A MODERN MUSICAL MASTERPIECE

This one is for musicians, especially musicians who have studied music and understand terms like "beat displacement" and "a bar of nineteen" and fusion/progressive rock.

This tune, I'm Tweaked, was written as kind of a joke. Vinnie was listening to a James Brown record and thought, "I wonder what would happen if this record were playing at a club and skipped. It would be hilarious to see people trying to dance to it." So, he wrote the tune.

This is not for the faint of heart. I will say, though, that this tune is one of the reasons Vinnie Colaiuta is one of my favorite drummers ever.

Enjoy!



You're welcome.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

Good Stuff

I love good drumming. It's almost a weakness of mine. Since I've been back in the drumming scene, I've been really itching to hear and see some great drumming.

Well, I'm proud to say that I've found some. Thanks to my old Blue Knights buddy, Rance Costa (great contra player from back in the day), I have been able to watch and listen to one of my favorite drum lines, Santa Clara Vanguard, playing the end of "Go!" written by one of my favorite writers, Murray Gusseck.



You're welcome.

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

Giddyup!

So, I get to start working with these guys tomorrow morning...

teaching them how to do stuff like this...

and this...

and even some of this...


I just hope that we can achieve that kind of quality!

Go Broncos!!

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

Happy Birthday, "Groove Master"

On this date in 1939 my favorite drummer was born. Over his extensive career, he has completely changed the way we listen to music. He is the inventor and innovator of "groove" drumming. His name is Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, also know as the "Groove Master" and today is his 70th birthday!

The reason Bernard Purdie is my favorite drummer is not because of his technical ability (although he is technically sound), or even because of his groove (although he grooves harder than any other drummer on the planet). I love Bernard Purdie because he loves what he does and it shows. I know that sounds a bit cliche, but it is so apparent in the way he approaches music. It's like notes are words and he believes every note he plays. That's how I want to approach the music I make. That's how I want to approach the ministry I do. That's how I want to approach life in general; living like there's no tomorrow and loving every minute of it! Watch the videos below to understand what I'm talking about (since it's his birthday, I decided to give you three for the price of one!).

Here, Bernard "splains" his signature groove, "The Purdie Shuffle."

In "part 2," Purdie shows you how to really feel this groove. Pay special attention to the end of this clip. Classic Bernard Purdie!

This clip gives a very small glimpse into Bernard's career. Listen to his stats. Incredible!


Peace, Love, and Chocolate... and GROOVE!