2020 Taft Jazz Combo Drums 

LISTENING

Killer Joe, performed by Qunicy Jones, is a great example of simple swinging. The drummer, Grady Tate, plays a quarter note time pattern and simple fills. First two times, listen to the bass player, Ray Brown, and lock into his playing and first only play the hihat; second time through add the ride cymbal; third time through add the snare click on beat 4.


Love For Sale, performed by the Buddy Rich Band.

This is a great example swinging with a very busy complex drummer, Buddy Rich. This particular recording is my favorite Buddy Rich performance and it swings in a ferociously!


Cody: St James Infirmary, performed by Louis Armstrong.

This generally a slow song, a ballad, and is popular with Dixieland (Traditional Jazz). Louis Armstrong is the first important name in Jazz history. keeping a simple time pattern is all that is required.

Louis Armstrong St. James Infirmary from The Best of Jazz Classics

Sam: Doxy, performed by Miles Davis Quintet, written by Sonny Rollins, who also plays tenor sax on this track. The Miles Davis Quintet was probably the most important jazz group of the 1950s, in terms of the impact they had on all the musicians who followed.