Lookin' for some feedback.

Hey all. I know I'm a newbie here, but I seriously love coming here daily and checking out the great posts/downloads. This is the first site of this kind that I've found, and it definitely kicks very much ass.

So anyway, here are a couple tunes that I played with a local big band back in the spring of '03. The first one is a great uptempo swing chart (which i'm sure many of you are familiar with) called "The Heats On" (couldn't lock in with the bass player to save my life). The second tune is a pretty neat funk/latin chart called "Meet Freddie".

I was just hoping that maybe you guys wouldn't mind giving them a listen and throwing me some feedback about anything that comes to mind, good or bad. Thanks a lot all!!

P.S. I get a solo at the end of the swing chart too. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Hey Milkman,

WOW, you sound really GREAT !!!
I really like how you play on "Heats on", nice job !!!

Peace.

Oh, so cool! Love it! I don't listen to BB nearly enough, so this was a real treat. Your snare sounds fabulous (at least through my PC speakers at work) - what is it?

Your bass player's pretty damn good too...

Man your driving that Heat On [img]smile.gif[/img] Love it, your "language" is amazing. This is what BB should be all about. Thanks for stepping out of the shadows.

In Meet Freddie there are however some phrasings I would have done different, especially a lift in the intro. The horns sounds a little alone on that one [img]wink.gif[/img]

extreme great job though, very inspiring! wants me to join a bigband again!

Thanks alot for stepping out of the shadows and share this with us. I see you're from St. Louis, hows the general musical environment there?

I'm gonna listen to this for awhile [img]smile.gif[/img] Thanks again.

Thanks a lot for the kind words everyone!

The snare is a 70's slingerland maple 10 lug. She's my baby. [img]biggrin.gif[/img] The kit is a fusion stage custom.

Klemme- the scene in St. Louis is probably as good as it gets without being in a traditional "jazz scene" city, i.e. LA, NY, Chicago, etc. I'm a jazz performance major at SIUE right now, so I'm just trying to solidify everything about my playing to get me prepared for what I really want to do: Grad school at either Manhattan School of Music or New School in two years. Once again, thanks all!

Great drum sound! Hits are right on. I agree I may have approached some of the phrasing a bit differently on Mr. Freddie, but man you sound great. You have obviously spent some time in the woodshed. Nice nice job and thanks so much for sharing your contribution to the art of drumming with us. Keep up the great work, PT.

I meant to add that your dynamic range and your touch on your ride patterns is very nice as well. I really enjoy the way that push the band. Make that horn section and the guitarist work for their pay. [img]wink.gif[/img] Nice solo!! Great hi-hat splashes, super job, Bro! PT

for those who don't know, Tom Kennedy (weckl's bass player) teaches at SIUE. My sax player went down to SIUE for a while. I hear its a top notch school. Very demanding, I hear. Haven't listened to the tunes yet, but I'm sure they're great.

I dig it! You deliver, man!!

[img]cool.gif[/img]

Hey Milk
It?s a shame this music is not in the current vernacular. It helps me understand the roots of the great classic drummers?what they grew up listening to and absorbed. This really is superior music. Just amazing groove. On the BRII tape there is vintage Buddy stuff that burns so hot.

I need to listen to a lot more BB stuff. Recommendations???

Top five BB drummers??

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 15, 2004 11:16 PM: Message edited by: PocketPlayer ]</font>

I must agree with the others; you doing a great job in the "heats on", and a great solo too. I do however miss you making the hits (in a "Wecklish" way?) with the trompets at the end before and after your solo.

"I meet Freddie" shows how difficult a job a drummer has, when so many horns are together (and playing) at the same time, and THEY not being totally IN time [img]wink.gif[/img]
Great bass player

It seems to me that you are more of a jazz drummer, than a funk drummer - don't get me wrong, your playing is alright, but I just miss a funky edge.

Thanks for letting us hear this, and yes, big band music is def. worth remembering [img]biggrin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

I.....ABSOLUTELY....AM ......LOVING.....THAT.

Can't fault any of it....I just wish I was that good.

Off to practice.

Amazing groove dude! Nice to hear you!

"It seems to me that you are more of a jazz drummer, than a funk drummer - don't get me wrong, your playing is alright, but I just miss a funky edge."

This is Big Band, not funk. The playing is great. You really swing well, and lock in with the bass player to drive the band. As for your solo, I noticed that you kept the theme/form of the head in some of your fills - very nice work. You have a real talent. There is a similar community big band here that I've sat in with, and was also humbled with how difficult it is to lock with a bass player, and keep 15 other horns locked with you.

PocketPlayer's note is spot on - "It?s a shame this music is not in the current vernacular. It helps me understand the roots of the great classic drummers?what they grew up listening to and absorbed. This really is superior music. Just amazing groove. On the BRII tape there is vintage Buddy stuff that burns so hot."

The level of listening and musicianship required in bigband, as well as ensemble jazz and latin is SO much higher than alot of other genres.

Once again everyone, thanks for the great words!!

Yes, Tom Kennedy does teach at SIUE, and yes, I do take private lessons with him. [img]wink.gif[/img] (incredibly nerve-racking).

Oh, geeze, lets see here. I totally agree with everything you all have said about BB drumming and the genre in general.

Oh man, top 5 fav's? Shit...well, I'm a HUGE fan of the UNT One O'Clock Lab band. I have almost every cd they've released since '88. That program has been such an influence on my playing, and let me tell you guys that it is some of the most creative/beautiful music that I have ever heard. But besides UNT, Weckl with the GRP all-star big band is a huge influence. Of course Buddy. Anyone on the burnin' for buddy series for sure. Gordon Goodwin has a killin' band too. How 'bout you guys??

Oh yeah, also just wanted to note: this is not SIUE's big band, this is a community big band that I play in. Hopefully I'll be able to dig up some of the SIU big band stuff and post it, because it is a VERY serious band!! Very humbling to play with a group like that, for sure.

Awesome everyone. Lots of good discourse. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

On that same concert, we played the Maynard tune "Teanova", in which our lead trumpet player really shined. Its a really neat tune, and if I can dig it up, I'll post it; I think you guys would dig it.

am I missing something? Where are the two choons?

[img]redface.gif[/img]

"On that same concert, we played the Maynard tune "Teanova",

Outstanding! One of Maynard's best tunes, I think. The version I am familiar with is off the "Live At Jimmy's" album, circa '74, maybe? Back when Maynard was in his prime.

BTW, It's "Teonova", named after their producer, Teo Macero. I'd be very interested to hear you guys cover that. Man... you guys are some serious players if you're covering that chart....

Alright, "Teonova" is up and ready for download. I hope you like it Benny! [img]cool.gif[/img]

Btw, the site is located here.

Quote:

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Originally posted by BennyAndTheSkins:
"It seems to me that you are more of a jazz drummer, than a funk drummer - don't get me wrong, your playing is alright, but I just miss a funky edge."

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The "I meet Freddie" - tune is a funk tune. Read my post again, and you'll understand my reply, thus I replied on BOTH the jazz tune and the funk - tune
[img]biggrin.gif[/img]

And again: good playing [img]wink.gif[/img]

Totally bad-ass, dude.

Loved the cheeky sixteenth to triplet phrasing in "meet freddy" at 1:36. I don't usually listen to this stuff although i have buddy rich's "big swing face"
One minor point , i think the latin cascara pattern at 2:36 ish felt a little unconfortable - rushed a little perhaps - but some tasty playing , phrasing, and i really like your feel.
Du-Gu-Du DAAAA ( 1+u 2 )loved that pattern and your snare sounds fantastic