The real deal.....

[scovit]

Thought I'd give you a link to hear and see who I am........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogpnm77qU10

Please feel free to comment....

There are many talented people who never make a mark. Maybe I am one..... maybe I'm not. You can decide that.

What I can tell you is that years ago I made a choice.....NOT to pursue this as a career, but I have no regrets.

This is a little swing solo done on my early 1970's Vintage Fibes Drums, in Museum Condition with a 1960's Rogers Powertone Snare, Rogers Pedals, same period, 1960's A. Zildjian Cymbals 18" Medium Ride, 16 " Thin Crash, 14" Med. Crash and 13" New Beat High Hats all in Museum Condition.

I use this set (kit) when I want to get the vintage effect. Pictures and sound from my other more modern Fibes Kit to follow.

Looking forward to speaking with you all........

[intooder]

Nice work! It's nice to see a traditional jazz solo in contrast to everything else being posted. I definitely see a Buddy influence. Only thing I can add is that it was a bit repetitive - you might throw in some variations. Overall: quite enjoyable. Keep it up.

[beatsMcGee]

i agree, good traditional sound, but it did become repeitive, and you looked a little tense at times, or maybe you just appeared that way, but nice work none the less.

and i just have a pet peeve about pinkies being flug out when playing, not sure if its considered bad technique, but ive been told not to and i dont. but great playing

[scovit]

Beats.....Guys:

Thanks for your comments. Appreciate it. Thankfully, I have a variety of styles and techniqies. Yes, I was highly influenced by Rich, Morello, and Bellson. No.... not stiff, just fooling around in my basement with much less animation than I would be if I was playing in front of a crowd..

I assume you are talking about my right hand. I find the multiple sticking requires me to make room to get my fingers out of the way. Unfortunately it is my derivation of "Finger Control".

But, if you really want to study perfect stick and bounce control, check out Roy Burnes and Lewis Malin, just a couple of smart "ole" guys. Both these drummers collaborated on their drum book, "Finger Control". Both had "perfect technique", but their skills I believe were good but not great. One other thing. They both utilized holding the right hand in a very uncharacteristic traditional manner, ala Haskell Harr, which by the standards today would be looked at as unsound and unbalanced.

Many of the well known drummers have interesting quirks that you and I would refer to as technically unsound, but it works. Take for example Dave Weckl, who looks like he is holding his left stick very close to the top butt or Louie Bellson who sometimes holds his left stick almost in the middle. Bellson does this to get better "fulcrum" or stick balance which allows him to "roll" with his left hand.

I would argue that quirks make drum playing distinctive and it would not be good to stifle many of the nuances that you I or anyone for that matter as a player may have

If it works, go for it...

[brittc89]

i agree, good traditional sound, but it did become repeitive, and you looked a little tense at times, or maybe you just appeared that way, but nice work none the less.

and i just have a pet peeve about pinkies being flug out when playing, not sure if its considered bad technique, but ive been told not to and i dont. but great playing

Tea-cupping is considered bad technique, the back of the stick is just flailing.

[scovit]

Tea-Cupping.....never heard that term before.....hey, if you think I have bad technique, that's fine. It's possible that I might have had really good technique when I was getting ready to go to music school a long long time ago. I chose a different path, no regrets.

Unfortunately I'm probably too old, to stayed to change, argue, or get caught up in the dogma. I've been playing since I was 4, and that was 45 years ago.

"Good technique" whatever that means probably won't improve my skills.

You certainly can feel that my playing is mediocre either due to my technique or other things, that's ok. I can live with the critique.

Hey, different strokes for different folks.........I don't know about you, but playing either live in a band or in my basement by myself makes me feel good, and that's it in a nutshell.

Just passion.

[brittc89]

Tea-Cupping.....never heard that term before.....hey, if you think I have bad technique, that's fine. It's possible that I might have had really good technique when I was getting ready to go to music school a long long time ago. I chose a different path, no regrets.

Unfortunately I'm probably too old, to stayed to change, argue, or get caught up in the dogma. I've been playing since I was 4, and that was 45 years ago.

"Good technique" whatever that means probably won't improve my skills.

You certainly can feel that my playing is mediocre either due to my technique or other things, that's ok. I can live with the critique.

Hey, different strokes for different folks.........I don't know about you, but playing either live in a band or in my basement by myself makes me feel good, and that's it in a nutshell.

Just passion.

Hey man, thats cool, I was just referring to teacupping, you know, its sticking your pinky out, like youre holding a teacup. And good technique is good technique is good technique, there is no substitute. And if you want to talk about "passion" just think of technique as an outlet for your musical ideas and expressions. You cant pursue your real passion if you dont have the right tools for the job. It would be like me saying, I am really empassioned to fly, but all I have are these sharp knives and a bed sheet, well that should work.

[scovit]

I would rather not pontificate about technique as I am sure you feel you are an expert in this area. But, you are making me.

I am sure as a pioneer member you get to critique everyone. I can imagine what you'd be like in the days.....

Anyway I get it.....in fact probably better than you (realize). Take a look at the attached. Yea, October 17, 1967. I was 10 years old and had my first "formal" lesson in NY, 6 years after I started listening to Harry Belefonte records on my father's phonograph and him buying me my first snare drum.

Let's get to it! Sort of like how Dave Matthews has good guitar technique with his "strange cord fingering", or Billy Joel banging the keys on the piano. Or Ringo Starr, never held has sticks right or Ginger Baker's footwork or Gene Krupa, used so much of his arms, or Buddy Rich, who could not read a drum chart, poor technique. How many examples can you name? THOUSANDS in every walk of life.

Scary how many out there have poor technique in life.

Once again, please grant me the dignity of occasionally sticking my pinky out especially when I had hand damage and two pins inserted 10 years ago. Frankly, I'm am lucky I can play at all. Yea, damaged big time. But drumming was great physical therapy to get "normal use" back even with the partial cast on.

Well, at least I can always feel when the precipitation is coming. Theoretically, I have full movement in my pinky and ring finger.......

Respectfully, you make it sound like there is a primer for drum playing. And you believe that technique provides you with the necessary tools to play?

I will never convince you otherwise but at least my opinion is stated. Keep up the good technique.

[Jusstickinaround]

Finally a drummer who doesn't use a double pedal, yeah! I went back and watched your solo again, and I didn't really notice any tea cupping, but who cares if you did or not, I really enjoyed your chops, and that Fibes kit sounded great. I think a lot of guys here are in to a certain sound and look, don't worry about the guy who said you have poor technique, unless you're paying him for lessons ofcourse.

[beatsMcGee]

i wasn't trying to induce an argument, sorry if i did. I was just rying to give the little critique I noticed possible, and all I really noticed was a pinky here and there, which isn't a big deal. hell everyone lets loose once in while with something "less than perfect". your a good drummer and with all the obsticles you have over come im sure you have alot of wisdom to share, no harm no foul.

[brittc89]

You people are making me sound like the devil. I give one simple explanation of what sticking your pinky out is called and why it is considered traditionally "less than perfect" technique. Dont post your stuff here if you dont want or cant accept any criticisms without responding in very confusing and pretentious posts.

[Drummer Karl]

Hey, that was neat! I like your soloing, it sounds very traditional and musical. I don`t know many Jazz/Swing drummers nowadays who have such a feeling. So, your soloing was interessting and inspiring. One thing I noticed was that your Hi-Hat was not grooving while you played the solo...maybe it is just my preference but I like to play the Hi-Hat through the tune and through solos which are in time.

and work more on your comping, it seems a bit repetive. No worry, have to do the same ;-)

Overall it was nice, keep up swingin` my friend.

Karl

[scovit]

Drummer Karl:

Thanks for your comments. They wewre constructive and that's appreciated.

On my vintage Fibes, I probably tend to use my highhat less when soloing, and this might be something as simple psychologically as not being as comfortable using the old Rogers stand as I am with the newer more solid DW pedals. I also have these A. Zildjian 13" New Beats which have a vintage higher pitch to them which I prefer less than my great sounding 14" which have a great "Chick" sound on my Fibes Austin set. I have pictures of my gear posted on another thread. Because of this too I may shy away from them I think also. As a kid I was brought up to play them 2 X 4 years ago, but that used to sound really repetitive.

Another member made a favorable comment about me using only one pedal. I do have a double DW pedal. I have used it from time to time, by no means a lot, and it is presently stored away in the closet. I just feel better with one. If I can critique myself for a minute, I would also have to say I am much stronger with one pedal as I have played one through the majority of my playing years.

For all those double beater proponents that probably puts me at a disadvantage, but I do my best with one.

[gmrakich]

Early 80s Yamahas....love them.
Good playing, good left hand control.

[Muckster]

Scovit,

That was great! It's refreshing to see some decent snare work!

What other books have you studied?

[scovit]

Thanks guys....

Note some of the books are as pictured. Some I couldn't get in the picture.........Took lessons from a couple of them. Went to clinics to see others. Not one of my teachers ever religiously followed any of these books. They would always "add" to the specific exercises, adding fills or adding hihat and bass drum counts, etc. Buddy Rich's collaboration with Henry Adler (Henry read, Buddy didn't), I can't seem to find that one.

[Muckster]

Thanks guys....
Buddy Rich's collaboration with Henry Adler (Henry read, Buddy didn't), I can't seem to find that one.

I just picked up the updated Buddy Rich book that comes with the dvd's. I don't care if Buddy couldn't read or not, it's not a bad book, although i could have done without the Cathy and Nick interview.

[Shogun_warrior32]

Hey Scovit,
Listen man.. great job on the vid!... my biggest peave is when people try to start dictating what's right or wrong in gripping, technique, etc. Has anyone ever told Keith Moon about his gripping?...please...I don't care if you're holding a stick in your armpit.. if it sounds good and you're having fun.and you make me(the listener) feel your groove...then that's all that matters....Here's my take on it...to me.. it looked like you were having a blast jammin...you looked totally relaxed to me.. as far as people saying it was repetitive.. well... i noticed you mixing it up quite a bit.. i think maybe because of the fact that you're only using two toms and a snare.. maybe just the two tones of the toms are coming off to the ear as repeating...who knows...in my years of playing though.. i've always had people saying "how can you play on all those drums?" because I've always had big kits... the past few years while really getting into jazz, i've realized that it's much more difficult to solo or even just play on a smaller 4 piece kit..i'm sure people will disagree..but hey..whatever... if everyone used the "correct" grip or the "correct" kit size or the "correct" bass drum technique.... then we'd be friggin robots...that's why there is no such thing as far as I'm concerned.
Keep up the good work man!

Jon

[scovit]

ShogunWarrior 32:

Hey, thanks for the good thoughts. In fact, you are absolutely right, and I do agree, it is more difficult on a small trap set to be tonal & dynamic than with a whole slew of drums and percussion.

And, you are very observant. My jazz solos are a compilation of multiple sticking permutations, compound strokes, and different accents or stress points. Jazz drummers have always focused on the snare as their central point and work out from there. While I was definitely less animated than I am when I'm on stage, I still felt the vibe. You know how I knew that?...........I felt good after I played. You know the feeling!

I am sure I will be posting more playing bites to this site. They will include other styles, other looks......and hopefully, I'll get to hear all your postings.

I do have some interesting stories to tell from my past....which I will share when I am in the mood......

And thank you for your example. It's a really good one! Keith Moon, there's a guy that was able to transfer his personal mania right into what he played.....what a loss......

Remember we are all bound together in a kind of soulful music brotherhood no matter the style.

[LinearDrummer]

Man those are some vintage books right there...you should put vinyl covers on them and savor them for your kids....$2.00 for the Adler book...are you kiddin me...

You should have Funky Priemer there...another classic...first book I started out at....

[scovit]

Yea, $2.00.......... and I used to buy 1 dozen Regal Tip Jake Hanna drum stcks for $1.25 per pair. Back then nylon tips was a technology innovation if you could believe that. I still have some originals that I can show versus the new ones.

BTW, I buy sticks in dozens in order to match up the tone of the wood for each and discard any wobbly sticks. In the old days matching was easy to do, since they were all pretty close. Are you guys familiar with this? (If you are all interested I'd be happy to share the secret to matching up sticks. This by the way makes a big difference in the balance of tone for each hand. It kills me to see the young players buying one pair of sticks at a time. its okay to do that if you do that take all the same model sticks and match them up if the drum store people will let you.) I used to go into Manny's in NY and Manny would let me take all the bagged sticks, open them up and match'em up for him. then I'd by 3 pair

Today, these same sticks, discounted are $8.95. I still buy them by the dozen and match them up. the last batch was better than they've been for 10 years.

Why do I play Regal Tip? I love the smell of their varnish! :) I am trying to attach a 6mb mp3 file of the same genre. It keeps crashing. I'll keep trying.

[Michael G]

Great video! And I have this dieing question to ask.

What exactly do you play on the snare that makes it sound good?! It is like other jazz drummers that when they go into a solo they make the snare so great. Are you playing a single rudiment or a combo of rudiments or what? I would love to know.

[scovit]

I guess it is a combination multiple sticking, rudiments, and lots of rims shots.

[glen thomas]

Hey Scovit.. nice video. Looks like you're having a blast playing.
Needs more cowbell though. ;-) kiddin'...!
I've studied a few of the books posted of which Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer and the Syncopation books being my favs out of the ones pictured. My all time faves are the New Breed books versions 1 and 2, and a few others.

I agree with Shogun's post. As long as you're having fun and enjoying yourself, that's all that matters. Of course your technique is a personal preference and there are choices but in the end, if you're not hurting yourself physically by a technique you're using, all should be good. In my own little drum world, I'm always open to something new. :-) Key things to remember are "Keep an open mind", "Experiment" and lastly,
"don't eat Cheesies before you drum". < words to live by. |o|

[scovit]

Glen:

I am with you 100%! Are cheesies like.......beans :)???????

[glen thomas]

Glen:

I am with you 100%! Are cheesies like.......beans :)???????

ahhh.. hmmm Cheesies affect your grip on the sticks and beans affect
how clean your underwear stay..|0|

[scovit]

ah haaa, see I learn something new every day!

Anyway, for those who are following this thread I may be posting some different style playing shortly.....

[nate]

If you are all interested I'd be happy to share the secret to matching up sticks. This by the way makes a big difference in the balance of tone for each hand.


do tell.....i'd love to learn...

really nice playing....

[scovit]

Nate:

Be happy to...I attached some pictures..... First, you need to work with a group of at least 4-6 pairs of obviously the same model sticks. I use Regal Tip Jake Hanna modelnow for close to 45 years. there are plenty of good sticks out there but although the mfg claim to "match" sticks up, they really only look at the wood grain NOT the tone.

Here's what I do....


Take all the sticks and lay them out.

Take the matched wrappers off.


Roll the sticks on a flat surface to eliminate the warped ones. If they are not too bad leave them for the "seconds pile"


Next, try and match up the wood color as much as possible although this is irrelevant to the final match. This is only aesthetic.


Now here's the key....With the same hand (I use might right hand) tap the stick several times or as many times as is necessary to hear the tone or imprint of each stick. If you use different hands you will not be able to correctly match the sounds up.

You may notice some of the sticks have higher tone and some have what I call intermediate tone and some sound low. Try to seperate them into 3 seperate piles and then work with each pile listening closely with your ear as close to the place where you are tapping the stick with the same hand for the same "wood tone". Once you hear the same tone for two sticks, match them off by putting the wrapper around the two sticks. DO NOT TAP THE STICK ON ANY DRUM. This needs to be done on a tone neutral surface, in this case a glass table. In Manny's years ago, he had glass counters....so that was perfect.

The end result is that you may be left with some odd balls, you can decide what to do with them. In a store, I wouldn't buy them. I buy my sticks in groups of 12. Usually there are 1 or 2 pair that are just not good either due to tone or warpage. The key is tapping the stick with the exact same hand and listening very closely for the same sound.

If I could only upload a small video .mpg, I could actually demonstrate and you can hear the tonal matching as I would.

It is so easy but has been over the years a forgotten procedure.

By way, I use a somewhat related procedure for tuning a drum. Per the manufacturers (all of them) comments tune from one matching side lug to another tapping over the lug with the same hand, listening for variations from one side to the other and tune up or down accordingly. The end result is that the tapping sound with the same hand should sound the same over each lug on the drum. I never, ever tap the drum in the center. It's meaningless. My ear has become so accurate that I probably can count the screws on the snare and each one of them would be screwed in at very close to the same amount of turns, though each drum has different construction considerations so this is not precise, nor are those new fangled tension tuners. The ear is everything.....

The SAME HAND is the key.

That's it....no biggie.....but seldom done.....

That's my stuff for today.....Let me know how it goes....

[Drums558]

WOW..... You've triggered alot of memories.
I too started playing around late 1967, my first book was Modern School For Snare Drum. I still have alot of my old book's but I lost this one somewere over the years. Thanks for posting the pic of the books, i've been wondering what the name of my first book was for along time.

Mike

[Bernhard]

Hi Scovit

The Secret of matchin up the sticks:

So you always buy 20 pairs to find the good one? I would prefer to do this in the shop - and drive the people crazy.

and my heretical questions:

In your age - nearly as old than me - and playing soft jazz: you will be 120 years of age to use all these sticks.

and:

does it really make sense, when the sticks are matched??
- different grips left and right, different surfaces left and right.

Joe Morello and Peter Eskine play a perfect even close roll with two different sticks!!!

Much more important - and here I agree fully - is the tuning procedure of the Snare Drum.

Just my two cents, forgive

Bernhard

[scovit]

Bernhard:

Thanks for the engaging comments, it's what makes this forum so good. Here are my comments to you......

So you always buy 20 pairs to find the good one? Not 20 but at least 4-6 pairs I would prefer to do this in the shop - and drive the people crazy. :) I used to but the kids working at the store(s) look at me like I have 3 eyeballs.

In your age - nearly as old than me - and playing soft jazz: you will be 120 years of age to use all these sticks. That's funny :) you've got me pegged, can't remember the last time I broke a stick, but seriously, I chew them up pretty good and I classify the sticks pictured below as unplayable. Lots of rim shots. If I have the time and play an hour a day, I can probably go through a pair in 5 weeks. Maybe the readers feel the sticks pictured below are playable.

does it really make sense, when the sticks are matched?? Your premise is that they are, mine is that they are not. Go into any store and test it out, each one of us can be the judge.

Joe Morello and Peter Eskine play a perfect even close roll with two different sticks!!! Maybe they are exposed to better sticks than the commercial lots that maybe you and I and most of the readers are exposed to. It wouldn't surprise me that Joe, being the perfect technician that he already is does this. If anyone has contact with him, pose that question to him.

I didn't invent this. This comes from the days of Henry Adler. In fact, it may actually come from him, can't remember........I have just been doing this ever since I can remember....

Thanks...

[jazzsnob]

Well, feel free to send me some of those extra "undesirable" sticks.

[brittc89]

I think it is really hilarious that everyone would jump on me for saying that playing with your pinkies out is considered bad technique, but you would go to such great lengths to find the perfect matching sound from a pair of drumsticks. I find that it makes things much easier and less time consuming if you can play with anything that anyone throws at you, no matter what kind or weight or anything. Like Bernard said, Morello could play a perfect sounding roll without going through all that trouble, great players can make anything sound great, but thats only my thoughts on the subject. You do have a very disciplined, precise, and logical approach to it though, and I definitely commend you for that. You definitely think through it a lot, but I just question, I suppose, the neccessity of it.

[jazzsnob]

Britt is totally right about the pinky thing. You simply have less control if you have it sticking out. There's no logical argument for sticking them out. If you don't care to correct it, fine, it doesn't make you a bad drummer and no one suggested that. You seem a little insecure in your responses, and you shouldn't be, this is generally a very friendly environment.

[nate]

...thinks for your info and time, it's always good learning about new things.

[scovit]

Haven't we labored over this pinky thing enough? Wow it must really bother you guys. I guess that would disqualify me from the Allstate Competition......The last time I participated in something like that in NY was in 1974. ....Don't think my pinky stuck out then, maybe it did, Who cares......Can't read music like I used to either, just not a priority.

If it is submission that you require, you got it. Ok. Sticking my pinky out is not good. There. You guys feel better now?

Because of all that, I am not a good drummer. That in and of itself makes all my comments not credible. Also, you guys are better players than me. Is that good too?

Now all your pretence should be gone.

You see, I REALLY DON'T take this seriously. If it is your livelihood, take it seriously, if not, what are you doing?

There are many on this thread that disagree with you. Maybe they are just not as good as you either. Or maybe, "different strokes for different folks".

Now, as a real release, I am going to go on my drums and kick the you know what out of them as I find great catharsis doing so.

Hopefully you feel the same because thats what is important.

Let's not continue to labor over this stupid pinky thing.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

As you say different strokes for different strokes. I know I have spent more time trying to improve my technique over the last year after a thirty year break, and I can truly say the only technique at this point is the one my ear hears. It sounds as if someone is merely parroting one of their instructors when it comes to "teacupping." If my control and technique gets me the sound I want, then my technique is perfect. Some of the older folks may remember a swimmer named Mark Spitz. 7 Olympic gold medals. As someone who swam competitively until age 35 and coached 7 girls to the US National Championhips in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl in 1975 I and many other coaches will tell you he had lousy swim strokes. But I'm not going to tell him that.

[Shogun_warrior32]

As you say different strokes for different strokes. I know I have spent more time trying to improve my technique over the last year after a thirty year break, and I can truly say the only technique at this point is the one my ear hears. It sounds as if someone is merely parroting one of their instructors when it comes to "teacupping." If my control and technique gets me the sound I want, then my technique is perfect. Some of the older folks may remember a swimmer named Mark Spitz. 7 Olympic gold medals. As someone who swam competitively until age 35 and coached 7 girls to the US National Championhips in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl in 1975 I and many other coaches will tell you he had lousy swim strokes. But I'm not going to tell him that.


Perfectly put.... when i play.. my pinky toe sticks out a little bit...but i don't feel like i have less control... this whole pinky thing and "the correct" grip idea in general... defeats the whole concept of style and technique to me. With this kind of thinking is exactly why every drummer now a days sounds exactly the same... like i said before... you can pick Keith Moon out of a group of drummers a mile away because he had his own style... take a look at his grip. When i play traditional style, i've been acused of holding my stick too far toward the end.. ya know what? ...it feels great to me there!... I may even go to my drums now and try sticking a pinky out and it might help me!... where are my sticks......



Jon

[slingerland755]

Britt is totally right about the pinky thing. You simply have less control if you have it sticking out. There's no logical argument for sticking them out. If you don't care to correct it, fine, it doesn't make you a bad drummer and no one suggested that. You seem a little insecure in your responses, and you shouldn't be, this is generally a very friendly environment.


Nicely said Jazzsnob (and Brittc89),
Frankly, I am getting a little tired of listening to why it's OK for him to stick out his pinkies. Good...stick em' out, but I think we read and participate in the forum to discuss drums and drumming (and to try and improve ourselves as drummers). Bad technique is bad technique.

Oh, I thought everyone knew about rolling out sticks.

[mattsmith]

Nicely said Jazzsnob (and Brittc89),
Frankly, I am getting a little tired of listening to why it's OK for him to stick out his pinkies. Good...stick em' out, but I think we read and participate in the forum to discuss drums and drumming (and to try and improve ourselves as drummers). Bad technique is bad technique.

Oh, I thought everyone knew about rolling out sticks.

Great comments slingerland and I couldn't agree more. This guy showed up several months ago, stayed around for about 15 minutes and left. He played some music that was in all fairness pretty decent, but for a moment the way everyone was fawning over his cool talk, you would have thought Shelly Manne had crawled out of his coffin. Then he went into this rambling conversation where he was essentially telling the little whippersnappers how it was, then britt points out he's using bad technique, and to him that was just whippersnapper talk from a young punk who just didn't get it, when all britt was trying to tell him was how he was going to break that pinky off on his cool old school drum set if he didn't do something with it.

The part that got me as often does on forums is how so many people saw his bad form as some artistic decision when it was just leading by bad example. Holy cow, I don't mind talk if only there is something to it. You can defend that other stuff all you want. But it is what it is.

[Erik Lund]

Tony had a strange technique with his right hand...mostly used his back two (pinky/ring) on the stick with the others kind of floating off a bit. I ran into Kendrick Scott in NYC and he comes up to me and says "Holy sh-t! THIS was Tony's grip!" and proceeds to show me the bizarre last-two-finger thing. I added it to my practice routine just to try it out (seems to have worked for him...unless we find out that after 30 years of using it, it causes heart problems...) but man, it is just weird...I'll dabble with it here and there, but not seriously.

Jeff Ballard has some weird technique goin' on but that guy plays like crazy.
Michael Zarang IS weird technique, but his playing is great.

...my 2 cents.

[scovit]

Well....I'm back. It's been some months now.

Enjoyed reading everyone's opinions and critique. To those of you who were gracious enough to be favorable about my playing, thank you! To those of you that weren't, well what is there to say........... different strokes for different folks. No hurt feelings, you know....

Very shortly I will be doing another posting. It will probably be a somewhat faster with what I will hope will be a more skilled expression, and on more of my favorite toys of the drum trade.

Stay tuned.

Oh, one more thing. You know I was watching several YouTube clips of BR....some showed great technique, ala Louie Bellson, (the most perfect technical drumer I've ever seen), and others showed his hands flailing all over the place......of course what was eminating from those hands was "Jordanesque" and genius!

Personally, I listen to the sound, then I look at the sight Play the drums.

[scovit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWLoYvuU6fw

Here's some more of my playing........a year later or so.....thanks for the responses in advance......

[Michael G]

or Gene Krupa, used so much of his arms,

Ahh but he only did that for showmanship, if you were to catch not in front of a audience he wouldn't do that :) , at least that is what my teacher told me when he studied with him. Sorry to bring that up but as you can see, I am a bit of a Krupa fanatic.

Anyway, I must say, I dig your snare sound, I noticed you switched from the powertone to the metal Radio King, and it sounds very noice.Very nice snare work, definitely reminiscent of the older jazz drummers, you know, lots of nice tasty rim shots. Keep on swinging man!