Tony Williams

Thanks for sharing that, from what I've seen of him speaking on interviews he seems like a really nice and funny guy. I'm glad you have a memory like that of one of the world's best drummers to cherish.
 
Bump.

So lately I've been obsessing over Tony. After reading about how he at a young age tried to imitate his idols as closely as he could, I decided I would try imitating Tony's playing style. Just starting with the "basics"... It is really something to try holding the drumsticks like Tony did. As soon as you understand his technique in regards to holding the drumsticks, you can feel this immense control over your playing.

I've been trying to work up my chops playing like Tony. More specifically, holding with the back two fingers near the very butt end and using the whole arm while playing. It's kind of interesting how his technique didn't rely on rebound. In that way Tony was very exact and precise. I've begun to fall in love with his playing style.

It's a shame how difficult it is to find Tony's records for sale over the internet. The best I can find for the majority of his solo work are used copies going for ridiculous prices because of their rarity.
 
Amazing footage, thanks so much for finding that!!!

Now, if anyone can find footage of his group with John Mclaughlin, Larry Young & Jack Bruce I will have died & gone to Heaven!!!
 
I just got in the mail a shipment from a private seller that I found via Amazon. It's a cassette tape of Tony's record Angel Street. Luckily, my parents *do* still have a cassette player in the house, after all they're not that old, and man what a great album it is. I'm in the process of transferring it to digital through my dad's computer. I wish blue note would reissue some of his hard-to-find albums. Great music, and of course Tony's playing is top-notch.
 
...Or is Tony Williams the best thing to ever happen to music?

Seven Steps To Heaven. His solo and breaks - it's so simple, but so genius.
This is my favourite song in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD.



/Discuss.
 
BEST thing to happen to music is a little subjective, but trust me it's not just you. His playing on seven steps is just too good. To me, Tony Williams is the ideal drummer.
 
Tony Williams is a good example to follow, his spirit remains.
 
we played seven steps in a combo at school. i never had the privelege of drumming for it, i was the guitarist all through school. probably one of the best tunes we've ever played!

oh and by the way, do you think its called seven steps to heaven because of the hits leading to the drum breaks?

one, two, three, four, five-six-seven.... druummmsssssss... five, six, seven

heaven being the drum break of course.
 
Tony in my opinion is by far the best jazz drummer who ever lived....
although many people may say that "yes he was good but he wasnt the best there was".....i can see what your saying but for me he was the best

people like evlin jones and art bakely would be seen as masters...but "especially in elvins case" i just couldnt get a grip on hios seeamingly random playing....
it was so skillful and it was in time but he did so many mini solo's and fills that it was impossible to keep up!

tony's music just seemed to make sense......i really can't find the words to describe it....he was almost able to explain what he was doing while playing the actual piece....he was brilliant at what he did..
does anyone else have any comments on him??

R.I.P Tony
 
Tony is one of my all time favorites always has been but so have Elvin and Art too by the way.

Sounds to me like you need more time to get and understand Elvin from a jazz related conceptual point of view to get a better handle on what's going on in the context of the music and Elvin's contribution to it. Nothing random about Elvin's playing since his musical intent was very clear. Just a matter of understanding the deep concept{s} behind it
 
Just picked up the new issue of Traps magazine with "The Incomporable Tony Williams" on the cover.
 
can see what your saying but for me he was the best

I don't really know what best means in music, but people seem to have a need to place great musicians in some kind of sequential histological perspective .

Tony Williams was a game changer. He took from what came before him and changed some of it forever, and then passed it on. The is the hallmark of greatness in my opinion. He was a great player. As was Elvin, and as is Jack DeJohnette.
 
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