Manu Katche is one of those guys that I’ve never really checked out, and I don’t honestly know why. I’ve been watching videos of him on YouTube the past couple days and I can definitely see why he is so in-demand as a player. He has a very distinctive style, perhaps reminiscent of Stewart Copeland? He definitely doesn’t come across as an overtly technical player, which I really enjoy; his technique seems pretty average but his sound and his ideas are incredible. That being said, I’ve watched some solo videos of Manu as well, and he can definitely bust out the licks.
Will Kennedy from The Yellowjackets offers a great lesson regarding how to play funky grooves.
Nat Townsley plays the Modern Drummer Festival back in 2003, I believe. I love Nat’s playing because it transcends the gospel idiom. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of incredible ‘gospel chop’ type players these days, but many of them are very one-dimensional players. Nat doesn’t have to resort to playing repetitive licks and phrases because of the fact that he is such a veritable improviser.
Gaylord Birch takes a solo with the Pointer Sisters in 1974. Talk about funky. Notice how rooted his vocabulary is in the tradition of jazz. Remember, that initially there was no such thing as rock drummers, funk drummers, metal drummers — or any other kind of genre-specific understanding of the functional role of the drum set as instrument; there were only jazz drummers. The drum set was invented to play jazz, and those who played it reflected their understanding of its origins. It reminds me of an interview with studio legend Hal Blaine where he discussed playing sessions with the infamous LA “Wrecking Crew” (a 1960’s powerhouse team of players that tracked everything from the Mama’s & The Papa’s and Sonny & Cher to The Beach Boys). Hal basically said he had no idea he was inventing the rock idiom for drum set, simply because he had only considered himself a jazz musician.
Know your roots. There is a wonderful documentary out about the Wrecking Crew right now. Anyone who is serious about the history of popular music needs to check it out. In the meantime, enjoy this clip.
This is a video of Australian drummer Andrew Fisenden taking a solo on “Jazz Crimes” (a tune from Joshua Redman’s Elastic Band). This is probably the most impressive solo I have ever seen without the use of rack toms — at least as far as raw technique is concerned.
Be sure to pick your jaw up off the floor before you leave.
This is some fantastic Woodstock 1969 footage. Michael Shrieve takes a solo with Santana on “Soul Sacrifice” — check that traditional grip!
This is a great video of Gadd playing with Stuff at Montreaux in 1976 — right about the time his career started taking off. His solo starts at 1:12, and it features numerous proto-Gaddisms (most notably the classic montuno grove). Gadd’s setup and musical approach has changed vastly over time, yet a fundamental core of his playing style can be observed in even the earliest footage. I have some Gadd transcriptions to post, but until then, enjoy!
