TheMagnificent7

14 Solo Transcriptions of the Master Jazz Drummers from Our Time

By Dušan Milenković

The Magnificent 7

14 Solo Transcriptions of the Master Jazz Drummers from Our Time

By Dušan Milenković

Cover Design by Milica Jovićević

Page Layout and Design by Milica Jovićević

Music Engraving by Dušan Milenković

Text edited by Mhairi MacInnes

Cover photos courtesy of Klemens Marktl, Craig S. O'Connell and Dušan Milenković

Photography by

Rainer A. Rygalyk (www.pbase.com/rygalyk/root) Eckhart Derschmidt

Michel Nahabedian (nahabedian@gmail.com) Peter Tea

Ronald Weinstock Craig S. O'Connell

T. Bruce Wittet (www.tbrucewittet.com)

ISBN 978-3-200-02302-4

Copyright © 2011 by Dusan Milenkovic International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.

Any unauthorized use strictly prohibited. No portion of this book may be photocopied or reproduced in any way without the written permission from the author.

www.dusanmilenkovic.com

Table of Contents

Foreword……………………………………………………

Acknowledgements…………………………………………

Introduction…………………………………………………

About the Author……………………………………………

Notation Key………………………………………………..

A few words about the sticking……………………………..

Chapter 1: Antonio Sanchez

I Love You……………………………………………………

Dr. Joe………………………………………………………..

Chapter 2: Bill Stewart

Fred And Ginger…………………………………………….

Puttin' On The Ritz…………………………………………..

Chapter 3: Brian Blade

I Mean You…………………………………………………

It Happens………………………………………………….

Chapter 4: Eric Harland

Back Bay Blues……………………………………………

Background Music……………………………………….

Chapter 5: Gregory Hutchinson

McThing…………………………………………………..

Wonderful, Wonderful……………………………………

Chapter 6: Jeff “Tain” Watts

Cardboard………………………………………………..

Freedom Suite (Movement 2)……………………………

Chapter 7: Lewis Nash

Monk's Dream……………………………………………

“Trading 8’s”……………………………………………….

Glossary of Terms………………………………………

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Foreword

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,n this special book my great Serbian friend and

incredible drummer/educator Dusan Milenkovic

represents drum solos of some of the finest and

style-defining Drummers of the Modern Jazz

Era in the past 30 years. The clearly written-out

transcriptions and their inside explanations of

Jazz drumming greats such as Lewis Nash,

Gregory Hutchinson, Jeff „Tain“ Watts etc…

give you a very clear study in the language of

Modern Jazz drumming. The very well chosen

examples used in this book illuminate the

drumming of those Masters from a great

perspective. The main objective of this book is

to help the aspiring drummer/student to get a

wider overview in their vocabulary and how

they make use of tradition. One should strive to

make it one´s own language and develop an individual and unique voice.

Those drummers play with great feel, dynamics, time, musicality ... and once

you start to study the examples from this book you will get an understanding

of how to approach Modern drumming with the respect of the Jazz tradition.

This book of drumming great Dusan Milenkovic is highly recommended to

all drummers at all levels regardless their styles!

Congratulations!

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Introduction"

This book is a collection of 14 solos to help you on your path to becoming

a better jazz drummer.

The objective is to build a soloing vocabulary that is similar to your

spoken vocabulary. It should allow you enough depth of expression to

convey whatever emotions you might feel at any given moment. To

develop your spoken vocabulary, you practiced one word at a time until

you had mastered enough words to create phrases. Then you learned to

arrange those phrases in complete sentences, until finally you were able to

convey more complex thoughts by grouping sentences into paragraphs.

In soloing, as with speaking, expanding your vocabulary requires solid

groundwork of repetitive practicing and a constant hunger for perfection. I

won't tell you what specific licks or rudiments to concentrate on… that

depends entirely on what kind of solo you want to play!

Listening to and transcribing solos from master drummers is my passion

and a great way to learn how to solo and get new ideas. That’s how I came

up with the idea to write this book. I want to see how the next generation

of drummers is going to use this material, embellish it and bring it up to

the next level (the same way that the drummers that I’m writing about

used the jazz language of their mentors and brought it to the level that we

hear today).

This is the way you learn to play the language and get the all the nuances

in the music:

"imitate – assimilate - innovate" Clark Terry

WELCOME TO THE MAGNIFICENT 7

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A few words about the sticking:

As a young jazz student I was often frustrated working on transcriptions

where there was no sticking written out. I would try out different

combinations for hours until I got the right sound. A lot of people say: “it’s

all about the touch,” but I also think that it’s a lot to do with the sticking that

you use. I’ve included the sticking on each transcription to save you time

and to make your musical trip trough this book a pleasant experience and not

a frustrating nightmare!

General comments on dynamics and sticking:

My notation for accented and emphasized notes is a capital letter (R or L),

Small case notation represents notes that are not accented (regular taps, ghost

notes).

Notation Key

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“Dr. Joe”

Antonio plays two choruses over the twelve-bar form. In studying his works, pay

particular attention to some of his important compositional devices for example, the use

of brief melodic and/or rhythmic fragments to create a feeling of unity within an

improvised solo. In bar 7 he introduces a melodic figure that he repeats three times like a

question, in a musical way. Then in the bar 10 he gives a brief answer. He repeats it again

in bar 11 and brings it to a conclusion in bar 12, creating a climax in the first solo trading.

In the second trading he explores the possibilities of “motivic development” and works on

one idea during the whole 12 bars. This is quite brave and challenging, as most players

would try 10 different ideas just to fill in the space with “something”. Not Antonio! Once

more he shows musical maturity and true musicianship.

Antonio is one of the greats, and I highly recommend that if you're not familiar with him

or his work, you check him out. His masterful playing will inspire you.

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Group: Chick Corea Trio

YouTube Clip: Chick Corea Trio

w/Antonio Sanchez and John Patitucci

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The 1st solo begins

@ 00:39

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Eric Harland was born on November 8th

, 1976 in Houston, Texas.

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:

As a leader: Voyager Live By Night (2010)

As a sideman with:

Charles Lloyd Quartet: Jumping The Creek (2005)

Edward Simon: The Process (2003)

Monterey Quartet: Live At The 2007 Jazz Festival

Aaron Parks: Invisible Cinema (2008)

Jacky Terrasson: Smile (2002)

Aaron Goldberg: Worlds (2006)

SF Jazz Collective: 3rd Annual Concert Tour (2006)

Terence Blanchard: Bounce (2003)

Jimmy Greene: Mission Statement (2009)

Walter Smith III: Casually Introducing (2006)

For more info, visit www.iharland.com

www.ericharland.blogspot.com

& & & &

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“Background Music”

Eric Harland is one of the most musical soloists in jazz and these fast-paced solos in

"Background music" demonstrate a few of the reasons why.

Eric's ability to weave variations of concise rhythmic fragments throughout a solo gives

his performances a strong sense of continuity. A good example of this occurs at bar 3

where a two beat (2 quarter-notes long) fragment is stated, and then restated at the 4th

beat of bar 23 and again at bar 36.

You should pay attention to how he makes use of a standard jazz phrase: the flam with

buzz roll played around groups of three eight notes over 4/4 time (see bar 25-26). This

device also occurs in transcriptions of Lewis Nash, Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson,

which is why jazz soloing is so interesting. We all use the same universal language to

communicate but everyone “speaks” it with a different dialect.

This solo is technically very difficult, so in order to master it and copy Eric’s unique

touch prepare for many hours of hard work- it’s definitely worth it!

Texas.

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Group: Aaron Goldberg

YouTube Clip: Teatro Rossetti -

Aaron Goldberg Trio

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The 1st solo begins

@ 07:23

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Chapter 5

Gregory Hutchinson !

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“McThing”

This track features one of the hardest swinging drummers of our time, the great Gregory

Hutchinson.

The following solo contains some fun phrasing, a great use of dynamics, and a swinging,

strong pulse.

Check out bars 3, 4, 7-10 and 15 where he uses some classic be-bop phrasing and listen to

how he develops these in a completely meaningful statement.

Each one of the bars or phrases can and should be practiced as an

exercise before you attempt to play the whole solo. By practicing

this way, you will find ways to develop these phrases even further

and make them your own.

Hutchinson is a very skilled musician. His ideas are always fresh.

He has excellent dynamic control, a grooving ride cymbal beat,

superb rudimental technique and his musicality is amazing.!

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Group: Christian McBride

YouTube Clip: Live In Montreal 1995

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The solo begins

@ 02:36

This is the first book to present some of the work of jazz drummers of the 21st century. It provides an eye-opening look into the fascinating world of jazz drumming. It is designed to improve your soloing skills and challenge both reading and technical proficiency.

In his book, Dusan Milenkovic goes to great lengths to enlighten the reader about the makings of well constructed, well executed and above all else, truly musical drum solos. His transcriptions are accurate, analysis always on point, while his instruction and suggestions are of great value to anyone who is interested in improving their soloing ability. The clarity and educational quality of Mr. Milenkovic's text make his book a unique offering - you don't even have to be able read music notation to benefit from so much great information contained within! What other book of transcriptions could make this claim?

Marko DjordjevicThe bandleader of Sveti and is on the faculty at the Collective in N.Y.C.

For more info visit www.svetimarko.com or www.myspace.com/svetimarko

• Over 500 clearly and precisely notated bars that can be broken into literally thousands of combinations/patterns that you can instantly use and incorporate in your own soloing vocabulary.

• Audio/video material, which is instantly available online, providing the student with a wide range of references as an opportunity to hear the masters in action.

• This book is a must-have that should be in every serious drummer’s library. A valuable companion to your journey as an evolving drummer!

Phot

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Jul

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"After spending time with the advance copy of this book, I am of the firm belief that this not only a great book, but an IMPORTANT one as well. The drummer examples are well chosen, epitomizing the broad range of contemporary jazz drum artistry, as well as the personal touch Dusan has infused in his work-- his analysis, his commentary, his personal notes. This document touches the epicenter of our drumming, but in his service to drummers, Dusan has touched our humanity"

T.Howard Curtis III/Head of Jazz Drums-Universität für Music und Darstellend Kunst--Graz, Austria