A light little 60s pop beat by Idris Muhammad— I don't know what to call it, part boogaloo, part bossa nova— from George Benson's album Shape Of Things To Come. The whole record is like this, little 3-5 minute pop covers meant to go over on radio. If somebody turns on a pocket transistor radio on TV or in a movie, it's the kind of music you'd hear. Gilligan's Island, Hawaii 5-0, Thomas Crowne Affair, that type of thing.
It begins very light, and gains some intensity throughout the arrangement— early on, very flat dynamics between all the parts of the set; more varied later. You'll hear more activity on the bass drum in the last minute or so— he plays it more strongly as well.
The stuff I've transcribed covers almost 100% of what he actually plays— a couple of variations on the main beat, and he catches a rhythm figure at the end of the form. There is one more figure I didn't write out, you'll hear it. His only fill or embellishment is that little five stroke roll at the end of the measure, which he does quite often later in the track.
2 comments:
That's a nice little groove.
He took my sticks after he played a gig on my drums. I didn't realize it until the next day when I picked up my drums.
Back then, when I was about 18 years old, a pair of good sticks like that (they were Vic Firths) was a valuable thing, and my relationship with Idris Muhammad was strained for a while, but I've heard him play so many beautiful things that I've long since forgiven him.
I also have to admit that my drums at that time were really beneath him. He still sounded great, but he was in a bad mood.
I like stuff like this, just a nothing piece of music. It sounded like he was doing more than he is, but it's just that same beat.
That's cool, Idris Muhammad running around Europe with your sticks. I got to see him play with Ahmad Jamal around 2002 I think. Both with him and Brian Blade at the time I was noticing they'd play these broad phrases, playing longer spans of time than I would notice with other people.
We should chit chat soon-- Tim @ Cymbal & Gong is going to Istanbul in November, I might see if I can drum up (****) some interest and make a visit...
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