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Manu Chao – As Eclectic As It Gets

I have been listening to Manu Chao for a few years. His music, played with his band Radio Bemba Sound System, is a mixture of many styles including punk, reggae, ska and latin with a splash of gypsy music. The lyrics are equally eclectic being sung in several languages even in the same song. Manu Chao started his musical career as a street performer and the live show reflects this with a relentless energy and a set that doesn’t stop… Read More »Manu Chao – As Eclectic As It Gets

Frank Zappa Pops Up and Says Hello

I went through a period in my mid-twenties where the music I most loved became bland and two dimensional. I was listening to mostly be-bop and Western classical music of the Romantic period. Then one day, the groovy noodlings of Messr’s Parker and Gillespie lost their allure and the pomp of Beethoven and Mahler just seemed childish. I was in India at the time and I guess the change of context affected my response to music. And it wasn’t a… Read More »Frank Zappa Pops Up and Says Hello

What I’m Listening To This Week

Ooh, this stuff is home, the old stuff, the best stuff. Right? I needed to remind myself what a proper shuffle feels like. Something you hear and don’t hear unless you’ve been listening for a very long time. These are some of the songs on which I suckled, the origins of my relationship with music courtesy of my dad’s singles collection which disappeared in the mists of time or during a move, perhaps. A lot of this old stuff is… Read More »What I’m Listening To This Week

What I’m Listening To This Week

Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley is a Robert Palmer record released in 1974. I was introduced to the record by legendary sound engineer Phill Brown who recorded it. The title track is one of the funkiest things ever committed to tape. It’s something I get my students to play along to as an introduction to funk drumming. This is a beautiful recording which reminds us what a phenomenal time for music the Seventies was (Let’s face it, by the end… Read More »What I’m Listening To This Week

Cold Cold Cold – Me and Lowell Too

The last few days I can’t get this song out of my head for some reason… I guess it’s a bit of a cliche to say that playing drums slowly is a lot more challenging than most people think but it really is. Not to suggest that filling every available nanosecond with a flurry of 32s isn’t a challenge in itself but it’s not the be all and end all of our instrument. Drums aren’t an Olympic sport after all.… Read More »Cold Cold Cold – Me and Lowell Too

What I’m Listening To This Week – Clutch

Having worked on the groove on Clutch’s Burning Beard, I got the album, Robot Hive /Exodus. John Paul Gaster is a great funky drummer. Check out 10001110101 for some fabulous groove playing. In a slightly mellower vein, I have been learning Grant Green’s Ease Back with the wonderful Idris Muhammad laying down some very tasty, loose and fluid grooves. The main groove is in Todd Bishop’s 100 Grooves. Or you can get it off his blog here. And in a… Read More »What I’m Listening To This Week – Clutch

Great Gig With The Apocryphalites

Had immense fun with the Apocryphalites on Saturday night, playing a birthday party. It was the perfect chance to try out some of the stuff I’ve been learning from a couple of great DVDs about Jamaican grooves (wot I plan to write about soon). Thanks to Ed and the band for inviting me to dep with them, in particular Bill and Mrs Bill who were kind enough to give me a lift.

One of the greatest bands I know

OK, I am being a very slack blogger. Here is a little something to keep things moving – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with the fabulous Steve Ferrone. The story goes that when the band went in to record Wildflowers with Rick Rubin they were looking for a new drummer. They auditioned tons of drummers (yes, we are measured by the ton) at the recording studio. Mr Ferrone showed up and they played through this song. “It’s a take!” said… Read More »One of the greatest bands I know

Spotify playlist fun

If you have access to the very cool Spotify service you can use this link to access my Easy Drumming Songs playlist. It is here Please bear in mind that by easy, I mean slow. These would be songs at a nice comfortable tempo to play along to if you are just getting started. When you get better you may well discover that slow isn’t easy. Have fun.

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