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Posted

Was listening to it in the basement yesterday, and when I came upstairs my wife -- who is a talented classical pianist and very good interpreter/spontaneous re-harmonizer of show tunes, though far from steeped in jazz -- said, "Who IS that drummer?" Pretty hip of her to pick up on Vernell Fournier, and from the basement yet.

Posted

I like that group a lot actually, especially once I figured out what they were doing in terms of a group concept.

Once again - you can't go wrong with a good New Orleans drummer. Period.

Posted (edited)

Vernel Fournier was much more than a New Orleans drummer, aside from the fact that his family moved elsewhere when he was still at a very early age - cannot recall exact details right now. How many drummer were out there playing more than 90% of the time with brushes? He had more ideas about that than all the other drummers together. And then there was Israel Crosby - a veteran bassist of the Blanton-Pettiford generation with a unique melodic concept, not just playing the changes. That gave Jamal the freedom to lie back and not having to display his technical prowess all the time, although he had plenty of that. One of the most unique group concepts in jazz piano trio history.

Edited by mikeweil
Posted

Ok, what am I missing? https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/10/arts/vernel-fournier-72-jazz-drummer-revered-for-precision-and-understatement.html?pagewanted=2

Born in New Orleans, Mr. Fournier started on the drums at the age of 10, played in street concerts and parades, and in the fifth grade he was part of a group called the New Orleans Young Swingsters. He studied technique with the prominent early jazz drummer Sidney Montague.

Mr. Fournier played with the student orchestra while attending Alabama State College before touring with the rhythm and blues band led by King Kolax. In the 1940's he also became part of the New Orleans bebop subculture, playing with Dookie Chase.

 

 

 

Posted (edited)

I'm sure most of you have seen the video of the Jamal Trio playing "Darn That Dream." (If not, see below)  I really enjoy Fournier's laid back, I can't be bothered mien.  He was the  essence of cool.

 

Edited by Dave James
Posted
15 hours ago, JSngry said:

Ok, what am I missing? https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/10/arts/vernel-fournier-72-jazz-drummer-revered-for-precision-and-understatement.html?pagewanted=2

Born in New Orleans, Mr. Fournier started on the drums at the age of 10, played in street concerts and parades, and in the fifth grade he was part of a group called the New Orleans Young Swingsters. He studied technique with the prominent early jazz drummer Sidney Montague.

Mr. Fournier played with the student orchestra while attending Alabama State College before touring with the rhythm and blues band led by King Kolax. In the 1940's he also became part of the New Orleans bebop subculture, playing with Dookie Chase.

My memory could fool me - I'll dig up Fournier's drum teaching method in the basement to check his biography. And I must have an interview somewhere about his New Orleans influences. 

51GCBZ2PWGL.jpg

11 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Oops, I misspelled "Vernel."

That happens to a lot of people, even some who post a pic of his drum book in the next paragraph.

https://de.scribd.com/document/339823978/Vernell-Fournier-Drum-Techniques

That guy, btw, seems to have an early manuscript version of the book.

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