Brush Master

KENNY CLARKE!

A nice video from Paris 1959.  Kenny Clarke was in my opinion perhaps the best brush player (up there with Papa Jo Jones of course).  If you doubt it, then download "Dîner Au Motel" from Miles Davis' Album "Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud."  His feeling with the brushes is incredible, and the sound and ease at which he does it.

This video has great trio playing from Bud too, check out the ending!

Thelonious Monk Beer Story at RVG's

I spent the afternoon today at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.  It's amazing to be in the room where so many incredible musicians recorded so many incredible albums.  John Coltrane's Ballads, and A Love Supreme,  Joe Henderson's Page One, Kenny Durham's Una Mas, and so many more.

Then I took a look at the 7-foot Steinway in the big room, which was the piano that Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, and essentially every other important pianists played on.  It is still in pristine condition, but it holds so much history and so many amazing musical moments.  

Being in that room made me think of the story that Charli Persip told about being at a recording session of Miles Davis' with Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Percy Heath, and Kenny "Klook" Clark, where Monk spills a beer in the middle of a tune.

Rudiment of the Week: Triple Ratamaflams

"Rudiment of the Week" will be a weekly special on www.jazzleadsheets.com.  It will be a specific rudiment to work on for each week for all drummers who follow the blog.  These rudiments are selected because they are particularly useful, challenging, or common.

To start it all off...the Triple Ratamaflam:

This is a rudiment that appears all throughout solo's by Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Clarke, Billy Higgins, as well as Alan Dawson's Rudimental Ritual.  Remember to move it around the drumset to work on flexibility and dexterity.

Keep shedding it and look for another one next week!