Big Band Drumming Part 2

In this second part of four we are going to take a more in depth look at the key elements of timekeeping required for big band drumming. Most important of all is that you should have a good, strong, compelling time feel which ‘drives’ the big band at the same time generating that all-important quality of ‘swing’.

We know that the evolution went from snare drum press rolls to swinging hi hats and eventually to the vast majority of our timekeeping being centred on the ride cymbal.

The ride cymbal, together with the stepped hi hat, is what the other musicians are listening to in order to feel the pulse so the big band can play together cohesively. The ride cymbal should be the dominant sound coming from the kit and should not be overwhelmed by snare or bass drum.

Irrespective of the style of music you choose to play, I firmly believe that the path to authenticity comes through having the right internal balance of dynamics between the hands and feet. Visualise four faders on a mixing desk when you want to vary your internal balance. It’s a really important skill to be able to vary the dynamic levels of each to make the overall sound of the kit ‘sit’ as nicely as possible. I teach this concept and call it ‘Independence of Dynamics’.

There is a great deal of debate about the interpretation of the jazz ride cymbal pattern with specific reference to the placement of the 'skip' note. It is the tempo of the music, which truly determines which interpretation you should opt for. The general rule of thumb is that the faster the tempo the straighter the eighth notes on beats 2 and 4 should be. If I hear a jazz drummer playing a very fast ride tempo with too much triplet it creates a sensation of ‘stop/start’, and can sound very stilted. Experiment with playing the jazz ride pattern at a variety of tempos and consciously alter the degree of ‘swing’ on beats 2 and 4.

The bass drum is the foundation of the drum set in the big band rhythm section, and the ability to play a light 4 in the bar (usually referred to as ‘feathering’) is an absolute must. The quarter note bass drum should be at such a low dynamic level as to be unobtrusive. It should support the ‘walking’ 4 in the bar from the bass player and not clash or overwhelm his lines.

Debate has raged about the feathered bass drum for years. Whether or not to use it is entirely to do with the context of the music being played; for ‘old school’ big band charts (Miller, Benny Goodman, early Basie, Ellington etc) four on the floor is an absolute prerequisite. Where more contemporary material is involved you might want to use the bass drum solely for comping in the rhythm section and accenting horn figures.  The bottom line is to use your ears, know your music history and listen to what is going on around you. In order to be a fully formed big band drummer this bass drum technique is something you absolutely must master, and then decide when to use it.

A lot of drummers forge glittering careers by playing very little more than a solid 2 and 4 in the left hand. In the world of big band and jazz we have rather more to do. A big band makes a big sound when the whole ensemble is playing fortissimo, so just to play ride cymbal alone, without support from the left hand and bass drum, might not generate sufficient energy to kick the whole band when required. The left hand has many tasks, the first of which is to support the ride pattern to enhance the energy and forward motion of the music. This we refer to as comping. To develop our left hand comping skill we are going to play each swung eighth note in turn until it feels really comfortable.

Using a click in practice

I am frequently asked about the benefits of practicing with a click. Undoubtedly this is something that will sharpen up your sense of time and help you to internalise key points on the metronome, a great skill, which is lacking in far too many musicians. However my recommendation is that you spend half your practice time working with a click and no more.

As drummers we need to be able to take charge of the pulse of time, and whilst a click will undoubtedly enable you to hone your skills it is important that you can play strong, confident, and consistent time without any assistance. Work with the click, but don’t make the mistake of becoming reliant upon it. 

Five Key Figures, part 2. Swing and Beyond.

Buddy Rich (1917-1987)

In all the pantheon of big band drummers there is one name that stands above all others. Buddy Rich. Often misunderstood and underestimated particularly by the self-appointed jazz intelligentsia Rich had spectacular facility, which was matched by a capacity for creativity. That his musical mind was every bit as fast as his hands is self-evident and for me it is this virtually unique quality that separates him from his contemporaries. Take a look past the chops and check out what a swinging accompanist he could be too. Whilst there is much essential listening in his work as a sideman in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, for me it is the legacy of recordings with his own band from 1966 onwards which epitomise his mastery.

Top tracks

‘Readymix’ (Swinging New Big Band)

‘New Blues’ (The New One)

‘Time Being’ (Very Alive at Ronnie Scott’s)

Louie Bellson (1924-2009)

In terms of speed, clarity and facility Louie was second only to Buddy Rich, and often a very close second at that. Have a look on YouTube for a video of him at the Cork Jazz Festival with his big band in 1980 and you will see what I mean. Furthermore Louie excelled as a composer and arranger. He was truly an all round musician with a skill set that would be extraordinary even by today’s standards, and yet he was doing it all as long ago as the 1940’s. He will of course be remembered as the pioneer of double bass drum playing, but for me, perhaps more importantly, I consider him to be the father of the modern drum solo; whereby a drum solo becomes a standalone composition with a beginning, middle and an end. Duke Ellington once described him as “The world’s greatest musician”, and he may well have been right. An extraordinarily gifted man whom I was proud to know.

Top tracks

‘Skin Deep’ (Duke Ellington ‘Uptown’)

‘Conversations with B, L & K’ (‘Conversations’)

‘Concord Blues for Blue’ (Louie Bellson Big Band ‘Dynamite’)

Shelley Manne (1920-1984)

In an era where the world of jazz drumming was almost completely dominated by Buddy Rich and Max Roach, Shelley Manne broke through and achieved national stardom alongside these two heavyweights. Universally respected for his time, creativity and musicality he achieved international prominence on joining Stan Kenton’s band in 1946. Manne was very much a product of the Dave Tough, Jo Jones school of playing and whilst a capable soloist his priorities lay elsewhere. He was a pioneer in many ways, not the least of which was he was one of the first of the drum stars of the big band era who went on to forge a career in the Hollywood studio scene, and at the same time maintained a prolific recorded output as a jazz player being a first call for the West Coast movement and even ran his own jazz club for a number of years. Check Shelley out in both big band and small group settings.

Top tracks

‘Artistry in Percussion’ (Stan Kenton)

‘Tale of an African Lobster’ (The Big Shorty Rogers Express)
This track was a personal milestone in developing a good ear. As a small child I thought the drum intro started on the downbeats  (one and two and three four) but as I matured it dawned on me that Shelley starts the pattern on the and of four. 

‘Poinciana’  (Shelley Manne Live at the Blackhawk Vol 1)

Don Lamond (1920-2003)

Very much in a similar groove to Shelley Manne, Lamond’s place in drumming history is as one of the great modernisers of the big band drumming style. It has been said that when Lamond came to prominence in the late 40s even Buddy Rich updated his approach. Lamond had the unenviable task of succeeding the legendary Dave tough in Woody Herman’s band, which he succeeded in doing to memorable effect. An early adopter of be bop concepts in the context of big band music, His 1947 recordings with the Herman band are notable for a much lighter, ride cymbal focussed groove than was the case in Krupa’s heyday some ten years previously and he also started to ‘drop bombs’ with the bass drum, to use the parlance of the era. Lamond’s calf head bass drum sound on these recordings is without doubt one of the best in drum history. Like Shelley Manne, in later years he went on to forge a highly successful career as an in demand studio player.

Top tracks

‘Keen and Peachy’, (Woody Herman)

‘Mountain Greenery’, (Ted McNabb and Company)

‘Birth of a Band’, (Quincy Jones)

Ed Shaughnessy (1929-2013)

Immediately recognisable to millions of Americans on account of his decades of service in the house band of Johnny Carson’s ‘Tonight Show’, Ed Shaughnessy had one of the best regular gigs in the world, which he thoroughly deserved. An outstanding example of a player who managed to keep his playing up to date without ever losing contact with his swing era and be bop roots. In what little time he had off from his TV gig he was also a very able small band jazz drummer (big band drummers aren’t always, and vice versa!) as well as an articulate and informative clinician. Ed had the perfect blend of groove and chops and constantly dispelled the nonsense about these two qualities being mutually exclusive. Check out Shaughnessy’s legendary drum battle with Buddy Rich on Youtube. It just stops short of necessitating a steward’s enquiry but Ed gets about as close as anyone ever did.

Top tracks

‘Walk on the Wild Side’,  (Jimmy Smith, ‘Verve Ultimate Cool’)

‘Shawnee’ , (Tonight Show Band Vol 1)

‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’, (Broadway Basie’s Way)

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