The great jazz drummer Pete Sims was born on April 7, 1938, in New York City, and passed away on November 20, 2012. He gained early professional experience playing timbales in Latin groups, and it was during this period that he acquired his nickname, La Roca, which translates to “the rock.” Sims’ time feel had an attitude and a constant propulsion, and the drummer’s rhythmic ideas always left the listener surprised. One example of this is the way Sims placed accents in unexpected places within a phrase. In a 1998 MD interview, he spoke about his approach and experience. “Back when I was studying Stravinsky,” Sims recalled, “I came across the idea that you don’t always have to finish an idea. Once you’ve set it up, the listener’s ear knows what the conclusion is, so you can do something else. You might think that he has left an idea unfinished, […]

April 2013 Issue