I don't know what technique to use, whether to use mild derision, public humiliation, gentle persuasion or to get down on my knees and beg, but you dudes and dudetts just simply got to make the pilgrimage to the next Modern Drummer Festival. Just as a CD is no substitute for a live performance, a DVD is no substitute for the mind and heart altering experience of actually being there to experience some of the most dynamic drummers and musical performers on the scene.
Yeah, it's a lot of dough, but it would be an investment in your drumming pleasure and musical advancement for years to come. I know that for some of our international BWSSers the trip would be way too expensive. I can only say that if I were a rich man I would pay your way. It would be so friggin cool if at the next MDF we could have the our whole BW posse there soaking up the music during the day and partying hard at night.
Seeing and hearing Billy's Trio in a small NY club was off the charts inspiring (Don't get a big head, Billy). Then, seeing our pal and his compadres nail it at the Fest was gratifying as hell. I know Billy was concerned about some tunes being too fast, but really I didn't notice one problem. Billy won one for the Home Team. No, I don't mean the BW Forum, I mean the "home team" of taste, finesse, dynamics, originality, personal expression, and musicality.
But it's not just that ones personal favorite might be performing, the Festival is an opportunity to get oneself out of one's cocoon of experience and musical prejudice to learn about other percussive points of view. Here is some of what I learned and experienced at the MDF 2008.
Thomas Pridgen - Irony, Guts, and Good Ventilation
Thomas prefaced his performance by saying he thought that as drummers many of us need to be more dynamic . . . then he proceeded to almost completely ignore his own advice. But, BUT, he was very entertaining none the less and he seemed to be a really nice and humble guy who was very blown away to be there. I'll tell you what, it takes a pretty darn gutsy 19 year old to kick off such a weekend.
After some solo work, T.G. jammed some kind of free form jazz fusion with some old high school chums - a trumpet guy and an keyboard guy (they must have of graduated last spring or something). They both had it going on and the keys guy did an admirable job making up for the lack of a bassist with his left hand. Thomas is obviously a very promising artist with a huge career ahead. If he gets bored with drumming, he still has a fall back position taking over for Mark Wahlberg in Calvin Kline underware ads.
Billy Ward & His Trio - AWESOME, nuff said.
Will Calhoun - Surprise the Hell Out of Me . . . Beam Me Up, Scotty!
Will Calhoun is a totally funky power hitter, it seems to me in retrospect that his playing on "Cult of Personality" was way ahead of it's time to begin with, but he is not standing still. W.C. rolled out the largest drum platform of the night, maybe as large as 10' x12'. On it sat not only the prerequisite huge kit, but also lots of crazy electronic stuff including a weird and powerful drum module pad and a bizarre flute synthesizer. After soloing and playing along with some tunes in the conventional manner, he got up from his kit and started to create some interesting loops on the pad and then the flute. He assembled a composition in this way and then accompanied himself back on his set. This is something I dreamed about maybe 25 or 30 years ago after seeing J. J. Cale in concert. Past & Future Shock! Despite the technology, these devices seemed to be a very organic and direct way for people to make music and improvise in real time without necessarily having to know musical theory. Is was like Painting Music, it was beautiful and fascinating. Drummers can be their own band if they want! Will Calhoun is cutting edge.
Ndugu Chancler - The Real Deal, Ndugu Tells it Like It Is.
Ndugu was the height of this first day for me. He started off with some very sensitive and simple cymbal and tom flourishes and then slowly powered up into some grooves in a very relaxed fashion. He ended up with the classic simple funk groove with the kick emphasis on the downbeat, probably very similar to his groove on Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean." Here is real deal: he then proceeded to preach the Gospel of Ndugu Chancler as he was playing that groove, ultimately stopping the groove abruptly and dramatically a couple of times to make a point. He then took his sermon to his feet and the front of the stage.
The Gospel according to Ndugu Chancler:
* He has been working as a drummer for 40 years.
* He has made a lot of money because he has been: WORKIN'.
* This was his first Modern Drummer Festival because he had been: WORKIN'.
* He could count the number of times on one hand when he had been asked to do a solo.
* To be WORKIN' it's not about what you want, it's about what the person who is hiring wants.
* Be prepared, be on time, be pleasant, aim to please, and get the job done as quickly as possible.
I'm sure that as Ndugu's new found, but imperfect, disciple I am not doing justice to his sage advice, but the above is what got my attention. The inspiration I received from Ndugu: you don't have to be the most outrageous fancy drummer to be a success, you can do a lot with good sense, a good attitude, making the most of the talents God gave you.
Simon Phillips & Protocol - The Guy is a Classy Gentleman
What a contrast going from Ndugu to Mr. Phillips. Ok, I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Fusion music. I respect it, it's impressive, it's very difficult to perform, I couldn't do it, but I wouldn't be drawn to it even if I could, is does not float my boat. Faced with a choice - play or listen to a good pop song or a good Fusion piece - I would take the pop song every time. So I will spare you the rest of my own musical prejudice, I'm being too negative.
But if Simon Phillips doesn't win you over with his music and his smoking hot, extraordinarily accomplished drumming and outrageously talented sidemen, he wins you over with his personality. He introduced Gavin Harrison whose father played in Simon's fathers band in the most warm and kind way. Simon remembered meeting Gavin in his home when Gavin was six years old and had not seen him since that day, nor heard him play until this moment. Here was Simon Phillips knowing that Gavin Harrison was going to be super on the basis Simon's father's faith and respect of Gavin's father. You just can't make up such cosmic happenings. Such a kind and classy gentlemen Simon Phillips is . . . he invited Ndugu Chancler and even Shaker Dude to jam with his group, now that is classy!
Day 2
Derek Roddy - Tell it Like It Is #2, and Another Classy Guy with a Great Sense of Humor
I was actually looking forward to Derek Roddy and learning about Blast Beats and the mind set of that music. I'm even more removed from Death Metal than from Fusion and, as I think about it, the two genres may have a lot more in common than one might think. I think they might be given the term "Performance Music" as in music that is by design very difficult to perform and wherein a major one important artistic value is challenge or degree of difficulty. It's very much like sport in that way.
Derek told it like it is in discussing his music, he said it's about having seemingly impossible limits or barriers - in his case speed - and then working methodically to break those barriers as an athlete. Derek had a straight forward, witty personality and a simple philosophy: if you want to do something simply begin to do it, don't waste your time reading some dorky ("dorky" my word) online advice about how to play fast - just start to work it, . . . period!
Part of Derek's Roddy's performance was playing along with a very cheesy, funny piece where he mugged it up big time with goofy expressions. It was like a metal version of some tune from the soundtrack of the movie Borat. Later on in his talk he revealed that blast beats were essentially Polka beats played very, very fast. I found his presentation very clever and self-effacing, what a charming dude. A charming dude who makes no apologies for the music he likes to play. It's simply fun for him.
The Dafnis Preito Sextet - Express Yourself
Dafnis Prieto is a very soft spoken guy but he screamed behind the kit with ferocious speed and emotional intensity. It may of been just me and a coincidence of similar musical technique but I could have sworn Preito was answering back to Derek Roddy in some passages with his own Blast Beats . . . Latin style. He would also slip in a funk beat every now and then but only for just a couple of measures. I really felt like he was saying "Yeah, check this out, I can kick ass too." I really felt like he was expressing his emotions here and now, which is something I really dig and believe in.
Dafnis had a big beautiful band playing avant guard, Latin influenced jazz written my Preito! - acoustic grand piano, three horn players, and a bassist who played both stand up and electric. The tunes were elaborate arrangements but played in a somewhat loose dramatic style. The sidemen, particularity the horn second, were the essence of cool, suave swagger and fun to watch. I'm not a jazz afficionado, so I can't correctly describe the influences, but they reminded me of Herbie Hancock and company at the Nice Jazz Festival circa 1970 or 71. (A performance I just literally stumbled upon during my European vacation to sell our little local band to Apple Records, oh what an embarrassment that was!) Hancock was off the hook with some daring, soaring, adventurous stuff as was the Dafnis Prieto Sextet Sunday. Rock on, Dafnis!
Todd Sucherman - Great Chops, Big Kit, Great Drummer, but Fire the Copywriter!
To quote the program:
"There are over 6 million people on this planet. Maybe half a dozen of them posses the advanced drumming talents of current Styx drummer Todd Sucherman."
I would not want to live up to an introduction like that no matter how advanced I was, but Sucherman did an admirable job in spite of the ridiculous hype. His best performance of the night was doing what he gets paid to do (remember the Gospel of Ndugu) and what he does exceedingly well - playing a great Styx number. But as humility would have it, Karma made a guest appearance. It took Todd three tries to get this tune, the big climax of his performance, done. On the first try, he missed a big fill he said he had never missed before (I couldn't tell the mistake). In the middle of the second try, his laptop with his recorded music fell off it's platform and the music stopped. On the third try, he executed everything flawlessly and it was great. I loved how T. S. hung in there and kept his poise and good nature. I think do-overs don't deserve the bad rep they have, I think they are cool because to make mistakes is to be human.
As a drummer who plays a lot of Rock and Christian Contemporary, I dug and appreciated what the man was doing. I love playing music that has words and love all the accents, dynamic build ups, mood swings etc. etc. - anything to emote over. That last Styx tune had all that stuff in spades, it was Advanced Area Rock for the sophisticated listener. Like every single player at the Fest, Todd Sucherman has great technique. He has a very precise clean, powerful, even style of execution. It seemed as though all his parts were completely scored in advance. He started this long composition three times and each time it seemed almost identical. Like Dafnis Prieto and Bill Stewart, Todd had his kit turned to the side which is great for seeing what's going on.
Gavin Harrison - Beautiful Progressive Drumming
I was very impressed with Gavin Harrison's drumming on a very basic emotional level - it was simply beautiful to watch. It's hard for me to put my finger on it, but for me I think he had the most "style" of any drummer at the Festival. What do I mean by "style" I'm not exactly sure? I usually don't give a whit about luxury cars and would feel decadent buying one even if I was very wealthy, but the other day I saw a car so gorgeous in it's style that I wanted to own it. It simply was the most beautiful vehicle I have ever seen. Like Gavin it was a Brit, a most gorgeous Jaguar. It had the most elegant flowing lines. Unlike any Jag I have ever seen before, it was pure form with little or no tacky ornamentation or stupid pretentiousness. Gavin Harrison is like this new Jaguar in his drumming style. His is technique is extraordinary, but he is also inventive, intuitive, dramatic, and tasteful.
The last tune of his performance he dedicated to his dad, an accomplished trumpeter who passed away almost two years ago to the day I think he said. It was a jazzy funky big band number with lots of brass. That really blew me away, that was so sweet it makes me get misty thinking of my own dad. Like every drummer at the Festival, Gavin seemed to be a great guy. Like so many he seems to have a great sense of humor. One of the funniest lines of the weekend was when Gavin commented that unlike Thomas Pridgen he didn't have a six pack, he had a one pack. I can't wait to use that joke the next time my wife mentions my belly and it's need for exercise.
The Bill Stewart Stewart Group - Saving the "Best" for Last
I really, really, really hesitate to use the word "Best" in relation to Art. It really is not appropriate to Art. I believe there is no best Art, there is only Art. Jazz is no more or less valid than Death Metal. It's people who chose to make and appreciate a certain activity and hold it to be Art. One person finds Art and there you have it - Art. Never the less, it was very appropriate that Bill Stewart and his group were the final act of the weekend because he and his group embody so many of the great qualities of the Art of Jazz amd musical performance.
Not having listened to jazz much for decades I had no idea of Bill Steward, I only had a vague idea from MD Mag that he was highly respected and had noticed a story where he talked about using matched grip. At first his personality seemed VERY SERIOUS, I thought this cat is SEVERE! I watched as he spent considerable time making sure everything was just so, not just his kit, I mean EVERYTHING from the all the instrument and mike placements right down to each individual stick. Everything had to be just so, I feel safe in saying he spent way more time at set up than any other performer that weekend by far. He made me feel like an amateur obsessive compulsive and I'm pretty damn good at it.
Well man, when that dude started comping, a different personality took over. This cat was digging it and getting more joyful and stoked as he went. His quartet was just impeccable. His three very young sidemen on piano, acoustic bass, and sax had chops and taste way, Way, WAY beyond their years. These guys must be something very special cause this music was just incredibly beautiful and breathtaking. Pardon my woeful lack of music history, but it was as if someone took the Dave Brubeck and John Coltrane groups and blended them until the Bill Stewart Group came out 40 or so years later. It was daring improvision, particularly by Bill Steward, upon very gorgeous tunes within classic jazz and bebop forms and conventions. Ah $%!@, it was just friggin great and Steward just churned and stewed, and boiled and cooked with emotion, intensity, finesse, dynamics, and heart, and soul. All the same attributes that Billy displays, teaches, and promotes. Another one was won for the Home Team.
Post script:
Thank you if you actually read through this little report, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope my testimony suggests just how much your musical drumming soul might be moved by attending Modern Drummer 2009.
Drum on!
CP
Sick and silly laughs... I know he woulda laughed as well if he wasn't
onstage.....
