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Re: Drum Clinic
I figured I'd use this as an excuse to post a review.
Gary Miller wrote:
>
> How was the show last night?
Slick, verrrry slick. First he played drums for 40 minutes
unaccompanied doing some of the most amazing shit I've ever seen. He
started off kind of quiet, doing some melodic playing across the six
toms he had. Suddenly he'd explode with this furous barrage of
playing. He kept mixing everything up, from really simple straight-
ahead grooves to some messed-up polyrhythms, holding down the beat with
this groove on the bass drum while his hands were on another planet. He
had the biggest foreams I've ever seen.
Then he talked for over an hour about clubbing at age 6, being
propositioned to play with James Brown at 13, then joining P-Funk at
17. The man has led an unbelievable career - 34 years of playing, and
he ain't even 40. His most recent work has been touring and recording
with John Scofield and with Steely Dan.
He talked about his influences (Buddy Rich, Billy Cobham & Tony
Williams) and his contemporaries he appreciated (Jeff Watts, Vinnie
Colaiuta, & Steve Gadd). He talked a lot about history and very little
about technique ("I don't practice - I haven't since I was 19"; "I can't
read music - I memorize everything from tapes I'm given in advance").
His stories about playing w/ P-Funk were hilarious. He said it was his
favorite playing experience because "I was laughing when I went to bed
and laughing when I woke up every day." He told us a story about the
night the Mothership was on fire and George Clinton, trying to escape,
fell out of a hidden stairwell on the stage, snagged his clothes on a
nail and hit his head, knocking him out cold. And how when the roadies
ran out on stage, they couldn't control their laughter at the passed-out
white-haired butt-naked freak laying there on the stage.
He then went on to play along with four prerecorded tracks. His playing
was even more incredible in context. Two of the songs were by guitarist
Lani Stern (sp?) and two were by a band called Graffiti. Sure, it was
two hours of gratitous wanking, but it was gratitous wanking by one of
the greatest drummers alive - well worth it.
Eric
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