Tough – A Better General of Rhythm

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Here’s an insightful telling, by Woody Herman and Chubby Jackson, of Dave Tough’s impact on Herman’s big band when Tough first joined.

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Woody Herman: When our drummer, Cliff Lehman, decided to leave, I decided to bring in Davey Tough, who was working in Charlie Spivak’s band. Chubby [Jackson] flipped out when I told him. He and some of the other guys in the band remembered him as the drummer with Tommy Dorsey a few years earlier, and they felt Davey wasn’t a modern-enough player. Also, they were all in their twenties, and Tough was older.

“I don’t think that’s what we need,” Chubby told me. “We need a little sweetie who’s gonna help the band.”

“This guy Tough is very special,” I said, but Chubby was unconvinced.

The day after Davey joined the band, Chubby came to me raving.

Chubby Jackson recall:

I had made the biggest mistake in the world, because I became acquainted with one of the better generals of rhythm thinking. Dave Tough was totally brilliant. He tuned the drums to certain notes; he didn’t believe in metronomical time; he thought we should move. Flip was right down the middle, so we stayed with him. Sonny Herman used to play behind the beat, so we’d cool under him. And Bill Harris played on top of the beat, so we’d go with him. But when it was ensemble it was Davey and myself. He insisted that I stand right next to him so I could watch his foot pedal and the movement of his hands. I learned an awful lot from Dave.

Source: “The Woodchopper’s Ball: The Autobiography of Woody Herman,” by Woody Herman and Stuart Trout. E.P Dutton, NY. 1990

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Peart – Trying to Do Something Really Great

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Again, in reviewing boxes of stuff in preparation for a move I discovered a stack of Neil Peart/Scott K Fish correspondence held together with a tan rubber band.

It’s clear from Neil’s letter I was living in Washington, CT, working full-time as a caretaker of the CT home of film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian Mike Nichols.

Neil must have been working on Rush’s “Hold Your Fire” album. It’s interesting to read of his struggles as “Art Direction Director” on putting together the album cover. He doesn’t say, but do we suppose the budget busting was the inside or the outside album cover?

In either case, I enjoy this look here at the attention-to—detail side of Neil’s personality.

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McClear Place Studio
Toronto,
March 31 / ’87

Dear Scott –

[T]his day has been kind of strange and stressful. I’m engrossed in my role as “Art Direction Director,” dealing with matters pertaining to the album cover, and trying to justify to the other guys and our manager an extravagantly high budget for the cover.

Our Art Director Hugh Syme and I generally collaborate on the ideas and the detail work of that projects. It’s hard enough getting everyone to agree on the title, and then on the cover ideas, and the “Battle of the Budget.”

Of course, it’s only to try and do something really great, and we can afford it, so hey – what’s the problem? – let’s just do it! I suppose that’s one of the weaknesses of democracy. Action is slow and consensus-bound.

I hate having to explain and justify these things, I just like to go ahead and do whatever seems best. I think there is a parallel in some of the things you went through with MD. In my mind I just want to decide the best thing to do, and put it in action, without having to present it to a committee for ratification. That’s definitely one good thing about being “just” a writer (or a caretaker?), at least you don’t have to answer to anybody about what you want to create (except perhaps the landlord – in either case!)

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Bill Maxwell – How I Learned to Play Drums

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Andrae Crouch, The Winans, Freddie Hubbard, Koinonia — Bill Maxwell’s work as drummer and producer is among the best. Bill first came to my attention through my ears in 1981. No pre-judging on my part.

Introducing The Winans arrived as a new album release on my Modern Drummer desk in 1981. I listened to Introducing…. on a marginal stereo system in my rooming house residence — and the music grabbed me immediately. Everything about that album was first class: the Winans, the songs, the arranging, the musicianship, and the production.

The drummer and producer was a name new to me: Bill Maxwell.

Long story short, after listening and loving a few more albums with Bill Maxwell producing and/or drumming, Bill stopped by Modern Drummer on August 17, 1982 for a feature interview, published in the August 1983 issue.

This is my first audio excerpt from Maxwell’s interview. It starts at the beginning of our conversation with me asking Bill how he went from bar band drummer to Grammy Award winning record producer for the great contemporary Christian musician Andrae Crouch.

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Bill Goodwin – Gruber’s Physical, Spiritual Knowledge of Drumming

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Drummer Bill Goodwin wrote an endorsement of drum teacher Freddy Gruber on April 1, 1983 and mailed it to Modern Drummer Publisher Ron Spagnardi. The “article” Goodwin refers to was my upcoming interview with Gruber.

I was delighted yesterday to uncover in a box of papers, Goodwin’s handwritten letter and typed endorsement. Gruber can never have too many endorsers. Despite the first-hand accounts from Neil Peart, Jim Keltner, Jim Chapin, Steve Smith, and longtime Gruber student Neal Sausen, Gruber’s skeptics live on.

Goodwin’s experience with Gruber is almost exactly my experience with him while sitting at Buddy Rich’s kitchen table:

“Freddy came and sat with me and told me one thing about my left hand, a simple thumb position change. Well, all I can say is that he was right because that one thing was the key to all the progress of a technical nature that I achieved from that point on. I think he knows more about the physical, mechanical aspect of drumming than anyone. Also the spiritual aspect and the combination of the two which can create great music.”

Here’s a typewriter version of Goodwin’s letter for readers who may have trouble reading his script handwriting:

Dear Ron –

I understand that MD may do an article about FREDDY GRUBER so I wanted to contribute something for the same and also encourage you to do it. He has been an enormous influence on so many fine drummers.

I am currently director/president of OMNISOUND RECORDS as well as continuing as member of the Phil Woods Qt. / Phil Woods Big Band and my own group Bill Goodwin’s Solar Energy. I still enjoy reading MD too. Keep up the wonderful work.

Best,
BG

That’s it. Thank you, Bill Goodwin for your insightful addition to Freddy Gruber’s drumming legacy.

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Sonny Igoe – A Matter of Principle

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Drummer and music educator Sonny Igoe was a longtime Modern Drummer Advisory Board Member.

Igoe and the other Board Members really did advise MD, particularly Founder/Publisher Ron Spagnardi. MD relied on the Members’ experience to guide some policy decisions, to write columns, make recommendations, and to provide answers to reader questions.

It may have been all of them, but certainly some MD Advisory Board Members were kind enough to endorse MD through in-house advertising.

This letter from Sonny Igoe both advises Spagnardi and endorses the magazine.

“I have been an M.D. subscriber since it’s (sic) inception and have fully enjoyed it.

“However, I think that the magazine should be provided at no cost to members of the advisory board, in exchange for whatever prestige the use of our names lend to the publication. It’s not a question of being too cheap to buy it, which most of us do or would do anyway, because we like it.

“It’s a matter of principle. Many of the board members I’ve spoken to feel the same, whether or not they have ever mentioned it or not. No matter what, I’ll still subscribe!”

Both Igoe and Spagnardi had understandable positions. Board Members serving without compensation adds a measure of credibility to their work. As with almost any small business, MD was likely running on a single-digit profit margin. Every dollar counted.

But what would it have really cost to provide Board Members free magazine subscriptions? It would have been a nice gesture.

Maybe after reading Igoe’s advice, Spagnardi did offer Board Members free or discounted subscriptions. I don’t know.

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