Ringo and Jazz

[Dave James]

I just turned on the TV and the BBCA channel was still on from last night. Anyhow, they're airing a special called "The Beatles - From Liverpool to San Francisco". Ringo is being interviewed right before he was admitted to the hospital to have his tonsils removed in 1965. One of the reporters asks if he's bringing any records with him and he says, "Yes, Bob Dylan, The Supremes, James Brown, Yusef Lateef and Chico Hamilton."

Who knew?

[JSngry]

Ringo swung.

(and here we go again )

[ghost of miles]

Lennon OTOH hated jazz, didn't he?

Nice catch re: Ringo, Dave.

Edited December 9, 2010 by ghost of miles

[AllenLowe]

"unless they play it just too darn fast...."

[JSngry]

Any info on what Jimmy Nicol dug?

[ghost of miles]

Any info on what Jimmy Nicol dug?

It's getting better.

[Dave James]

Any info on what Jimmy Nicol dug?

I'm guessing he dug having Beatle-like access to the women.

[Teasing the Korean]

All of the great British rock/pop drummers from that era - Ringo, Mick Avory, Charlie Watts, Jim McCarty - combined a hard-hitting rock approach with a certain light swing feel. This is largely missing from rock drummers from the 1970s on.

[sidewinder]

Yusef certainly played Ronnie Scotts in the mid-60s (there's that Les Tomkins tape of the gig) so maybe he was there too.

[AllenLowe]

the most jazz-oriented British band leader in the rock-area was, IMO, Graham Bond. His bands were very interesting mixes of Ray Charles and Charles Mingus; nice rhythm section of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. He was also, originally, a pretty good alto player.

Edited December 9, 2010 by AllenLowe

[Brad]

You can say who knew but he was probably made to appear the fool for PR purposes, not to mention being overshadowed by the others or allowed to solo, except once or twice.

[AllenLowe]

"Ringo never did learn how to play a drum roll" - George Martin

[Alexander]

You can say who knew but he was probably made to appear the fool for PR purposes, not to mention being overshadowed by the others or allowed to solo, except once or twice.

Not only was Ringo not a fool, but he was a pro long before the other three Beatles. When John, Paul, and George were struggling to get gigs for the Quarrymen (and other early incarnations of the group), Ringo was an honest-to-God professional musician and a local celebrity. He was older than the others, and he could actually afford to buy a CAR as well as make his living playing music, so it would not be a stretch to say that the others had actually looked up to him. John himself once said that if the Beatles hadn't taken off, he believed that Ringo was the one among them who would have made it anyway.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Alexander

[BruceH]

You can say who knew but he was probably made to appear the fool for PR purposes, not to mention being overshadowed by the others or allowed to solo, except once or twice.

Ringo simply didn't care for drum solos, thought they were boring. (And he's got a good point.)

[Alexander]

You can say who knew but he was probably made to appear the fool for PR purposes, not to mention being overshadowed by the others or allowed to solo, except once or twice.

Ringo simply didn't care for drum solos, thought they were boring. (And he's got a good point.)

It's true. The one solo he did on a Beatles record (on "The End") he had to be strongarmed into performing!

[Brad]

Didn't know that. I thought it was the other way around. Not a big fan of extended drum solos myself

[Alexander]

Didn't know that. I thought it was the other way around. Not a big fan of extended drum solos myself

The way Ringo tells it, when he was approached to replace Pete Best, Ringo was asked, "How do you feel about drum solos?" Ringo replied, "I hate 'em." The others said, "Good, we hate 'em, too. You're in the group."