Transcription: Al Jackson — Over Easy

OK, since I do actually feel obligated to offer you something more than perversely elementary groove transcriptions and lectures on the state of drumming, here's a transcription of the build-up section from yesterday's tune, Over Easy by Booker T. & the MG's, with Al Jackson on drums. On this section Jackson plays busier than is his custom, so it's interesting to see how he handles it:

The transcription begins at 2:38 on the recording. As usual, I've given three different dynamic levels for the snare drum: accented, normal, and ghosted. Note that several times the hihat is played with the left hand as the ride continues. The 16th note triplet and sixtuplet rhythms seem to take some kind of mixed sticking, probably RRL. The way he makes the dynamic change into the last line is interesting: he ends the fill strongly with the bass drum only— no cymbal— and then comes in on beat 2 with the original groove, at the softer dynamic.

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See the related Groove o' the Day for audio.