Most underrated Jazz drummers

mandrew

Gold Member
Once you make the big time, people will remember you, won't they? Interesting thought. One of the most thrilling, and tasteful drummers that I ever heard was James Bradley Jr. He was an early drummer with the Chuck Mangione Quartet. I was listening again to his text book lesson on how to drive a group, be virtuistic, make your presence felt, yet do it in the background so as not to crowd your fellow players. Where is this lesson? It is in his playing on the piece "Land of Make Believe." It is a ghost noting masterpiece, and something that inspires me to this day. He should, in my opinion, have made it bigger than he did. who else do you believe is really underrated in the jazz world?
 
Has to be me. On a scale from one to ten I am rated zero but I am really a one.
 
Ian Froman
Gerry Gibbs
Ari Hoenig
Karriem Riggins
Jim Black
Tim Metz
Steve Maxwell
Justin Varnes
Todd Bishop
Andrew Hare
Dmac
8mile
William Machado
 
Johnny Vidacovich down in New Orleans.
 
a big YES ! on Johnny Vidacovich !!

My list includes: Ari Hoenig, Dafnis Prieto, Mark Guiliana.

I think everyone agrees that Brian Blade, Jeff Hamilton and Steve Smith are complete bad-asses. same w/ Nussbaum. but i also think no one knows that Vinnie Colaiuta can play some incredible brushes in a Jazz content.
 
I'd say it's the early guys that most often get over looked. Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds
Sid Catlett and such.

Anytime you read an interview with a modern jazz drummer, they will always talk about "know your roots", "study what came before", and such. But they generally only reference Buddy, Tony, Elvin, Max and others who were really the 2nd/3rd generation of guys. It's rare to read someone talk about the guys from the 1910's and 1920's, even though that's where much of jazz history began.

With the most under rated being the guys from 1890, since no one ever wrote their names, and recording technology didn't exist yet to capture the earliest drummers. Their contributions are just lost to time.
 
Once you make the big time, people will remember you, won't they? Interesting thought. One of the most thrilling, and tasteful drummers that I ever heard was James Bradley Jr. He was an early drummer with the Chuck Mangione Quartet. I was listening again to his text book lesson on how to drive a group, be virtuistic, make your presence felt, yet do it in the background so as not to crowd your fellow players. Where is this lesson? It is in his playing on the piece "Land of Make Believe." It is a ghost noting masterpiece, and something that inspires me to this day. He should, in my opinion, have made it bigger than he did. who else do you believe is really underrated in the jazz world?

Well, he also joined up with a rock band that had sort of a minor hit called "Mary's Danish". So at that point would you consider him a jazz drummer? I never though of Chuck Mangione as a jazz artist, though. Kinda more like Kenny G with a flugelhorn ;)
 
I'd say it's the early guys that most often get over looked. Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds
Sid Catlett and such.

Anytime you read an interview with a modern jazz drummer, they will always talk about "know your roots", "study what came before", and such. But they generally only reference Buddy, Tony, Elvin, Max and others who were really the 2nd/3rd generation of guys. It's rare to read someone talk about the guys from the 1910's and 1920's, even though that's where much of jazz history began.

With the most under rated being the guys from 1890, since no one ever wrote their names, and recording technology didn't exist yet to capture the earliest drummers. Their contributions are just lost to time.

I don't know if I consider the first batch of drummers as underrated but I do agree that it seems like they are getting lost to time, I don't think any drum students around me care much about learning about those times, which I find a little sad.

Ian Froman
Gerry Gibbs
Ari Hoenig
Karriem Riggins
Jim Black
Tim Metz
Steve Maxwell
Justin Varnes
Todd Bishop
Andrew Hare
Dmac
8mile
William Machado

man I dig Justin Varnes so muuuuuuch, killing cat! thanks for the shout out jaja!

I don't hear a lot of people talking about Gregory Hutchinson.
 
I'd say it's the early guys that most often get over looked. Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds
Sid Catlett and such.

Anytime you read an interview with a modern jazz drummer, they will always talk about "know your roots", "study what came before", and such. But they generally only reference Buddy, Tony, Elvin, Max and others who were really the 2nd/3rd generation of guys. It's rare to read someone talk about the guys from the 1910's and 1920's, even though that's where much of jazz history began.

With the most under rated being the guys from 1890, since no one ever wrote their names, and recording technology didn't exist yet to capture the earliest drummers. Their contributions are just lost to time.


Zutty was one of my early influences after my dad played the coolest drum solo I had ever heard for me when I was a young man. It was Zutty and Fats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXJTe6GMUIc
 
Well, he also joined up with a rock band that had sort of a minor hit called "Mary's Danish". So at that point would you consider him a jazz drummer? I never though of Chuck Mangione as a jazz artist, though. Kinda more like Kenny G with a flugelhorn ;)

And when James Bradley Jr joined "Crazytown", it was all over.
 
I think Jo Jones. From the little I've seen of him it seems like he had some things happening with low volume playing that haven't been bettered (or maybe even equalled) since - as far as I can tell.
 
How are you defining "under-rated". Less known or under-appreciated? A gazillion less known. I'd have to give more thought to under-appreciated.

Here's a list showing some of both:

Adam Nussbaum
Alan Jones
Albert Heath
Barrett Deems
Bill Goodwin
Billy Hart
Bob Moses
Chuck Riggs
Danny D'Imperio
Dave Mancini
Dave Ratajczak
Dick Berk
Duffy Jackson
Eddie Gladden
Eric Gravatt
Frank Capp
Irv Cottler
Jake Hanna
Jeff Hirshfield
Jim Black
Jimmy Lovelace
Joe Chambers
Joe Correro
Joe Farnsworth
Joe LaBarbara
John Guerin
John Hollenbeck
Jonas Holgersson
Keith Copeland
Kenny Washington
Manzie Campbell (Papa Jo Jones claimed that Manzie was the greatest drummer who ever lived)
Matt Wilson
Mickey Roker
Mike Melito
Nick Ceroli
Pete Sims Laroca
Phil Seamen
Rich Thompson
Steve Bagby
Steve Barnes
Steve Berrios
Steve McCall
Ted Poor
Tim Horner
Tiny Kahn
Tom Brechtlein
Tom Melito
Tom Rainey
Victor Lewis
Vinnie Ruggiero
 
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All of them. Only about one percent of people even pay any attention to jazz, and that is probably optimistic. Some of them show up in drum magazines, but that only appeals to a small group also. They are all underrated. Peace and goodwill.
 
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