Drummers; you are part of a very special group of people. That's right, drummer's are people too, and some of us are actually considered musicians as well. Many of us, however, think very independently. This is part of the nature of our instruments. As practitioners of the art of drumming many of us spend years and years trying to get the right sides of our brains to act in total independence from the left sides. We've trained ourselves diligently to ignore and seperate right from left, only to find that we have to spend and equal amount of time integrating (L) and (R) back together into some sort of unified approach. All good drumming involves a high level of mental and physical integration. Rhythm is part of the life force, the creative force, and its part of what makes us fully human.

Odd isn't it, at a time where much of our work is being replaced by drum machines, the essential thing, the beat, the rhythm of the human heart is what makes us so unique. Drum machines in their perfection lose the very thing that makes listening to drumming exciting. It's the variety, the subtle changes in texture, tempo and the feel of time that make the drummer's work so interesting and exciting to the listener. One of the most original and inspiring drum records I ever owned was an Elvin Jones recording called The Prime Element. I remember the first time I heard this record. I was just knocked out by how Elvin Jones could come up with such unique rhythmic phrasing. He seemed, to me to be beyond any convential ideas of rhythm and into something that was totally his. Later, when I heard the playing of Jack De Johnette on a record with John Abercrombie, and Jan Hammer called Timeless, I was musically changed forever. Those two records, and a live performance by Jazz Master Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in May of 1976, opened my mind to new musical concepts in a way that nothing else had before then. Each of these Jazz Greats played styles far different from one another, but the one thing they each had in common, and what made them truly great players, is that they all played with heart. They all had great technique, but technique was not the thing. If you've ever seen Elvin Jones you know of his passion, and fury and the sheer musicality he brings to the drumset. If you've ever seen Art Blakey, you know of his joy and the intensity and expressivness he commands at the drums. If you've ever listened to Jack De Johnette you've experienced his energy and drive. I'm sure every generation has its list of influences and legends of the giants that went before them. These players still inform my playing today. They stand unequaled in my mind.

You can learn from these great artists, and there are many of them. You can also contribute your part in the history of the art of drumming. Record your music every chance you get, listen to the greats in every kind of music and try and apply it to your drumming and above all, know that you can keep The Big Beat and All That Jazz.

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