My lads! I love Hiromi Uehara - Kung-Fu World Champion
Hiromi Uehara comes on stage! She has gotten numerous praise around the world, having world class music. I really love it. Let's introduce "Kung-Fu World Champion" from her album "Brain". The name itself "Kung-Fu World Champion" sets our expectations before listening to the song. And the song really meets the expectations.
The drummer is Martin Valihora. He was probably her former schoolfellow at that time when they were at Berklee College of Music. I recommend to check out a lot of videos of his performance uploaded to YouTube. You will get caught up in his performance combining the speed and the groove, and cannot take your eyes off for several hours. I'd like to suggest that you start watching only when you have much time!
It was probably the session at an open air stage of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL in 2005, when I heard Hiromi Uehara for the first time. I remember it was a radically hot performance. I luckily happened to be close to the stage. In addition to smooth piano jazz music, songs full of tricks generated my hot excitement. Also, I was impressed by the sound of the drum, especially of the snare drum which was remarkably light and crispy. When I listened to their CD later, I found almost the same sound was recorded, so I think that this is the sound he wants to produce by his tuninng drums properly. How can I tune a snare drum to make this sound? Only his own snare drum can do that? I would like to know how!
From 3:10 of the song, it goes Accelerando (gradually gets faster) and reaches to a fairly exciting tempo. The keyboard solo like a guitar solo from 3:44 is very exciting as well. Then a quite technical drum solo comes and after that here is the high-speed ensemble part:
(5:16-)
The 1st and 2nd bars are the end of the drum solo. From the 3rd bar the entire band plays along with that rhythm format. I like this kind of formatted section full of tense feeling. The bass and the keyboard are harder than the drums because they should not mistake the melody as well as the rhythm! I'd like to show my respect for players who control definite pitch and melody. As for drums, swapping toms and snares do not instantly mean a mistake. My hat is off to you.
At the end of this section, in 15th/16th bar, I find a metric modulation that reads a quarter-note triplet as 3 quarter notes. And immediately after the above, it returns to the original tempo all at once!
When the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL's live performance, I remember that the biggest cries of joy from the audience erupted in the 17th bar showing this intense "slowdown". I was just fascinated. Also, although it is a small detail, there are bongo-like taps in the 18th/19th bars. Do not miss listening to it since that boosts this relaxing groove.
The 15th/16th bars make me think "It is an extremely sophisticated musical composition that makes use of metric modulation to change the tempo". Whereas, It is also likely that they synchronize each other with only their eye contact. What is the real truth!
The album "Spiral" released after "Brain" contains the song "Return Of Kung-Fu World Champion" which is also filled with exciting gimmicks. I highly recommend it for you too. Uehara-san, please name the 3rd song of the suite as "Return of the Son of Kung-Fu World Champion" by all means.
Thanks,
Our age lost sight of Jimi Hendrix - Fire
Let me stand next to your fire! So, this time it's old as well, Jimi Hendrix's Fireeeeeeee! Let's take a look at the legendary performance that drummers must try!
Mitch Mitchell's performance lives in the legend. You might think he does not play with much variety of phrasing somehow, but his unique and rather enigmatic performance seems to have influenced a lot of drummers. His big influence on future generations is still great now.
Well, let's go from the intro. The guitar and bass initiate the very simple phrase. The drums fill the space with the snare and toms. Since the song starts with Auftakt, you initially cannot see whether you are on or off beat.
Next, just after the intro, the vocal comes in and the drum pattern starts. The guitar and bass repeat the simple phrase again giving a room for drums and Jimi's soulful vocal. This section is like a conversation between vocal and drums.
What is great is the red highlighted snare notes in the score. This drum pattern with displaced accents like that is the most important play that characterizes this song. You cannot talk about Fire without this part. After the song came up, there has been hundreds of cover versions and countless numbers of non-recorded performances. Certainly that pattern or something similar may be played in all versions and performances. No doubt it is not Fire without it.
Also the play immediately after that is characteristic. It is a phrase that fills spaces with a left hand snare in 16th notes. It does not seem very important, but the phrase is also a must when you play the song.
Just after above:
Speaking of Mitch Mitchell, the quick triplet phrase (highlighted in red above) is occasionally inserted here and there. It is also necessary when you play identifying with him. It's also possible to play it with a sequence that includes 2 left hand strokes, in order to finish the 4th accent with the right hand and to balance your sticking (describing in right handed). No, do not balance yourself with such a weak-hearted sticking. Do not try to be stable! Play it with alternate single stroke wildly by instinct.
When I listen to Jimi's songs once again, it would be a cliche, but I cannot believe that only three musicians really performed those. The former bassist of The Animals, Chas Chandler once said, "I thought that three guitarists were playing at the same time, but in fact I was surprised to know that only one guitarist there." So Jimi's contribution to the band may be the largest. However, a cliche again, I think a 3 piece band has unlimited potential even though it is a minimum level form. At the same time, I also flash back to our unlimited potential that I felt when I was forming a 3 piece band in my young days.
Thanks,
Conclusion: Prince - Everywhere is harder than you think
Hello! Let's see another song from Prince's album "The Rainbow Children" who passed away last year. I have very little hardware but own his signature snare. Yes, he is John Blackwell, aka JB. Today we see the song "Everywhere" to reconfirm the JB's performance. Experience and go through the JB's Mystery Adventure!
See also the past article:
At the beginning of the song, the clear female vocal sounds sweet through the serene Rhodes. The bass cuts in there. And when the digital and ungentle orchestra hits come in, the intro starts from the drum fill!
(00:20-)
Noteworthy is the basic pattern stars from the 5th bar. That is certainly very unique. It would be a normal pattern if all the left foot hi-hat comes on 8th note offbeat, but here you see a distinct Latin-like pattern. What kind of practice made him play such like that? Utterly incomprehensible, really. Since he plays without hesitation, it may be one of his usual patterns.
The tempo is fast so the double kick on 2nd beat is quite hard as well. At least I declare that I cannot keep it at this tempo through a song. A dignified concession speech!
Next, check the colorful and exciting drum solo!
(01:04-)
The sextuplets phrase steamrolls in the 1st and 2nd bar. He puts accents to the 1st and 6th of the sextuplets, hitting toms and cymbals to give it a variation. In the 2nd bar, he steps on hi-hat by left foot at the positions where are beyond human control. But you do not have to worry too much because it seems he moved his left foot just like when we usually play "hi-hat open + Kick -> Immediate hi-hat close".
At the 4th bar, the JB's specialty shows up. That is right hand on the floor tom and left hand on the open hi-hat. In the 5h and 6th bar, the exciting rapid and polyrhythmic phrase is repeated which goes with right hand floor tom and left hand open hi-hat, and right hand snare and left hand open hi-hat. Take notice of the red highlighted notes on the score above which are on floor tom rather than on bass drum.
And at the 8th bar, drum solo closes down with snare mashing. I thought that the 2nd beat was normally 6 strikes, but I found another snare strike and I knew it was 7 when I heard it in very slow playback speed. It may be a septuplet, but in the score above I write four 32nd notes. In any case, it would be OK to try your maximum snare mashing with alternate sequence.
And the part just before outro of the song is way too massive:
(01:48-)
The 1st/2nd bar is in the basic pattern. The 3rd/4th bar is a part of the keyboard ensemble phrase for entering outro. Take a close look at the drum in the 3rd/4th bar which changes in response to the keyboard phrase here. As he realizes it with this fast tempo, it is almost impossible to imitate the play. You do not understand what I'm saying, but it is neither a fill nor a temporary pattern change. It is not such a simple thing. A revolution sparks on both feet.
Aside from above, my band performed the first single-band show (having no other bands in the night) the other day. I brought the JB's signature snare drum that I do not usually bring to studio rehearsals saying "Here comes a golden opportunity to utilize it". The huge "JB" mark is appealing on the shell, having 13 inches diameter which is smaller than the commonly used 14 inches, being slightly deeper (6.5 inches).
In my live performances, I usually borrow a snare drum a live music club owns. Depending on the club, a snare head and snare wire/cords are almost dead so that I cannot adjust the sound in some cases. For that reason it is safe to bring your own snare. Nothing special here. In the single-band show I identified myself with JB using the JB's snare. I'm not sure the audience found a difference.
Thanks,
