JazzNotJazz Double Drumming mixtape
After listening to Chris Lightcaps’ recent album ‘Super Bigmouth’ with Dan Rieger and Gerald Cleaver on drums (who play at the same time on all tracks) the theme for this episode of JazzNotJazz was readily found: bands with two drummers. This is done more often than one would expect, and done in the most diverse ways.
Thus in this hour, just a small collection of tracks to give an idea of how two drummers can be deployed in a band.
Probably known to many is James Brown, who performed quite a while with two drummers, or Miles Davis, who on Bitches Brew worked, besides with Jack DeJohnette, also with Lenny White and Don Alias as second drummer. Or take experimental albums such as John Coltrane’s Meditations, on which Rashied Ali plays next to Elvin Jones.
In wider jazz and pop related music history, two drummers have been deployed in very divergent ways, as proven by the varied playlist of this programme: to play fourhanded complex grooves, in classic and modern drum battles, or on freely improvised and sounds oriented experimental stereo drum tracks.
01. Deep River – Chris Lightcap (Super Bigmouth, 2020):
Dan Rieger & Gerald Cleaver on drums
02. Zifeng – Krupa & The Genes (Krupa & the Genes, 2014):
Stefan Kruger & Joost Patocka on drums
03. Duet – Buddy Rich & Gene Krupa (Burnin’ Beat, 1962):
Buddy Rich & Gene Krupa on drums
04. Richie’s Brain – Horacio El Negro Hernandez & Robby Ameen (Robby and Negro at the third world war, 2006):
Horacio El Negro Hernandez & Robby Ameen on drums
05. Parker’s Band – Steely Dan (Pretzel Logic, 1972):
Jim Gordon & Jeff Porcaro on drums
06. Science Fiction – Ornette Coleman (Science Fiction, 1971):
Billy Higgins & Ed Blackwell on drums
07. Paranoid Android – Brad Mehldau (Largo, 2005):
Jim Keltner & Matt Chamberlain on drums
08. Toot Toot Tootsie – Buddy Rich & Max Roach (Rich Versus Roach, 1959):
Buddy Rich & Max Roach on drums
09. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing? – Frank Zappa & The Mothers (Roxy & Elsewhere, 1974):
Ralph Humphrey & Chester Thompson on drums
10. Imagination Sets Us Free – David Binney (Anacapa, 2014):
Dan Weiss & Obed Calvaire on drums
