My 12 favorite drummers are Hal Blaine

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Scott K Fish

My 12 favorite drummers are Hal Blaine
Scott K. Fish, Special to the Piscataquis Observer • March 16, 2019

Most of us know the sound of the 1960s. But very few of us can say we are a sound of the ‘60s. Drummer Hal Blaine, who died a few days ago at age 90, was one of those few. I worked with Hal (1980-83) when I was managing editor of Modern Drummer magazine.

In its obituary of Mr. Blaine, the New York Times describes him as “part of a loosely affiliated group of session musicians who in the early 1960s began dominating rock ’n’ roll recording in Los Angeles. Mr. Blaine played on thousands of recordings through the mid-1970s.”

Drummer Bruce Gary of The Knack said, “One of my biggest disappointments was finding out my twelve favorite drummers were Hal Blaine.”

What did Bruce Gary mean? // Full column

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Michael Shrieve – Musical Career Updater 1983

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: This exchange between Michael Shrieve and me, which survived on a cassette, shows how slow it was in 1983 for well-known drummers to get career updates to their fans on the page of a print magazine. In this case, Modern Drummer. Usually working three issues in varied states of readiness at one time, Michael Shrieve’s news would reach subscribers and the newsstands about 90-days after our conversation.

That’s not at all a criticism of MD. All print publications, pre-internet, were working under similar circumstances. Today updaters are posted 24/7/365 on blogs and social media.

Shrieve was quite busy when we spoke. His real or planned drumming activities included release of a jazz trio album, a solo percussion album; dates with Roger Hodgson, possibly Stomu Yamashta, Santana, and other projects.

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Tommy Aldridge – Not the Drummer on ‘Diary of a Madman’

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: This cassette, from my stint as Managing Editor at Modern Drummer, seems to have been a tape I used, circa 1982, for interview follow-ups with drummers. The tape has bits and pieces of different conversations and music.

Tommy Aldridge and I were speaking through a land line in my MD office. I was taping our conversation using my Radio Shack suction cup mic and an inexpensive cassette recorder. I had a few MD readers’ “Ask a Pro” column letters with questions for Tommy.

One reader wanted a second opinion on whether or not Tommy is the drummer on Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” album. Tommy is, he says, not the “Madman” album drummer. Thirty-seven years after this conversation, this may be old news. But it is perhaps worthwhile to have Tommy Aldridge answering the question, in his own voice, for present and future reference.

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One Hour with Art Blakey at Ronnie Scott’s

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Researching on the web I found this one-hour Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers set at Ronnie Scott’s.

Although I’m familiar with some of the band members from other Blakey incarnations and the musicians’ solo albums, I’m new to this incarnation of the Jazz Messengers: Terence Blanchard (trpt), Donald Harrison (alto sx), Mulgrew Miller (pno), Jean Toussaint (tnr sx), Lonnie Plaxico (bs)

Straight ahead. When all is said and done, I find myself wanting mostly to hear more from Donald Harrison. His influences come through here, but Harrison has a unique voice.

The music is interspersed with short interviews with Art Blakey.

A good set worth seeing and hearing.

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Bill Evans Trio with Philly Joe Jones Live Umbria Jazz 1978

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Paul Motian, Larry Bunker, Jack DeJohnette, Marty Morrell, Joe LaBarbera — pianist Bill Evans’s trios were home to some amazing drummers. As interesting, Evans’s drummers sounded different from each other.

For my ears, the proof of that theory is Philly Joe Jones. Paul Motian and Philly Joe are stylistically at different ends of the drummer spectrum. Yet, they both sound great with Bill Evans.

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