(Or can a filthy rock drummer for over 30 years expand his horizons?)

Many drummers can remember the catalyst for their getting hooked on drums, mine was seeing the much missed rock legend Cozy Powell playing ‘Dance with the Devil’ on TOTP back in 1973. I’d always liked the drums and being from a musical family, I really wanted to get ‘into’ something, but the call to the piano was not one I readily responded to.

I’d been hammering away on various pots and pans for a while before the televisual revelation and for the most part, my musical influences were what I saw on TV, heard on the radio and my elder sister’s record collection. This was mainly pop and rock based so it follows that these genres have been the main core of my playing since.

However, a couple of years later, I started to go and see my Dad’s big band play each week and whenever possible, sat as close to, or behind the drummer to pick up anything I could to help develop my playing. Jazz to me at the time, was a whole new sound, I’d never really paid much attention to it before and whilst the skills of the drummer mostly went totally over my head, I still developed an appreciation for the style.

Fortunately, I have managed to keep a relatively open mind to diverse musical styles and genres, although this is not to say there are not certain styles I cannot abide, but I still try to absorb what I can regardless of the source. It would be futile of me to try and convince anyone that despite a healthy upbringing exposed to jazz and swing that I can emulate the style, but to this day I continue to harbour the desire to get to the bottom of this ‘swing-thing’.

To help me with my quest, I enlisted the help of Paul Brook, drummer, raconteur, Rhythm contributor and all round top geezer. So, one crisp winter’s morning, I sallied forth to Chez Brook to see if the man of a million rhythms could assist.

After beating out a few rhythms in the cosy confines of his underground studio, it wasn’t long before, as ‘drummers of a certain age’ do, we started to discuss drummers, drumming and putting the world to rights. I discovered I was not alone in my concerns that many younger and some older drummers, make the mistake of only listening to the music they want to play and only imitating their favourite drummers in that style. Learning more about other musical styles (and the best exponents of that style) can give the novice player a greater versatility and depth to their playing. However, Paul was quick to point out however that this does, of course NOT include country and western.

Paul told me “It’s no secret that John Bonham listened to jazz drummers like Max Roach and Joe Morello as well as the music of James Brown in his early days, however, these days, many rock drummers don’t even listen to John Bonham! So it’s no great surprise to discover that one significant difference between the drumming of Bonham and most modern rock players is that Bonham’s grooves swing.”

Another great and legendary rock player, whose early influences included jazz and swing, is Ian Paice. Some years ago, a neighbour gave me a record he’d bought in the early 70’s, released by the much missed Melody Maker (when it existed and was a music paper) featuring set pieces and solos culled from great jazz drummers recordings from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I remember listening to it for the first time and hearing a solo by Ed Thigpen and the sudden realisation that my copying stuff from Ian Paice, linked my playing to the stuff he’d copied from Ed Thigpen!

In truth, most early rock n’ roll and rock drummers grew up listening to, and playing jazz.

In truth, most early rock n’ roll and rock drummers grew up listening to, and playing jazz. This transitional playing can be heard on many of the most famous and influential rock and roll songs of the 50’s ‘Rock Around The Clock’ by Bill Haley is, for all intents and purposes, a swing tune, the elements are all there – but with the addition of a back beat throughout out the song. Paul points out that “a driving big band chorus often featured backbeat drumming that wouldn’t sound out of place at a modern rock gig.”

If you take a listen to the original recording of ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ by Little Richard, you can hear the transition between big band swing and rock happening. The drummer, Earl Palmer whilst holding down a solid backbeat is also still playing a ‘typical swing’ pattern to sustain the beat. The driving ‘rock’ rhythm sustain is actually being handled by the piano player who is playing straight 8ths over the driving ‘swing’ from the drums.

Music is an evolutionary process, rarely does someone sit down and deliberately ‘invent’ a style or genre, it happens not always because of what trend setters want, but usually despite what they want! In Paul’s opinion “Rock drumming was pretty much invented by jazz drummers! During the 60’s and 70’s, drummers like Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix), Ginger Baker (Cream), Bobby Colomby (Blood Sweat and Tears) and Danny Seraphine (Chicago) brought jazz chops and sensibility to rock music.”

Conversely, legendary big band drummers such as Buddy Rich himself were taking songs from the pop and rock arena and incorporating them into their repertoires. Paul added “Meanwhile, jazz greats like Tony Williams, Billy Cobham and Lenny White shattered the old jazz striped t-shirt and beret template and introduced rock rhythms and rock power to a stunned jazz audience.”

On the subject of opening up to a wider horizon of influences, Paul is pretty much pin sharp on the matter. “When Elvin Jones wanted to find out more about the roots of jazz, he had to travel to Africa. In the modern era, when drummers have more access to educational material than ever, why then are so few players willing to discover the history of their instrument? The modern trend towards technical superiority without a balancing artistic integrity is setting a dubious example for some young players. What use is learning to talk, and then having nothing to say?”

“Very little is truly new in drumming. Most modern drum licks and tricks have their roots in the drumming of 50 years or more ago. It might be done faster, or on more drums now, but it’s not new.  What are the chances that you could listen to a be-bop or big-band drummer from the 50’s, and hear at least ONE idea that you could apply to your playing? Pretty high, I reckon.”

Furthermore, Paul points out that in a world that’s becoming more conformist every day, we owe it to ourselves to become as individual and expressive as we can. “Being a clone is no fun. If you want to grow in a fresh direction, it makes sense to start from the roots.”

So, where do I sign up? Paul’s suggestion is “If you’re new to jazz, start with big-band music. It has more in common with rock/pop than small group jazz, and is easier to follow.”

Mike Ellis
May 2006