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Stephen Chopek
(August 2005 Issue)
Timing is (Almost) Everything Who the heck is
Stephen Chopek? Where did this guy come
from? Just ask Charlie Hunter.
You know, that famous guy on Blue Note who plays the eight-string
guitar. A couple of years
ago Chopek was studying with New York jazzman
Leon Parker. When it came time for Charlie Hunter to start recording
his
next CD, Parker was asked to step up to the plate.
Knowing that Hunter is open to new ideas, Parker decided
to
bring in a couple of guys to help handle the percussive duties. Lucky
for Chopek, he was one of those guys. "Leon invited
me and another one
of his students to play in this percussion ensemble idea he had for
Hunter's record. The ensemble
was basically a broken-up drumset." As a
result of that meeting, Chopek landed the gig as the touring drummer
in
Hunter's trio.
Chopek's lifelong study of rock and jazz has paid off. "I grew
up listening to
early-'80s alternative rock and playing in original
bands," he says, "as well as playing in the high school jazz band.
This
diversity helped me to focus more on the structure of the song and then
orchestrate it on the drums, which is what I do
with Charlie. It's not
just about 2 and 4. I need to internalize the groove and communicate my
ideas through whatever the
song calls for."
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