People like to talk, and will often repeat the most bizarre concepts and ideas without considering the harm they unwittingly do to others. Insecure people sometimes lash out verbally to discredit more successful drummers. When one’s career has not lived up to expectations, bitterness toward others can develop. For example, I have heard the comment quite a few times that “white drummers can’t play funky.” Well, I guess Steve Gadd has disproved that one about 1,000 times. Dave Garibaldi is another great funk drummer. He can also play other styles very, very well. Lesser known but equally funky drummers, such as Rick Latham and Joey Farris, also disprove this theory every time they play. I’ve also heard that “black drummers don’t have any chops. All they can do is groove.” Billy Cobham, Max Roach and Tony Williams have certainly disproved this theory while grooving and playing musically. They all have […]

September 1984 Issue