MetaFilter posts tagged with Drummer

RIP Gerhardt 'Jerry' Fuchs

setanor — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:39:12 -0800

Gerhardt 'Jerry' Fuchs, drummer for the bands Maserati (video) and The Juan MacLean died last night of injuries sustained while trying to jump of a disabled elevator in Brooklyn following an event for The Uniform Project (previously).

Rashied Ali

idiopath — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:37:24 -0800

Jazz pioneer Rashied Ali Has died. He leaves behind him a lifetime of collaborations in out jazz, with artists like Ayler, Coltrane, Cherry, Haino, Laswell, Bley, Sanders, and Ulmer. He was born Robert Patterson, on 1 July 1935. Ali's hyperactive and textural style was a revolution in free jazz, and one of Coltrane's biggest breaks with jazz tradition was making Ali his drummer. Rashied Ali continued to experiment and explore later in his life, collaborating with a new generation of Jazz innovators, people like Bill Laswell, Keiji Haino, William Parker and Charles Gayle.

"We did some Chuck Berry and took it from there. I suppose it worked."

The Card Cheat — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:43:05 -0800

Mitch Mitchell, best known as the drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience, dead at 61. The last member of the trio to pass away, Mitchell was found in his hotel room early Wednesday morning. Give the drummer some!

Earl Palmer, thanks for the rhythm.

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:42:50 -0800

A musician passed away just the other day. In all likelihood you never knew his name. But you've probably heard him, no exaggeration, on thousands of occasions. He was drummer Earl Palmer, and some of the thousands of songs he propelled with his versatile grooves and masterful sense of time include Tutti Frutti and Lucille, La Bamba, Let's Go Get Stoned, I Don't Need No Doctor, Unchained Melody, You've Lost That Loving Feeling... the list goes on and on. Oh, and there's the TV themes he drummed on, like say, Mission Impossible. And here you can see New Orleans native Earl demonstrating how he put the beat under Professor Longhair's classic Tipitina and on Fats Domino's I'm Walkin'. He was one superb rhythmist. Au revoir, Earl Palmer. And before all y'all start chiming in with the inevitable "what, no _______?" comments, keep in mind that I've limited myself to the original versions of all song recordings. That is, the versions that Earl Palmer himself can be heard drumming on. Even when the video images were sometimes stupid, this is about the audio, about hearing Earl Palmer. There are no doubt more clips and audio files out there featuring Earl's drumming, and hopefully there'll be some links here in the comments to more tunes that feature his solid stick work. Coincidentally, Palmer is also credited with session work for the film soundtrack to Hud, which, of course, starred another great artist who also just passed away, at the same age of 83, Paul Newman.

Wait, this Nicol guy played with the SPOTNICKS? Oh, and that other little outfit from Liverpool, who were they again?

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:56:57 -0800

These Beatles clips from a 1965 NME show are straight off the mixing desk, so the voices are way up front. Man, those vocals are so loud you can hardly hear Ringo! But let's back it up just a year, to Holland in 1964, and catch one of the rare performances without Ringo. Aside from his brief stint as a Beatle, session drummer Jimmy Nicol also played with zany Swedish instrumental surf rock band The Spotnicks. So, there you have it: Jimmy Nicol, a lucky fella who got to play with two of the greatest bands in the world! [NOTE: see hoverovers for link descriptions] The Spotnicks also had a few vocal numbers in their repertoire, such as Please Say Yes, complete with awkward lyrics typical of non-native speakers. Then there was their curiously unexpected version of Ol' Man River. Here's the Spotnicks playing just last year, and sounding great. But, whaddaya say, a little more Beatles? These clips from a 1964 Melbourne, Australia show (Ringo had recovered from illness and rejoined the band after their first few Oz gigs with Nicol) also feature some pretty up-front vocals, and they're a bit more hi-fi, as well. Must be those Sennheiser mics. You Can't Do That, Twist and Shout, She Loves You and Long Tall Sally. And finally, it should be noted that the Spotnicks were mentioned here previously. The Beatles, on the other hand, have never until now been featured on MetaFilter, and I'm just pleased as punch to have the opportunity to introduce them to everyone here.

Original Rush drummer John Rutsey is dead at 55.

zorro astor — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:17:50 -0800

Original Rush drummer is John Rutsey dead at 55. Rush was one of the most successful prog rock acts of the 70s and 80s. Much of this success can be attributed to Neil Peart, whose airy, transcendent lyrics and virtuoso drumming in large part defined the band. But there was another drummer--more in the heavy style of John Bonham--who gripped the rhythmic helm on their first album: one John Rutsey. Mr Rutsey left the band early after a diagnosis of diabetes. This month he succumbed to a heart attack, a common complication. Unfortunately, a discursive look at youtube revealed no live footage of Mr Rutsey in action. Here is a pic from his heyday.

Buddy Rich, eat your heart out.

fearfulsymmetry — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:38:01 -0800

Attention drummers! Want to take all the attention away from the rest of the band... then just watch this masterclass. (SLYT)

Ola Brunkert, ABBA drummer, dead at 61

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:06:06 -0800

Ola Brunkert, drummer for Swedish pop superstars ABBA, dead in tragic accident.

Boom boom bap.

The Straightener — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:25:22 -0800

It may lack the hilarity of an unaccompanied David Lee Roth crooning to himself like a lunatic, but surely someone has a use for twenty three unaccompanied John Bonham drum tracks.

A worthy life, deserving of re-consideration.

paulsc — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 22:10:16 -0800

"At age 21, Eric Kamau Gravatt was McCoy Tyner's drummer, one of the most coveted jobs a jazz musician could hope to get. After 20 years of working as a prison guard, he's back behind the kit again as Tyner's drummer." "Long before beginning work in a prison, Gravatt developed a hardened outlook on a musician's life. He remembers playing in clubs where owners stowed away the Steinway and brought in a Baldwin piano whenever black artists performed. He had to move his drums through riotous streets the night Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. None of that accounts for his moody interior and steely exterior, which to this day intimidate or ward off some of his peers. "I can play music with you, but it don't mean I have to drink with you or laugh at your silly-ass jokes," he says, pausing for a moment to reflect on his musical relationships. "I alienated a lot of people -- been doing that since I was a kid," he says. "I don't have too many friends, but I'm fine with that. People's feelings bruise easily, and sometimes I forget that."

Vinnie Colaiuta

toma — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:57:03 -0800

Vinnie Colaiuta is the greatest drummer ever.

Give the drummer some. And then some more.

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 19 May 2007 05:55:51 -0800

DRUM MER WORLD is your one-stop destination for great photos, videos, mp3s and capsule bios for hundreds of drummers from all styles of popular music. Learn more about the rhythmists who've been the driving percussive force behind your favorite music. Baby Dodds, Al Jackson, Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, John Bonham, Sly Dunbar, Zigaboo Modeliste and many, many, many more.

Assaf Seewi

phrontist — Sun, 06 May 2007 08:43:34 -0800

Assaf Seewi has rhythm.

Cutest Drummers Ever

The Great Big Mulp — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 21:42:08 -0800

Igor Falecki is a pretty rockin' four-year-old drummer. But his legacy may one day be undone by this little one. (First two links = YouTube)

Sad, but true.

keswick — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:59:52 -0800

If they ever make a K-Tel Greatest Hits of found footage, Metallica Drummer [iFilm | YouTube] is bound to be the grand finale.

Meet the hesher behind the mirth, and catch a glimpse at Metallica Drummer: The Next Generation.

Jim Capaldi dies at 60.

geeknik — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 12:12:28 -0800

Jim Capaldi, legendary rock & roll drummer and Hall of Fame inductee, died Friday at the age of 60 after a brief fight with stomach cancer.

We Don't Need No Stinking Drummer!

KevinSkomsvold — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 22:00:43 -0800

Drummer Wanted: Must have reliable gear, play in the pocket and have good chops. Humans need not apply.