Drummer's Weekly Groovecast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 98 - Signature Grooves Part 2 May 28, 2018

Show notes

This week we are back with another installment of signature grooves. Back in episode 48 we presented a baker's dozen of definitive beats that were so uniquely crafted that they would need to be learned and played exactly in order to stay authentic to the song. In some cases these proprietary grooves may require a totally new playing or technical approach. In this episode we are presenting 'level two' of these signature grooves. This batch of beats embody common traits or patterns found in many other beats. However a twist or specific aspect of the groove makes it unique for the song in which it's played. We'll traverse many different genres: pop, rock, hard rock, fusion, funk, and RnB. We'll also address many decades: 60s, 70s, 80s and more. The drummers we'll discuss cover several different aspects of the drumming spectrum: pop icon (Ringo), rock god (Bonham), funk legend (Stubblefield and Starks), linear pioneer (Garibaldi), drumming virtuoso (Hakim) and much more. As we move through the list we'll analyze the importance of the groove and how it became a signature beat for the song. We then break down why it's important to us as drummers and how it may have spawned a new technique, independence or style. We'll also discuss how the drummer, band, and song connected with the era in which it was recorded and how it affected future music. The Drummer's Weekly Groovecast publishes feature episodes every Monday with "Accountability Thursday" mini-episodes every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. We can be found on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Plus, visit our web site at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can access every episode, view our videos, interact with our social media, and stay in touch with us via our contact form. Subscribe today! If you are an Itunes subscriber please leave us a short review on our Itunes DWG home page. It really helps us relate to other similar shows and allows people looking for our content find us a bit easier. Lastly, please share the show on your social media and with your friends!

Episode 97 - Artist Feature - Roy Haynes May 21, 2018

Show notes

This week we honor one of the greatest drummers in the history of music, Roy Haynes. Originally from Boston, Haynes is one of the last living musicians who performed with all of the following jazz giants: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Sarah Vaughn. If you include other past and current jazz greats it's not a stretch to say that Roy has literally played with everybody. A partial list would include: Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Sonny Stitt, Lee Konitz, Oliver Nelson, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Gary Burton, and Pat Metheny. Known for his signature sound, Phil and Jon discuss his cymbals, drums, and tuning and how that became an integral part of the jazz lexicon. They also talk about the first time they heard Roy and how he's been a legitimate influence on virtually every drummer in existence. Before the guys give their favorite Haynes picks they discuss the passing of the great John "Jabo" Starks and their remembrances of his tenure at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach, Florida. Phil picks are: "Sneakin' Around" from Roy Haynes' CD, "We Three" "Snap, Crackle" from Roy Haynes' CD, "Out of the Afternoon" "Satan's Mysterious Feeling" from Roy Haynes' CD, "Hip Ensemble" "Solar" from Pat Metheny's CD, "Question and Answer" Jon's picks are: "My Favorite Things" from John Coltrane's CD, "Live at Newport '63" "Rhythm-a-Ning" from Chick Corea's CD, "Trio Music" "Elucidation" from Gary Burton's CD, "Like Minds" "Now's the Time" from Roy Haynes' CD, "Birds of a Feather" Join us every Monday for brand new, feature episodes and every first and third Thursday for "Accountability Thursday" mini-episodes. You can find us everywhere you listen to your favorite music and podcasts. You can also listen to every episode, manage your subscription, watch all our videos, interact with us on social media, and directly email us at our web site www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com Subscribe today!

Mini-Episode 10 - Old Drum May 17, 2018

Show notes

Welcome back for another edition of Accountability Thursday, mini-episode number ten. This time we'll be working on another solo from the NARD book entitled, Old Drum. This is a longer piece than many of the traditional solos found in this book so aside from working your chops it will also be a challenge to your concentration as well. The first things to notice when preparing this solo are the 'X's' above certain notes along with the author's performance instructions. Whenever you see the 'X' you will strike your left stick with the right stick. Both sticks should be off the drum when doing this. This is not a 'stick shot' where the left stick would be pressed into the drum head. Rather both sticks will be off the drum with this technique being a device of showmanship as much as a musical technique. This solo has two distinct parts. The first half is divided into two sections that focus on duple metered flam rudiments. Be sure to have your flamacues and flam taps in good shape while working on this. The second half is also divided into two sections. These two sections concentrate on ternary rhythms and drag rudiments. Ratamacues are featured in this second half. Make sure you visit this link to see the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Y_Wn1Dq4HEE You'll be able to view the sheet music as well as see a performance of "Old Drum". We want you to practice this solo and post your videos on our social media. Make sure you tag the show in your description. Also head over to our web site at: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com You can subscribe to the show, listen to all our episodes, see our performance videos, interact with our social media, and get in touch with us there as well. We'll see you in a couple of weeks with our next mini-episode and every Monday with our full length feature shows.

Episode 96 - Revising Buddy Rich Featuring Ted Mackenzie May 14, 2018

Show notes

This week we begin by paying our respects to Roy Burns. Roy was best known as the founder of Aquarian Drumheads. We take time to discuss his contributions to our profession regarding his groundbreaking educational concepts (clinics, lessons, and writings) as well as his performance career (Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, and more). Roy passed away in Anaheim, CA on Saturday, May 5th at the age of 82. We also welcome to the show performer, author, and educator, Ted Mackenzie. Ted recently relocated to the Atlanta area from upstate New York. By a chance meeting Ted was chosen to revise Henry Adler's seminal book, "Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments". Mackenzie, one of Adler's previous students, knew the book and recognized there were a few things that could be revised or added. We get to hear about the full process, the blessing from Adler, the follow up book ("Buddy Rich's Rudiments Around the Kit"), the recording of supplemental DVDs, the creation of the "The Ultimate Drummer's Workout", and much more. You can contact Ted as well as purchase his books and DVDs at the following places: Ted's personal site: https://www.tedmackenzie.com/ Ted's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00J3333UO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 Ted's publisher, Hal Leonard's page: https://www.halleonard.com/ Join us every Monday for brand new feature episodes and every first and third Thursday for our 'practice along' mini-episodes. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and everywhere you access your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today! Also, make sure you visit our web site. We can be found at: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com At our site you can listen to all of our shows, interact with social media, view our videos, and manage your subscription. Lastly, if you listen to the show on Itunes, or even if you just have an Itunes account, please a take a moment and leave us a short, written review. It really helps the show grow and allows other people looking for podcasts of our genre to find us.

Episode 95 - Performing With Vocalists featuring Dave Johnstone May 07, 2018

Show notes

"What tempo would you like for this song? Too fast or too slow?" - drummer to singer Musicians like to analyze and complain about the tenuous relationships that they have with other players in the band. However none of those associations compare with the relationships between the vocalist(s) and the rest of the band. There are copious tales and jokes that solidify that point. In this episode we discuss working with singers and welcome back, power listener and previous guest, Dave Johnstone. Dave stopped in Atlanta on his way to Augusta to play with the dynamic vocalists (and trombonist) Aubrey Logan. After catching up for a bit we tackle this topic by acknowledging that not only do we occasionally have to learn 'singer speak' but sometimes have to depend on our instincts and musical depth to allow us read into what singers are telling us. We also discuss the importance of compromise, supporting a vocalist, count-ins, volume level, setting up phrases, knowing when to correct a singer's tempo, and much more. Make sure you visit Dave Johnstone at his personal web site. You can find him at: www.davejohnstone.com Also follow Dave at his instagram account. He's @johnstonedrums Join us every Monday for brand new feature episodes and every first and third Thursday for our 'practice along' mini-episodes. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and everywhere you access your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today! Also, make sure you visit our web site. We can be found at: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com At our site you can listen to all of our shows, interact with social media, view our videos, and manage your subscription. Subscribe to us today. Lastly, if you listen to the show on Itunes, or even if you just have an Itunes account, please a take a moment and leave us a short, written review. It really helps the show grow and allows other people looking for podcasts of our genre to find us.

Mini - Episode 9 - Assault And Battery May 03, 2018

Show notes

With the coming of May also comes another installation of Accountability Thursday! In this mini-episode we are working on a solo dedicated to the legendary, William F. Ludwig. "Assault and Battery' by Tommy Bloomingdale from the NARD book is the subject of this week's practice. Unlike most of the NARD book (yet similar to the Wilcoxon books) this solo utilizes very specific stickings and rudiments. The first place where we need to use our traditional interpretation skills is the dotted quarter note roll in the first measure of the second half of the solo. Perform this roll as a 15 stroke roll over the dotted quarter note value. Try to play the roll evenly and smoothly while landing on the downbeat of the following measure. Also take note of the alternating drags three measures from the end. You may find that upon initial run through that you may want to use the opposite stickings that the author has dictated. Make sure you resist that temptation and play his intended stickings! Make sure you visit this link to see the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/yaT2TQ9KoJs You'll be able to view the sheet music as well as see a performance of "Assault and Battery". We want you to practice this solo and post your videos on our social media. Make sure you tag the show in your description. Also head over to our web site at: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com You can subscribe to the show, listen to all our episodes, see our performance videos, interact with our social media, and get in touch with us there as well. We'll see you in a couple of weeks with our next mini-episode and every Monday with our full length feature shows. The next time you log into your Itunes account please take a moment to go by our page and leave us a short, written review. It helps us out tremendously and allows other people searching for podcasts of similar content find us more easily.

Episode 94 - Trust The Process And Take Your Time Apr 30, 2018

Show notes

There are aspects of life and music that simply take patience and time. Many times we're blinded by the plethora of helpful videos and internet information available to us. Yet the subtle message we receive is that with the surplus of details and opinions at our fingertips we should learn this sought after information quickly and easily since everyone can already do it. Not so fast. Even with the best instructional examples obtainable you'll discover it's doubtful that the original poster/author divulges how long it took them to master this lesson. The art of patient persistence is something that should be included in all of these online instructional videos. In this episode Phil and Jon talk about taking your time while embracing and trusting the process of learning. Some of the topics they cover are: learning the basics at an early age, partial learning of material and lack of musical depth, trying to learn advanced concepts and techniques without mastery of earlier foundational material, and simultaneously working on too many methods at once. We also broach the topic of rushing and forcing personal relationships in order to gain higher social, educational, and work status. We finish off the show with each host picking a great underrated drum track. Jon picked: "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright with Jim Keltner on drums. Phil picked: "Boulevard" by Jackson Browne with Rick Marotta on drums. One last note. We misspoke regarding John Beck. Mr. Beck is the long time percussionist of the Rochester Philharmonic and legendary instructor at the Eastman School of Music. Don't forget to join us every week for a brand new show. We publish feature episodes every Monday with "Accountability Thursday" mini-episodes every first and third Thursday of the month. Go to www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com to access everything DWG. On our site you can listen to all our shows, watch our videos, manage your podcast subscription, interact with our social media, and contact us through email. Subscribe today!

Episode 93 - The Vegas Show Featuring Joseph Patrick Moore Apr 23, 2018

Show notes

In the music business we generally point to three industry hot spots in the US: New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles. There are a host of the next tier cities that include Boston, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, etc. However many forget that at one time Las Vegas was a major destination for many working musicians. What happened? Was it the introduction of electronics? Was it the replacing of musicians with tracks? What about the general decline in live and recorded music? Many have said that since Las Vegas reinvented itself as a family vacation destination that it ruined the music scene. Or is all of that wrong? In this episode Phil sits down with his long time friend Joseph Patrick Moore for an up to date look at the Las Vegas music scene. Phil and Joseph have traveled together and played thousands of gigs in their thirty year relationship. However last year Moore relocated to Las Vegas and has established himself inside the Vegas music community. Before we tackle the gig scene we catch up and discuss a few stories from back in the day (trust me, no one suffered long term effects from that first tale). We then talk about the quality of life, the affordability of Vegas, other choices of relocation areas, and how Las Vegas compares to other large cities. When it comes to work we discuss the current state of big Las Vegas resident shows (Celine Dion, Bette Midler, etc) and how it affects the local musicians. Moore also gives details about his interactions, auditions, and ultimate hiring by Cirque Du Soleil as a resident artist for the show, KA. He also gives us his insights on everything from corporate gigs, hotel, lounge, and casino work. Visit Joseph at his website: http://www.josephpatrickmoore.com/ Visit Joseph's record label: https://www.bluecanoerecords.com/ The Drummer's Weekly Groovecast publishes feature episodes every Monday with "Accountability Thursday" mini-episodes every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. We can be found on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Plus, visit our web site at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can access every episode, view our videos, interact with our social media, and stay in touch with us via our contact form. Subscribe today! Lastly, please share our show with all your friends, students, and co-workers! We greatly appreciate your support and truly enjoy bringing you new content every week.

Mini-Episode 8 - Omaha Apr 19, 2018

Show notes

We are back once again with another mini-episode of Accountability Thursday. They say that you should dance with the date that brought so we're once again pulling from the NARD book. This week we are working on the solo 'Omaha' which is also our first 6/8 piece. Aside from the time signature one thing that you might notice is that the author has designated a specific tempo for this solo. In previous, duple meter, solos we've normally interpreted their respective speed by using the commonly accepted range of 90 to 100 beats per minute. For this piece we need to aim for our finished performance tempo at dotted quarter note equaling 128 beats per minute. The next thing to be aware of is the copious use of specific dynamic markings. From our experience we are aware that many ancient rudimental solos have no dynamic markings. In those cases common practice tells us to play the entire solo at the forte dynamic level with accents at double forte. However in "Omaha' take care to perform crisp and articulate dynamic changes where notated. Finally 'Omaha' is rather plain in contrast to previous NARD solos. It's very repetitive and not particularly rhythmically interesting. With those factors in mind it's imperative that the dynamics and accents are performed flawlessly. The author relies on those devices to bring musicality and intrigue to this etude. Upon practicing make sure you use a slow enough tempo to execute the dynamics correctly! It's pointless to practice without the dynamics. Not only will you learn to hear the solo incorrectly but you'll also have to learn it twice! Make sure you visit this link to see the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/9buCgZCOdgI You'll be able to view the sheet music as well as see a performance of "Omaha". We want you to practice this solo and post your videos on our social media. Make sure you tag the show in your description. Also head over to our web site at: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com You can subscribe to the show, listen to all our episodes, see our performance videos, interact with our social media, and get in touch with us there as well. We'll see you in a couple of weeks with our next mini-episode and every Monday with our full length feature shows.

Episode 92 - Stories Of Imposter Syndrome Apr 16, 2018

Show notes

As creative individuals many of us are sensitive, sentient people. That very trait gives us an ability to speak on our instrument in a way that our voice sometimes lacks. The negative side to that sensitivity can sometimes lead to a lack of confidence, lack of competitive drive, or inability to recognize our own accomplishments. If you then factor in the anxiety of being exposed as a fraud or musical dilettante you then have the archetypal recipe for Imposter Syndrome (sometimes referred to as Charlatan's Syndrome). In this show Phil and Jon tell their own personal accounts of imposter syndrome and the ways they overcame those scenarios. We discuss studio sessions, live performances, and academic situations where we both encountered this issue. Also on the docket is the rehash of the Steve Gadd tribute. We go over the show itself and ultimate hang that it has become. We give shout outs to the folks and companies who participated as well as the new friends that we met. We finish up the show with another installment of the DWG Garage. This time around Jon has major advice for people working on or refurbishing Gretsch drums. One of the major problems with disassembling Gretsch drums is the finicky nature of their self tapping lugs. If you don't know what you're doing you're setting yourself up for a costly and time consuming repair. Give this segment an attentive listen before you start removing Gretsch lugs! We always appreciate your listenership and support of this podcast. To help our show reach others who are looking for this type of program please take a moment and share our show with a friend. Our podcast can be shared via social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) or by giving them our website: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com We publish new episodes every Monday and can be found everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

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