Welcome to the first of three articles based on my new book, Groove Freedom. I wrote the book for my own practice after realizing how limited I was in certain grooves—in other words, how little “freedom” I had. Playing a groove is one thing, but having absolute freedom inside that groove… well, that’s a different thing altogether, and it’s something that I want for myself and for all of you. Here’s an example of how I found this deficiency in my playing. A music director wanted me to play Clyde Stubblefield’s famous groove from James Brown’s “Funky Drummer.” No problem. I’ve worked it out, I’ve practiced it for hours, and I can play it like a loop. Now, when the director wanted me to change the kick pattern a bit to give it more space and less low end…problem! I didn’t have freedom in this groove. I knew it only […]

June 2014 Issue