Building off of the comping phrase transcription from Minute of Drums Episode 25, this extended lesson teaches several new variations. These three-voice ideas highlight the way Jack DeJohnette uses the hihat and bass drum as comping voices.
One of my favorite Roy Haynes solos is on "Reflection" from his 1959 trio record We Three. Adding on to Minute of Drums Episode 24, this extended lesson teaches an entire 8-bar phrase transcription.
Elvin Jones often played 5 note groupings in his solos to break up the phrasing. Learn how this concept works, and how to integrate it into your own solos.
Four uptempo swing comping phrases from jazz legend Billy Higgins. Transcribed from "Bolivia" off Cedar Walton's first Eastern Rebellion record from 1976.
Learn to solo like Art Blakey with these iconic phrases from his performance on "Sakeena's Vision" from the 1960 Jazz Messengers album The Big Beat.
Roy Haynes solo on "Reflection" from his 1959 trio album We Three is one of my favorites. It's full of melodic ideas, motivic development, and that iconic Roy Haynes swagger. Building on the transcribed phrase from Minute of Drums Episode 20, this extended lesson teaches you three 4-bar variations.
Yusef Lateef's 1961 album Into Something isn't that well known, but Elvin Jones' trading on the track "Water Pistol" is legendary among jazz drummers. This "More Minutes" lesson teaches you a 4-bar trading phrase showcasing Elvin's blazing fast triplet comping around the drums.
The comping phrase from Minute of Drums Episode 18 utilized two elements common to Jack DeJohnette's playing - the hi-hat as a comping voice and odd-count phrasing (3 in this case.) Explore these concepts further with a few variations in this extended lesson.
Expanding on the Sonny Payne solo phrase from Minute of Drums Episode 17, these variations help you adapt and integrate the idea into your own solos.
More triplet comping inspired by Tony Williams! Minute of Drums Episode 16 featured a quarter note triplet comping idea starting on the middle triplet of beat 1. This extended lesson explores that phrasing more with a series of variations.
Minute of Drums 15 featured an original groove inspired by the great Tony Allen. This extended lesson teaches you four additional variations to try.
Back to some classic jazz vocabulary with a Jimmy Cobb transcription. In this extended lesson, I extend the phrase from Minute of Drums 14 and teach you the full 8 bars.
More 3 against 4?! I'm a bit obsessed. I stumbled upon this groove practicing and developed it into a way to play 3 and 4 simultaneously. I found some variations (one of which ended up sounding J Dilla-inspired), and turned it into a remote recording session with some friends.
Phrasing in 3 over 4 is a recurring theme in these lessons. This kind of phrasing is not only extremely useful, it's also a cornerstone of jazz solo and comping vocabulary. This More Minutes lesson expands on the solo phrase from Minute of Drums 12, and shows you how to use it in an uptempo 4 bar phrase.
An in-depth lesson on Prince's iconic LinnDrum groove from "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker". Adapting layered drum machine beats onto the drum set can be a real challenge, and this track is no exception. Check out my take on it, and try it for yourself.
I've been studying West African drumming for over 10 years, and have had the pleasure to learn from several masters of the art. One of those masters is Pablo Dembele, and these solo phrases are inspired by his fluid virtuosity.
Minute of Drums Episode 9 featured a bossa nova variation played by Dom Um Romão on Cannonball Adderly's Brazilian Jazz masterpiece Cannonball's Bossa Nova. In this extended lesson, you'll learn 3 additional variations that will help liven up your bossa nova playing.
This extended lesson takes the inverted paradiddle phrase from Minute of Drums Episode 8, and turns it into a groove. I also explore how you this groove makes a great "home base" when playing Afro-Latin Jazz.
Expanding on the Elvin Jones inspired triplet comping idea from Minute of Drums Episode 7, this extended lesson breaks down three new variations. You'll also learn how to phrase your coming in 3 against 4, just like Elvin often did.
This extended "More Minutes" lesson takes a deeper look at the groove from Malian singer Oumou Sangaré’s track "Bena bena" from her 2017 record Mogoya.