# Who Are Your Favorite Jazz Drummers?



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Since jazz music spans a one hundred year history, I figured a total of up to a dozen would be more reasonable than trying to choose just a few. But you don't have to list 12.

Here are mine:

Philly Joe Jones
Max Roach
Roy Haynes
Shelly Manne
Ed Blackwell
Frank Butler
Paul Motian
Tony Williams
Marvin "Smitty" Smith
Billy Cobham
Joey Baron
Peter Erskine


----------



## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

Mel Lewis
Tiny Kahn
Ari Hoenig

my other favorites have already been mentioned


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

philly joe jones
tony williams
max roach
elvin jones
al foster
billy higgins
roy haynes
sunny murray

I wish I could have heard Ike Day, it seems that many of the greatest jazz drummers considered him a monster (people like Max Roach, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes and Buddy Rich among many others). And another one I wish I know better is Big Sid Catlett.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

In addition to some already mentioned I would include Jack DeJohnette and Danny Richmond


----------



## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Tony Williams
Elvin Jones
Art Blakey

Hard to say though.


----------



## helpmeplslol (Feb 1, 2014)

I'm guilty of not paying much attention to the drummer, but Elvin Jones is one that I can't ignore.


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

there are times that I like also that kind of style, but I think that people like Cobham, De Johnette, Buddy Rich, Furio Chirico tend to overplay a lot.


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Buddy Rich, Buddy Rich, Buddy Rich


----------



## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

Here is a video of Mel Lewis in action and the greatest solo Gerry Mulligan (Baritone player(skinny white dude)) has ever played imho


----------



## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Louie Bellson was the greatest.


----------



## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

Krupa, Rich, Joe Morello, and right now I've a soft spot for Sam Woodyard when he gigged with Ellington - especially how he held it down behind Paul Gonsalves during live renditions of Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue.


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Billy Cobham
Lenny White
Dennis Chambers
Peter Erskine
Jack DeJohnette
Vinnie Colaiuta
Virgil Donati

Haynes, Roach, Williams are also up there.


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

A jazz drummer who's doing incredibly polyrhythmic things is Cleve Pozar. This is not jazz, but I've never heard anyone doing something like that before. 
Forget about that background and listen:





Usually after a while I find drums solos boring, but every time a listen to one of his brief videos I'm hypnotized.


----------



## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

norman bates said:


> A jazz drummer who's doing incredibly polyrhythmic things is Cleve Pozar. This is not jazz, but I've never heard anyone doing something like that before.
> Forget about that background and listen:
> 
> 
> ...


Slightly off topic but since you like this kind of thing, you might also like a lot of John Cage's work for percussion:


----------



## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

Joe Morello, in a class of his own. I think articulation was his middle name. After that Elvin Jones, Max Roach and I could add the usual suspects.


----------



## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Morello's style was precise, yet always soulful and passionate. This example from* Castilian Drums* makes the point far better than mere words ever could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncL4sOPgv_o


----------



## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I've listened to some of these examples, and I can't say this style of drumming really appeals to me. I can appreciate the great skill but when soloing these drummers all sound like they are trying to build up to a climax that never arrives. Mind you I'm not crazy about most drum solos in rock either. 

For percussion what I like best is stuff like Japanese drumming and the percussion works of some composers like Xenakis and Cage.


----------



## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

tdc said:


> I've listened to some of these examples, and I can't say this style of drumming really appeals to me. I can appreciate the great skill but when soloing these drummers all sound like they are trying to build up to a climax that never arrives. Mind you I'm not crazy about most drum solos in rock either.
> 
> For percussion what I like best is stuff like Japanese drumming and the percussion works of some composers like Xenakis and Cage.


 Bass solos are even worse trust me


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Piwikiwi said:


> Bass solos are even worse trust me


in italy there's a famous comic actor who says "if you have to dump your girlfriend, do it in a jazz club during the bass solo. Because there's anything worse than a jazz bass solo"
Anyway, drums are great listened together with the band.
Tony Williams





Max Roach


----------

