JoJo left handed press roll

[Shirai]

The new JoJo video up on Drummerworld from the 2012 Musikmesse -- everyone seen it?

In the last upbeat of each phrase he's got this press roll thing that he plays with his left hand that lasts through the entire eighth note. How on earth is he maintaining such a consistent volume all the way through to the downbeat? Is he using the single-handed roll technique that he explains in one of his other videos that's up on Drummerworld? In that one he demonstrates the technique with his right hand in French grip, but not the left using traditional which is how he plays it in the Musikmesse video. I guess the concept would be the same, just with different mechanics due to the different grip?

The man can play some drums.

Sorry if this has already been covered somewhere but a search did not provide any readily accessible answers.

Thanks!

 

[8Mile]

I just watched that clip last night. Jojo is just ridiculous. This is a guy who uses all of his ridiculous chops strictly to serve some form of musical expression. I don't know how exactly he's accomplishing that extended, one-handed press roll, but it caught my attention, too. With Jojo, you can tell he has an idea for a sound or a groove he wants to play, and he develops a technique that allows him to play it. That's the only reason. It's not some grandstanding, "look at my crazy one-handed press roll, isn't it mind-blowing?" type attitude. He just wants to make a certain sound - needs to make it - and finds a way. Awesome.

He's a fantastic musician and remarkably innovative. In my mind, there's a gap between him and other drummers with comparable chops.

 

[Anthony Amodeo]

I just watched that clip last night. Jojo is just ridiculous. This is a guy who uses all of his ridiculous chops strictly to serve some form of musical expression. I don't know how exactly he's accomplishing that extended, one-handed press roll, but it caught my attention, too. With Jojo, you can tell he has an idea for a sound or a groove he wants to play, and he develops a technique that allows him to play it. That's the only reason. It's not some grandstanding, "look at my crazy one-handed press roll, isn't it mind-blowing?" type attitude. He just wants to make a certain sound - needs to make it - and finds a way. Awesome.

He's a fantastic musician and remarkably innovative. In my mind, there's a gap between him and other drummers with comparable chops.

I definitely put Benny Greb and Jojo quite a bit above the rest when it comes to creativity and developing odd techniques to execute sounds they hear in their heads

mad scientists of drumming in a way

super inspirational

 

[Shirai]

What gets me about it is that anyone standing on the wrong side of the computer screen would swear that I was listening to a drum machine track. Incredible combination of mechanical precision and human expression.