Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Swing Style 101 Part 1: Avoiding the 1 by Justin Varnes Chances are, not many of us launched into a career in drumming after hearing a Papa Jo Jones record and asking our parents for a set of brushes for our birthday. Coming from the world of rock, I know I didn’t. But somewhere along the way, it’s possible that you’ve been bitten by the jazz bug, like I was. Maybe it’s because as you’ve gotten better, you’ve sought new challenges. Or maybe it’s because the band you play in gets asked on occasion to play a set of light jazz during cocktail hour. However it happens, there are a few big obstacles that can stand in the way of sounding like a “real” jazz drummer, and that’s what this three-part series is designed to address. We’ll begin with one of the more challenging concepts for drummers […]

September 2015 Issue