Since first hearing him on saxophonist Charles Lloyd’s Charles Lloyd in Europe album decades ago, Jack DeJohnette remains one of my very favorite drummers. For a long time, if DeJohnette was on an album, I bought it.

I was particularly intrigued by his New Directions bands, which seemed to change personnel with each new ECM record. Twice I was lucky enough to see New Directions in concert.

At his 1980 concert at J.B. Scott’s in Albany, NY, DeJohnette explained his approach to drumming. “I learned a lot of what I did in my own head and listening to cats, watching them, talking with them, listening to records. And actually on-the-scene experience. On the job experience.”

That description fits in nicely with pianist Chick Corea’s memory of one unforgettable DeJohnette drum solo.

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Chick Corea: The last [Miles Davis] quintet. I remember the solo you played. We were at the Plugged Nickel and you played a solo I’ll never forget. I tell people about it. Everyone stopped. You know how that happens sometimes. It’s not planned. Everyone stopped and then you were the only one left. So you were playing some drums and then Miles just let you go, and you took over the stage. And I swear, it must have been at least five, maybe eight, 10 minutes long where you played a solo on the cymbals and you never touched the drum. You played your cymbals for 10 minutes. Totally interesting. Totally kind of like, “What? He’s definitely going to touch the drum any minute now.” You never touched the drum. That’s the kind of wild guy you are man.

Jack DeJohnette: I just tried something different. I just tried to have fun with it.

Source: Chick Corea’s n interview with Jack DeJohnette from the CD booklet included with Resonance Records’ Bill Evans Trio – Live at Ronnie Scott’s album.