Most of my favorite drummers have some great jazz chops

cantstoplt021

Senior Member
I've realized that most of my favorite drummers have some serious jazz chops. Guys like Kris Myers of Umphreys McGee, Steve Jordan, JJ Johnson (John Mayer and Tedeschi Trucks Band) and various others. Definitely has inspired me to focus a lot of attention of jazz drumming right now.
 
I definetely agree that jazz chops is great to have for all drumming styles.

I'm looking forward to seeing two of those drummers this weekend at the Lock'n Music Festival. Gonna be a blast.
 
It was an ear-opening experience to hear Neil Peart playing on the "Burning for Buddy" tribute album for Buddy Rich. You'd think he'd been playing Big Band all his life! Jazz definitely broadens a drummer's abilities.
 
Neil Peart playing jazz was one of the most painful things I've ever listened to in my life
zero swing ... he does not speak the language at all ...

I like Neil just fine I guess ... but that was just horrific

trust me it was like a nails on a chalkboard for any jazz player

some people just need to stay in their wheelhouse ... I do commend him for trying

I've laughed about it with Peter Erskine ... who was a teacher of Neils while preparing for the Buddy show ... he agreed that Neil just couldn't grasp it

I'd have to agree with this. I like Neil for what he brought to the rock/prog table but in this jazz setting he sounds rigid and unfluid, lacking the dynamics and feel of an experienced jazz player.

I'm not a fan of hearing jazz played on a rock sounding kit either. I much prefer to hear a drum's overtones and the player exploit that to express themselves. I found some of Jack DeJohnette's stuff a bit cold for this exact reason. Very clean, studio quality separation on the toms, and highly technical - just gimme Elvin Jones and 1 microphone any day instead.

That said, what Neil did, you can bet opened up a lot of drummers to wider tastes and he should be commended for that.
 
Neil Peart playing jazz was one of the most painful things I've ever listened to in my life
zero swing ... he does not speak the language at all ...

I like Neil just fine I guess ... but that was just horrific

trust me it was like a nails on a chalkboard for any jazz player

some people just need to stay in their wheelhouse ... I do commend him for trying

I've laughed about it with Peter Erskine ... who was a teacher of Neils while preparing for the Buddy show ... he agreed that Neil just couldn't grasp it

Yup, and putting pieces of his yyz solo in there did not help matters. I'm a Neil fan (childhood influence), I watched it once and that was enough for me.

On the other side of the spectrum for that performance - Omar Hakim and Will Calhoun. They killed it.
 
Wow - I had no idea I was so clueless as to what constitutes good jazz drumming. I suppose there's some hope that we heard different performances, but more likely my ears just need a lot more educating. I won't quit my day job...
 
I agree ... I commend him for doing it and maybe turning some on to a style they may have otherwise never been interested in

as for drum sound ... I almost always agree 100% ... my only exception is Steve Gadd ... he plays jazz with that Gadd sound and for some reason it works for me ....

other than him it is a no go for me

Yes Steve has a feel and control that is almost a language in itself. It's like the music exists whatever the surface he decides to play on.


Fake edit: (any excuse to post this again)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk2ko6ATAV0
 
Many types of sound works. All the old greats had their own thing.

Neil put together those projects to honour Buddy. That's what it was about. Many of the rock players didn't sound particularly jazzy, even if some of them, like Simon grew up doing similar stuff. Neil came off worst of the bunch, it's pretty far off, but to his credit he never claimed anything else. That wasn't the point either. He ws just honouring his hero with his contemporaries.

This is more or less rock drumming, or 2-beat country. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT9333XiR4U

Even some hiphop in the solo, which is ok as humour I guess.

Happens all the time. Mangini samba anyone?
 
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Neil admitted he fell far short and took lessens from masters. He was impressed with Steve Smiths abilities, which is definitely no knock on Steve Smith. I think it says volumes about Neil. Most would have just shaken it off Neil, restructured, relearned, and though eventually went back to his old style of traditional grip, still took away plenty.

I wish I was a better jazz drummer. Actually, I wish I could play anything resembling traditional jazz. If I ever get to take lessons (never have), I'll take jazz drumming 101 for old boneheads! That should start me with a walk around show and tell of what a jazz kit looks like!
 
Adam Nussbaum, one of my favourites.
 
It's a shame that jazz isn't the popular music it once was as it has so much to give. I think it'll come back fairly soon.

Pirated music online has forced live music ticket prices up. Which in turn demands that performers do more on their live shows than just stand there in a cap, talking over a backing track.

Eventually people will again want to be there when 'that' solo happened - never to be repeated.





Ironically we could be heading back to the bandwagons.
 
It was an ear-opening experience to hear Neil Peart playing on the "Burning for Buddy" tribute album for Buddy Rich. You'd think he'd been playing Big Band all his life! Jazz definitely broadens a drummer's abilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbFgtic-IBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keuyJVZyMNA

Please listen for the difference in feeling and musicality. Kris Myers is however an EXCELLENT example of a drummer that is fluent in many styles including jazz. He's got a masters in jazz from DuPage IL? or something like that, iirc...played in big bands and his own jazz/etc. things.
 
Just like learning Classical on piano before anything else.....once you can do THAT....you can handle pretty much ANYthing.
 
Just like learning Classical on piano before anything else.....once you can do THAT....you can handle pretty much ANYthing.

My middle-school band required you to have 2 years of piano lessons in order to be a drummer. I had 4 years, and it was really useful experience.
 
This is not the first time I've come up against the vast wall of my ignorance and limitations (see my original comment about Peart way up near the top that prompted so many instructional replies).

Sometimes the first step in learning something is the realization that you have a lot to learn. The wealth of knowledge and experience on this forum is extremely humbling and (for me anyway) that can only be a good thing.

Thanks for the ongoing education folks.
 
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