Wow, this interview with Steve Jordan is amazing. He’s an accomplished drummer and record producer who’s worked with a whole load of big names including James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray and Keith Richards. He’s known these days as the drummer for John Mayer alongside bassist Pino Palladino.
I know Steve Jordan originally from his performances on the live Blues Brothers albums that I listened to thousands of times in my youth. His drumming sounded so groovy and also complex, especially on tracks like Going Back To Miami. The energy on Green Onions was mindblowing to me. I seem to recall he acknowledged that he was somewhat overplaying on those records. Jordan’s playing on those records was a big influence on me (not that I got anywhere near his level).
Steve Jordan’s DVD, The Groove Is Here is a great favourite of mine too. It explores the way groove works via sound, timing and feel. I would highly recommend it to any drummer.
Steve and Rick talk about sound, about groove, about the modern and the ancient. Must watch interview.