1972 - Jim Pintoran – Jim Chapin – Joe Morello – Don Ellis – Time Signatures
130 drummers
1972 - Jim Pintoran – Jim Chapin – Joe Morello – Don Ellis – Time Signatures
There was a window of time when I began my launch to become a more skilled musician. I met Tommy Thomas. (1901-1995) He lit the fire. I had a difficult time learning to read and understand drum music. Those skills are better in 2023, but I’m not ready to sight-read Frank Zappa’s, The Black Page.
After my initial meeting with Tommy Thomas, I had several lessons with different drum and percussion teachers. In Orlando there was a music store called Steeps Music. The percussion teacher was Jim Pintoran (1946-2020) He was (Principle Percussionist with the Florida Symphony Orchestra)
I had discovered and acquired several drum books authored by notable drummers. Two of them were by Joe Morello and Jim Chapin. Those titles are:
“New Directions in Rhythm: Studies in 3/4 and 5/4 Time” (1963) - Joe Morello
Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer – Jim Chapin
Both of those books are still two of the most popular and useful tools in a drummer’s library.
I had a couple lessons with Jim Pintoran. I was impressed that he could rip though both of those books. He was a great reader and easily demonstrated how to play those difficult lessons and exercises.
I was familiar with the Dave Brubeck song Take Five. I was interested in playing in odd time signatures. I’d recently acquired the eight-track tape by the group Captain Beyond. Local legend, Bobby Caldwell was the drummer on this record. He was playing amazing new rock grooves in various time signatures. Dancing Madly Backwards in 5. (Very impressive in 1972 and 2023+)
At my lesson with Jim, we discussed odd time signatures. He played a record by Don Ellis (1934-1978) He was known for his experimentation in the area of time signatures. Frank Zappa drummer, Ralph Humphrey (1944-2023) played on several of those disc.
My learning experience as a student with most of my teachers was not as productive as it could be. I could not figure out what those notes on the pages meant. I could play things that I heard…Jim demonstrate − but actually reading the notation was---still a mystery. In reality, I was attempting more advanced rhythmic notation than I could digest. I was anxious and should have started like a beginner.