randissimo

I first heard Jack Sheldon when my mom got a jazz version of "My Fair Lady" from Columbia record club back in the early 60's... Jack plays and sings brilliantly on the record along with Shelley Manne. If you can find it give it a listen. There are some really swingin' arrangements on the record.

...Almost forgot Art Blakey... Some of the most exciting moments for me were sitting in front of Blakey all night, mesmerized by his groove and energy.. And the way blakey just sat on that shuffle on Jimmy smith's "The Sermon" is an example all aspiring drummers need to hear!

I'm not talking about beginner drummers and I'm not saying these particular 3 are role models.. These are the 3 most obvious I hear in young drummers already touring and recording with the upcoming names in Jazz who have obviously listened and studied the masters.. When I hear recordings of some of the younger drummers of the last 10 years I'm hearing mainly these 3 influences.. For example, Jeff "Tain" Watts definately comes from Elvin's approach, Bill Stewart is obviously influenced by DeJohnette, and I hear Tony's influences in Jason Marsalis's sound as well as many other young drummers I've been hearing lately. I think a serious young drummer should go back and listen to Kenny Clarke for comping behind solos, Max Roach for his lyrical approach, (especially his solos), Roy Haynes for his inventive sense of phrasing, and Philly Joe for his deeply swinging grooves.. There are also so many others too numerous to list who have also made great contributions to the music.. Another great drummer was Ben Riley. I love the way he used to play behind Monk, another great innovator..

Gridley obviously isn't very deep and apparently didn't do his homework on the subject of Tony Williams. Tony for me, was as important an innovator as Bird, Coltrane, Dolphy, Miles, Mingus, or Jimmy Smith.. Starting at a very young age, Tony listened to what Max Roach, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Kenny Clarke, and Jimmy Cobb were doing and evolved his own brilliant formula from these players. By the time he was in his early teens he was playin' his ass off and was playing with Jackie McClean when he was maybe 15. Personally I think the Miles Davis recordings with Tony are some of the most brilliant examples of creative drumming ever heard. Yeah, Question: Who are the 3 most copied drummers these days among the younger players? Answer: I hear Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Jack Dejohnette... B)

that's because Randy's mom heard "Life Wish" in the rough mix stage on a crappy boombox...

"Organissimo Forums" rules the "Toads Of The Forest" with it's provocative and sometimes "outspoken" chorus....

....The drummer, Bill Dowdy, lives in Battle Creek, MI... He still gigs but mostly on keyboard.... Just a bit of trivia

The Forum just keeps getting more interesting all the time... Have a great week everybody and get out and enjoy the weather... Friday is the "Spring Equinox" .. If you have a copy of Stravinsky's "Rite Of Spring", give it a listen...

I'm with you my brother... B.B and Jimmy are institutions! I feel I have been fortunate and blessed to be able to sit just a few feet away from such greats as Art Blakey, Max roach, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Tony williams, Jack DeJohnette, Idris Mohammed, and Al Foster, as well as Papa Joe Jones, Barret Deems, and Buddy Rich. These cats, and most of them are gone now, were the ones who blazed the trail for today's drummers...(You can probablt tell I'm a drummer I feel fortunate in my lifetime to be a part of such a prolific era in "World Music History" .. What an incredible mix of cultures! I grew up as a teenager listening to Bird, Brubeck, Cannonball, Miles, Monk, Coltrane, Muddy waters, B.B and Albert King, Jimmy Smith, Stones, Weather Report, Capt. Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Cream, Stravinsky, and DeBussy... And it's interesting to me that the Blues ties most of it together with the exception of stravinsky and DeBussy....

Whoops!! You know I love that tune! We gotta try it sometime on a gig with the nylon string guitar... Don't let Metheny hear it, he'll want to play it!!

Long live Jimmy Smith... He is still "The Man"... Randissimo

My only criticism of "Life Wish" is that it needs a slightly brighter cymbal mix and the guitar still needs a little more reverb and richness of tone.. ~Randissimo~

Hey Joe, It's really nice outside though lots of snowmelt drainage accross the roads...Not long now and we'll be on our mountain bikes rippin' it up!

Organissimo was again on Jim Wilke's "Jazz After Hours" playlist for the 2nd week in a row! Over 60 radio stations coast to coast... Go to www.jazzafterhours.org Spring has finally arrived in Michigan! Have a great week! ~Randissimo~

I had a chance to give the CD a good listen on my way to gig in Detroit... Al Foster has taken the "hihat finesse factor" to another level.. Nice music!! B)

It is a family affair... some very interesting people in here...

That's a good one Chuck...

Follow the instructions below for the genuine thrill that comes with discovering your blues name: From the first list, take the name using the initial of your first name. From the second list, do the same with your middle name. From the third, your surname. First List A=Fat; B=Muddy ; C=Crippled; D=Old; E=Texas; F=Hollerin'; G=Ugly; H=Brown; I=Happy; J=Boney; K=Curly; L=Pretty; M=Jailhouse; N=Peg Leg; O=Red; P=Sleepy; Q=Bald; R=Skinny; S=Blind; T=Big; U=Yella; V=Toothless; W=Screamin'; X=Fat Boy; Y=Washboard; Z=Steel-Eye Second List A=Bones; B=Money; C=Harp; D=Legs; E=Eyes; F=Lemon; G=Killer; H=Hips; I=Lips; J=Fingers; K=Boy; L=Liver; M=Gumbo; N=Foot; O=Mama; P=Back; Q=Duke; R=Dog; S=Bad Boy; T=Baby; U=Chicken; V=Pickles; W=Sugar; X=Cracker; Y=Tooth; Z=Smoke Third List A=Jackson; B=McGee; C=Hopkins; D=Dupree; E=Green; F=Brown; G=Jones; H=Rivers; I=Malone; J=Washington; K=Smith; L=Parker; M=Lee; N=Thompkins; O=King; P=Bradley; Q=Hawkins; R=Jefferson; S=Davis; T=Franklin; U=White; V=Jenkins; W=Bailey; X=Johnson; Y=Blue; Z=Allison This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

Yeah, most of the time they (Jim & Joe) let me stretch out a little, though I get shit once in awhile if I'm tryin' to move a simple groove around too much. Case in point, "Clap Yo' Hands".. I really have to discipline myself to just sit on that groove pattern in the front of the tune... I guess it comes from so many years of playing bebop and free jazz... Thanks jmjk for the positive words...

Your avatar RKD ... That's scary!! WHOOPS! I mean RDK... Kinda dyslexic all of a sudden,,,,

Your avatar RKD ... That's scary!!

I like listening in the car or late at night at home when there are not so many distractions. A lot of my gigs have out of town driving time so it's a great time for me to check the radio presets and see what's happening... Jim Wilke's "Jazz Afterhours" is always enjoyable on those drives home late at night on the weekends..

You are talking about Charles Tolliver?.. One of the great trumpet innovators of all times, emotionally moving and hard swinging Jazz at it's finest!. I've got some of his sides going back to the 70's when I first heard him on the Stratus label "Music Inc"... what ever happened to Jimmy Hopps? He is BAD ASS!

I enjoy your comments and avatar images.... my kind of people

Jim's been playing that Sonny Stitt tune lately, Goin' down to D.C., in spite of my telling him that we are way too white to pull that off! Thanks for the compliments mr. jazz. I'm the drummer with Jim & Joe and I am constantly amazed at how, after playin' with them for 21/2 years they still manage to come up with tunes I've never played with them!! ~Randissimo~