DVD - Rhythmically Speaking |
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A History Of Jazz From A Drummer’s Perspective
Music is composed of melody, harmony, and rhythm. We learn from histories of jazz about the melodic and harmonic developments, but not about rhythm. Rhythm is not only about tempo and meter, but also about phrasing and flow. When the phrasing of a melody changes, the rhythm also changes. And, if the over all music is going to work, the rhythm section must also adapt. Thus Louis Armstrong’s phrasing would clash with the rhythms of Max Roach, and John Coltrane’s phrasing would clash with the rhythm of Jo Jones. Drum solos that do not reflect the rhythmic flow of the song also clash with the overall flow of the song. |
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Rhythm is more important than most people think. This video shows the importance of rhythm,-- and drummers, the makers of rhythm--to the history of jazz. If drummers had not changed how they played rhythm, front line players could not have developed many of their innovations. For music to work, all components must work together. Rhythms and melodies that do not work together result in a clash of styles. Count Basie needed Jo Jones, not Baby Dodds; Charlie Parker needed Kenny Clarke or Max Roach, not Jo Jones; John Coltrane needed Elvin Jones, not Max Roach.
Listen to the double duet in chapter five. The rhythm of the melody is implied in the first chorus and developed in the second chorus. The second solo is a great demonstration of technique, but it makes no musical sense. We would boo a horn player who just played exercises, yet we applaud the drummer. Technique as an end in itself does not make good music.
