Question For Peter Erskine

[erskoman]

Addendum ... the setting for any performance can indeed be a very big factor in guiding the choices a musician will make or the direction the music might take. For example, a club (where the sound is relatively "dry," and the ambience is usually "exciting") will oftentimes bring out a more 'forceful' or energetic performance from the musicians (particularly the drummer), whereas a studio setting (with plenty of reverb in the cue system, for example) will usually put the drums into an entirely different context. So, it's not really quite accurate or fair to compare a recording such as the Alan Pasqua album (which is beautifully recorded, by the way ... and Alan and Darek are both truly great musicians) with a "live"/club excerpt.

I often tell my students to "play the room" (i.e., treat it as another instrument) ... 'though I also admire drummers who plunge into any situation with their own sound perspective very strongly in mind, i.e., no matter what/they do their thing. It's as much a personality thing as a musical one, I guess.

Hope this helps; cheers and greetings ?
PE

P.S. it goes without saying how much I enjoy and value this forum; thanks again to Steve and to you all ...

[JoesMechanic]

Groove....

You're a funny guy. I like it here just fine. Was here long before you. Have made many personal friendly connections with people here at HOD. I really don't have any problems with anyone here except for the recent hijacking of you, flabor, and SDK. But whatever..... it's not my place to say. This is Steve's board and I'm just happy to be here.

Semms like you need to take reading comprehension along with musical studies at NYU. Because if you go back and read your posts and those of SDK and Flarob, even though there's alot of truth to them, it's the delivery in which they were made that makes them the punching bags of the board. Of course I got to a point with youz guyz the other day that made me flame a little, but I'm over it now.

Here's a really good one of late with Flarob.
http://www.hostboard.com/cgi-bin/ult...609/t/4366/p/3

It's soooo painfully obvious that the guys not a pro. Regardless of how Dom plays or whatever, you just don't bash the man, just isn't cool and speaks highly of his own issues. Nobody here on this site knows who floplop (flarob)is, but he certainly isn't a working pro drummer. I know way too many guys in the field that just don't entertain that sort of behavior. As he posted on the Dom thread, he was drinking that night. I think he must be an alcoholic.

As far as you are concerned. You too have a tendancy to "flare" things up. But whatever, I don't have the time to respond to you. Since Steve is a personal friend of mine, I doubt I'll be getting kicked off here anytime soon. That is, unless I totally lost it on the board.

[JoesMechanic]

PS... Pete. Thanks for your great insight to the subject. Please feel free to correct me if you think I'm off base with my thoughts on this. I am of course no where near your level of expertise or facilities on the matter.

Groovesmitty writes......
"I purchased the Japanese release of Diana and Alan Pasqua's trio recording. The trading in Stella to my ears is a great example of the jazz vocabulary I'm speaking of, and that which Rob is speaking of. You could have easily blown some terrifying technical solos, but you chose to play the "language". Can you tell me why you didn't play for example, the way Vinnie Colaiuta played with Chick? Aside from the fact that this is a different situation. Please explain the tradition to these folks so they can stop insulting Rob left and right."

Peter responds with....
"re: recent video posts ... some amazing drumming here and there, but those particular excerpts don't really do it for me in the swing department. However, that's just my own taste; I couldn't do that type of drumming, technically, if my life depended on it. But, for reasons other than survival (!), I do prefer to leave more space in the music nowadays ... as well as to play beats that are more like serving the music up on a warm platter, as opposed to serving a tennis ball at 286 miles per hour, to the other musicians."

This whole chain of threads after the "Chick Video with Vinnie at the Blue Note" started because Flartop had to put in his 2 cents (as usual). It really wasn't nescessary, but it shows alot about his personality.

So anyway.... on the Blue Note DVD, we were speaking in the context of Jazz and THAT PARTICULAR GIG HAVING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF VOCABULARY!!! If you're going to argue that there wasn't every jazz lick in the house known to man blown on that particular gig, then I don't know what else to say. As Freddy Gruber put it, "It's what we call, a good night."

Certainly not of the animal that Peter is describing in a more moderate approach with the Pasqua CD. You'd have to be stupid to blow the chops that were laid down on the chick video on the Pasqua CD. It wasn't the place nor the venue to put such "286 MPH tennis balls".

Could Vinnie have done the Pasqua date?? Absolutely (not to disrespect Peter). Would Vince had blown the stuff he did on the Chick Blue note DVD on the Pasqua gig, probably not. I've even got recordings of him live here at La Va Lee with Alans band playing similar stuff.

Along the same lines........ last year, I got to watch Brian Bromberg, Vinnie and Randy Waldman record a CD out here in Calabasas playing JAZZ!!! Brian was very distinct in making sure understood it was a JAZZ CD. I know... next thing you'll say is Brians not a Jazz bass player.

Groove..... do you really think that we don't know what you're trying to explain?? Give me some and some other credit here.

Now Peter... was there a particular melody or rhythm line that you followed when exchanging?? A sort of set strict "rules of call and respond" or "vocabulary" that you stuck to?? Or was it a more a variation of improvisational jazz knowledge that you pulled from to complement the music based on your emotions and what "felt right" to add to the music at the time? My guess, without even hearing the CD is that it was both. I'm sure Peter like many drummers today started somewhere. Probably studied Jazz and got familiar with it's counterparts. And his playing style is something that evolved from it today.

ps... Flartlop?? I'm still waiting to hear what albums you've recorded on that outnumber the stuff Peter has done.

[Groovesmitty]

Joe's my friend.

You are not a nice person.

I was merely making a factual observation. What I tsaid was happening is the truth regardless of what you believe. I read all the threads and posts, and Rob was never the first to begin the low blows. You were. Rob DID say things to the effect of, you should learn music. That is not an insult, although he should have sugar coated it a bit.
Judging by your above post that is a fact. I'm sorry man. What you got out of the Erskine post above sounde like you were reading something else.
I would rather not be addressed by you in here. Nothing you say is comprehendable to me. Besides that you like to name call and act like you are 5.
Don't bother answering my post, I'm done talking to you until I read something you post that actually has some form of logic to it.

If you know so much, go to the Jazz thread, tell us, is that the Miles lick that Rob is talking about. I know the answer my friend.

And Shedder, we don't need to read about your CD collection on here. Please remove that link. You guys are nasty.

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ August 11, 2005 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Groovesmitty ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 11, 2005 08:47 PM: Message edited by: Groovesmitty ]</font>

[Steve Holmes]

The mocking of the names is getting old (Flob..Flarob..whatever). Please stop.

A good disagreement can spawn insightful discussion. That's part of what I like about the forum. The vibe as a result of the nature of the recent disagreements here has been annoying and sometimes childish. I don't want to scare folks off with this kind of behavior so let's try to be respectful while disagreeing.
And BTW.. the source of the information bears little on it's validity. I don't think someone has to be a pro to know what they're talking about. Sure, it's obvious that experience breeds knowledge (most of the time) but I hate the constant OMG LET'S SEE YOUR RESUME crap whenever someone says something.
New forums are coming soon and I think there's going to be some loose, basic rules. NOTHING MAJOR, just common sense stuff to weed out unwanted posts.

Thanks guys.

[Groovesmitty]

Thank You Steve , and Thank You Peter.

It is all about the music, nothing else.

[mkabal]

Why do people need to prove their views on disagreeing with others in this forum is beyond me. Ego is the only thing I can think of. There are some very intelligent people in this forum and they bring some great insight and downloads to the drumming community. If something insignificant is posted, I don?t know, read on!!! Don?t worry folks, in a few trillion years from now: you, your computer, car, the house you live in, and the whole entire universe will just be subatomic particles. So cheer up.

[JoesMechanic]

Ok!! Steve (Vinnie) Holmes [img]wink.gif[/img]

Groovesmitty writes.....
"Joe's my friend"

Cool man!! You've seen the light!! I knew you considered me your friend!!! [img]smile.gif[/img] I can see right thru your little act of disliking me. I know you really think I'm your pal deep down inside. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I guess we'll just chose to agree to disagee conceptually about what Pete meant. I guess Pete could clear that up..... or not. It doesn't really matter. But PLEASE you and Flarobsticks (there!! Better?? [img]smile.gif[/img] )grow a little skin and don't be so sensitive to someone saying something like "Breckers the Vinnie of Sax" or if I use the word "Jazz". I just don't dig the nitpicking. Everyone is pretty well versed here in most styles and the comprehension of them.

Steve... I'm not trying to be mean anymore, I just really am interested now. I mean someone that's outplayed Erskine on gigs?? I'm just really curious to hear his stuff. Just same way I was to hear you play Steve, and was amazingly/pleasantly surprised. Maybe why I own everything you've done??

ps.... who were those other dudes on the Dom thread that were chopping you to shreads?? Sue HOD!!?? Hold you liable?? What the heck and where the heck did that come from??

pss.... did shedder post something about his CD collection?? I guess I missed that.

[JoesMechanic]

Mkabal!! [img]eek.gif[/img]

Say it isn't so!!! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

Nice avatar by the way. Was that before coffee in the morning?? [img]wink.gif[/img]

[Vdrummer]

Thanks, Steve. I'm looking forward to the new forum, and the return to basic courtesy and mutual respect that this forum had a couple of years ago.