PART 3: THE GREATEST DRUMMERS THAT EVER LIVED

This is the third in a series of blogs featuring the WORLD'S GREATEST DRUMMERS - actually the title of this blog was changed because the original title THE WORLD'S GREATEST JAZZ DRUMMERS is not very accurate simply because these guys and gals can play any kind of music - They are capable of playing music from jazz, rock, pop, latin, big band, small group, funky - you name it 

I hope you enjoy discovering these great players - they can all be checked out on YouTube and even better go see them live - of course I have also included great legendary players like Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Chick Webb and many others that have sadly passed on  but they left a rich canon of recordings and video tracks for us all to admire and enjoy  

For aspiring drummers - don't just restrict your listening to todays players - go back and study and learn from the truly great players and become a great player yourself -  You will note that I have NOT included many of the names you might expect to see in this list - like Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, Dave Grohl, Don Henley and many other major names from the world of rock and pop - many of these guys have brought great joy and pleasure to you all and that is good - some of them will have inspired you to play - this is also great - but you also need to delve into the art of drumming and learn from whom I personally consider to be the true greats - I have been very fortunate to have worked with many of them and I give thanks for their talent and art - thanks for reading and enjoy discovering the WORLD'S GREATEST

STEVE GADD laid down the best grooves ever - set new standards in playing

You can't have a list of the greatest drummers without including probably the greatest of them all BUDDY RICH - Listen to his recording of West Side Story, Channel One Suite or the funky Birdland

AL FOSTER a superb player - had the honour to work with him with Miles Davis

ART BLAKEY - the great Jazz Messenger himself - great albums on Blue Note Records

BARRETT DEEMS called himself the "World's Fastest Drummer" I am not sure that was a very accurate statement - but he was a fine player and worked with the Louis Armstrong All Stars"

VINNIE COLAIUTA undoubtedly one of the finest drummers on the scene today - works with Sting and host of stars

BERNARD PURDIE - top session player - played on so many hit recordings

CINDY BLACKMAN - great player showing us all what a very fine drummer she is

BEN RILEY - fine player worked with Thelonious Monk and many other major jazz artists

BILLY HIGGINS - deeply influential player

CONNIE KAY - In my opinion a very underrated player - superb work with the Modern Jazz Quartet and many others

Any greatest drummer page has to include the incredible CHICK WEBB - King of the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem - died tragically young

HERLIN RILEY - A powerhouse player - worked with Wynton Marsalis and many others

VICTOR BERTON one of the pioneers of drumming in with 1920's and 30's

The very great ELVIN JONES - his work with John Coltrane is immortal - A Love Supreme

Another truly great player PHILLY JOE JONES

STEVE SMITH - magnificent technique

CHICO HAMILTON - his small groups were highly original and his playing superb

BOBBY COLOMBY - superb work with Blood Sweat and Tears and later as a record producer himself

GENE KRUPA - THE KING - you have to check Gene out - a super star of drumming who thrilled the world of music from the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's - SING, SING, SING the war cry of all drummers - DRUM BOOGIE - get the 1952 Drum Battle Album with Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich and listen to his version of Drum Bogie and the superb solo and of course Gene and Buddy thundering out at one another

BILLY COBHAM - THE GREAT BILLY COBHAM

BRIAN BLADES - SUPERB

BUTCH MILES - WONDERFUL BIG BAND PLAYER - LISTEN TO HIS YOUTUBE TRACKS WITH COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA

COZY COLE - GREAT PLAYER - opened a drum school in New York with Gene Krupa in the 1950's - had a big hit with Topsy Part 1 and 2

DAVE WECKLE - A GENIUS OF TECHNIQUE - LISTEN TO HIS WORK WITH CHICK COREA

DAVE TOUGH - MAYBE NOT SO WELL KNOWN BY TODAY'S DRUMMERS - BUT ONE OF THE FINEST OF ALL TIME - HEAR HIS WORK WITH THE WOODY HERMAN BAND - listen to the track "Apple Honey"

DUFFY JACKSON - FANTASTIC ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT

EDDIE SHAUGHNESSY WITH JOHNNY CARSON AND THE TONIGHT SHOW - HAD A THRILLING DRUM BATTLE WITH BUDDY RICH YOU CAN SEE THIS ON YOUTUBE

 EARL PALMER TOP SESSION MAN

One of the greatest big band drummers of all time - the great JO JONES with Count Basie

JOE MORELLO - TRULY MAGNIFICENT WITH DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET - JOE'S SOLO ON TAKE FIVE IS A CLASSIC in 5/4

LARRY BUNKER - marvellous playing with the Bill Evans Trio

LOUIE BELLSON - ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATS AND A HELL OF A NICE GUY - CHECK OUT HIS RECORDING OF SKIN DEEP WITH THE DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA -  ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREAT SOLOS - A KNOCK OUT WITH TWO BASS DRUMS

MAX ROACH ANOTHER GIANT OF THE DRUMS

HAL BLAINE - BOSS OF THE WRECKING CREW

IRV COTTLER WITH HIS BOSS FRANK SINATRA

TONY WILLIAMS - A GENIUS WE LOST TOO SOON - LISTEN TO THE RECORDINGS WITH MILES DAVIS - THEY CHANGED THE SHAPE OF JAZZ DRUMMING

SONNY PAYNE - SENSATIONAL DRUMMER WITH THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA - WATCH HIS SOLOS AND PLAYING ON YOUTUBE

JAKE HANNA - A VERY FUNNY GUY AND LOVED BY EVERYONE - FANTASTIC PLAYER - CHECK OUT HIS WORK WITH THE WOODY HERMAN BIG BAND

SORRY CAN'T FIT ANY MORE PLAYERS IN

PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL DRUMMERS - THEY WILL GIVE YOU GREAT JOY AND LEARN FROM THEM - IT WILL BE A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY -YOU'LL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

CHEERS PETER

MEDITATION REALLY WORKS - TRY IT!

I have been posting blogs regarding Meditation and your Mind for months now - Maybe you're getting fed up reading about it - but please read the following article - which again proves that meditation works and can change your life: 

Proof that meditation CAN grow your brain: In just eight weeks it can improve learning and memory 

•    Practising meditation helps build denser grey matter in parts of the brain associated with learning and memory, controlling emotions and compassion

•    In a study 16 volunteers had their brains scanned before and after an eight week 'mindfulness' course

•    Just eight weeks of meditation can produce enough structural changes large enough to be picked up by MRI scanners  

By STEPHEN ADAMS, MAIL ON SUNDAY HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

Meditating really is a workout for the mind, according to scientists who have found it can make the brain bigger.

Practising simple meditation techniques such as concentrating on your breathing helps build denser grey matter in parts of the brain associated with learning and memory, controlling emotions and compassion.

Just eight weeks of meditation can produce structural changes large enough to be picked up by MRI scanners, American scientists have discovered.

Practising simple meditation techniques such as concentrating on your breathing helps build denser grey matter in parts of the brain associated with learning and memory (stock image)

Harvard neuroscientist Dr Sara Lazar said: ‘If you use a particular part of your brain, it’s going to grow because you are using it. It really is mental exercise. Basically, the idea is “use it or lose it”. It’s like building a muscle.’

In a study run by Dr Lazar and her colleagues, 16 volunteers had their brains scanned before and after an eight-week ‘mindfulness’ course.

Mindfulness is an increasingly popular form of meditation where the aim is to focus thoughts on the body’s physical sensations and detach yourself from the ‘chatter of the mind’.

The volunteers had weekly group sessions in which they did breathing exercises, gentle yoga and a ‘body scan’, focusing their thoughts on one part of the body at a time. They were also asked to practice for about half an hour each day.

MRI scans were taken before and after the sessions and compared with volunteers who had not taken part in the meditation course.

In a study, 16 volunteers had their brains scanned before and after an eight-week ‘mindfulness’ course 

After eight weeks, those who went on the course had thicker grey matter in several parts of the brain. These included the left hippocampus, a small horseshoe-shaped structure in the central brain involved in memory, learning and emotional regulation.

Other parts ‘strengthened’ were the posterior cingulate cortex – again important for memory and emotions; the temporo-parietal junction, involved in empathising; and the cerebellum, which helps coordinate movement.

Those who did not go on the course experienced no such structural brain changes.

Dr Lazar said mental exercise stimulated the neurons that make up grey matter to form denser connections among themselves.

IT REALLY WORKS – TRY IT – IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE