Drumming, Getting Old and Fat
Last week I saw a recent video from a very famous drummer. I’ve seen this drummer a few times LIVE and in person. He hasn’t been out touring much at all since Covid. Many top session and well known drummers all speak alike about this. They’re time at home, off the road.
What Covid took away from the LIVE entertainment world, was replaced by podcast and “LIVE” inter-web streaming.
I subscribe to several of these. Before Covid, I was producing a podcast with legendary drummer/composer Bobby Caldwell. We have 8 episodes in the vault, which I’ll start posting here on my Substack site.
Anyway, the drummer I saw was playing with an “art rock” musician I’ve heard of, but I’m not familiar with his music.
The video I saw and heard, was from the side of the stage, not very good audio. But, what I saw from the drummer was, how large and overweight he is.
I myself, put on a few pounds during Covid. I also had a serious herniated disc, which ended my daily walks. It was a year before I was healed from this. Now I’m several pounds lighter, walk every day.
This famous, well-respected, idolized drummer was playing a monotonous 4/4 beat with this band he was in concert with. It was not very interesting. Dull and boring.
Who am I to criticize you say. Well, yes I agree.
At 73, I’m certainly not the player I was, decades ago or last week. You’re only as good as your last gig, they say. But, I’ve actually had a plan and procedure for that. It’s true, though you may not believe it.
My procedure has been to (not rely on physical “CHOPS’ as I got old. I would attempt to mature and approach my playing with new ideas and technique, Ideas I’d not played before. It would include sound and more silence. It wouldn’t be speed and technique that I repetitously used with my muscle memory, from 10,000 hours in the shed.
Everything I’m saying may be total BS, but, that’s my logic.
‘Drummers getting old” is not pretty. In my recent featured article on John Bonham, my favorite playing from him was the early years. I can see a little slow down as he put on some weight and started playing the arena shows on his Stainless Steel Ludwig drumset. That’s just my opinion. He could still lay it down, but he didn’t look the same. In the early days he looked loose, relaxed and (at one with the drumset)
Especially the Green Sparkle Ludwig set. That’s the one he was playing when I saw him, August, 31, 1971.
Roy Haynes in his 90s, is one of the few miracles.
When I saw Elvin, before he passed away, he was still playing great. His swing and rolling triplet sound was still the same. Buddy Rich was also playing really well before he left the bandstand.
I’ve seen recent video of Steve Gadd, he’s still got the deep groove.
My teacher, Tommy Thomas said, what goes first is the muscle tone.
I don’t believe what little technique I utilize, is based on muscle tone. My hand and finger technique uses more ligaments and tendons, which don’t deteriorate as rapidly.
I’ve been utilizing this concept since 1980.
Vladimir Horowitz, known for his virtuoso technique and excitement of his playing, performed in his 80s. He passed away at age 86.
At the age of 94, Pablo Casals conducted a performance of his composition “Hymn of the United Nations”
Andres Segovia continued performing into his old age. He died at the age of 94.
My music teacher, Tommy Thomas lived to be 94. He rode his bike each day. He retired from playing in the mid 60s, but he could have swung any band off the stage, if he wanted to. His muscle tone was great. He said he got it from throwing a medicine ball in the gym. This would have been in the 30s and 40s.
When I studied with Elvin Jones, he carried with him…a spring loaded exercise grip. I have several lying around…I pull them out occasionally…I always think of him when I use it. That was one of his most private tips.
One of my favorite drummers is Han Bennink. Americans (Jazz Musicians of The Straight Ahead Kind) don’t have a clue about Han Bennink. You’ll never see his name in Modern Drummer. He gets mentioned in DullBeat, if they do an article on Avant Garde Improvisation. Then, they’ll name drop Han and a few others to validate their Hipness. Han outswings everyone, when he wants to.
Han is an avid bike rider. I’ve been watching him do the same leg, shoe, drum trick effect…(for decades) lifting his leg up and putting his foot on the snare drum for a dampening effect. It’s showmanship, but also very musical. I saw him do it in a recent video. He’s 80 years old now. I have a hard time sitting, raising my right leg to tie my right shoe.
Ginger Baker was still playing well up until he passed away. His technique was also built on a relaxed style. Though his early days with double bass drums required more stamina. He quit that stuff in the late 80s.
One of my favorite drummers, that sounded much the same into his 80s, was Paul Motion. Paul was the originator of the Bill Evans trio sound, with Scott LaFaro. His very open drum tuning and legato technique didn’t require excessive physical effort. He let the instrument do the heavy lifting. His sound was from creative imagination.
He originated that open, loose trio Bill Evans sound. (IMO- no other combination has achieved. (My second favorite Bill Evans Trio is with Larry Bunker / Drums --- Chuck Israels / Bass)
I feel sorry for the famous drummer. Others have mentioned his appearance upon seeing him in Youtube videos. I hope he gets in shape.
Charles Bukowski wrote one of my favorite poems. It’s called “Betting On The Muse” You can Google and read it.
The character is Jimmy Foxx, a well-known baseball player.
He died in a skid row hotel. He was a great athlete. Then he became an old man, replaced by others. There he was, his photo in the scrapbook, victorious and young. “Now The Parties Over”
Bukowski continues. That’s why he (Bukowski) chose to be a writer. If you’re worth half-a-damn you can keep your hustle going. You can keep it going, hitting them out, beating life at life. End
That’s the difference between athlete’s vs. musicians, writers and artist. Athletes have a short shelf life. Some Olympic athletes may have years of training for a 10 second event.