting impression on Wettling. Wettling went on to work with the big bands of Artie Shaw, Bunny Berigan, Red Norvo, Paul Whiteman, and Harpo Marx, but he was at his best with bands led by Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier, and himself. In these small bands, Wettling demonstrated the arts of dynamics and responding to a particular soloist that he had learned from Baby Dodds.

"Wettling was a member of some of Condon's bands, which included Wild Bill Davison, Billy Butterfield, Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Pee Wee Russell, Cutty Cutshall, Gene Schroeder, Ralph Sutton, and Walter Page. In 1957 he toured England with a Condon band that included Davison, Cutshall, and Schroeder.

"Toward the end of his life, Wettling, like his friend clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, took up painting and was influenced by the American cubist Stuart Davis. He has been said to have believed that 'jazz drumming and abstract painting seemed different for him only from the point of view of craftsmanship: in both fields he felt rhythm to be decisive'."

George Wettling was 60 years old when he passed away, so that means he was around 56 years of age when this televised performance took place. He sounds great here, but seeing this causes me to remember that older people really did look pretty old back then ... sorry, was just struck by that when I saw the close-up.

Will post a link to something a bit more timeless in terms of appearance, and that's a page with some of his paintings. He was a great artist, whether with a drumstock or a paint brush.

George Wettling, ladies and gentlemen. Check out some of his own recordings that he made in the 1940s, his interactive call-and-response drumming dialogue with the soloists are all great.

Infinity Drummers. Day #387.

Eli Konikoff, Jr.

"It Doesn't Matter"

Morning Dance / Spyro Gyra

While the title track from the album was a big hit for the band, I really like this tune. Eli's drumming is right on the money as is everyone else's playing. Excellent musicians all. Jay Beckenstein is a terrific saxophonist and was, as it turns out, ahead of his time.

I'm tempted to say something dumb, like paraphrasing Mark Twain who remarked that Wagner's music was better than it sounded, but only to say that I never gave Spyro Gyra enough credit. I mean, when you listen to this recording or check out some of their more recent work, the band always plays at the highest level of musicianship (whether it's your cup of tea or not). I have great admiration for Jay, Tom Schuman, Chet Catallo and Eli, Jr. (Jay and Eli both come from musical [musician father] families). Buffalo Soul despite the video proclaiming West Coast Jazz ... unless they're talking about the west coast of New York State!

Well done, fellas. And, uh, that matters.

"It Doesn’t Matter"

Jay Beckenstein – Soprano Saxes

Tom Schuman – Electric & Acoustic Pianos

Chet Catallo – Guitar

Jim Kurzdorfer – Bass

Eli Konikoff – Drums

Suzanne Ciani – Synthesizer

Jeremy Wall – Synthesizer

Gerardo Velez – Congas

Lani Groves, Diva Gray, Gordon Grody – Vocalists

RIP, Charlie Watts

Infinity Drummers. Day #388.

Phil Seaman

"The Minor and the Major"

Seaman's Mission / Victor Feldman Modern Jazz Quartet

Ginger Baker and Charlie Watts shared a history, a friendship, and an admiration for drumming icon Phil Seaman. Stories abound about his percussive genius as well as sense of humor and eccentric antics* (plus an unhealthy lifestyle that involved alcohol and drugs). One listen to his drumming should prove to be a revelation, in any event. There's a terrific 4-CD compilation titled "Seaman's Mission," many tracks of which are readily available on YouTube. Some of the groups represented in the collection include the big bands of Jack Parnell, Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes. A combo of distinction is this quartet led by Victor Feldman, recorded before he made his way to Los Angeles. Musicians on this track include Tommy Pollard on piano, Lennie Bush on bass, Victor Feldman playing the vibes and, of course, Phil Seaman on the drums. This was recorded in 1954.

While there are many fine examples and more fiery samples of Seaman's drumming on wax, it's his bass drum comping here that strikes me as both unique and ingenious. It's swing and bop meeting something else and I'm not sure what, but it's brilliant. The entire tune swings like a pendulum do.

* A Phil Seaman anecdote (this is one of several iterations I've heard of the same story, more or less):

<< "West Side Story" opened in London in 1958 and it required a jazz drummer, not a classicaly trained percussionist who couldn't swing. Problem was that the jazz drummer had to be a very good reader. There was one drummer who could do it - Phil Seaman. Despite the heroin and alcohol, the producers eventually hired him. Phil had a habit, half-effected, half-genuine of appearing to doze when he wasn't playing. The conductor learn't to ignore it as Phil never missed a beat. However one matinee the stand-in conductor panicked, fearing Phil had dropped off. He gestured frantically to the bass player to wake him. A sudden prod of the bow startled Seaman, who stood up and fell backwards over his drum stool into the Chinese Gong, resulting in a theatre-filling reverberation that stopped the show. Seaman stood up, cleared his throat, and announced "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served." The management promptly sacked him. >>

It makes for a good story.

Ladies and gentlemen: Phil Seaman!

RIP, Charlie Watts.

Infinity Drummers. Day #389.

Paco Sery

“James Machine”

Nomads’ Land / SIXUN (1993)

Paco Sery (born 1 May 1956 in Côte d'Ivoire) is a world music and jazz fusion drummer. He has played with Joe Zawinul and Eddy Louiss. He also has his own band, releasing his first solo album, Voyages, in 2000. He also is one helluva drummer.

The French band Sixun was founded in 1984.(Sixun comes from Six (Fr: six) and 'un' (one). This refers to the number of band members (six) from around the world that play together as a unit. The core of the band, Paco Sery (drums, percussion), Jean-Pierre Como (keyboards), Alain Debiossat (saxophone), Louis Winsberg (guitar) and Michel Alibo (Bass) remained unchanged over the years. The group began his recording career with Nuit Blanche in 1985, followed in 1987 by Pygmies and Explore in 1988. The polyrhythmic work of the band is very important and significant influences of the multicultural musical origins of the band members in particular, African and Caribbean can be found. The band is often compared to Weather Report, the major influence of Sixun. With about 20,000 CDs sold of each album, they are one of the more successful European fusion bands. Sixun disbanded in 1998 after the ninth album (Nouvelle Vague). Since 2005, the band is active again and celebrated in 2006 the twentieth birthday of the band with a concert in Paris, that was released as CD and DVD. (jazzmusicarchives.com)

Plenty of Paco on YouTube with the Zawinul Syndicate, but it’s fun to listen to him here with SIXUN. I am posting another track from the album in the comments section below, it’s pretty Weather Report-y but also great.

Zee french jazz fusion, c’est hot, non?

Infinity Drummers. Day #390.

Milt Turner "Hard Times"

Ray Charles Presents David "Fathead" Newman (recorded in 1958)

Milton Turner was born in 1930; attended Tennessee State University, where he played with Hank Crawford, who later recommended him to join Ray Charles' band.

In 1962, Milt Turner was a member of Phineas Newborn's trio with Leroy Vinnegar, on whose solo albums he would later appear, and in the early 1960s, Turner also recorded with Teddy Edwards. He never recorded as a leader. HIs discography is impressive by any measure, however:

With Ray Charles

What'd I Say (Atlantic, 1959)

The Genius Hits the Road (ABC-Paramount, 1960)

With Hank Crawford

More Soul (Atlantic, 1960)

The Soul Clinic (Atlantic, 1962)

True Blue (Atlantic, 1964)

Dig These Blues (Atlantic, 1966)

After Hours (Atlantic, 1966)

Mr. Blues (Atlantic, 1967)

With Teddy Edwards

Good Gravy! (Contemporary, 1961)

Heart & Soul (Contemporary, 1962)

With Joe Gordon

Lookin' Good! (Contempoarary, 1961)

With Paul Horn

The Sound of Paul Horn (Columbia, 1961)

Profile of a Jazz Musician (Columbia, 1962)

With Charles Kynard

Where It's At! (Pacific Jazz, 1963)

With Phineas Newborn, Jr.

The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr. (Contemporary, 1963)

With David "Fathead" Newman

Fathead (Atlantic, 1960)

House of David (Atlantic, 1967)

With Helyne Stewart

Love Moods (Contemporary, 1961)

With Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Sings Soulfully (Roulette, 1963)

With Leroy Vinnegar

Leroy Walks Again!!! (Contemporary, 1963)

Jazz's Great Walker (VeeJay, 1964)

With Jimmy Woods

Awakening!! (Contemporary, 1962)

About this album: Fathead (subtitled Ray Charles Presents David 'Fathead' Newman and also referred to as the Ray Charles Sextet) is the debut release of jazz saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman recorded in 1958 but not released until 1960 on the Atlantic label. The complete album was also included with 3 other Newman releases in the 2 CD reissue / compilation, It's *Mister* Fathead. The link below plays every tune on the album if you're so inclined ... I can recommend the listen.

Personnel: David "Fathead" Newman – alto & tenor saxophone Ray Charles – piano

Marcus Belgrave – trumpet

Bennie (Hank) Crawford – baritone saxophone

Edgar Willis – bass

Milt Turner – drums

Milt Turner's name is new to me. I am glad to meet him by way of the Infinity List. He passed away in 1993. some more David "Fathead" Newman for you, along with Blue Mitchell, Eric Gale, Steve Novosel (bass) and Bernard Purdie (this was one of my favorite LPs in high school): https://youtu.be/CEVVhQvnV0U

Infinity Drummers. Day #391.

Jimmy Branly

"Eberhard"

Lyle Mays

The inclusion of Jimmy on the Infinity list just now might seem a bit overdue for some, but I believe that the listing of any track one day after its release must be a first ... and this is as wonderful a way as any to share Jimmy's wonderful playing. "Eberhard" was conceived, composed, orchestrated and performed by the late Lyle Mays, completed apparently mere days before his passing. It's an astonishing work. The first sounds you'll hear are Wade Culbreath's marimba playing, brilliance and musicality personified. Jimmie Johnson is playing the electric bass, and producer Steven Rodby is heard playing acoustic bass. Other musicians heard on this include Bill Frisell, Bob Sheppard, Mitch Forman and Alex Acuna (whose rhythmic synchronicity with Jimmy does not surprise me, because there's no percussionist who can play better with another drummer than Alex, in part becuase he is such a great drummer as well, but also one of the master musicians of our time.)

In any event, words cannot do justice but let me just say this: please set aside the thirteen minutes and 3 seconds it will take to listen to "Eberhard," using your best speakers or headphones to do so, and allow yourself a bit of time afterwards to breathe and reflect ... these are Lyle's parting (musical) words to us.

Vocalist Aubrey Johnson and engineer Rich Breen have each posted excellent essays about the recording ... do yourself the favor of searching for those here on Facebook.

Jimmy Branly. From Cuba. Drummer and engineer par excellence. Nice guy, too. He and Alex are magical here together.

Bravo to everyone who played a part.

Infinity Drummers. Day #392.

Jimmy Campbell

"Ofo"

The Rites of Diablo / Johnny Richards (1958)

Yesterday featured Cuban-born Jimmy Branly, and today the list recognizes Pennsylvania-born Jimmy Campbell (1928) who drummed with the likes of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. He did a number of small group gigs as well, plus Broadway shows (he was the first drummer in the pit for "Hello Dolly" in 1964) before moving to Las Vegas in the late 60s where he resided and presided over many a gig until retiring 20 years later (a 3 pack a day cigarette smoker for nearly 40 years, his career-ending emphysema ultimately led to respiratory failure and he died when he was 69).

Jimmy Campbell had a good take on drumming, as the Las Vegas Sun noted: << Jazz drummer Jimmy Campbell may best be remembered for his energetic and lengthy solo on the recording of "The Big Chase" which was featured on Stan Kenton's 1959 "Road Show " album. But Campbell, who idolized Woody Herman Orchestra drummer Davey Tough, shared his philosophy that "drums should be felt and not heard." In short, Campbell did not like to do drum solos.

Despite not seeking that kind of limelight, the Las Vegas resident of 30 years became one of the most sought-after drummers in the business and appeared with numerous jazz groups and big bands in a career that spanned five decades. >>

He may be best-known for the Stan Kenton "Road Show" double album where he plays an extended solo, trading with percussionist Mike Pacheco on Marty Paich's "The BIg Chase." There's an interesting version of Bill Holman's "Stompin' at the Savoy" on that album as well (faster and louder than the earlier recording that Mel Lewis played on ... typical phenomenon of road bands). I feel that Jimmy's drumming sensibilities are better represented on this Johnny Richards album "The Rites of Diablo," an LP that has earned its way onto many exotica albums lists for the music as well as for its various album covers. This particular album cover is odd and not very flattering but it does seem to capture an essence of Johnny Richards, a man who, in his New York apartment that was overflowing with handwritten scores, was always creating music (I visited there with my parents in the early 1960s...he was wearing a fully-buttoned shirt where we were there). The bird toy in the photo is, well, weird ... I think we all have trinkets or memory items around our work space, but this one is displayed so prominently at his piano ...!

Back to the drumming. Whereas the Kenton Road Show album seems to emphasize a more heavy-handed Jimmy Campbell, his drumming on this album bubbles and pushes the band along its glide path perfectly (and you'll have no trouble hearing the piccolo...). Campbell went on to drum for Kenton after this recording. Ronnie Bedford ultimately became the drummer for Johnny Richard's New York-based orchestra.

About this album, here's a typical descripton: "A rare and sought after piece of jazz exotica, The Rites of Diablo, was originally released in 1958 on Roulette's Birdland series. Recorded in New York's Webster Hall, with Johnny Richards' usual orchestra augmented by seven percussionists (including Sabu Martinez), and eight vocalists (The Dave Lambert Singers), this album is Richards' interpretation of the rituals of the Bantu people of Southern Africa. A wild, dark, and percussive trip, The Rites of Diablo, is a exotica masterwork..."

Here is an allmusic.com biography of Jimmy Campbell — a couple of dates don't jibe with the Las Vegas Sun accounting of his career: << Jimmy Campbell was a successful drummer in jazz during one of that music's so-called golden eras. He was a favorite sideman of players such as Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Maynard Ferguson, meaning Campbell was a powerhouse big band drummer whose big sound and powerhouse chops were well-suited for the all-out macho wail and manic tempos of Ferguson's band as well as the severe dynamic contrasts and tightly arranged artistry of Kenton. The extended compositions of Kenton also often came with built-in showcases for drum soloing. He was also a subtle drummer when that was what was needed, sometimes just suggesting the time with brushwork. In a small bebop group, he was an aggressive player, pushing the soloists forward with well-placed snare and tom whacks. These talents were well-used on his collaboration with the great jazz guitarist Tal Farlow, with whom Campbell played on the early Verve effort, This Is Tal Farlow. Campbell worked well with guitarists, a fact proven by the largely forgotten but brilliant effort by Chuck Wayne, Tapestry, which features an arrangement of "Greensleeves" on banjo. While he was on the scene, he was consistently named among the best jazz drummers in the jazz magazine Down Beat's annual critics' choice awards.

In perhaps one of his first important attempts to change the tempo, Campbell ran away from home at age 16, joined the Merchant Marines, and traveled the world. He enlisted in the Army a few years later, playing drums in the military band. He honed his drum skills during his two-year stint, playing at many base parties and officer's clubs. He was a seasoned drummer by the time he was discharged in 1948, when New York's jazz scene was exploding with the new bebop music. Campbell threw himself into the world of jazz with a passion, carrying his drumset from uptown to downtown and then back again on the subways. From the late '40s through the '70s, he lived the life of a world-class jazz drummer. He moved to Las Vegas in the early '70s, still in great demand, and enjoyed the flexibility of playing freelance gigs with whatever stars were passing through town. But deteriorating health limited his ability to keep up with the physical demands of being a drummer. He began gigging less regularly into the '80s, easing his way into retirement, until he died of respiratory failure. >>

Take care of your lungs, folks. And that includes the Infinity List recommendation that you get vaccinated to protect yourself and to protect others.

Now check out "Ofo" ... it's a mofo ... and it ain't no Greensleeves on no banjo.

Infinity Drummers. Day #393. Arthur Edgehill "Very Saxy” Very Saxy / Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (1959) Very Saxy is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins and Arnett Cobb recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1959 for the Prestige label. Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - tenor saxophone; Buddy Tate - tenor saxophone; Coleman Hawkins - tenor saxophone; Arnett Cobb - tenor saxophone; Shirley Scott - organ; George Duvivier - bass; Arthur Edgehill - drums Clifford Arthur Edgehill (born July 21, 1926, originally spelled Edghill) is an American hard bop jazz drummer active in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, appearing on several of the Prestige recordings recorded at the successive Van Gelder Studios, in Hackensack and Englewood Cliffs, including Mal Waldron's debut album, Mal-1 (1956), but especially with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Shirley Scott and bassist George Duvivier. Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, his first professional work was touring with Mercer Ellington in 1948, and in 1953 he toured with Ben Webster. He played with Kenny Dorham's Jazz Prophets in 1956 and with Gigi Gryce and in 1957-58 toured with Dinah Washington. He was a member of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis' quartet with George Duvivier and/or Wendell Marshall, and Shirley Scott, and appears on several of Scott's recordings, including her debut album, Great Scott! (1958), as well as on Very Saxy (1959), featuring Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins, and Arnett Cobb on tenors, an album recorded shortly after Blow Arnett, Blow (1959). As well as appearing on recordings with the above line-ups, he also played in quartets led by Horace Silver, including one featuring Cecil Payne, in 1954, and at Minton's with Hank Mobley and Doug Watkins, a line-up that also jammed on one occasion with Charlie Parker … This one's a swinger. Arthur Edgehill is 95 years old. Very Saxy. here's another fun one: https://youtu.be/-XEulopaMtw

Infinity Drummers. Day #394.

Denzil Best

"Teach Me Tonight"

Concert By The Sea / Errol Garner (1955)

I've long known Denzil Best's name for his compositions, and was not really tuned-into his drumming even though I'd heard it by way of this iconic (best-selling) album of Errol Garner's ... all to say, I did not know what I did not know.

But I can say that his drumming here is so perfectly-centered, both in terms of beat placement as well as dynamics and playing choices, that Errol Garner is given all of the room in the world to do *his* magical thing, and the trio here conjures up more romance on this one tune than Rock Hudson and Doris Day managed to do in all of their movies together ... not to denigrate that cinematic couple, only to praise the daylights out of Errol Garner, Eddie Calhoun and Denzil Best.

and ... ACTION.

I turn now to Wikipedia for the biographical details, etc. << Denzil DaCosta Best (April 27, 1917 – May 24, 1965) was a jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Best was born in New York City, into a musical Caribbean family originally from Barbados. Trained on piano, trumpet, and bass, he concentrated on the drums starting in 1943. Between 1943 and 1944, he worked with Ben Webster, and subsequently with Coleman Hawkins (1944–45), Illinois Jacquet (1946) and Chubby Jackson. The drummer was known to sit in at Minton's Playhouse. He took part in a recording with George Shearing in 1948 and was a founding member of his Quartet, remaining there until 1952. In 1949, he played on a recording session with Lennie Tristano for Capitol and also recorded later with Lee Konitz.

In a 1953 car accident he fractured both legs and was forced into temporary retirement until 1954, when he played with Artie Shaw, and then in a trio with Erroll Garner (1955–57), including Garner's live album Concert by the Sea. Best subsequently played with Phineas Newborn, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Tyree Glenn, and in October 1962 appeared on the first album by Sheila Jordan (Portrait of Sheila). He suffered from paralysis after this and was no longer able to play; he died aged 48 in 1965, after falling down a staircase in a New York City Subway station.

Best composed several bebop tunes, including "Move" (which was featured in an arrangement by John Lewis on the seminal 1949 & 1950 recordings released in 1957 on the Miles Davis Capitol album, Birth of the Cool), "Wee", "Nothing but D. Best", and "Dee Dee's Dance", and with Thelonious Monk, "Bemsha Swing". Best's composition "45 Degree Angle" was recorded by Herbie Nichols and Mary Lou Williams.

Unlike many bebop percussionists, who loaded the musical space with accents against the prevailing meter and thus created rhythmic intensity, Best resumed the legato development of Jo Jones. He played on the beat and rarely used loud accents. Playing in this way he was not only a model for cool jazz but also influenced countless bar combos. Best was renowned for his brush work: fellow drummer Jake Hanna said that he "might be the best brush player of all drummers", and Elvin Jones listed Best in his top three. >>

CONCERT BY THE SEA

<< The album was recorded on September 19, 1955 in the gothic-revivalist styled assembly hall of Sunset School (now Sunset Center) in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, a welcoming space being used as part of local promoter Jimmy Lyons' "Sunset Series", this series in turn laying the groundwork for the beginnings of the Monterey Jazz Festival. From nearby Fort Ord military base servicemen were bused to join the enthusiastic and receptive audience at this Erroll Garner Trio gig. Accompanying Garner were bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzil Best. The acoustics were poor and the piano somewhat out of tune. The balance of instruments on the recording was also poor; the bass and drums were receded. *(Wikipedia's term of art, not mine!)*

There was no plan to record the concert officially. The release came about because Garner's personal manager, Martha Glaser, spotted backstage that a tape recorder was running. The recording was being made by a recording engineer for the Armed Forces Radio Network, "a jazz fan and scholar named Will Thornbury, strictly for the enjoyment of himself and his fellow servicemen". Glaser took the tape, put it into album form, and then played it for the head of Columbia Records' jazz division, George Avakian, who decided to release it. The original LP was released by Columbia as catalog number CL 883; an "electronically rechanneled to simulate stereo" version, with catalog number CS 9821, was issued in 1969.

Album cover

The original U.S. album cover photograph, showing a model in mid-stride with outstretched arms, was shot by music and fashion photographer Art Kane, who later photographed the 1958 group portrait of jazz musicians known as A Great Day in Harlem. Music journalist Marc Myers wrote that "[f]rom an aesthetic standpoint, Art Kane's [Concert by the Sea] cover had grace, movement and drama. White or black, the model featured was in ecstasy, telegraphing that the music inside was happy and guaranteed to raise your spirits."

A 1970 U.S. reissue of Concert by the Sea introduced a new photograph (not taken by Kane), which reused Kane's concept, but with a model wearing bell-bottom pants and a hippie-style tunic shirt blouse. The 2015 release of the entire concert again paid tribute to Kane's original photograph, showing a model with outstretched arms standing in front of a rocky shoreline. International releases of the album have used a variety of cover photographs.

Reception

AllMusic awarded the album a maximum five stars, observing it is "arguably the finest record pianist Erroll Garner ever made". The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave it 3½ stars out of 4 (and added it to the book's suggested Core Collection), asserting that: "Concert by the Sea is essentially neither more nor less than a characteristic set by the trio". Critic Scott Yanow's opinion is: "this is the album that made such a strong impression that Garner was considered immortal from then on." >>

YOU listen and YOU decide. MY decision? It's great. So enjoy.

Infinity Drummers. Day #395. Dan Brubeck "Adventures in Seaworld” Malayan Breeze / The Dolphins  Dan Brubeck has been a tireless advocate and torchbearer for the music of his father, Dave Brubeck, along with siblings Chris, Darius and Cathy, for many a year. I was fortunate enough to get to know Danny as well as Chris and Cathy at the Interlochen Arts Academy beginning in the late 1960s. Our paths have crossed since that time over the years, and it's always a joy to see and hear Danny play (especially when he cuts loose on "Take Five" in concert). Older brother Chris has become a prolific composer ... he played bass trombone in the Studio Orchestra (jazz big band) at Interlochen (as well as in the school's symphony orchestra), but he also plays electric bass (not on this recording, though). I have Dan to thank for turning me onto all sorts of music during my freshman and sophomore years in high school (thanks, too, Chris, for playing that just-released "Blood, Sweat and Tears" album in your dorm room for a bunch of us despite the mandatory assembly we were all supposed to attend in mid-December of 1968): Buddy Miles, Lee Michaels, Jimi Hendrix ... I've lost track, but will readily admit that I was both a jazz snob and a square ... so, thank you, Dan, for doing your best to hip me up. Tom Jung's dmp label was a pioneer in compact disc recordings; they all sound so good and The Dolphin's album Malayan Breeze is no exception. I'm including another track below because it, too, sounds so good. Dave and Iola Brubeck both gave so much to all of us ... on top of that, their progeny continue to honor the family legacy. I know how proud Dave was of his kids. And I'm proud to call Dan my friend. Synthesizers, composer – Vinnie Martucci; Electric Guitar – Mike DeMicco; Bass – Rob Leon; Drums – Dan Brubeck* Recorded live-to-2 track at High Peak Studio, Saugerties NY, January, 1990. Engineered by Tom Jung. and one more from the same album: https://youtu.be/UDCFVUGflWw

Infinity Drummers. Day #396.

Gary Husband

"Sand"

Allan Holdsworth



Guitar: Allan Holdsworth

Bass: Jimmy Johnson

Drums: Gary Husband



Stunningly remarkable music. Gary Husband is one remarkable musician who plays both the drums and the piano. Jimmy Johnson is a musician who always sounds incredible, but even by that standard he sounds really great here. And Allan Holdsworth ... I have no words. So ... keeping this short and sweet.



Except to say that this album is so remarkable that many of us remember where we were the first time we heard it. And for me, that was Santa Monica.



Sand.



P.S. I mean ... LISTEN to that drumming!

Wow.

Infinity Drummers. Day #397.

Ray Brinker

"Haunted Heart" On The Other Side / Tierney Sutton Band

This exquisite reading of the Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz classic "Haunted Heart" reaches the level of magic is does here thanks to everyone's artistry and well-honed instincts ... that's what having a good band will do, and Tierney has kept this very good band together for 20 years. Artistry aside, that's an accomplishment right there.

The novel idea of having both Kevin Axt and Trey Henry playing bass(es) gives the group an appealing elasticity, while Ray Brinker holds it all together. I suspect he's the drummer they invented the "Plays All Styles" business card for. He certainly lays a foundation here for the song to both tower and rise while Christian Jacob plays one of the best piano solos I've heard in a long time. I am of the mind that Christian would agree: such a great solo is only possible when a drummer provides the proper time feel and space for it in which to occur. So, thank you Ray for your drumming, and thank you Tierney for all of your beautiful singing, and bravo to (of course) the boys in the band. here's a more muscular (and visual) representation of Ray's playing:https://youtu.be/h_Y6Om1Esj8

Infinity Drummers. Day #398.

Tommy Igoe

"Spherical"

Tommy Igoe & The Birdland Big Band

I'm certain that every drummer has a father or mother figure they look up to when it comes to the drums. Today's Infinity Drummer marks the first son in an actual father-son listing: (father) Sonny Igoe was featured on May 21, 2021, Day # 292 ... and now, (son) Tommy Igoe has the spotlight on him — heard here with his excellent Birdland Big Band (named for the venerable New York City jazz club where they have held court [or residency] for over 20 years).

Tommy is not only an excellent drummer, he's also a terrific educator and entrepreneur. He literally wrote the book (the drumset book) for the Broadway production of The Lion King, and his Groove Essentials books, vidoes, audio tracks and (Vic Firth) posters have informed more budding drummers than you can shake two sticks at.

It takes a confident drummer to drive a big band, not to mention lead one. Tommy's got the spirit and the chops. Enjoy his take here on Michael Brecker's "Spherical," with the always excellent Tom Kennedy playing the bass, and the fabulous Birdland Big Band, for their album "Eleven."

Tommy Igoe: drums, percussion; Tom Kennedy: acoustic bass, electric bass; Kenny Ascher: piano; Chris Jaudes: trumpet; Nick Marchione: trumpet; John Walsh: trumpet; Raul Agraz: trumpet; Glenn Drewes: trumpet; Isrea Butler: trombone; Andy Hunter: trumbone; Jeff Nelson: bass trombone; Nathan Childers: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Matt Hong: alto saxophone,flute; Dan Willis: tenor saxophone, flute; Rob Middleton: tenor saxophone, flute; Barbara Cifelli: baritone saxophone, flute; Rolando Morales-Matos: percussion.

Infinity Drummers. Day #399.

Billy James

"Soul Food"

Shangri-La / Sonny Stitt

This is a perfect track for your Labor Day feasting and festivities, which I hope will include some soul food one way or the other. (The Infinity Drummer list at your service.)

Shangr-La is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt (heard here on tenor) featuring organist Don Patterson and drummer Billy James, recorded in 1964 by Rudy Van Gelder and released on the Prestige label. The hook-up between Don Patterson and Billy James is great.

William James (April 20, 1936 - November 20, 2009) was born in Pittsburgh. He worked with Lionel Hampton and Booker Ervin in the 1950s, and in the early 1960s with James Moody, Candido Camero, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Don Patterson, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. He and Patterson frequently recorded as a duo. James led his own groups in the latter half of the 1960s and worked further with Stitt during this time as well as with Eric Kloss. Later associations include Eddie Harris and Houston Person.

Don't let that fade-out hit your behind on the way out, and Happy Labor Day to everyone in the USA.

Infinity Drummers. Day #400.

Joe Farnsworth

"Time Was"

Time To Swing This is a terrific band (Kenny Barron, Peter Washington, Wynton Marsalis on some songs, and Joe Farnsworth anchoring the album), and the musicians are indeed swinging on every track. I chose one of the piano trio tunes because "Time Was," or "Duerme" as it was known when Xavier Cugat recorded it back in 1941, caught my ear: one of the first albums my father bought for me was a Tito Puente LP where he plays vibes on "Duerme" (link below) and the sound of the sugar sweet strings always made me happy sad (and I remember crying one time listening to it).

The gentlemen here rescue the song from any hints of maudlin melodrama.

(wikipedia) << Joseph Allen Farnsworth (born February 21, 1968, Holyoke, Massachusetts) was one of five sons born to trumpeter and bandleader Roger Farnsworth; one of the brothers played saxophone in Ray Charles's band. He attended High School in Jakarta International School in Jakarta, Indonesia. He studied at William Paterson College, studying under Harold Mabern and Arthur Taylor and receiving his BMus in 1990. Following this he played with Junior Cook (1991), Jon Hendricks (1991), Jon Faddis (1992), George Coleman, Cecil Payne (1993 and subsequently), Annie Ross, and Benny Green (1995). He has played in the group One for All since 1995 with David Hazeltine and Jim Rotondi, and worked with Benny Golson, Steve Davis, and Eric Alexander in the second half of the 1990s. During that period he also played with Alex Graham (1995), Michael Weiss (1996, 1998), the Three Baritone Saxophone Band (1997), and Diana Krall (1999). He is now a member of Pharoah Sanders' band. >>

I like the suit, I like the tie ... and I like the nylon tips on Joe's sticks. More importantly, I like the music. Happy day, everyone.

Infinity Drummers. Day #401.

Tom Brechtlein

"Life Song (one for Annie)"

Robben Ford & The Blue Line (1992)

I like the stop-and-go of this tune, and Tom constructs a perfect drum performance while accompanying Robben, Russ Ferrante (on a Wurlitzer?) and Roscoe Beck on this Robben Ford original. His introduction of the double bass drum pedals at the beginning of the fade/end of the tune is perfectly-timed as are all of his fills. Nice x-stick, too.

As someone wrote about Infinity Drummers Day #400 drummer Joe Farnsworth's track, "What's not to like?"

From Tom's website: << Tom Brechtlein grew up in East Meadow, Long Island and gravitated to drums after listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In junior high, his attention turned to big band jazz, and he became attracted to the music of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. His investigation of jazz led him to Dave Brubeck's drummer Joe Morello and then to modern giants like Elvin Jones and Tony Williams as well as legends like Papa Jo Jones, Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones. "When I was 18," he recalls, "I saw Chick Corea's Return To Forever on PBS Television; and I remember sitting there thinking, ' I'm going to play with that guy someday.'" Two years later, in 1978, he auditioned with Corea and got the gig. He remained in the band till 1983, at which point he joined Wayne Shorter's band. There followed extensive road work with guitarist Al Di Meola and violinist Jean Luc Ponty before Tom finally hooked up with Robben Ford in 1986. >>

Finally!

I'm glad they made this recording.

Infinity Drummers. Day #402.

Jerry Coleman

"If"

The Four Of Us / The Singers Unlimited (1973)

Every vocalist loves The Singers Unlimited. Every musician loves The Singers Unlimited. Every guy musician I ever met loved Bonnie Herman from The Singers Unlimited.

And while the Singers Unlimited are known for their peerless a cappella performances, the albums they recorded with bands have always featured excellent players and arrangers, including this gem from 1973 with the following Chicago-based musicians:

Bass, Electric Bass – Jim Atlas

Drums – Jerry Coleman

Guitar, Electric Guitar – Pat Ferreri

Orchestrated By – Les Hooper

Arranged By [Vocals] – Gene Puerling

Vocals – Bonnie Herman, Don Shelton, Gene Puerling, Len Dresslar

Drummer Jerry Coleman's website offers the following biography, dated 2009: << Jerry Coleman began playing drums around age 4 and initiated his professional career at age fifteen. After completing degrees from the University of Nebraska, he toured with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Ralph Marterie Orchestra. He settled in Chicago and pursued a busy schedule working as a studio musician and jazz artist.

Besides touring with Peggy Lee and the Hi-Lo's, he has also played drums for many of America's jazz greats including Zoot Sims, Barney Kessel, Clark Terry, Herb Ellis, Carl Fontana, Billy Eckstine, and the legendary Teddy Wilson.

Jerry has appeared on many jazz festivals, recorded works for the Hubbard Street Dance Co.,and performed with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. In 1985 he organized a jazz ensemble, "Jerry Coleman's Nineburner." This group has played at various jazz festivals including two appearances at the Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park and at the Ravinia Jazz Festival "Jazz in June." >>

Lovely Les Hooper playing and arrangement and nice playing all-around by the band. And those vocals ... aaaahhh.

Infinity Drummers. Day #403.

Tommy Campbell

"Kilauea"

Sunny Days Starry Nights / Sonny Rollins (1984)

There's something irresistibly "In The Heights" about this Sonny Rollins album cover photograph. And there's something irresistible about Sonny Rollins' playing (always), accompanied here by a young Tommy Campbell. The band —

Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone

Clifton Anderson - trombone

Mark Soskin - piano, electric piano, celesta, synthesizer

Russell Blake - electric bass

Tommy Campbell - drums

Lucille Rollins - cowbell — swirls the theme of this song around and around. Sonny plays incredible here, of course. I wish you all could have seen my dog Minnie's ears perk up during the tenor solo (you'll know the part when you hear it) ... almost as much as my ears perked up when I heard what Tommy was playing on the drums during the long fade. Good fun in the Fantasy Studio sun, 80's style.

Tommy was born in 1957 in Norristown, PA. His uncle was organist Jimmy Smith. Berklee-bred, Tommy went to New York and played with just about everyone. Japan called and he made his home there for quite a few years, where among other projects he made three albums with Shanti Snyder. As far as I know, Tommy is back home again in the USA. Great guy and a great drummer.

Sonny Rollins is good for the soul, and this tune is a lot of fun. Everyone: enjoy and stay safe. The Infinity Drummers List will pause on 9/11 and resume the following day. For now, let's all go to Kilaeua with Sonny and Tommy and the band.

Infinity Drummers. Day #404.

Michael Di Pasqua

"The Next Event"

Dawn / Double Image

Vibraphone, Marimba: Dave Samuels (RIP)

Marimba, Vibraphone: David Friedman

Bass (vocal): Harvie Swartz

Drums, Percussion: Michael Di Pasqua (RIP)

Composer: David Friedman

Recorded by Jan Erik Kongshaug (RIP)

Produced by Manfred Eicher

Michael Di Pasqua was one of the house drummers at ECM, both In the sense of being there for a formidable number of albums as well as being a formative presence In terms of how the drums could function in collective improvisatory ensembles where the sound was being captured In the most open of ways. As you can hear, it takes ears, it takes touch and it takes an extraordinary amount of discipline and patience to pull it off well ... and Michael did it as well as anyone.

Of his ECM album work, please check out his collaborations with Eberhard Weber, Ralph Towner and Jan Garbarek, as well as the 8-mallet team of Dave Samuels and David Friedman otherwise known as Double Image. Here Is a Dave Friedman tune, "The Next Event."

Michael Di Pasqua — May 4, 1953 – August 29, 2016.

Infinity Drummers. Day #405.

Cindy Blackman

"In the Now"

In the Now (1998)

with Ravi Coltrane, Jacky Terrasson, Ron Carter (recorded In 1997 by Rudy Van Gelder)

Cindy Blackman Santana is an extraordinary drummer.

(Wikipedia) << Born November 18, 1959, her mother and grandmother were classical musicians and her uncle a vibist. When Cindy was a child, her mother took her to classical concerts. Blackman's introduction to the drums happened at the age of seven in her hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio. At a pool party at a friend's house she saw a drum set and began playing them. "Just looking at them struck something in my core, and it was completely right from the second I saw them", says Blackman. "And then, when I hit them, it was like, wow, that's me." Soon after, Blackman began playing in the school band and persuaded her parents to get her toy drums. When Blackman was 11, she moved to Bristol, Connecticut and studied at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. Blackman began to have an interest in jazz at age 13 after listening to Max Roach and got her first professional drum set at 14.

Blackman moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music with Alan Dawson, who had also taught Tony Williams—an inspiration for Blackman. While she was at Berklee a friend recommended her for a gig with The Drifters so Blackman left college after three semesters and moved to New York City in 1982. While in New York, Blackman worked as a performer but also attended shows to listen to masters play. Art Blakey became a significant influence. "He really was like a father to me. I learned a lot just watching him. I asked him a lot of questions about the drums and music – and he answered all of them.", said Blackman.

In 1988 Blackman released Arcane on Muse Records, her debut as a bandleader. Her band included Wallace Roney on trumpet, Kenny Garrett on alto saxophone, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Buster Williams and Clarence Seay on bass, and Larry Willis on piano.

She went on to work with Lenny Kravitz, and then Carlos Santana, who she married In 2010. Also in 2010, she released a first tribute album to her inspiration Tony Williams. "Another Lifetime" features Mike Stern on guitar and organist Doug Carn following the line-up of the original Tony Williams Lifetime. Joe Lovano, Patrice Rushen and Vernon Reid also appear on this album ... >>. Well worth checking out!

I'll never forget the first time I heard and saw Cindy play ... on my drums In New York City when Wallace Roney brought her to the club where I was working with John Abercrombie and Marc Johnson. Jaw-dropping stuff. I'll also never forget seeing and hearing her perform in clinic at a Percussive Arts Society conference, where she sounded really good playing a solo that consisted of triplets between the snare, toms and bass drum ... conventional Tony kind of stuff but beautifully-played. When I went up to say hello and congratulate her, I saw and realized that she had played everything I had just heard WITH ONE HAND ... her other hand had been badly injured In a bicycle fall (I think). It takes not only ferocious technique to be able to do something like that, it also takes a ferocious heart and passion for drumming ... all of which are on ample display In the new film "Count Me In" ... Cindy shines as a player, an inspiration AND one smart talking head In the film.

Listen now to Cindy Blackman, "In the Now."

Infinity Drummers. Day #406.

Tim Horner

"Frugal Meal"

The Head of the Circle / Tim Horner

I had every Intention of featuring today's Infinity Drummer on one of the many magnificent recordings he has made as part of the Maria Schneider Orchestra — iridescent and transcendent music — but, as the Infinity List Is relying on a YouTube-based playlist, and Maria is fighting the good fight for all musicians re: a more equitable system when it comes to managing and monetizing our own content (apologies If that summation is wanting), I thought it best to avoid listing her albums on the platform out of respect (and, while much of her music can be found there, her own recordings take some searching to come across); please feel free to provide suitable links below for best finding Maria's music.

Meanwhile, I had a four-leaf clover moment of discovering this album of Tim's, "The Head of the Circle," which features Tim's writing plus a stellar band comprised of Joe Locke - Vibes, Jim Ridl - Acoustic Piano; Steve Allee - Accordion , Hammond B3 , Fender Rhodes; Ted Nash - woodwinds; Dean Johnson - Acoustic Bass and Tim on drums, percussion and vocals, all recorded beautifully by Paul Wickliffe and released by Origin Records (a label created by Seattle-based drummers).

Anything with Joe Locke is going to be great, but there is a particularly great moment when Joe's solo begins and Tim's drumming stops (unlike that dumb joke about drums never stop, bass solo ETC); a masterly show of restraint by Tim that serves the musical moment beautifully, and is ample evidence right there of why he has been Maria's drummer of choice for her Orchestra these many years.

Enjoy this "Frugal Meal."

Infinity Drummers. Day #407.

Dennis Mackrel

“Bluesville”

88 Basie Street / Count Basie & His Orchestra (1983)

88 Basie Street won a Grammy in 1985 for the Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band. And drummer Dennis Mackrel was very instrumental in the realization of this terrific album. His drumming here is crisp, exciting, loose AND tight and always swinging. His vocabulary is excellent. It’s just plain fun to listen to him play this Sammy Nestico chart. Here’s the band and crew:

Count Basie – piano

Sammy Nestico – conductor, arranger

Sonny Cohn – flugelhorn, trumpet

Bob Summers – flugelhorn, trumpet

Frank Szabo – flugelhorn, trumpet

Dale Carley – trumpet

Jim Crawford – trumpet

Bill Hughes – trombone

Grover Mitchell – trombone

Dennis Wilson – trombone

Booty Wood – trombone

Danny Turner – flute, alto saxophone

Chris Woods – flute, alto saxophone

Eric Dixon – flute, tenor saxophone

Eric Schneider – flute, tenor saxophone

Kenny Hing – tenor saxophone

John Williams – baritone saxophone

Joe Pass – guitar

Cleveland Eaton – double bass

Dennis Mackrel – drums

Production

Norman Granz – producer

Akira Taguchi – producer

Allen Sides – engineer

With a drummer as versatile and well-represented on vinyl as Dennis, it’s not easy to choose a representative track (or maybe it’s too easy … they’re all good … for example, check out his 1995 playing with Bill Charlap and Scott Colley). Dennis and I crossed contrails back when the WDR Big Band was constantly inviting guest drummers to join them on projects. He was born in 1962 in Omaha, Nebraska. His big band credits include the Basie and Vanguard Jazz orchestras, and piano group recordings with the likes of Hank Jones and George Shearing. He writes, conducts and currently teaches at Queens College in Flushing, NY.

Bravo, Dennis.

Infinity Drummers. Day #408.

John Densmore

"The End" The Doors

Recorded in Hollywood, California, August 1966

Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, John Densmore

"The End" is an epic song by the American rock band the Doors. Lead singer Jim Morrison initially wrote the lyrics about his break up with his girlfriend Mary Werbelow, but it evolved through months of performances at the Whisky a Go Go into a much longer song. The Doors recorded a nearly 12-minute version for their self-titled debut album, which was released on January 4, 1967.

In an interview in 1969, Morrison explained about the lyrics: "Every time I hear that song, it means something else to me. I really don't know what I was trying to say. It just started out as a simple goodbye song ... Probably just to a girl, but I could see how it could be goodbye to a kind of childhood. I really don't know. I think it's sufficiently complex and universal in its imagery that it could be almost anything you want it to be."

When interviewed by Lizze James, he pointed out the meaning of the verse "My only friend, the End": "Sometimes the pain is too much to examine, or even tolerate ... That doesn't make it evil, though – or necessarily dangerous. But people fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah – I guess it is a friend."

Shortly past the midpoint of the nearly 12-minute-long album version, the song enters a spoken word section with the words, "The killer awoke before dawn/he put his boots on". That section of the song reaches a dramatic climax with the lines, "Father / Yes son? / I want to kill you / Mother, I want to ..." (with the next words screamed out unintelligibly). Morrison had worked on a student production of Oedipus Rex at Florida State University. Ray Manzarek, the former keyboard player of the Doors, explained: "He was giving voice in a rock 'n' roll setting to the Oedipus complex, at the time a widely discussed tendency in Freudian psychology. He wasn't saying he wanted to do that to his own mom and dad. He was re-enacting a bit of Greek drama. It was theatre!"

In John Densmore's autobiography Riders on the Storm, he recalls when Morrison explained the meaning: "At one point Jim said to me during the recording session, and he was tearful, and he shouted in the studio, 'Does anybody understand me?' And I said yes, I do, and right then and there we got into a long discussion and Jim just kept saying over and over kill the father, fuck the mother, and essentially boils down to this, kill all those things in yourself which are instilled in you and are not of yourself, they are alien concepts which are not yours, they must die. Fuck the mother is very basic, and it means get back to essence, what is reality, what is, fuck the mother is very basically mother, mother-birth, real, you can touch it, it's nature, it can't lie to you. So what Jim says at the end of the Oedipus section, which is essentially the same thing that the classic says, kill the alien concepts, get back reality, the end of alien concepts, the beginning of personal concepts."

And you thought this was just a cool song that was used In the film Apocalypse Now ... (can you imagine any other song for "the end"ing?).

John Densmore 's drumming is as informed by jazz as any other musical form. He wrote me a letter once where he reminisced about seeing Elvin play with John Coltrane. I'll include a link below where his jazz-meets-rock chops are on ample display.

John was born December 1, 1944. He is best known as the drummer of the rock band The Doors, and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recording made by the band, with drumming inspired by jazz and world music as much as by rock and roll. John is also an accomplished writer plus advocate for all things ethical, ecological and liberal. Right on!

Densmore is also noted for his veto of attempts by the other two Doors members, in the wake of singer Jim Morrison's 1971 death, to accept offers to license the rights to various Doors songs for commercial purposes ... like I said: ethical.

A good man, a great drummer and a great friend to music. John Densmore. a lot of excellent drumming here: https://youtu.be/nOJSmXSFCWk

Infinity Drummers. Day #409.

Martin Šulc

"Moon and Sand"

NajPonk Trio, with George Mraz (RIP), 1996

I'll be honest and admit that I was only introduced to Martin Šulc's drumming this morning as I searched for a recording that featured an as-yet un-featured drummer playing alongside the brilliant George Mraz who we lost yesterday ... lo and behold, this Czech piano trio playing Alec Wilders' "Moon and Sand."

There is a video version of this same performance on YouTube. I said to my friend Jack (a casting director), "If you were casting someone to play the piano player, you wouldn't choose this guy," whereupon he replied, "If you were casting an Eastern European jazz trio, THESE are the guys you would cast."

I stand enlightened and corrected.

Pianist Jimmy Rowles nicknamed George Mraz "Bounce" because he was such a bad Czech. All three musicians here play great. The drummer, Martin Šulc, might be new to me by name but his playing has a nice familiarity to it, undoubtedly because he seems to have listened to many of the same drummers I grew up listening to, including I would venture a fair amount of Grady Tate. Born April 23, 1961 in Liberec (former Czechoslovakia), Martin joins the Infinity List on a sad day for music, but I thank him for his musical friendship to George Mraz as captured on this album. You may want to explore more tracks as well as the video versions of the tunes on the album. Good music and a good way to remember George. Rest in Peace, George Mraz.

Infinity Drummers. Day #410.

John Engels

"Leave of Absinthe"

John Engels All-Stars / Jimmy Knepper, Lew Tabackin, Cees Slinger, James Long

John Engels is rightfully celebrated as a father of jazz drumming in the very drums-aware Netherlands, and he is seen and heard to great effect on this Jimmy Knepper composition. Terrific band with GREAT solos by Knepper and Lew Tebackin. John wears his Mel Lewis influence as proudly as he sports the sweater and scarf he's dressed in at the drumset in this video, but what's of greater interest to me is his use of the brush/stick combination (watch and listen, you'll see and hear what I'm referring to); this is a favorite device of mine, so I'm going to have to give credit to John for this for his having put it out into the universe.

from "second wiki" — << John Engels , also Johnny Engels, (born May 13, 1935 in Groningen ) is a Dutch jazz drummer. Engels comes from a musical family (his father John Engels Sr., born 1913, was also a drummer and also a double bass player) and grew up in The Hague . His interest in jazz arose when his father took him to the " Jazz at the Philharmonic " concerts, where he heard Hank Jones and Ray Brown , among others . From 1953 Engels worked professionally as a drummer, first in the trio of Pia Beck , then in Germany with the Surinamese saxophonist Kid Dynamite and for ten years in the "Diamond Five" of the pianist Cees Slinger . He was also a member of Boy Edgar's big bandand played in numerous radio and television shows (with the trio Louis van Dijk , of which Jacques Schols also belonged). Engels has accompanied jazz musicians such as Stan Getz , Ben Webster , Phil Woods , Dizzy Gillespie , Johnny Griffin , Clifford Brown , Tommy Flanagan and Wynton Marsalis . From 1986 to 1987 he toured Japan with Chet Baker , which he himself sees as one of the highlights of his career. Of his records and CDs (he plays on over 140) nine have won an Edison Prize .

In 1985 he won the Bird Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival , where he also performs regularly. In 1988 he received the Boy Edgar Prize . In 2001 he was knighted by the Dutch Queen Beatrix of the Order of Oranje-Nassau. >>

So, John is a very big deal in the Netherlands, and he is a very big deal in jazz, and he's more than a very nice man and generous soul. Simply a delight on or off the drumset. Ladies and gentlemen, I present: Meester John Engels.

Infinity Drummers. Day #411.

Hans Dekker

"In Your Own Sweet Way"

WDR Big Band

Hans Dekker has been the drummer for the famed WDR Big Band since 2005 (before that, the band invited a rotating cast of drummers, oftentimes from New York or Los Angeles). The band can play most any style of music and the same can be said for Herr Dekker. Now, I think that Hans will agree with me that any drummer is going to sound good if they're fortunate enough to be playing with the great bassist John Goldsby, but Hans does indeed sound good any time and anywhere ... especially in Studio 4 where the WDR Big Band makes its recording home.

[With the Brubeck - title "In Your Own Sweet Way" the WDR Big Band features Raphael Klemm on trombone, Ruud Breuls on trumpet and Johan Hörlén on alto saxophone. Stefan Pfeifer-Galilea (arrangement) leads the WDR Big Band. Produced in January 2020 at WDR Studio 4 / Cologne.]

This is my favorite big band in the world, wonderful players and personalities all. And the drum chair is in excellent "Hans" ...

Infinity Drummers. Day #412.

Bob Rawsthorne

"I Like to Take My Time"

Johnny Costa Plays Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1984)

Bob Rawsthorne joined Johny Costa as part of his Trio on the "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" television series in 1969. The show was produced in the studios of WQED in Pittsburgh (channel 13 for locals and TV old-timers). Bassist Carl McVicker completed the trio, and they are all heard to wonderful effect here on this album of musical gems from the accalimed television

show that touched and informed the hearts of countless children.

While Johnny Costa was labeled as being "the white Tatum" (by none other than Art Tatum himself), the complexities and sophistication of his music were appealing to anyone upon a first listening ... akin, I would say, to the deeper meaning that Fred Rogers could impart when he told a story or play-acted a learning scene: multiple layers of meaning, multiple layers to enjoy. And, so, even though we only get to enjoy Bob Rawsthorne's drumming in his role as an accompanist here, WE GET TO ENJOY BOB RAWSTHORNE'S DRUMMING IN HIS ROLE AS AN ACCOMPANIST HERE.

Sorry ... Fred Rogers never shouted, and I just did.

All to say, this is what it's all about: playing well with others.

Bob's daughter Robin Meloy Goldsby (married to bassist John Goldsby) is a pianist and author, her most recent book is titled "Piano Girl Playbook: Notes on a Musical Life." She's a great writer and I recommend you find her book ... right after you enjoy listening to this recording of "I Like to Take My Time."

Infinity Drummers. Day #413.

Han Bennink

"The End of a Love Affair"

Wes Montgomery

w/ Pim Jacobs, Ruud Jacobs & Han Bennink, May 21, 1965 (Dutch TV/"World of Jazz")

Here's a real beeldenstormer for you (iconoclast).

I've been wanting and waiting to feature Han Bennink for a long while, and was anticipating linking you, the viewer and listener, to soke wacky video where Han is playing a solo on a drumset made of Gouda cheese (yes, it exists) or the like, but I *really* like this session from 1965 with Wes Montgomery. And you can tell that Wes is digging on Han's drumming ... the song might be "The End of a Love Affair," but the performance here looks like the beginning of some sort of musical bromance. Maybe it's the Philly Joe vocabulary, but methinks it's the irrepressible spirit that comes through the drumming of Han Bennink, plus the fact that it swings so nicely. Check out the beginning of the tune when the band joins in: he's playing on the side of the cymbal stand.

Say "cheese."

from wikipedia" << Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) is a Dutch jazz drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing clarinet, violin, banjo and piano.

Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal figures in early European free jazz and free improvisation, Bennink has worked in essentially every school of jazz, and is described by critic Chris Kelsey as "one of the unfortunately rare musicians whose abilities and interests span jazz's entire spectrum." Known for often injecting slapstick and absurdist humor into his performances, Bennink has had especially fruitful long-term partnerships with pianist Misha Mengelberg and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann.

Through the 1960s he was the drummer with a number of American musicians visiting the Netherlands, including Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins and Eric Dolphy (he is present on Dolphy's recording, Last Date (1964).

He subsequently became a central figure in the emerging European free improvisation scene. In 1963 he formed a quartet with pianist Misha Mengelberg and saxophonist Piet Noordijk which performed at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival. In 1967 he was a co-founder of the Instant Composers Pool with Mengelberg and Willem Breuker, which sponsored Dutch avant garde performances. From the late 1960s, he played in a trio with saxophonist Peter Brötzmann and Belgian pianist Fred Van Hove, which became a duo after Van Hove's departure in 1976. He has often played duos with Mengelberg and collaborated with him alongside other musicians.

From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, Bennik collaborated closely with Dutch post-punk band The Ex, appearing on their 1995 album Instant and travelling and playing with them on their first tour to Ethiopia.

As well as playing with these long-standing groups, Bennink has performed and recorded solo (Tempo Comodo (1982) being among his solo recordings) and played with many free improvisation and free jazz musicians including Derek Bailey, Conny Bauer, Don Cherry and Alexander von Schlippenbach, as well as more conventional jazz musicians such as Lee Konitz. In 1983 he collaborated with boogie-woogie pianist and vocalist Little Willie Littlefield for his album, I'm in the Mood.

Bennink's style is wide-ranging, running from conventional jazz drumming to highly unconventional free improvisation, for which he often uses whatever found objects happen to be onstage (chairs, music stands, instrument cases), his own body (a favourite device involves putting a drumstick in his mouth and striking it with the other stick), and the entire performance space—the floor, doors, and walls. He makes frequent use of birdcalls and whatever else strikes his fancy. >>

Don't forget to say cheese. And smile!

Infinity Drummers. Day #414.

Nate Smith

“Altitude”

Nate Smith + Kinfolk

For your viewing and listening pleasure, the Infinity Drummers list presents Mr. Nate Smith.

Nate can make a few drums sound and feel like a lot of drums, because that’s a lot of drumming going on here, folks. Everyone’s playing (and singing) here is a revelation.

I’m gonna stop talking so you can start listening and watching. Needless to say: this is mighty, mighty good.

Infinity Drummers. Day #415.

Martijn Vink

"Big Night"

Metropole Orkest / Vince Mendoza (North Sea Jazz Festival, 2013)

The Metropole Orchestra is a unique musical organization that has been providing inspiration and entertainment since its inception following the end of World War Two. Wikipedia says it best: << The Metropole Orkest (or Metropole Orchestra) is a multiple Grammy-winning jazz and pop orchestra based in the Netherlands, and is the largest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world. A hybrid orchestra, it is a combination of jazz, big band and symphony orchestra. Comprising 52–97 musicians, it is versatile across many musical forms ...

The Metropole Orkest was founded in 1945 by Dolf van der Linden at the urging of officials from Netherlands Public Broadcasting, which manages and subsidizes the orchestra. Since then, the Metropole has become a symbol of Dutch culture around the world. The name of the group was suggested by one of the musicians. Dolf van der Linden led the ensemble for 35 years until he stepped down in 1980. He was replaced by Rogier van Otterloo, who led the group until his sudden death in 1988. Dick Bakker held the baton until 2005 when Vince Mendoza took over. He gave the orchestra a more international character. In August 2013 Jules Buckley took over the position of chief conductor from Vince Mendoza.

The Metropole Orkest is a regular feature at the North Sea Jazz festival and the yearly Holland Festival along with many TV and radio programs broadcast to millions. The ever-growing Dutch film and television industry relies heavily on the Metropole Orkest for its film scores. From 2005 to 2013 the Metropole was under the baton of four-time Grammy Award winner Vince Mendoza and performed frequently on the concert stage, at festivals and on recordings of both Dutch and international artists.

The Metropole Orkest is known for its performances of world music and classic jazz works. It has worked with many prominent artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Jarreau, New York Voices, Bono, Elvis Costello, Snarky Puppy, Marcus Miller, Todd Rundgren and Jacob Collier.

The Dutch government was considering withdrawing funding from the famous orchestra and Dutch cultural icon. At the last minute, in December 2012, politicians secured funding for the orchestra until 2017. >>

It's insane in the most positive sense of the word that a nation would support such a creative enterprise. It's even more insane in the worst sense of the word that politicians would consider cutting off the funding of this important cultural institution, one that cheered war-weary Dutch citizens when it was founded and has since given the Netherlands musical bragging rights non pareil.

Of course, it takes an insanely-great drummer to drive such a musical machine. Martijn Vink has the touch, the timing, the taste, the discipline and the talent to hold down this most demanding and auspicious of chairs ... and it is always a treat to listen to him, especially in this excellent rhythm section. Plus, check out the short solo he plays near the close of the piece ... in a word, wow.

Bravo, everyone. Great chart, Vince.

This is one "Big Night."

Infinity Drummers. Day #416. Jake Reed “Chrysocolla" trioKAIT (2015) Kait Dunton, Cooper Appelt, Jake Reed. I love this video. And I could not be prouder of Jake and everything he's accomplished (and continues to accomplish) on the drums, behind the drums and in front of the drums ... he's that generation of techno-savant who still manages to lay it down like Shelly Manne. He earned his Masters and Doctor of Music degrees at the Thornton School of Music at USC. He continues to learn because he's one of those musicians who is blessed with the ability and the WANT to pay attention to what's going on. Check out his YouTube channel (over 4 million views). Jake is a great drummer, excellent engineer, and what I guess is now known as an influencer. He's also a funny cat, and one that's not too hip to not laugh at his old teacher's dad-humour-jokes. Originally from Kansas City ... studied with Bill Platt, John von Ohlen and Jeff Hamilton. Like I said: we're proud to call him USC's own ... Jake Reed. (His wife Kait Dunton, from UNT, also earned her DMA at USC. WILD.) Jake's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeReedmusic/featured

Infinity Drummers. Day #417.

Rafael Barata

"Hino Flamingo"

i Trio + João Bosco

One fun video deserves another. If you like futebol, you'll love this video. If you like Brazil, you'll love this video. And if you like great drumming, you'll love this video.

Rafael has been the baterista for Eliane Elias' trio the past few years. He's a superb musician, percussionist, drummer and a terrific person to boot. While he was on tour with Eliane, she did a couple of nights with Steps Ahead — this was several years ago in San Francisco, when and where my drums got stolen — and Rafael was so kind and helpful to me during my time of need. Obrigada, Rafael.

Watch this, folks, and get down with your bad samba self. This Bosco's for you.

Infinity Drummers. Day #418.

John Ferraro

"Sleepwalk"

Larry Carlton (1982)

Some of you may remember this song from the late 1950s when the brothers Santo and Johnny (Farina) released what became a pretty big hit record ... covered here a couple of decades later by the wonderful guitarist Larry Carlton, with members of his touring band at the time: Drums: John Ferraro

Bass: Pops Popwell

Keyboards: Terry Trotter, Don Freeman Other drummers on the album include Jeff Porcaro and Steve Gadd. I remember doing one session at Larry's home studio around this time (1981?), but I don't know if anything ever came of it ... but I do know that John Ferraro's drumming on this tune is everything you want a drum track to be: perfect time and beat placement, perfect choices on when and where and how to play a fill, and a perfect-sounding kit.

Here's a biography that appears on the Canopus Drums website, I'm quoting directly here: << John Ferraro has been playing drums since he was five years old. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, to a trumpet playing father and a piano playing mother, music is in his genes as well as his soul. As a small child he was introduced to a variety of musical styles. His early idols and influences include: Ginger Baker, John Bonham, Joe Morello, Buddy Rich, Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, and Tony Williams.

John attended Orange Coast College and Cal State Long Beach where he majored in Business Administration and he took performance classes. He was also a member of the Jazz Ensemble and earned top honors as an instrumentalist. He landed his first professional gig at Disneyland for the newly opened Space Mountain attraction where he worked for four years. John toured domestically and internationally with Larry Carlton on and off for 18 years. He also circled the globe with Barry Manilow’s world tour, and enjoyed playing for Biff Baby’s All-Stars, a loose aggregate of top flight jamming buddies formed by Sterling “Biff” Ball, Vice President of the Ernie Ball Company. John has also had the pleasure of working with such notable artists as Carl Anderson, David Benoit, George Benson, Debbie Boone, Vikki Carr, Randi Crawford, Robben Ford, Jay Gradon, Abraham Laboriel, Albert Lee, Steve Lukather, Keiko & Kazu Matsui, Steve Morse, Aaron Neville, Carlos Rios, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Sembello, Umberto Tozzi, Leslie Uggams, Eddie Van Halen, Carl Verheyen, Kirk Whalum, and Tim Weisberg over the course of 20 years. John preformed for the 2001-2002 critically acclaimed LION KING at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood... >>

Space Mountain. Who knew?!

The bio continues: <>

I've got a story about a session for the first Rod Stewart "standards" album ... will save that for another time. Welcome to the Infinity List, John.

Infinity Drummers. Day #419.

Celso de Almeida

"Samba do Nôno" / BRS

Brazilian Rhythm Section

From the four musicians who brought you the BRS Qrt BRZL Jazz Forms Play-Along app — Celso de Almeida, drums; Paulo Paulelli, bass; Marcus Teixeira, guitar; and Felipe Silveira, keyboards — here is another display of virtuosity that this quartet makes look easy. Recorded in the intimate setting of the Drum Village Studio in Sao Paulo, Brazil by Thadeu Lenza.

Celso was born in 1960. He drums like a young man!

If you are AT ALL interested in getting experience playing along with OR playing IN a Brazilian rhythm section, then check out the BRS app on the App Store (for iOS devices). I'll post a couple of fun links below. But, app aside, let's salute, admire and enjoy the drum artistry of Celso de Almeida.

Infinity Drummers. Day #420.

Ernesto Simpson

"Mentiras Enemigas"

Ile / Omar Sosa Quarteto Afro Cubano & ...

2015 was quite a year. According to Ernesto's discography, he played on Gonzalo Rubacalba's Grammy-nominated album "Suite Caminos," and a sterling recording by Kyle Eastwood and his band titled "Time Piece," and this stunning work by Omar Sosa, whose website describes the album as follows: << Since he emigrated from Cuba in 1993, Omar Sosa has forged a distinctive musical path, fusing an array of jazz, world music, hip-hop, and electronic elements with his Afro-Cuban roots. Omar’s newest recording, ilé, marks a homecoming for the 7-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist and composer to the Latin Jazz influences of his formative years in late ‘80s and early ‘90s Havana. During this period, Omar savored the music of Pancho Quinto, Lázaro Ros, Rubén González, Machito, Benny Moré, Arsenio, Cachao, Lili Martinez, Peruchin, Chucho Valdés, and Irakere. Ilé means homeland in the Lucumí tradition of Cuba, derived from the Yoruba language of West Africa, and it is to the Latin Jazz roots of his native Cuba that Omar returns for inspiration on this new studio recording.

Joining him on the project are three musicians with whom Omar shares a close connection: fellow Camagüeyanos, Ernesto Simpson on drums, and Leandro Saint-Hill on alto saxophone, flute and clarinet, and Mozambican electric electic bassist Childo Tomas – collectively known as Quarteto AfroCubano. These musicians speak the same musical language, using their Cuban and African traditions as a springboard for creative freedom.

Special guests on the recording include Cuban percussionist Pedro Martinez, American guitarist Marvin Sewell, Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry, and maestro Eladio “Don Pancho” Terry, patriarch of the Terry family, on chekere. Featured on vocals is spoken word artist Kokayi. And, reflecting the influence of his extended residency in Barcelona, Omar showcases flamenco vocalist José “El Salao” Martínon several tracks, including a version of Cuban trova composer Sindo Garay’s La Tarde. >>

But Ernesto is our Infinity Drummer for the day, so let's learn a bit more about him. Born 1964 in Cuba's third-largest city, Camagüey, Simpson is a << Grammy nominated world class drummer and musician of international acclaim. Over thirty years of performing, recording, touring, teaching and session music experience alongside some the greatest names in the industry. From Dizzy Gillespie at the start of his musical career in Havana, Cuba, to Michel Legrand, Carmen McRae, Paquitto D' Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Ray Baretto, Mark Murphy, Chucho Valdés, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Rodrigues Brothers, Brian Lynch, Manuel Valera, Gonzalo Rubalcalba, Hugh Masakela, Kyle Eastwood, Omar Sosa to name but a few. Ernesto has lived and worked in Havana, Cuba; Bogota, Colombia; Miami, USA; and New York, USA; A family man and always passionate about music he now splits his time between London, UK and Athens, Greece with his wife and manager Kate Bellia-Simpson. >>

I had the great pleasure of hearing Ernesto play in-person at the Jazz Bakery some years here ago here in LA. Listening to him again tonight on these recordings, wow ... he sounds so good.

Infinity Drummers. Day #421.

Jimmy Lovelace

"Clockwise"

It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet

George Benson – guitar, vocals....

Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone....

Bennie Green – trombone....

Lonnie Smith – organ....

Jimmy Lovelace – drums....

On the day we celebrate the brilliance and swing of drummer Jimmy Lovelace, we mourn the loss of organist Dr. Lonnie Smith whose presence lit up any bandstand, studio or social gathering ... one of the more gentle and generous souls you could know.

I first met Lonnie Smith at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, 1971 as I recall. His band was playing in the front lounge, I was working the main show room (backing such artists as Melba Moore and Freda Payne that summer). You know where I spent every minute of my free time that week!

The entire album is available on YouTube and is worth the seacrh and listen! But here is the first track ... The New York Times' obituary for Jimmy Lovelace, dated 11/22/2004, reads as follows: << Jimmy Lovelace, a veteran bebop drummer who performed with some of New York's leading jazz musicians, died on Oct. 29 at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan. He was 64 and lived in Manhattan.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, his wife, Okaru Hoshino, said.

Mr. Lovelace was a regular fixture at Smalls, a West Village club that closed last year. He often played there with the pianist Frank Hewitt, and with the band Across 7 Street, featuring Chris Byars on saxophone, Ari Roland on bass and Sacha Perry on piano. Mr. Lovelace also performed with the guitarists Wes Montgomery and George Benson, the pianist Junior Mance and the clarinetist Tony Scott.

James Ross Lovelace was born in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 6, 1940. An active performer from the 1960's on, he appeared on more than two dozen recordings, including "Tony Scott"; "The George Benson Cookbook"; "We Loved You," by Mr. Hewitt; and "The Eternal Pyramid," by Across 7 Street.

Besides his wife, Mr. Lovelace is survived by a sister, Myra Hobson, of Kansas City. >>

The Infinity List offers its respects while celebrating the memories of masters Lovelace and Smith.

Infinity Drummers. Day #422.

Alvin Queen

"Billie's Bounce" (feat. Melvin Sparks)

The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions / Lonnie Smith/Alvin Queen / Lenox and Seventh

Continuing with our celebration of the music of Dr. Lonnie Smith who just passed away, here's a very swinging version of "Billie's Bounce," recorded and released in France in 1985.

I turn to Wikipedia for biographical information: << Alvin Queen is an American-born Swiss jazz drummer born in the Bronx, New York, on August 16, 1950. At 16, he played for Ruth Brown and Don Pullen and with the Wild Bill Davis trio. He played with trombonist Benny Green and guitarist Tiny Grimes in 1969 and replaced Billy Cobham in the Horace Silver quintet. He also played with the George Benson quartet before rejoining Charles Tolliver in November 1971. During the seventies, he lived in Canada, before settling in Switzerland in 1979 and creating the label Nilva, an anagram of his first name.

He has also played with Michael Brecker, Kenny Drew, Oscar Peterson, Bennie Wallace, Duško Gojković, Johnny Griffin, and George Coleman. >> Michael Brecker often spoke of Alvin in endearing terms.

Better than Wikipedia is the video link I will post below, but do yourself a favor and check out this über-bouncing version of "Billie's Bounce." https://youtu.be/gdQqIrrpFWk

Infinity Drummers. Day #423.

Casey Scheuerell

"And the Melody Still Lingers On" (A Night in Tunisia)

What Cha' Gonna Do For Me / Chaka Khan (1981)

Casey Scheuerell - drums

Abe Laboriel - bass David Foster, Ronnie Foster - keyboards

Herbie Hancock - synthesizer solo

Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet

Produced by Arif Mardin

There's a good story about this one (will provide a link below for a definitive account of what was, but this is a what-might-have-been tale). Weather Report was working on an album at Devonshire Studios, I'm going to guess that it was Night Passage in its final stages, not exactly sure ... but I do remember getting a phone call by way of the musicians' answering service, and I was requested to ask the members of the band if they would be willing to play on a Chaka Khan album, the tune was gong to be Dizzy's "Night in Tunisia" ... so I dutifully asked Joe, Jaco and Wayne and was summarily dismissed by each ... to be honest, I'm not sure if I got as far as Wayne, but Joe definitely put the kibosh on the idea. However, they all seemed to think it was a fine idea for ME to go ahead and do it, and so I relayed that the band regretfully would not be able to participate, but I would be happy to. Meanwhile, I had asked Jaco, "What should I ask for in terms of money?," figuring the producers would have been prepared to offer a group such as Weather Report a sizable sum. So Jaco gave me a number. When the follow-up phone conversation with the contractor took place, he gave me the date and time and studio information, and I ventured, "So ... should we talk about the fee?" And the contractor said "What fee? This will pay double scale." And I went ahead and quoted the number that Jaco had coached me on ... the contractor simply said something along the lines of "That's never going to happen," and he hung up.

I'll be honest, when I heard how great the track turned out, I was glad that I had not found myself in the studio because I would not have done nearly as good a job as Casey did ... nowhere close. But, I did relay the story at some later point to Michael Brecker. And I sheepishly asked by story's end, "Did I f*ck up?" He looked at me and said, "Yes, you unbelievably f*cked up."

I *did* get to work with Arif Mardin some years later in Cologne, Germany with the WDR Big Band on the Jazzpaña project that Vince Mendoza co-wrote and conducted ... Arif was a delight.

Casey's credits include stints with Gino Vanelli and Jean-Luc Ponty. He has taught for many years now at the Berklee College of Music. Great drummer, great guy, great teacher and this is a great track. [ Matt Phillips (a UK write, apparently) penned this piece about the track: After a chastening period in the late-’60s and ’70s when rock pretty much swept all before it, major labels took a renewed interest in established jazz acts and underground movements flourished (no wave, acid jazz, harmolodic funk, neo-bop). Wynton Marsalis, Miles, Courtney Pine and Loose Tubes even put jazz back on primetime TV.

But when Chaka Khan recorded ‘And The Melody Still Lingers On (Night In Tunisia)’, the dramatic centrepiece of her What Cha’Gonna Do For Me album, she arguably set the whole revival in motion.

It was producer Arif Mardin’s idea, his mind wandering during a flight between New York and LA. The album was one song short – so how about a tribute to the bebop masters of the ’40s using the crème de la crème of the early ’80s soul/R’n’B/jazz session players? They could use Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli’s 1942 bebop classic ‘A Night In Tunisia’ as a template.

Chaka loved the idea. Mardin hoped to find a lyricist but deadlines were pending so he tackled it himself with Chaka adding the final touches. Mardin made a demo of the arrangement which cheekily inserted Charlie Parker’s famous 1946 alto break.

A lengthy chart was quickly made up (resembling a ‘Chinese laundry list written in cuneiform’, according to Mardin) which included eight spare bars for the insertion of the Parker lick.

The musicians – Casey Scheuerell on drums, David Foster and Ronnie Foster (no relation) on keys, Abe Laboriel on bass – were booked and smashed the tune in one take.

Herbie Hancock later contributed a brilliant synth solo. Chaka then added her sublime vocals. Her four-part big-band harmonies and spine-tingling ad-libs bring the song right up to date.

But there was still space for an opening head melody and a solo in the final verse. Dizzy had been sent the demo by Mardin with a note asking him to contribute.

But the bebop legend replied that he would be on tour and so couldn’t make the recording session – but he suddenly arrived two days before the album’s mastering date at New York’s Atlantic Studios to add his part. The track was complete. ]

Infinity Drummers. Day #424.

Duffy Jackson

“Stormy Monday”

Kansas City Shout / Count Basie, w/ Joe Turner & Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson

Nothing too fancy here, just some real solid swing and excitement, two hallmarks of Duffy Jackson’s playing. I first met Duffy way back during one of the early Kenton / National Stage Band Camp summer events. I’ve long enjoyed his drumming whatever the setting, but the Basie stuff is always spectacular

<< Born in Freeport, New York, Jackson was the son of jazz double-bassist and band leader Chubby Jackson. He played drums as a young child, making appearances with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, and Buddy Rich before he finished high school. In 1971 he relocated to Los Angeles, where he played with Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Lena Horne, Milt Jackson, and Barney Kessel. Following a tour of Japan with Benny Carter, he appeared on television for two years with Sammy Davis, Jr. (1974–1976). Later in the 1970s he played with Grover Mitchell and did a tour of Europe with the Count Basie Orchestra.

In the 1980s Jackson worked with Lionel Hampton, Al Jarreau, James Moody, and Sonny Stitt, and in 1985 re-joined the Basie orchestra while Thad Jones was its leader. Following this he worked with Illinois Jacquet and Artie Shaw, then re-joined the Basie Orchestra under Frank Foster. In the 1990s, he relocated to Fort Lauderdale, where he played with Harry Allen, Billy Ross, and the Manhattan Transfer.

He died aged 67 in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 3, 2021. >>

Infinity Drummers. Day #425. Klaus Weiss  “52nd Street Theme” (Monk) Salt Peanuts / Klaus Weiss Quintett Bass, Isla Eckinger; Piano, Fritz Pauer; Guitar, John Schröder; Tenor Saxophone, Roman Schwaller; Drums, Klaus’s Weiss Recorded May, 1982 at Studio Tonbauer, Ludwigsburg, Germany by Carlos Albrecht. Klaus Weiss was a winner of the International Jazz Competition held (here) in Vienna back in 1966 (other winners included Franco Ambrosetti [Randy Brecker came in just one point behind], Miroslav Vitous [George Mraz came in 2nd], Eddie Daniels [Lennart Åberg came in 2nd], and so on. Judges included Cannonball Adderly, Art Farmer, Joe Zawinul, J.J. Johnson and Mel Lewis, and the event was organized by Frederick Gulda (Viennese music icon and mentor of Joe Zawinul). This is the first cut from his album Salt Peanuts, I will post the 2nd / longer tune One Bass Hit below, it provides a very good impression of his drumming. Klaus could swing. Johnny Griffin said that Klaus was “one of the few European drummers with that distinctive American feeling.”  Born in 1942, he passed away in 2008. One of the other drummers in that competition included Barry Altschul. https://youtu.be/CC9fnIKi22E

Infinity Drummers. Day #426.

Gene Lake

“Hope”

Advocate / Jim Beard (1999)

Bass – Matthew Garrison

Drums – Gene Lake

Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – Bob Malach

Grand Piano, Piano, Keyboards – Jim Beard

Vocals, Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan

All music composed , arranged and produced by Jim Beard

Executive-Producer – Joachim Becker

This is a haunting, evocative and stunningly clever piece of music by Jim Beard that comes as close as anything I’ve heard to resembling both a found Weather Report track that was never released and a Fellini or Pasolini soundtrack (I bet a reader might be able to come up with a better choice of auteur) … Arto Tuncboyaciyan’s vocals are fun and terrifying, at least to me … haunting, let’s say. But Beard keeps a steady hand on the helm of things, helped immensely by Matthew Garrison’s masterful bass playing (I think he’s brilliant here) and spot-on perfect drumming by Gene Lake.

As Wikipedia has it, << Oliver Gene Lake, Jr. (born January 12, 1966 in St. Louis) is an American jazz drummer. He is the son of saxophonist Oliver Lake. He began playing drums when he was five years old, and took lessons with Pheeroan akLaff as a high schooler at The High School of Music & Art in New York City. He attended Berklee College of Music, where he studied with Tommy Campbell, and played in local Boston bands in a variety of styles. He played with his father in New York in 1987 and 1988, then joined Henry Threadgill's ensemble in 1990. Later in the 1990s he worked with Steve Coleman, Lunar Crush (with David Fiuczynski and John Medeski), Marcus Miller, Brandon Ross, David Sanborn, the World Saxophone Quartet, and Joe Zawinul. Outside of jazz, Lake also played with R&B musicians such as Maxwell and Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Lake has been a resident of Montclair, New Jersey. >>

I’ll add John Beasley to the list. And Gene always sounds great.

This is a very fun listen. Enjoy.

Infinity Drummers. Day #427. Billy Drummond “The Common Law” The Gift / Billy Drummond. Seamus Blake, tenor sax; Renee Rosnes, piano; Peter Washington, bass; Billy Drummond, drums & composer. This is an excellent tune on an excellent album (another Criss Cross Jazz title) by the always-excellent Billy Drummond. Everyone sounds great here, so a shout-out to Renee, Peter and Seamus as well as to Billy. Turning to Wikipedia for the biographical details: << Billy Drummond was born in Newport News, Virginia, where he grew up listening to the extensive jazz record collection of his father, an amateur drummer and jazz enthusiast. He started playing the drums at four and was performing locally in his own band by the age of eight, and playing music with other kids in the neighborhood, including childhood friends, Roy Wooten, Reggie Wooten and Victor Wooten, who lived a few doors away and through whom he met Consuela Lee Moorehead, composer, arranger, music theory professor, and the founder of the Springtree/Snow Hill Institute for the Performing Arts. He attended Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music on a Classical Percussion scholarship and, upon leaving school, became a member of a local Top 40 band called The Squares with bass phenom Oteil Burbridge. In 1986, encouraged by Al Foster, who had invited him to sit in at the Village Vanguard and advised him to take the next step, he moved to New York and almost immediately joined the band, Out of the Blue, with whom he recorded their last album, Spiral Staircase (Blue Note Records). A year later, he joined the Horace Silver sextet, touring extensively with him before becoming a member of Sonny Rollins's band, with whom he toured for three years. During this period he also formed long-term musical associations with Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Buster Williams, James Moody, JJ Johnson, Andrew Hill, and others. He has made three albums as bandleader, including his Criss Cross album Dubai (featuring Chris Potter, Walt Weiskopf and Peter Washington), which included in the list of “50 Crucial Jazz Drumming Recordings of the Past 100 Years” by Modern Drummer magazine. He has made five albums as a co-leader, including We’ll Be Together Again with Javon Jackson and Ron Carter. He leads a New York-based band called Freedom of Ideas. In addition to touring he is Professor of Jazz Drums at the Juilliard School and New York University. A sideman on over 350 records, Drummond has played and recorded with, among others, Bobby Hutcherson, Nat Adderley, Ralph Moore (1989 and subsequently), Buster Williams (1990–93), Charles Tolliver (1991), Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akiyoshi, Hank Jones (1991), James Moody (early 1990s), Sonny Rollins, Andy LaVerne (1994), Lee Konitz (1995), Dave Stryker (1996), George Colligan (1997), Ted Rosenthal, Bruce Barth, Joe Lovano, Andrew Hill (from 1997 to 2000), Larry Willis (2006 to the present), Toots Thielmans, Freddie Hubbard (mid-1990s), Chris Potter, Eddie Gómez, Stanley Cowell, Javon Jackson, and Sheila Jordan (1990s to present). He is a long-time member of Carla Bley's Lost Chords Quartet, Sheila Jordan's Quartet, and the Steve Kuhn Trio. Formerly married to pianist Renee Rosnes, Drummond has been a resident of West Orange, New Jersey. >>  I couldn’t have said it any better … Bravo, Billy … and thanks always for your support here on the Facebook over the years. https://youtu.be/UpktQ86brF4

Infinity Drummers. Day #428.

Kovács Gyula Kovács Andor Gitárművész és Kovács Gyula (DOB) - Gitárdobpárbaj

This remarkable duo performance highlights the drumming of Hungarian “dobos” artist Kovács Gyula. From what I understand, he remains a hero to many Hungarian musicians. Born in Budapest on December 26, 1927, his resume included musical alliances with such artists as bassist Pege Aladár and guitarist Gabor Szabo. He was a teacher to many and a force of musical good until his passing in 1992 at the age of 66.

His early influences encompass Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Joe Morello and Louie Bellson, as evidenced on this recording. However, according to (Hungarian) Wikipedia, “His favorite drummers were Elvin Jones and Jack de Johnette, who always kept the style elements of traditional jazz in their playing. Unlike other drum teachers, he presented the innovative and progressive drumming of more famous American drummers on tape recordings, such as: Alex Acuña, Alphonse Mouzon, Billy Cobham, Dennis Chambers, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Dave Weckl, and many other famous drummers.”

Please listen, I promise that you’ll will be knocked out by this man’s drumming. The guitarist is also pretty great.

Infinity Drummers. Day #429.

Nate Wood

"Drum Battle"

Kneebody

This is quite something. Incredibly-talented musicians all. Taking the fusion concept from the early 1970s, then transforming and propelling it into their own universe while speaking the lingua franca of contemporary music today (and I came up with that sentence pre-coffee)!

from the drumchannel/YouTube text: << Kneebody is an American band formed in 2001, consisting of Adam Benjamin on keyboards, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Ben Wendel on tenor sax, Kaveh Rastegar on bass, and Nate Wood on drums.

In their almost two-decade history, the Grammy-nominated band Kneebody has created a genre and style all its own. Their sound is explosive rock energy and high-level nuanced chamber ensemble playing set within the frames of highly wrought compositions that are balanced with adventurous no-holds-barred improvising.

Kneebody is keyboardist Adam Benjamin, trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Ben Wendel and drummer/bassist Nate Wood. The band has no leader or rather, each member is the leader; they’ve developed their own musical language, inventing a unique cueing system that allows them each to change the tempo, key, style, and more in an instant.

The group met in their late teens while at The Eastman School of Music and Cal Arts, became fast friends, and converged together as Kneebody amid the vibrant and eclectic music scene of Los Angeles in 2001. Since then, each band member has amassed an impressive list of credits and accomplishments over the years all while the band has continued to thrive and grow in reputation, solidifying a fan base around the world. >>

or, as Jaco liked to say, "Fasten your safety belts."

Infinity Drummers. Day #430.

Andrew Smith

"Midnight Train to Georgia"

Gladys Knight & The Pips

The great bassist Bob Babbitt wrote the following: “Tribute to Andrew Smith; I was on a session at Detroit’s Golden World studio when I first met Andrew and his father, Joe. They were both carrying Andrew’s drums into the studio. I guess Andrew was about 16 years old. There was an apprehensive look on their faces as Andrew set up his drums. The greatest thing about the Detroit musicians was the warmness that they projected to their fellow musicians, and for me it was ten-fold with Andrew and his father! Then, when Andrew started playing it was as if he was there playing with us all of the time. I said to myself 'Wow, Young Genius'..... From that day on my relationship with Andrew was like two Brothers! We played together on many recording sessions, many Hit Records, and Live performances. When Motown made it’s move to California, Andrew and I went to the East Coast to pursue our careers. It was here, that I saw Andrew’s talents develop into a major force in the music industry! He started arranging for artists which eventually led to producing them as well. When I moved from the East Coast Andrew and I constantly stayed in touch and saw each other several times over the years. My son, who was still living in New Jersey started to hang out with Andrew and he informed me of Andrew’s passing.......For myself and my family it was a sad day for us, we all loved Andrew, he was one of us.........Being that Andrew was always an up-beat, happy, positive personality, I know he would want us all to go on with our lives with the same attitude that he had toward life. For me, when I think of Andrew I still to this day think “Wow, Young Genius” Let’s not forget him...

With respect and love,

Bob Babbitt"

"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records. Written by Jim Weatherly, and included on the Pips' 1973 LP Imagination, "Midnight Train to Georgia" won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus and has become Knight's signature song.

The song was originally written and performed by Jim Weatherly under the title "Midnight Plane to Houston," which he recorded on Jimmy Bowen's Amos Records. "It was based on a conversation I had with somebody... about taking a midnight plane to Houston," Weatherly recalls. "I wrote it as a kind of a country song. Then we sent the song to a guy named Sonny Limbo in Atlanta and he wanted to cut it with Cissy Houston... he asked if I minded if he changed the title to "Midnight Train to Georgia". And I said, 'I don't mind. Just don't change the rest of the song.'

Weatherly, in a later interview with Gary James, stated that the phone conversation in question had been with Farrah Fawcett, and he used Fawcett and his friend Lee Majors, whom she had just started dating, "as kind of like characters." Weatherly, at a program in Nashville, said he had been the quarterback at the University of Mississippi, and the NFL didn't work out for him, so he was in Los Angeles trying to write songs. He was in a rec football league with Lee Majors and called Majors one night. Farrah Fawcett answered the phone and he asked what she was doing. She said she was "taking the midnight plane to Houston" to visit her family. He thought that was a catchy phrase for a song, and in writing the song, wondered why someone would leave L.A. on the midnight plane – which brought the idea of a "superstar, but he didn't get far".

Gospel/soul singer Cissy Houston recorded the song as "Midnite Train to Georgia" (spelled "Midnight ..." on the UK single) released in 1973. Her version can also be found on her albums Midnight Train to Georgia: The Janus Years (1995), and the reissue of her 1970 debut album, Presenting Cissy Houston originally released on Janus Records.

Weatherly's publisher forwarded the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who followed Houston's lead and kept the title "Midnight Train to Georgia." The single debuted on the Hot 100 at number 71 and became the group's first number-one hit eight weeks later when it jumped from number 5 to number 1 on October 27, 1973, replacing "Angie" by the Rolling Stones. It remained in the top position for two weeks. It was replaced by "Keep On Truckin' (Part 1)" by Eddie Kendricks. It also reached number one on the soul singles chart, their fifth on that chart. The record was awarded an RIAA Gold single (for selling one million copies) on October 18, 1973. On the UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number ten on June 5, 1976.

In her autobiography, Between Each Line of Pain and Glory, Gladys Knight wrote that she hoped the song was a comfort to the many thousands who come each year from elsewhere to Los Angeles to realize the dream of being in motion pictures, television or music, but then fail to realize that dream and plunge into despair.

In 1999, "Midnight Train to Georgia" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It currently ranks #439 on Rolling Stone's updated list of their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Personnel / Production and vocals

Lead vocals by Gladys Knight

Background vocals by Merald "Bubba" Knight, Eddie Patten, and William Guest

Written by Jim Weatherly

Produced and arranged by Tony Camillo

Co-produced by Gladys Knight, Merald "Bubba" Knight, Eddie Patten, and William Guest

Initial track recorded at Venture Sound Studios, Hillsborough, New Jersey, 1973

Drums: Andrew Smith

Bass: Bob Babbitt

Guitar: Jeff Mironov (playing a 1955 Fender Stratocaster)

Electric piano: Tony Camillo

Overdubs recorded at Venture Sound Studios:

Acoustic piano: Barry Miles

Hammond organ: Tony Camillo

Percussion: Tony Camillo

Violin: Norman Carr

Cello: Jesse Levy

Trumpet: Randy Brecker

Saxophone: Michael Brecker

Trombone: Meco Monardo

Vocals were recorded at Artie Fields Studio in Detroit. Gladys Knight recorded her lead vocals in a single take. She later recorded a punch-in of a single line in New York City.

Recorded and mixed by Ed Stasium

A great track. Thank you, Andrew Smith.

Infinity Drummers. Day #431.

Keith Knudsen

"Here To Love You"

Minute By Minute / The Doobie Brothers (Michael McDonald)

Been wanting to post this gem of a song for a while but was not certain which of the band's drummers was actually playing on the track. Found out today, courtesy of Pat Coil who asked Michael McDonald ... Keith Knudsen! Impeccable producing by Ted Templeman. Gorgeous vocals by Michael McDonald. And, yeah, band!

This song came along at the perfect time for me in early 1979. Just moved to California. Good things were in the air ... on the air, too. Car radio. Here To Love You.

Bravo, Keith Knudsen, and thanks for a super drum track.

Infinity Drummers. Day #432.

Ron Tutt

"You Gave Me A Mountain"

Aloha From Hawaii, Live in Honolulu, 1973 / Elvis Presley

Ron Tutt (March 12, 1938 – October 16, 2021). You gave us a mountain to climb, Ron Tutt. RIP

Infinity Drummers. Day #433.

Jamey Tate

“Shrimp Tale”

Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra

There’s no greater feeling of reward than when a musician comes up to me to compliment me about one of my former students. This just happened over the weekend, as it has happened so many times before where it concerns today’s Infinity List Drummer, Jamey Tate. Jamey takes delight in serving the music as well as in taking care of business, and he delights all who are fortunate enough to find themselves on the same bandstand or soundstage with him.

Jamey and I go way back, including during those halcyon days when Disneyland hosted the All American College Band which had a big band component. Jamey made it his business to commute from Anaheim to Santa Monica in order to take some lessons during that summer, and our collaboration in study continued through his very successful stay at the Thornton School of Music at USC.

He’s learned well. Busy as a drummer, arranger, producer and engineer … I can’t take too much credit, but he is “my” pride and joy. As my own teacher George Gaber liked to say, “The kid plays great.”

Enjoy him here in this tremendous statement of musical globalization. Kudos to all of the musicians.