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What I’m Listening To This Week

I have been slowly discovering Afrobeat. The grooves are mental. There seems to be a lot of improvising, weird snare patterns and generally the kind of independence I associate with playing Latin music. I started listening to some stuff by Fela Kuti whose drummer, Tony Allen is considered to be a pioneer of the Afrobeat style of drumming. Back in the days of my misspent youth I remember Fela’s music being popular among people I knew but it didn’t draw… 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

An Inappropriate Introduction To Frank Zappa

All this talk of jazz has me thinking about how much I love Frank Zappa. Here is an entirely inappropriate introduction to the great FZ’s work. If you are not already familiar with Zappa’s work, don’t watch the following clip. On drums we have the robust and very focused Chad Wackerman playing something that is almost a reggae. Chad Wackerman taught me the Murray Spivack grip via this video on DrumChannel.com – http://www.drumchannel.com/categories/Master-Class-Chad-Wackerman-Murray-Spivack. To access it requires a paid subscription.… Read More »An Inappropriate Introduction To Frank Zappa

What I’m Listening To This Week – Elvin

I have been getting back into jazz lately. I went through a period of only listening to Jazz, mostly bebop. Once I heard Dizzy Gillespie, the rock ‘n’ roll I loved seemed flat and simple. From my late teens until my mid twenties I listened only to jazz. Actually, jazz and some classical music of the Romantic era. I studied Chapin’s legendary book and spent my twenties at Ronnie’s soaking up some of the greatest music on the planet. Then… Read More »What I’m Listening To This Week – Elvin

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.

Tinnitus Awareness

I just discovered last week was Tinnitus Awareness Week from a fellow Tinnitus sufferer. I think we can remain aware of Tinnitus even after the week is over. Tinnitus is a noise you can hear which has no external source. I have a high pitched whining in my ears which is loud enough for me to hear even during conversations. Fortunately, I find it reasonably easy to accept although the absence of silence can be distressing at times and some… Read More »Tinnitus Awareness

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