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I went to see Mark Mondesir at the 606 club in london last night. He was playing with his own band which consisted of piano, bass, sax and of course himself.
The band was interpreting standards all evening including renditions of moments notice, cantaloupe island, fall, and cissy strut.
I always enjoy going to see mark play live cause u never know quite what ur gonna get. last time i saw him, it was cool but i felt the music was average and a bit messy (he was supporting another artist) BUT tonight was something else. He seemed very happy and comfortable leading his own band and choosing his fav. standards. and his playing was out of this world....literally! the things he was doing were magnificent.....and he swung his ass off!
He told me last year that he was ambidextorous and was working on playing open handed aswell and normally and that he wanted to get to a place were anything that popped into his head, he could execute......well i have never seen anyone as close to that theory as mark last night. the ideas were flowing like water....never repeating himself.....the left hand was like that of buddy in that it NEVER stopped.....the hi-hat work was great only playing 2&4 for a while before it went off on its own journey.....and he is now totally free to play open handed......he had a ride on his right and left and switeched whenever he felt like it.......and it wasnt "oh i'll switch to the left for a while...." it was MOSTLY on the left...and he switched when he wanted the other ride sound to suit the song....NOT on when his technique would allow him........
the way he can distort the time and play ANY figure that another instrument is playing is phenominal......his sense of time and pulse is extrordinary! its such a shame that the drum video he has out does nothing to show anyone how he can really play........
his cymbals were also very nice.....he was playing the new K fast crashes and a constantinople ride and the new peter erskine left side ride.....which was gorgeous.....i want one!!
anyway, check this guy out!!!!!! he really is an amazing player and a true asset to the british drumming scene........
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There's a bsolutely no doub that Marc is the most amazing, talented and gifted player but for me he just doesn't move me at all. I've seen him loads of times and all the speed, chops, technique and rhymic complexities that he displays leaves me cold. In my opinion he's an example of someone who plays with no emotion. I just don't get it all. When I listen to him play I think of a bedroom drummer that has too much techniquee for his own good and doesn't empathise with the other musicians. Nasty. Apart from that his swing feel is dreadful and he swings like a statues c*ck.... discuss?!
(Can of worms are now open... run my friends... RUN!) [img]eek.gif[/img]
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perhaps i might have agreed with you if hadnt seen last night.....but the music was far more straight ahead....and i liked his efforts very much. and he did swing.....maybe not like tain....but he swung enough! [img]smile.gif[/img]
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And his bad points dazz? [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]
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I haven't seen him play for a while. Allthough he does have the most tremendous facility, he can't really play a groove.
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 21, 2003 11:19 AM: Message edited by: UKdrums ]</font>
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Originally posted by UKdrums:
Allthough he does have the most tremendous facility, he can't really play a groove.
That's just sad! Joel Taylor combines both elements. Tell this dude to buy some TOTO CD's.
www.joel-taylor.com
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 22, 2003 01:10 AM: Message edited by: PocketPlayer ]</font>
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Joel is a mofro...if u wanna see him lay waste, check out Holdsworth's Live at the Galaxy Theatre vid ['00?]...they do "Letters of Marque" [off 1st IOU album; orig. Husband on kit], amongst others, & burn it down...Joel takes a great solo in it, too...powerful player...way to go, PP...
..."Tell this dude to buy some TOTO CD's"...[now, that is humorous [img]wink.gif[/img] ]...
I've never seen Mark M play live or heard him on disc other than the vid snips here & there; he has great facility & ideas, so it's amazing to me that it's reported that the guy "can't seem to groove" [img]eek.gif[/img] [?!]...R U SURE?!...& Dennis speaks highly of him at almost every turn....[?!] [img]confused.gif[/img]
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 25, 2003 02:40 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>
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I was waiting to see how this thread "developed" and will like to say that Mark Mondesir is one of MY FAVORITE drummers!
All the best Mark!
Alex Sanguinetti
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 11, 2005 11:44 AM: Message edited by: Alex Sanguinetti ]</font>
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I liked what i saw of him in those vid samples.... [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
