Found this on YouTube and thought you should see it. It's Omar Hakim, (long-time hero of mine) a session drummer who has worked with a whole bunch of people from Sting to Bowie, Weather Report and Herbie Hancock. Here he's giving a masterclass in developing a groove and it's just awesome. What he does absolutely to perfection is to start off simple and steady and then build it up (around 2 mins in) to a blistering rock beat with the most exquisite, intricate fills and stabs you'll ever hear. Omar is one of the best exponents of jazz fusion drumming to have lived and he continues to inspire. He has phenomenal technical ability combined with incredible feel and a unique style all his own. He makes it look simple - trust me, it ain't.

Check him out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J5tEVmc7D8

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Someone asked a question on the TPT forum about why I only use one rack tom. Here's the reason ...

I started out with a five piece kit (kick drum, snare, two rack toms and a floor tom) and played this for my first couple of years with the Thief. Pretty modest compared to the likes of Neil Peart and other rock drummers who tend to favour dozens of toms, double kick drums etc. I figured that my style of playing didn't really merit three toms let alone twenty as I tend to keep my fills simple and expressive. I was taught by a jazz-head who instilled the 'less is more' ethos of drumming and I've subsequently adopted this as my basic principle. If you check out someone like Buddy Rich or Gene Krupa on youtube and watch what they do with a four piece jazz kit you'll see my point. Also, I like to 'build' using a lot of kick, snare and cymbals - particularly in outros which need Jon and I to play off each other to really generate a pumping finale to a TPT song (I Will Light Up Your Eyes, The World I Always Dreamed Of, Subside etc). And let's face it, it's a hell of a lot quicker to pack up at the end of a gig ...

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If you've never seen or heard of Buddy Rich before then follow the links (thanks to Dave T) and be amazed ...

http://uk. youtube. com/watch?v=mQwBdHsVGag

http://uk. youtube. com/watch?v=eZDfszYfbxs

You don't have to be a jazz fan to appreciate that Buddy was quite simply a phenomenal master of virtuoso technique. His all out power is matched by the subtlety of his brushwork and the lightest of touches; his metronomic timing was flawless when he was laid back in the groove or flat out mid-solo; he was - and always will be - a legend.

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Since posting my first item I realised that I left out one of the most influential drummers of all - Billy Cobham. If you don't know anything about him here's an excerpt from his biography:

Ever since his breakthrough in the early 1970s-as a founding member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and as a drummer/leader whose recordings (such as Spectrum) and powerful, complex style of play exerted a strong influence on the course of jazz and jazz-fusion-Billy Cobham has remained a tireless musical explorer.

It's that musical exploration that appealed to me as a kid and is every bit as appealing today. I wanted to be like Billy Cobham because he's nothing short of a genius who embraces every element of musical influence in his playing. Check his discography and see for yourself just how many different musicians playing every style of music you can think of that Billy has collaborated with. Miles Davis, Jack Bruce, Carlos Santana, James Brown, Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Marc Almond, Peter Gabriel and many more making him one of the most in-demand session drummers on the planet which is testimony to his talent.

"Stratus", from his debut album Spectrum was sampled by Massive Attack in their tune "Safe from Harm".

He was also one of the first drummers to play open handed lead which means he can lead (or ride) with either hand and begin or end a beat or fill with either hand (most drummers like me lead with one hand only). He was also one of the first drummers to play with 3 or more bass drums and multiple hi-hats which, although it's not my style has to be respected for it's experimental value and passion for pushing the boundaries of conventional drumming.

Rock on, William C. Cobham. Still playing with explosive power and exacting precision at 64 years of age!

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What d’you call someone who hangs out with musicians ... the drummer. With the prospect of being the butt of jokes like that, why did I choose to play drums? Well, like most musicians will tell you there is something you can’t define that naturally inclines you to pick up an instrument. At the age of nine years old I realised that my natural inclination was to play drums. My folks had thrown good money after bad trying to successfully produce a pianist. After two years and much cash had been wasted my piano teacher finally conceded defeat and recommended a good drum teacher. My uncle got me my first kit for my tenth birthday. It was marginally better than some saucepans and dustbin lid cymbals and was a collection of different bits and pieces cannibalised from several sources. Nothing matched and it sounded awful. But it was my first kit. And it started a drumming journey that has taken me in various musical directions – from jazz to orchestral, indie to progressive rock. Along the way I’ve picked up a broad range of influences and found that many different drummers, from the most famous to the more obscure, have inspired and shaped the way I play. Here’s a quick list of some of my biggest influences. See how many names you recognise:
Stewart Copeland, Buddy Rich, Vinnie Colaiuta, Omar Hakim, Steve Gadd, Gene Krupa, Larry Mullen Jr, Keith Moon, Cindy Blackman, Manu Katche, Neil Peart, Sheila Escovado, John Bonham , Mitch Mitchell, Phil Collins, Dave Abbruzzese, Steve White.
How many did you get? If you had heard of more than 5 then you’re probably a fellow drummer. If you know more than five and you’re not a drummer then you have too much time on your hands. Let’s face it, most people never know (or care) who the drummer is.
That’s wierd. Only 2 female drummers out of 17. I hadn’t previously considered the gender imbalance. Why aren’t there more female drummers? I guess there’s the one out of The Corrs but she doesn’t count. No offence, but she’s terrible ...
In this feature I’m going to share the reasons why the drummers I’ve listed have influenced me. I’ll also be putting the case for their general contribution towards making drumming cool, whether or not you like the bands they were in or their music.
If you’re a fellow drummer, I hope you enjoy sharing my influences. And for all you non-drummers I hope this will give you a greater sense of the passion that we sticksmiths have for our craft.

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