1

AN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF JAZZ DRUMMING STYLES1

Lewis Porter

“We have sixteen musicians in our jazz band—and a drummer!” Why is it that drummers so
often are the butt of such jokes? It stands to reason that in an art form so concerned with rhythm
as jazz, drums should be of paramount importance, and, in fact, there is a saying, “A band is only
as good as its drummer.” Yet, there are no drummers among the generally acknowledged jazz
geniuses-who include Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and a few others-and the
analytical literature on drumming occupies a small space in the bibliography of jazz. This article
is a preliminary contribution to that literature and may help to dispel some prevalent
misconceptions. The reader is strongly encouraged to listen to the recordings which are cited as
documentation.

Origins and Characteristics of Jazz Dnumming2

Jazz is an art music, developed by Black Americans, which utilizes elements of Black
American folk and religious musics as a major part of its materials. There is much reason to
believe that African rhythms were still part of the Afro-American’s folk resources in the late
1800s, when jazz appears to have developed. For one thing, the last slaves had been brought to
America as recently as the Civil War. Then, there is the ex post facto evidence of the music, for,
as we shall see, early jazz drumming had certain qualities in common with West African
drumming. Otherwise, the proof lies mainly in published descriptions, as there are no recordings
of jazz or African music until the early .1900s. But the verbal reports of drumming in Congo
Square in New Orleans make it quite clear that, at the least, African-style drums were being used
there.3
While it is no longer believed that New Orleans was the only place jazz was played around
1900, the evidence (again, not based on recordings) suggests that it was certainly the single
largest center of activity. Most of the greatest figures in early jazz-including Louis Armstrong,
King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Baby Dodds, Sidney Bechet, and others-were from New Orleans.
There were apparently, even at the beginning, different styles of jazz in different parts of the
country. For example, on the east coast, solo pianists improvised around ragtime material. Dance
bands, while playing mostly written music, allowed limited room for the drummer to improvise.4
But the New Orleans style clearly had a tremendous influence on jazz history, including drum
history, and we shall begin our discussion there.
Since jazz was not recorded until 1917, and no records were actually made in New Orleans
until 1924, our evidence may be misleading. But we also have many more recent recordings of
musicians who never left New Orleans, and careful comparison of these with other recordings
and with verbal descriptions of the older music allows us to select certain recordings, with some
confidence, as being most likely to represent the older traditions.
Before we examine early jazz drumming for possible African retentions, an important
European influence must be noted. The instruments and repertoire of New Orleans jazz were
taken largely from marching brass bands. The marching band was in great demand in New
Orleans for all kinds of occasions. There were usually two drummers; one played bass drum and
cymbal, another played the snare drum.
2 Minority Voices

(African-style hand-played drums have only come into jazz relatively recently, usually as a
supplement to the Western drums.) Jazz drummers also studied the European techniques-the
classical rudiments such as rolls and paradiddles. Our interest in African retentions comes out of
the observation that what the Black American did with these rudiments was unique; we look to
his background for the explanation.
Despite wide variations in repertoire from place to place, certain generalizations can be
made about West African traditional drumming. West African drummers are very sensitive to
tonal color. They produce a variety of effects through using different attacks with hands and
sticks, and tend to prefer a loud, ringing sound with lots of overtones. Interviews with jazz
drummers reveal that they, too, are very concerned with the tone color of the drums, as well as
the cymbals. As Baby Dodds explained:
The drummer should give the music expression, shading and the right accompaniment. It’s
not just to beat and make a noise. I played differently for each instrument in the [King
Oliver] band. With the piano I tried to play as soft as I could with a low press roll; not too
soft, of course, but just the right volume. I didn’t use brushes because they did not give
shading to the drum tone. For my brother [Johnny Dodds] I would play the light cymbal on
the top. And for Dutrey [the trombonist] I would hit the cymbal the flat way, so it would
ring, but not too loud. For Joe [Oliver] and Louis [Armstrong] I would hit the cymbal a little
5
harder and make it ring more.

Jack DeJohnette. a brilliant contemporary drummer, voices his preference for a ringing sound: “1
never muffle any of my drums ... Leaving the bass drum open is nothing new; Roy Haynes has
been doing it for years-Kenny Clarke too. That way the bass drum rings-it has some tone.”6
According to Gene Krupa, an outstanding white drummer, this sensitivity to tone color was a
property of Black culture:
I had no idea of the wide range of effect you could get from a set of drums ... Those Negro
drummers did it nonchalantly as though it were a game . . . You see, most white musicians
of the day thought drums were something you used to beat the hell out of ... Few of them
realized that drums have a broad range of tonal variations so they can be played to fit into a
harmonic pattern as well as a rhythmic one.7
In jazz, as in African music, syncopation predominates. Westerners use the term
“syncopation” to the accenting of weak parts of the measure, or “offbeats”; for example, the
accenting of the second beat of a measure and not the first. More subtle syncopations occur when
accents fall between beats. From our point of view, syncopation is the rule rather than the
exception in African music, although it should be remembered that an African would hardly see it
that way. In the jazz marching band, the cymbal marks all the offbeats; the bass drum plays on
beats one and three, the cymbal on two and four. This accenting of the second and fourth beats is
characteristic of much jazz.
In West African music, several percussion instruments play at once, each having a different,
brief complementary part which is repeated indefinitely. Since each drum has a different rhythm,
the music is “poly rhythmic.” The music is highly structured, and the master drummer may be the
only one who actually improvises.
 Jazz Drumming Styles 3

In jazz, polyrhythms also occur, but a minimum is pre-arranged aside from the basic syncopation
described above, around which each player improvises. This precludes the possibility of carefully
worked out, repeating polyrhythms. Instead, the rhythms vary from moment to moment, a product
of the combined sounds of the drums, bass, piano, trumpet and other instruments. For example,
on the Eureka Brass Band’s recording of “Just A Little While to Stay Here” (Atlantic 1408),
during measures thirteen to sixteen of the first trumpet solo (third chorus of the performance), the
drummers create exciting polyrhythms which seem to “turn the beat around”—i.e., they
temporarily suggest a displacement of the first beat of the measure.
It is important to resist the impression that jazz drumming is a simplified version of its
African counterpart. The African music we’ve been discussing is collective, traditional music,
whereas jazz is an art music geared toward individual expression. It is a different concept
altogether, albeit one which clearly has African ancestry. In a sense, though, the drummer carries
the African tradition into the jazz group, since, as an accompanist, he is concerned with the
collective sound. As drummer George Wettling once said: “It’s a matter of feeding the band with
rhythm and underlining what they’re doing.8
On one point jazz and African music stand on opposite sides of the fence. Even in the
earliest jazz styles, there is a clear preference for “swinging” pairs of eighth notes-playing the
first one longer than the second one. In effect,

Equal eighth notes are the exception rather than the rule in jazz (although they are found in some
early recordings, such as the washboard work on “Big Fat Ham,” from 1923);9 instead, the
relaxed triplet feeling is one of jazz’s defining characteristics. On the other hand, in African
music the beats are usually divided into perfectly even parts-”straight” eighth notes.
From this discussion so far it should be clear that even in the earliest documented drum
styles improvised accents played an important role. I bring attention to this because it is contrary
to the cliché, often repeated in jazz writings, that drummers before the 1940s merely “kept time.”
For example, Jerry Coker writes, “Early jazz drummers (1900-1930) were not very prominent or
adventurous, tending to play relatively simple time-keeping figures and seldom soloing.” Even
the authoritative Leonard Feather said of the jazz drummer that “for two or three decades he
served chiefly as a sort of human metronome.”10 No good drummer, particularly in an Afro-
American idiom, was ever content to be a “human metronome.” As we shall see, modern
drummers do more and different kinds of accenting, but it has been prominent all along.
The single most important technical development in jazz drum history must have been the
invention of the drum set. As I noted, New Orleans bands at first had one man to a drum, and he
usually played standing up or marching. For indoor affairs, smaller groups might have used only
one drum. Around the turn of the century, jazz drummers devised a foot pedal to play the bass
drum, then set up the other drums in such a way that several could be played by one man. This
“trap set,” as it is called (although, more accurately, “traps” are cowbells and other accessories to
the drum set), is standard today in jazz and pop music around the
4 Minority Voices

world. Its invention has been credited to various individuals—Dee Dee Chandler is said to have
invented the bass drum pedal in 1894/511—but this Afro-American innovation, like many others,
has completely pervaded American life, while its creators go unrecognized.
A trap set generally includes the bass drum and foot pedal, a snare drum, a “high-hat” (to be
discussed later), several tom-toms, which are between the snare and bass drum in pitch, and
several suspended cymbals of various types. Thin, small cymbals give a quick, loud crash, while
heavier, larger ones produce a more sustained ring. Different sizes of sticks, wire brushes and
mallets are also part of the drummer’s standard equipment. Typical setups may be seen in the
photographs accompanying this article. Accessories such as cowbell, woodblock, bells or chimes
are a matter of personal taste, and were especially favored by drummers for vaudeville shows in
the 1910s and 1920s.

Early Jazz Drumming

The major developments in jazz drumming have occurred gradually through the efforts of
many fine drummers and, in part, due to improvements in equipment. Several drummers have
been singled out for detailed treatment in the following discussion because they popularized new
techniques; others are included because of the sheer brilliance of their music. Some, like Baby
Dodds, are worth studying on both counts.
Warren Dodds (1898-1959), nicknamed “Baby” out of deference to his older brother, famed
clarinetist Johnny Dodds, was the most admired drummer in New Orleans. Contrary to the
prevalent notion that early jazz players were not trained musicians, Dodds, like most of his
contemporaries, studied with several private teachers. “Of course,” he said, “when I began
drumming I soon wanted a teacher because I wanted to know what I was doing, and how to do
it.”12 While it is true that most early jazz musicians had not studied in formal academies-after all,
Blacks were not welcome at such institutions in those days-too many writers have assumed that
therefore they were self-taught.
Although Dodds recorded frequently, beginning in 1923, it is difficult to study his style and,
indeed, the styles of most 1920s drummers, partly because of the limited fidelity of early
recordings (microphones were not even used until about 1925) and partly because of restrictions
on the size of the drummer’s set. A strong vibration might cause the recording needle to bounce,
so drummers were generally asked to use a minimum of their equipment. For example, on the
famous 1923 King Oliver recordings, Dodds mostly used the woodblock or drum rims, with
occasional cymbal crashes. Rarely, the drums themselves can be heard, as behind the clarinet solo
on “Mandy Lee,” and during the last chorus of the Okeh “Dippermouth Blues.”13
If we cannot get a picture of the way drummers used their whole set from the early records,
at least we can study their rhythms. An examination of Dodds’s rhythms throughout his recording
career reveals a great deal of consistency, suggesting that perhaps his later, better fidelity discs
are a reliable indication of his earlier style. On the King Oliver recordings, he frequently accents
every three beats or half-beats, producing a three-against-four polyrhythm that is very common in
jazz.14 An example is Dodds’ playing behind measures three through seven, and seventeen
through twenty, of Lil Hardin’s piano solo on “I’m Going Away to Wear
 5

Baby Dodds. Notice the traditional grip - different for each hand (compare with photo 4). Dodds’
set includes a very large bass drum and a little Chinese snare drum. (Courtesy Institute of Jazz
Studies.)
6 Minority Voices

You Off My Mind.”15 Similarly, on a 1940 Sidney Bechet recording of “Stompy Jones,” the same
polyrhythm is the basis of the first two measures of the drum solo and much of its continuation.
(On the other hand, I believe his use of the cymbal during the trumpet solo on “Save It, Pretty
Mama,” from the same session, reflected newer drum styles.)16
The busy style of Dodds and his contemporaries, including the marching band drummers,
created a great deal of turbulence on a moment-to-moment basis. Dodds popularized the use of a
repetitive pattern so that a more consistent forward momentum could be created when the music
called for it. Patterns of this sort have been termed “ride” patterns. The one Dodds used consisted
of drum rolls called “press” rolls, after the manner in which they are produced on the snare drum.
It sounded like this:

The basic figure was, of course, subjected to a great deal of variation. Dodds discusses and
demonstrates the proper execution of this figure on the Folkways LP, Baby Dodds--Talking and
Drum Solos (FJ 2290). The press-roll ride pattern was used well into the thirties by such
drummers as Dave Tough and Sid Catlett, but was generally characteristic of New Orleans
drummers, as opposed to those on the east coast.
While the ride pattern accented beats two and four, the bass drum was hit on one and three or
on all four beats. For example, Dodds clearly hits his bass drum on every first and third beat
behind the soloists on the up-tempo “New Orleans Stomp” (1927), but accents all four beats
during the medium tempo piano solo on “Weary Blues,” recorded the same day.”17 During loud
ensemble passages, cymbal crashes mark beats two and four, a device also used by Kaiser
Marshall and many other 1920s drummers. (Hear the endings of “Willie the “Weeper” and
“Keyhole Blues,” from 1927.)18
Dodds was perhaps unique among early jazz drummers in his ability to construct a solo.
Drum solos were rare until the Swing Era, and Dodds did not record long solos until the forties.’19
He was apparently the first to conceive of and record a drum solo as an entire piece for drums
alone, rather than as a feature during a band arrangement. The solos display a clear, logical
structure and effective use of the tonal resources of the drum set. Dodds paces himself in a
relaxed manner, experimenting with one pattern for a while, then moving on to another, in sharp
contrast to the exhibitionistic style favored by Gene Krupa, Chick Webb and others.
Foremost among Dodds’s white contemporaries were Tony Spargo (or Sbarbaro) (1897-
1969), and Ben Pollack (1903-1971). The younger drummers, Black and white, who came up in
the late twenties were almost unanimous in their praise of Dodds. The sentiments of George
Wettling, Dave Tough and many others were summed up in the comment by Gene Krupa that “of
course, Baby Dodds was a very, very great influence.”20
Zutty Singleton (1898-1975) was also inspired by Dodds but became influential himself in
popularizing some new techniques. He generally used the bass drum on every beat to get a more
flowing effect, as can be clearly heard on many of the famous 1929 recordings with Louis
Armstrong and Earl Hines, such as “No, Papa,
 Jazz Drumming Styles 7

No.” (On the other hand, he only uses it on the first and third beats during “Beau Koo Jack.”) His
playing variants of the ride pattern on a cymbal, as behind the trombone solo on “No, Papa, No,”
was relaxed and modern sounding. He was also proficient at playing the ride pattern with
brushes-as behind the piano solo on “St. James Infirmary”21 at a time when brushes were not yet
popular. Dodds said, “I didn’t like brushes at any time”22—although he used them on Jelly Roll
Morton’s “The Pearls”23 and other records—but they soon became standard. The soft, sustained
sound of the brushes scraping the top of the snare drum was ideal for quiet numbers. Singleton
was very adaptable and later recorded with such modernists as Roy Eldridge and Charlie Parker.
There were many excellent drummers of the twenties who formed unique styles out of the
basic techniques of early jazz drumming. Duke Ellington’s drummer Sonny Greer (1903- ) was,
and still is as of this writing, a wonderful colorist. Chauncey Morehouse (1902- ), a white
drummer, used the cymbals to accent offbeats in a strikingly modern manner, as during the end of
the celebrated 1927 recording of “Singin’ the Blues.”24 Vic Berton (1896-1951), a symphony-
trained percussionist, added tympani to his drum set and displayed tremendous energy and
creativity on many recordings with Red Nichols (for example, “Boneyard Shuffle”)25

Jazz Drumming in the Thirties

As the most recent among jazz instruments, the trap set has been the most affected by
technical improvements in equipment, which have in turn changed playing styles. Probably the
most important innovation after the bass drum pedal was the “high-hat,” or “sock cymbal.” The
high-hat consists of two cymbals facing each other on a stand; on the floor end of the stand, at
the drummer’s left, is a foot pedal which brings the cymbals together with a “chick” sound when
depressed. During the mid-twenties the stand was only about a foot high and it was called the
“Low-sock” or “floor cymbal,” but by the end of the decade it was high enough to be played
with the sticks as well. A variety of sounds could be obtained and precisely controlled depending
on how much one opened or closed the highhat. Previously, drummers such as Zutty Singleton
and Vic Berton had to use two hands on one cymbal to get similar effects-one hand held the stick
while the other controlled the amount of ring after each attack.
Louis Armstrong was at the center of many important changes in jazz during the late
twenties, including new concepts of timekeeping. The drive or “swing” that could be generated
through a ride pattern became the primary focus of the new drum style, and the high-hat
presented the perfect medium for its realization. It was attacked on every beat while being
opened and closed in the manner illustrated below:
8 Minority Voices

Young drummers preferred this manner of accenting beats two and four to the older press-roll
technique. As Jimmy Crawford, drummer for the Jimmy Lunceford band in the thirties,
explained: “I switched over to the upstairs pedal because the new beat was takin’ things by storm.
It’s the greatest thing ever invented ... you can hold everything together with that `snap.’26
The swing style ride pattern did not spring up as soon as high-hats were introduced. Kaiser
Marshall’s inventive high-hat work on Fletcher Henderson’s 1928 recording of “Come on, Baby”
consists of busy fills in the older style.27 In Walter Johnson’s first recordings with Henderson,
such as “Wang Wang Blues” (1929),28 he plays the ride pattern on a cymbal but does not allow it
to ring. (Willie McWashington also did this in 1929 as on Beanie Motet’s recording “Small
Black.’)29 However, by the fall of 1931, Johnson was doing quietly effective work by opening and
closing his high-hat, as in “Low Down on the Bayou” and “Sugar.30
Probably the most influential of this new breed of swing drummers was Chick Webb (1909?-
1939), who led a big band for most of his career. His powerful, crisp style was emulated by big
band drummers throughout the thirties. For maximum clarity, Webb avoided the busy style of
earlier drummers. He used snare and tomtom accents sparingly but effectively. (Hear the middle
of “Undecided.”) On those rare occasions when Webb soloed he was dynamic and technically
spectacular, by the standards of the day. (Hear the end of “Harlem Congo”)31
Gene Krupa (1909-1973) was a member of the white Chicago at school of the twenties that
was noted for an excited New Orleans-derived approach, but he became best known for his work
with Betty Goodman’s band in the thirties and, later, with his own bands.
Krupa was the subject of much controversy. His fans considered him an innovator, while
others found him loud and insensitive. The recordings show both views to be exaggerated.
Krupa’s style was not innovative; he clearly built upon the styles of Dodds and Webb, as he
readily acknowledged: “Until I got to New York . . . and heard Chick Webb at the Dunbar Palace,
a ballroom in Harlem, Baby [Dodds] was my biggest influence.”32 He did often play loud, but
also used dynamics very effectively in soft passages. He created real excitement with his secure
technique and very syncopated accents. For example, hear how he builds in volume and
complexity along with pianist Jess Stacy on “Barrelhouse” (1935).33 As early as 1928, he had
broken up the steady pounding of the bass drum on every beat by using it for occasional off-beat
accents in “I’ve Found a New Baby.”34
It was unusual before Krupa’s time for a drummer to be a name personality and for
audiences to demand drum and solos, and Krupa is often credited with popularizing the drum
solo. Chick Webb probably should also get credit for this, but he was known primarily to Black
audiences, whereas Krupa was known to the mass white audience. The October-November, 1979
issue of Modern Drummer contains transcriptions of some of Krupa’s solos, as well as excerpts
from interviews with Krupa and his colleagues.
Jo Jones (1911- ), who is still very active today, was an innovator who influenced many
younger drummers. Behind the piano solo on “Time Out” (1937), his high-hat can be heard
opening and closing at unexpected places, creating a “whoosh” sound. Jones was also unusual in
that he used the high-hat at slow tempos-on which most drummers used brushes or press roll ride
patterns-as in “I Left My Baby” (1939).35
 9

A rare shot of Jo Jones in 1940. (Courtesy Avedis Zildjian Company.)

10 Minority Voices

Jones sometimes played the bass drum on all four beats, although softly. At other times, to
achieve a lighter sound, he didn’t use the bass drum at all. He also used the bass drum for
accents, usually in conjunction with figures played on other parts of the drum set. For example,
hear him behind Lester Young’s solo early in “John’s Idea” (1937, “live”); or, hear him at the
end of “Nagasaki” (1938, “live”), just before Young’s four bar solo, where he plays a figure
which includes bass drum “kicks” to the rhythm of the horn riffs.36
By the late thirties, drummers were beginning to play ride patterns on the top cymbal of the
open high-hat or on a suspended cymbal. For example, Jones, among the first to do this, created a
refreshing change of texture by switching from high-hat to cymbal at the start of Young’s solo on
“Honeysuckle Rose” (1937).37 An even, flowing sound was often obtained by hitting the cymbal
equally on every beat, as opposed to the “one-two-and-three” of the high-hat pattern.
Aside from the above innovations, Jones is known for his irresistible swing, lovely
brushwork, and sensitivity to cymbal tones. He is very responsive to soloists. On “After Theatre
Jump” (1944),38 he provides each one with a different, exciting background, and his accents are in
direct response to the content of each solo. Jones discusses and demonstrates jazz drumming
techniques on a fascinating LP entitled The Drums (Jazz Odyssey 008).
Jones was one of a growing number of late thirties jazzmen who were going beyond the
stylistic confines of swing and laying the foundation for the modern jazz of the forties. Among
them were saxophonist Lester Young, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, bassist Jimmy Blanton, and
others. Drummer Sid Catlett (1910-1951) was unusual in that he managed to remain open and
adaptable enough to change from the post New Orleans style, in which he began recording in
1928, to swing and, later, to modern jazz. Throughout, he was sought after by musicians because
of his firm beat and propulsive accents. On “Wolverine Blues” (1940), he can be heard “riding”
on the cymbals as well as on the high-hat.39
Another fine drummer of the thirties was Cozy Cole (1909- ), whose exciting, crisp accents
may be heard on “When Lights Are Low” (1939).40 Among white drummers, Dave Tough and
Buddy Rich stood out. Tough (1908-1948), like Catlett, continued to modernize with the times,
developing into a sensitive colorist who used cymbal splashes effectively. Buddy Rich (1917- ) is
a technically sensational drummer who remains tremendously popular today, as the leader of a
big band. He is able to execute difficult rolls and figures involving several parts of the drum set
with uncanny accuracy. He can interact nicely with a soloist, as on Lester Young’s “I Want to Be
Happy” (1945).41 However, his playing, while it has modernized over the years, often lacks the
emotional depth and tonal variety found-in the work of some less skillful drummers. Rich has had
many followers, especially among white big band drummers.

Modern Jazz Drumming

The advent of modern jazz, which began with the “bebop” style in the early to mid-forties,
was highly controversial. With regard to drumming, critics noted the absence of a clearly repeated
ride pattern, the frequent accents on all parts of the drum set, and the relative lightness of the
style, all of which made the music less danceable. These characteristics could have been found to
some degree in the
 11

Kenny Clarke tries out a high-hat. Also to be seen are two suspended cymbals, and, from left to
right, a large tom-tom, snare drum, and small tom-tom. (Courtesy Avedis Zildjian Company.)
12 Minority Voices

work of Jo Jones and sonic other drummers of the late thirties; Kenny Clarke (1914- ) took them a
step further.
Clarke’s work on “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (1941, “live”)42 exemplifies the new style. During
the piano solo, lie varies the ride pattern on high-hat à la Jo Jones. For Charlie Christian’s brilliant
guitar solo, he switches to cymbal, using an even, legato attack on every beat. There is an
occasional suggestion of the “one-two-and-three” pattern, and a rare splash. Meanwhile, the high-
hat continued to close on beats two and four of each measure, but was not usually hit with the
stick as in the swing style. Since the high-hat marked the beat in modern jazz drumming, both the
right foot and left hand were free to throw in accents on the bass and snare drums, respectively.
(Actually, on many jazz records from the forties it sounds as if the high-hat is not used at all, but
the other statements above still hold true.) Snare drum accents are much more frequent than in
earlier styles, and the bass drum is used primarily for heavy accents, or “bombs.”
Contrary to the opinions of those who bewailed the death of “real jazz,” the new manner of
playing still swung mightily, and with an added lightness and flexibility that, while it may not
have been as conducive to physical dancing, it stimulated the soloists to create “dancing”
melodies.
Clarke became exposed to West Indian percussion while working with Cuban conga
drummer Chano Pozo (1915-1948) in the Dizzy Gillespie big band of 1947-1948. While derived
from African drumming, Latin percussion has its own character, partly a result of the unique
instruments used and partly due to a very free style of improvisation. Over a repeated
polyrhythmic background, which is in keeping with African tradition, the soloist creates
speechlike rhythms and may briefly suggest a different tempo than that of the ensemble. (For a
brilliant example, hear Puente in Percussion, Tico 1011.) In unaccompanied solos, Latins favor a
cadenza-like approach rather than a steady tempo. At the end of “Manteca” (1948, “live”), Kenny
Clarke joins Pozo in an early instance of this kind of soloing in a jazz context.43 As we will see,
the powerful influence of modern Latin percussion on jazz is much easier to trace than the
African influence because it is both more recent and more direct.
Probably the most brilliant of the first generation of modern jazz drummers was Max Roach
(1925- ). Using the concepts popularized by Clarke, he was, and is, distinguished by his clearly-
tuned drums, exceptional precision at all tempos, and responsiveness to the soloist. On “Pentup
House” (1956), he builds up in volume and complexity gradually, along with Clifford Brown’s
trumpet solo, and picks up Brown’s rhythm at the start of the sixth sixteen-bar chorus of the
solo.44 In his own solos he is noted for a remarkable ability to compose melodically, as did Baby
Dodds in a much different style, and to incorporate the rhythms of the theme. He was one of the
first of the new breed of thoroughly schooled percussionists, and is an accomplished composer
and educator.
Art Blakey (1919- ), a drummer of tremendous power and drive, has had many disciples.
Although he pays little attention to dynamics and has often been known to double the tempo
during ballads, he is sensitive to what goes on around him. He frequently interacts with soloists
and always prods them to peaks of intensity. Blakey was one of the first to be consciously
influenced by African music. He visited Africa, and in the 1950s he recorded with groups of
percussionists several times for Bluenote. His style is informed by the clear, deep tones of
African
 13

Art Blakey. Notice the matched grip—both hands the same. On top of the bass drum are sticks,
mallets, and brushes. (Courtesy Avedis Zildjian Company.)
14 Minority Voices

drums. He has a powerful, ringing attack; even his high-hat closes with unusual force on the
offbeats. At times, lie creates complex polyrhythmic rhythm accents, as at the end of “Half
Nelson” (1951, “live”), and during “The Promised Land” (1961, “live”).45
Blakey emulates the speechlike inflections of African drumming by holding his elbow on a
tom-tom to change the pitch while playing it; reportedly, Baby Dodds used to do this using his
foot. Also like Dodds, Blakey obtains a wide range of sounds from the trap set, such as the
rattling and rapping sounds of his hitting the rims of the drums to urge on the soloist. He is
perhaps best known for his long press rolls, which usually occur at the ends of sections, starting
softly and building up in volume until lie bursts in with the cymbals at the start of the new
section.
Outstanding drummers who began to record in the late forties and early fifties are Roy
Haynes (1926- ), who continues to sound modern and individual today, and, among the non-
Blacks, the wonderfully sensitive and creative Shelly Manne (1920- ), and Louis Bellson (1924-
), a technically astounding drummer who is seemingly out of the Buddy Rich school and is
known for using two bass drums.46
Blakey and Roach continued to dominate the drum scene during the fifties. Prominent
among the new drummers of that decade, “Philly” Joe Jones (1923- ) had the loud high-hat and
aggressive approach of Blakey, but he was distinctive in his personal choice of rhythmic accents
and in his splashy cymbal sound. He is also a master of brushwork-as can be heard on Gretsch
Drum Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 (Roulette SR 52067)-and is the author of a book on brush use.

Elvin Jones and The New Styles of the Sixties and Seventies

While Elvin Jones (1927- ) also learned from Roach and employed the deep tones and
dynamic drum rolls of Blakey, he was especially interested in polyrhythmic accents. As early as
the 1957 “live” recordings with Sonny Rollins, his densely accented playing was of
unprecedented complexity for jazz.47 Splashes became prominent in his style, and he displayed an
ability to draw a wealth of tone colors out of each cymbal. “There are subtle differences in
cymbal tone,” he said. “I’ve always been acutely aware of the possibilities of cymbal subtleties
and tone patterns.48
During the six years that Jones spent in the John Coltrane quartet, beginning in 1960, he
developed these concepts to the point that he splashed more often than he kept a beat on the
cymbals, and no part of the drum set-not even the high-hat kept up a repetitive ride pattern. The
styles of Jones, saxophonist Coltrane, pianist McCoy Toner, and bassist Jimmy Garrison,
influenced each other in the creation of the intensely dramatic, emotional playing that was to
make this one of the most celebrated groups in jazz history. Jones was the biggest single
influence on jazz drumming in the early sixties.
At first, some listeners reacted unfavorably to Jones’ playing. They found it too complicated
and claimed the beat was obscured. Yet Jones himself has said that keeping the beat is “the
drummer’s primary function.”49 To many listeners, Jones’ drumming has a special way of
swinging that is at least as effective as that of his predecessors. Rather than a repetitive emphasis
on the beat and the “tickling” of the high-hat, Jones plays around the beat. His accompaniments
are fascinating in themselves but also highly responsive to the rhythmic ideas of his fellow
 Jazz Drumming Styles 15

musicians. For example, listen to him during the piano solo in “Resolution” (1964).50
Jones’ busy, compelling style at times sounds more like the combination of Kenny Clarke
and Chano Pozo, for example, on “Jahbero” (1948),51 than any single previous drummer. This
suggests a possible influence of Latin and African musics on his playing. As a soloist, Jones
favors out-of-tempo, speechlike rhythms, which also invites comparison with Latin music. His
solos are always engrossing and moving musical experiences.
The whole concept of the rhythm section was changing in the early sixties. In the past, there
had been limited interaction among the rhythm players. No matter what accents the drummer
played, the bassist continued to “walk” on every beat. In the Coltrane quartet, Elvin Jones,
McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison broke away from tradition by doing rhythmic patterns
together. Also in the early sixties, the trio of pianist Bill Evans was experimenting with group
interaction in its delicate treatments of pop songs and jazz standards. Bassist Scott La Faro, a
revolutionary who set the trend for today’s bassists with his phenomenal speed and light touch,
rarely walked at all. Instead, he chose to interact melodically and rhythmically with Evans and
drummer Paul Motian. (Hear The Village Vanguard Sessions, “live” in 1961, on Milestone
47002.)
This new concept of flexible, interactive rhythm sections reached a peak in 1963, when
Miles Davis began using Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams on piano, bass and
drums respectively. Williams (1945- ), while still under twenty years of age, succeeded Elvin
Jones to become the biggest influence on jazz drumming in the past fifteen years. While he
probably could not have developed his style without the polyrhythmic precedent of Jones,
Williams takes a quite different direction. Whereas Jones tends toward density and drama,
Williams prefers sparseness and coloration. His style is very delicate and quick. He always
appears to be suspended, ready to use any part of his drum set in response to the other group
members. “When Tony came into the picture,” said award-winning drummer Steve Gadd
recently, “it created a different trend for drummers. His whole approach stood out and Herbie
[Hancock] and Ron [Carter] seemed to respond to it. He had no set patterns. He was filled with
surprises, things you had never heard before.52
Williams has been credited with the innovation of closing the high-hat on every beat, thus
creating a constant momentum instead of the choppier effect of accenting two and four, or the
swirling entanglements of Elvin Jones’ playing. He has a crisp, polished sound and a tremendous
dynamic range. He used a very small bass drum to enable him to play softly. In the late sixties,
Williams became a pioneer of jazz-rock (to be discussed shortly), playing in a louder, heavier
style and using a large bass drum. However, he has demonstrated that lie can still play
exceptional jazz. He may be heard on many Miles Davis LP’s on Columbia, and a notated
example of his solo style appeared in Modern Dnunnier (Dec.-Jan. 1979).
Today’s jazz drummers seem to be moving in several directions. On the one hand, there are
a number of light, fast and precise drummers, such as Lenny White (1949- ) and the much-in-
demand Steve Gadd (1945- ). Then there are the avant-gardists, who prefer free rhythms and
churning, dramatic music. They include Rashied Ali (1935- ), Andrew Cyrille (1939- ), Sunny
Murray (1937- ), and others. But not all drummers can be so easily categorized. Alphonse
Mouzon’s
16 Minority Voices

(1948- ) playing has the poly rhythmic density of Jones but the crispness and precision of
Williams. Avant-gardist Barry Altschul (1943- ) has William’s delicacy. One of the most brilliant
drummers of the past fifteen years, Jack DeJohnette (1942- ), combines elements of both schools.
DeJohnette is now an influence in his own right.
The Latin influence is bigger than ever in today’s jazz. During the early sixties, the Brazilian
bossa-nova became very popular in America and was adopted by most major jazz musicians. The
songs had refreshing melodies and harmonies, and the syncopated drum patterns, repeated with
variations, created a light, floating background which inspired soloists to relax and think lyrically.
Here is a typical drum pattern:

Since the early seventies, fast sambas have become more popular with jazz musicians than bossa-
novas. Today it is typical for jazz LP’s to have at least one number in a Latin idiom.
The modern jazz musician’s demands for greater color and complexity in the rhythm section
has led to the use of at least one extra percussionist in many jazz groups. At first, the extra
percussionist most often played the conga drum. Recently, the trend has been toward players who
own a large variety of international percussion instruments and can move from one to the other as
they see fit. Airto Moreira (1941- ), a creative Brazilian who first achieved prominence with the
Miles Davis group during 1970, was the model for most of today’s multi-percussionists. Because
of him, Downbeat magazine established a special “Percussion” category in 1973 for its Readers
and Critics polls. Moreira provides a variety of sound effects and textures, usually avoiding
repetitive rhythmic figures which might restrict the trapset drummer. He is also a fine trapset
drummer. Moreira plays with Miles Davis on Columbia 30038.
Another trend which has proven to be pervasive is the use of time signatures other than 4/4.
Meters of 3/4 and 6/8 were the first to become widely accepted. In 1959, the Dave Brubeck
Quartet, with Joe Morello on drums, recorded Time Out (Columbia CS-8192; also as half of
Columbia CG-30625), which popularized the use of more unfamiliar meters. Today, 5/4, 7/4, and
even longer meters such as 11/4 are not uncommon, and jazz drummers are expected to be able to
handle them. Especially proficient in this area is Billy Cobham (1944- ), the leader of some very
popular small groups.
The other most important new development in jazz drumming has been the incorporation of
soul, rock, and ethnic styles. The music resulting from these cross-breedings is often referred to
under the general heading of “fusion.” In the late sixties, the audience for jazz was at a low ebb,
due in part to the uncomprising complexity and emotional honesty of most of the music. Around
this time, the influence of soul and rock music began to grow stronger and stronger. Many seven-
ties jazz groups concentrated exclusively on fusion, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather
Report being superior examples.
 Jazz Drumming Styles 17

Critics often equate all fusion music with “jazz-rock,” confusing the very different
influences of rock and soul. Rock and soul have some elements in common because both were
largely derived from Black rhythm-and-blues. But they are distinct idioms, and while the
particular balance of influences varies from one fusion group to another, most reveal little
resemblance to rock and much to soul. (Of course, there are hundreds of jazz-influenced rock
groups, but they fall outside the scope of this paper.)
By way of definition, “soul” is a Black popular music which, by the late sixties, was
characterized by a polyrhythmic, highly danceable background created by giving a different,
repeating rhythmic-melodic figure to each instrument. Rhythms are not “swung,” but played
“straight”—eighth notes don’t become triplets. The resemblance in principle, if not in detail, to
African music is striking. Perhaps this is evidence of Black American cultural retentions from the
ancestral heritage.
James Brown was an innovator in the soul field, followed by Kool and the Gang and others.
Vocals are important in soul music, and such magnificent singers as Aretha Franklin and Stevie
Wonder have worked in this idiom, but the instrumental aspect was most influential on jazz.
Frequently, instrumental soul and souljazz is called “funk.” The drumming style of funk centers
on the high-hat, which is attacked on every beat or every other beat, while repetitive patterns are
executed with the snare and bass drums. It is quite a different style from jazz drumming,
especially in the use of straight eighth notes, but, as always, jazzmen have made it their own. Jazz
drummers vary the patterns freely, move the beat to the suspended cymbals to vary the
background for a soloist, and improvise polyrhythms not utilized by soul drummers.
Jazz-funk, and the whole “fusion” movement in general, has been the source of much
controversy because many jazz musicians, aware of the greater audience for pop musics like soul,
have chosen to play in this idiom while openly professing to dislike it. However, in the hands of
musicians who truly enjoy the very different rhythmic demands of funk, it has been a revitalizing
force. Here, as in so many areas of modern jazz, Miles Davis’s groups were groundbreakers.
Davis’s former drummer, Jack DeJohnette, has an outstanding ability to translate the funk idiom
into powerful modern jazz, as can be heard on Miles at the Fillmore, with Airto Moreira
(Columbia 30038). Also exceptional in this medium are Harvey Mason (1947- ), Billy Cobham,
and Lenny White.

In Conclusion
Today’s jazz drummers are well-schooled, versatile musicians. They are expected to be able
to play in more idioms than ever before, including mainstream jazz, funk, and various Latin
styles. As in other areas of contemporary jazz, many traditions exist side by side. For example,
Buddy Rich placed second to Elvin Jones in the 1978 Downbeat Readers Poll. Jo Jones, Kenny
Clarke, Max Roach, Art Blakey and others mentioned in this article are still quite active.53
Jazz drumming has changed the whole face of twentieth century music. Its techniques are
admired by symphony percussionists and are sometimes utilized in the scores they play.
Drummers for all kinds of music employ the trap set, taking its existence for granted. There is
still much to be learned from this wonderful art form.
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
 18 Minority Voices

NOTES

All cited recordings are LP’s a few of which are unfortunately out of print. However, many of the pieces
were reissued on several LP’s other than those listed or are still available on imports.
1
I would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous assistance of Dan Morgenstern, Director of
the Institute of Jazz Studies, and Joyce McGhee of the Avedis Zildjian Company. Both contributed the fine
photos which accompany this article, and helped me to obtain certain materials for my research.
2
Thanks to David Locke, ethnomusicologist and Director of the West African Drum Ensemble at
Tufts University, for helpful comments on this section.
3
For example, “The Dance in Place Congo” (1886), by George Washington Cable, in Bernard
Katz (ed.), The Social Implications of Early Negro Music in the United States (New York: Arno Press,
1969).
4
Hear “Castle House Rag” and “Castle Walk” (1914), on Steppin’ on the Gas: Rags to Jazz 1913-
1927, New World Records, 269.
5
The Baby Dodds Story As Told to Larry Cara (Los Angeles: Contemporary Press, 1959), p. 39.
6
“Jack DeJohnette: South Side to Woodstock,” by Chip Stern, in Downbeat, Nov. 2, 1978, p. 24.
7
Gene Krupa, “School for Skins,” Duke Magazine, June 1957, p. 18. Quoted in Leonard Feather,
The Book of Jazz: From Then Till Now, Rev. Ed. (New York: Dell Publishing, 1976), p. 146-147.
8
Quoted in Feather, Book of Jazz, p. 143.
9
Jelly Roll Morton 1923/4, Milestone, M-47018.
10
Coker, Listening to Jazz (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1978) p. 22. Feather, “The Drummers,” in
International Musician, January, 1964, p. 16.
11
Samuel B. Charters, Jazz: New Orleans 1885-1963 (New York: Oak Publications, 1963), p. 6.
12
Baby Dodds Story, p. 7.
13
“Mandy Lee” on Louis Armstrong and King Oliver Milestone, 47017; Okeh “Dippermouth
Blues” on King Oliver’s Jazz Band / 1923, Smithsonia, 2001.
14
Winthrop Sergeant recognized the use of three-against-four as basic to jazz in his pioneering
book, Jazz: Hot and Hybrid (Third edition, New York: Da Capo Press, 1975), chapter
four and elsewhere.
15
Louis Armstrong and King Oliver, Milestone, 47017.
16
Sidney Bechet: Master Musician, RCA Bluebird, AXM2-5516.
17
Louis Armstrong, Vol. 1: Young Louis “The Side Man, “ French MCA, 510.010.
18
Louis Armstrong Story, Vol. 2, Columbia, CL 852.
19
Baby Dodds-Talking and Drum Solos, Folkways, FJ 2290; Baby Dodds Trio: Jazz A
La Creole, GHB, 50.
20
“Gene Krupa: The Last Interview,” by Gene Webb, in Downbeat, March 14, 1974.
21
All of the above are on Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines/1928, Smithsonian, 2002.
22
Baby Dodds Story, p. 75.
23
Jelly Roll Morton: King of New Orleans Jazz, RCA, LPM-1649.
24
Bix Beiderbecke Story, Vol. 2, Columbia, CL 845.
25
Red Nichols, Classic Jazz Masters, 24.
26
“The Zildjian Story,” booklet by Avedis Zildjian Company (no author or date), p. 8.
27
Fletcher Henderson: A Study in Frustration,
Columbia, C41 19.
28
Henderson, Columbia, C41 19.
29
Count Basie in Kansas City, RCA, LPV-514.
30
“Sugar” on Columbia, C41 19; “Low Down . .. on Fletcher Henderson: Harlem in the Thirties,
Olympic, 7118.
 Jazz Drumming Styles 19
31
The Best of Chick Webb, MCA, 2-4107.
32
“Gene Krupa,” by Burt Korall, in International Musician, September, 1970.
33
Swing Classics, Prestige, 7646.
34
The Chicagoans: “The Austin High Gang” 1928-1930, Decca, DL 9231. A drummer named
Harry Gale, perhaps influenced by Krupa, accompanies Bix Beiderbecke’s band on “Rhythm King” (1928;
Columbia, CL 844) by playing accents on what sounds to be a closed high-hat and a bass drum. During the
ending he hits the bass drum on beats two and four instead of the usual one and three.
35
“Time Out” on The Best of Count Basie, MCA, 2-4050; “1 Left My Baby” on The Lester
Young Story, Vol. 4, Columbia, JG-34843.
36
John’s Idea” on Basie Live, Trip, 5818; “Nagasaki” on Count Basie at the Famous Door, Jazz
Archives, 41.
37
Best of Count Basie.
38
Pres At His Very Best, Trip, 5509.
39
Catlett’s 1928 recordings are on Gut Bucket Blues and Stomps: Chicago 1926-1928, Herwin,
112; “Wolverine Blues” is on Louis Armstrong, Vol. 5, French MCA, 510.064. 40 Lionel Hampton,
French RCA, 731.048.
41
Lester Swings, Verve, VE2-2516.
42
Charlie Christian, Archive of Folk and Jazz, 219.
43
Dizzy Gillespie and His Big Band, GNPS-23.
44
Sonny Rollins: Three Giants, Prestige, 7821.
45
“Half Nelson” is on Miles Davis, Ozone, 7; “The Promised Land” is on Art Blakey: Live
Messengers, Blue Note, LA-473-J2.
46
Notated solos by Bellson are in “The Artistry of Bellson: An Analysis,” by Rupert Kettle,
Downbeat, March 23, 1967, p. 22.
47
Sonny Rollins: A Night at the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, BST-8158, and More From the
Vanguard, Blue Note, LA475-H2.
48
“Elvin Jones-Rhythmic Pulsemaster,” by Herb Nolan, in Downbeat, December 15, 1977, p.14.
49
“A Walk to the Park,” in Ecstasy at the Onion, by Whitney Balliett (New York: BobbsMerrill,
1971), p. 155.
50
John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse, S-77.
51
Fats Navarro, Prime Source, Blue Note, LA507-H2.
52
“Steve Gadd-Have Skins, Will Beat,” by Arnold Jay Smith, in Downbeat, December 2, 1976,
p. 15.
53
Exercises and solos in the styles of many of the drummers mentioned in this article are
available in Different Drummers, by Billy Mintz (New York: Amsco Music Publishing, 1975).