APRIL 2009

THE Randall Dyrol BLACK PAGE Ah sey one THE BLACK PAGE April 2009

4 Feature Interview: Dyrol Randall

To Do or Not To Do 12 by Jayson Brinkworth

A,E,I,O,U and 18 Sometimes Parradiddle by Sean Mitchell

21 Double Bass Building Blocks by Ryan Carver Solo drums, beautiful drums, warm 22 The Final Word drum tones and full-on exhilarating drums. In this double CD, master-mu- sician David Jones has allowed the drums to shine in all their acoustic glory. Not since Gene Krupa in the THE BLACK PAGE is distributed via PDF 1940s or Sandy Nelson in the 1960s to email inboxes worldwide. have drums been this far out front. To subscribe, visit: David Jones has long been famous www.theblackpage.net for his utilisation of every conceivable Send us your feedback at: [email protected] percussive instrument – yes, even the kitchen sink – to make interesting Sean Mitchell Publisher soundscapes and rhythmic flourishes Jill Schettler Editor in Chief that leave an indelible mark on the Jayson Brinkworth Writer heart and soul of his listeners. Ryan Carver Writer Click here to visit davidjonesdrums.com.au

EARTH FRIENDLY For international sales outside Australia please click here. No Paper,m No Ink, No Waste Savoy Theatre - Glace Bay Nova Scotia, Canada Click HERE to get tickets from www.reservatech.net or call 902.842.1577 Click HERE to go to www.capebretoninternationaldrumfestival.com Dyrol Randall

By Sean Mitchell There is an expression among the Rastafarian cul- ture, “Ah sey one,” and its lit- eral meaning, translated from Jamaican Patois to English, is to say that something is “really cool” and “great.” Case in point, a guy I found whilst surfing the net one night for some inspira- tion: Dyrol Randall. Dyrol’s style of playing struck me immediately as unique and innovative. I had, up to that point, never seen played with such enthusiasm and intensity. Upon interviewing Dyrol I got to meet someone who is genuinely an asset to our in- dustry. A guy who lives for the groove and listens to all things that speak rhythm. For Dyrol (as it should be) drumming is not only a means with which to make music, but a way of life. What are the roots of reggae music? when she was at work, and I played the dust out of them until I got the consistency of the Reggae music was born from ska and rock- 4/4 timing and the rock ‘n’ roll patterns. steady in in the 60s. One thing they Meeting at church, I would go early before all share in common is that their rhythmic the service would start and practice the pat- style is characterized by regular beats on the terns. Then came my first opportunity to play off-beat, known as the “skank.” Then gradu- in an open service. I was very nervous. The ally the tempo slowed down, and by intro- 4/4 timing was almost perfect but my rock ‘n’ ducing accents on the first and third beat in roll was too slow, as I had not developed the each bar, reggae was born. foot technique in pushing the power of the The origin of the name reggae is traced to kick. I was using the flat foot technique and a song by The Maytals named “Do The Reg- that was killing me. I was not able to keep gay.” It was probably used in musical circles up with the singers and was often given an before that, but that’s when it gained promi- upset face with messages sent to my teach- nence as a genre. er that he needed to come take the drums Bob Marley and the Wailers is probably away from me, as I could not manage it. I felt the most popular band to have gone through so embarrassed because the congregation all the stages of reggae, starting from ska was 2000 members and all eyes were on in the early 1960s, to , to reggae. me. I often felt like giving up. Many times I Marley’s drummer Carlton Barrett is recog- wanted to run outside and swear that I would nized for having coined the one-drop beat, never be around drums again, as it was too which is the basic reggae drum pattern with hard for me, but that was only discourage- the hi-hat playing a 16th or an 8th note while ment speaking at the moment. the kick and bass dropping on 2 and 4. I kept on practicing until I became the church’s number one drummer and kept that How did you find your path to the distinction for years to come, which I owe to drums? Mr. Edward Heron, whom I consider a friend,

I found the path to the drums in 1991 at the Montego Bay New Testament Church of The most complete God. Initially I started playing guitar, taught by the church’s guitar player, Maseno Wil- online drum community. liams. I thought that’s what I wanted to play. Then Edward Heron, the drummer of the church, came along. He is the one who put the first pair of sticks in my hand. He was very patient and wanted me to learn. I would often sit at the front of the church, so close to the drums that when he missed while play- ing I would be hit pretty hard in the face by the sticks. Click here to visit To practice at home I would set up my www.drummerconnection.com mom’s pots and pans on the living room sofa teacher and big brother for life. er, the legendary jazz drummer. He came once during our lunch time and executed the What can you tell me about Herbert Mor- swing jazz patterns with precision and pas- rison Technical High School? sion. That was truly inspirational.

The school was named after the late Dr. Her- Dyrol, tell me about your mentors. bert Morrison, a very popular family physi- cian in Montego Bay and throughout Jamai- Peter Brown, the renowned bass player, ca. It’s where a lot of musicians who have comes first. He plays a seven-string guitar. now made successful careers worldwide Mr. Brown is the only bass player in Jamaica emerged. The reason for that is because that has mastered styles as varied as fusion, its standards and expectations jazz, and latin. I’ve always heard of from the students are very Peter Brown from the early 90’s. high. His reputation is legendary. Ev- The high school ery one knew how he band is the best in was capable of walk- the entire Carib- ing off the bean and has won stage if countless compe- the titions. The pro- gram is run by Mr. Carl Matthews (aka Slowchie). Mr. Matthews is a great theory teacher start- ing from grade one. We would have rehearsals ev- ery day during lunch time and after school for begin- ning, intermediate and ad- vanced bands. Performances sometimes required us to miss class—with permission from the school’s principal. Herbert Morrison’s musicians earn the respect of great players, as the pieces that are given to them are extremely difficult and require a lot of dedica- tion. To close this para- graph, one of my most inspiring moments was the surprise visit of Mr. Winard Harp- music wasn’t right. He would not compro- desire of getting the reggae drum and bass mise. He believed in practicing hard and ev- technique down. We made arrangements eryday. and met at his house. He drilled me vigor- I remember our first rehearsal was un- ously, and I also remember that while the eventful but at the second one he gave me session was going, he was cooking at the hell because I was messing up too much. same time. Onie draws a lot of respect from The studio was filled with six ladies and a the drummers for Shaggy, Maxie Priest, whole lot of musicians. Peter stopped the Gumption Band, Beres Hammond, Chuck rehearsal and warned me he’d stop play- Fenda just to name a few. I give Onie much ing with me if I continued this way. I was so respect and honor for life. embarrassed! I wish there was an elevator And last but not least, Tony “Ruption” Wil- under my throne to take me downstairs and liams is one of the best Jamaican drummers straight home. ever. He used to work with Jimmy Cliff and We did a couple of shows together after now he’s playing with Third World. I met Rup- but I was very much afraid of messing up. tion a few years ago at a gig. I was immedi- One day I decided to face my fear and asked ately taken by his energy and precision and him why he was so hard on me. He told me his particular use of the double pedal during I have too much potential but I was wasting phrases. The other thing that caught my at- my talent. I immediately dropped my guard tention was his demeanor; he was always

Click HERE to visit Dyrol’s website at www.dyrolrandall.com

and got ready to be mentored. We started humorous while playing. We met several doing one-on-one sessions, just drum and times at his house just to jam. He taught me bass, and, my God, that’s what I needed. To how to keep the patterns clean and execute this day, I’m Peter’s favorite drummer. I con- them with power and drive. He is the kind of tinue to seek his approval on any musical person who is always willing to teach and production I undertake. help you find the best drummer in you. Isaiah “Onie” Palmer is the best reggae bass player who groomed me to hold the Was that a conscious decision on your hi-hat tight and to adopt an approach that part to take up lessons with the “other values precision and technique. I was intro- half” of the rhythm section? duced to Onie at a gig, and I told him of my In reggae music it’s particularly important for a drummer to work with and learn from bass players. You can’t be a good reggae drummer without a deep understanding of how to work it out with the bass because in reggae so much has to do with feel and groove. So the decision to learn from great bass players was totally deliberate, as they are key to making you become a better reg- gae drummer. This may not be as crucial in other genres.

Why did you relocate to Dallas, Texas?

I met Sevan Melikyan on a cruise while he was vacationing with his family. I had a con- tract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and his sister Sheyda came to the deck where we were playing. She called him to get to the deck immediately. From that moment, Sevan fell in love with my band because we were playing the real roots reggae, which he was passionate about. This was his first exposure to an authentic, live Jamaican reggae band. He introduced himself, told me he played the drums too so I invited him to sit in for a song – Bob Marley’s “Could you Be Loved”. That was a dream come true for him. While he played on the deck his family watched in support and love. After that, he promised to keep in touch and to build the band a YouTube site. He took publicity pictures of the band, treating us like real celebrities. Eight months later, I resigned from play- ing on cruise lines and informed Sevan of my decision. He suggested that we shoot an instructional video on reggae drumming, as he didn’t know of any on the market. I said, “Tell me where and when.” He organized a concert in Fort Worth with some sponsors and my picture showed up on the front page of the local paper, the Star Telegram. The day had three parts: the video shoot, the ter days ahead. There is something deeply drum clinic, and the concert in the evening inspirational about this music that will always as a finale. It was a huge success. attract talented and intelligent musicians, no My decision to stay in the US was based matter the times we live in. We also owe it on a beautiful princess I met just a few to the great artists of the 70s and 80s—in months after my encounter with Sevan, also particular Bob Marley—who have laid such on that same cruise line. She also happened solid foundations to the genre that it will al- to live in Ft. Worth. What are the odds! She ways defy the passing times and trends. became my biggest support and inspiration, always seeing the positive side of things. For those who are not familiar with reg- She is now my wife and that’s the real rea- gae styles of playing, who would you son I decided to make Dallas/Fort Worth my recommend listening to? home. I recommend any record by Bob Marley. You What is it about reggae music that just can’t go wrong with him. Survival, Ex- has maintained its extreme popularity odus, Kaya, and Babylon by Bus are good throughout many fads and phases? ways to start a collection. Then there are others like Burning Spear (Hail HIM), Gladia- Reggae music was cultured from oppression tors (Vital Selection), Abyssinians (Satta), Is- during hard economic times and our era of rael Vibration (Same Song), independence from England in 1962. Reg- (Soon Forward), Black Uhuru (Guess Who’s gae music carries messages of hope, love, Coming to Dinner with Sly [Dunbar] and freedom and a vision that there will be bet- Robbie [Shakespeare] providing the rhythm Further listening for reggae chops:

Bob Marley Toots the Maytals Roots Radics Burning Spear I Roy Jimmy Cliff Buju Banton John Holt Black Uhuru Sugar Minott Junior Murvin Don Drummond Pablo Moses Eek A Mouse Christafari Alton Ellis Andrew Tosh UB40 U Roy Prince Far I Yellow Man Junior Delgado Inner Circle Ziggy Marley The Mighty Dia- Ijahman Levi The Tamlins monds Mutabaruka Mighty Sparrow King Tubby The Ethiopians Barrington Levy section), Lee “Scratch” Perry, Culture, As- only during a recording or live performance. wad and Steel Pulse, just to name a few. In The keyboard occasionally adds special fact I plan on providing a list of essential re- effects and sounds to create that feel Bob cordings with my next instructional DVD. It’s Marley speaks about: “When music hits incredibly important to listen to these great you, you feel no pain.” records. There is so much to learn from each and every one of them. Tell me a bit about some of the other forms of Jamaican drumming like Nyabinghi Who were Marley’s influences? and Burru drumming.

Bob Marley was influenced by the Rastafar- Nyabinghi and Burru drumming are the ian movement and artists such as the late chanting musical culture of Rastafarism. It Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, The Gaylas, entails beating the drum in chant sequence. Skatalites, Kingstonians, Toots and the May- Smoking the herb forms the deep medita- tals, Bob Andy, Paragons and Ken Boothe, tion to gain wisdom and deep insight. The just to name a few. rhythms of these chants were eventually an influence of popular ska followed by rock- What is “rub a dub” when you speak in steady and reggae music. Count Ossie was the context of reggae music? the first to record nyabinghi, and he helped to establish and maintain Rastafarian cul- Rub a dub is the sound from drum and bass ture. Rastafarian culture promotes clean lev- ity with no type of meat consumption, strictly include fills, intros, more hi-hat patterns, kick vegetable nutrients (not fertilized), spring drum techniques to generate more power, water for drinking straight from the head of a an introduction to ska, more advanced one stream. Rastafarian culture takes one to the drop fills, rockers’ variations, etc. We plan on high hills where it’s very green fresh in at- providing a booklet along with the DVD with mospheric condition. Their religion is taught phrases and fills written in notes for drum- from the Maka Bee Bible. mers who prefer practicing that way.

You teach many of your students to ex- What do you have planed in the next few press not only their feeling but to convey months? a sense of having fun behind the kit. Why is this important? I just produced a couple of songs for an awesome vocalist Queen Debra Owens. In order to express fun around the kit there I should be heading to Jamaica in a few are two ingredients that are extremely impor- months, as the songs will be released there. tant, and these apply to all genres. I believe I’m also working on two albums for a great (a) passion for playing the drums, with which pianist named Collin Obama. He is a bit like comes the disposition to want to learn; and, Monty Alexander, fusing reggae drum and (b) listening to the entire band, not just for bass with jazz piano. I also did a couple of what you are doing on the drums. Once you other recording projects: one for Ras Kum- listen to the music you understand where it’s ba, a Dallas based songwriter and perform- coming from, and you foresee where it’s go- er; and, another for a singer from Nigeria. ing. You are totally part of the music. With Both CDs are set to be released this sum- your kit you make music, and there is noth- mer. And, of course, I played the drums on ing more fun than that. And with reggae you all these projects. Some of the bands I’m need that immersion into the band in order playing with right now are Ras Kumba from to acquire the feel. It’s all about the feel. Dallas, strictly roots reggae; and, Bonafide, a great band based in Las Vegas special- Tell me about your new DVD. izing in dancehall. I am also in the process of forming my own band. I have plans to tour This will be the second installment of a series with Sister Carol in April, and join the back- of instructional DVDs we plan on producing ing band for the , the Melo- on the art of reggae drumming. This one will dians, etc. There’s plenty to do!

Check out the newest drum community on the net. Click here to visit www.thedrumfill.com To Do or Not To Do by Jayson Brinkworth

don’t know about all of you, but I am a fan of making lists. Whether it is in respect to daily tasks, groceries, teaching to I do’s or what have you, I just love having a list. Yet, as I think about it, I am not sure it is the list that I love as much as it is the process of checking things off when they are done (I know, therapy is needed). As much as it is important to have these to-do lists, I find it’s also helpful to make lists of things not to do. This concept is akin to how a drummer can be more expressive on the kit with fewer notes (Remember Less Ismore?). There are lots of drum- mers who write lists on their snare head before a gig--such things as “play controlled,” “watch the dynamics,” “groove,” and many other items of importance. The following is comprised of areas that I personally deal with all of the time. You may have different headings. Under each one I have listed do’s and don’ts that I view as important. Try making your own personal lists and see if you learn more from writing the do or do not column. PRACTICE DO: • Work on areas that are not in your comfort zone. • Work on the basics often. • Work with a metronome or time source. • Have a plan in mind with goals to work towards. • Work on dynamic balance in your playing. • Record yourself.

DO NOT: • Practice things you already know. (although buffing and polishing is a good idea) • Practice too loud. • Focus on just one area of your playing. • Practice without focus and concentration. • Get frustrated.

ON A GIG DO • Be on time. • Know the material. • Have the proper equipment for the job. • Give 110% of your ability to the music. • Have fun. You are playing drums, remember?

DO NOT • Play too loud. • Think the show is all about you. • Play your Chambers’ licks on a country gig. • Drink too much, this S HOULD be a no brainer. • Ignore the task at hand: the music. GEAR DO • Choose gear that fits the music you are playing. • Shop around. • Research and ask questions. • Know the sound you are going for before purchasing. • Understand how different types of wood or metal affect the sound of the instrument.

DO NOT • Buy gear because it is the “new thing.” • Buy a kit with a 24” kick to fit into your Honda Civic. • Over spend on gear. • Think having good gear outweighs your knowledge of tuning and head selection. • Overcompensate your short comings as a player in purchasing all of the latest and greatest gear.

If you have ever used a cymbal stand to hang your clothes to dry, you might be a Drumgeek! AS A MUSICIAN DO • Take up another instrument to understand music theory and to hear drums in a different perspective. • Try singing. You might be better than you thought, and it will get you thinking about breathing. • If you play another instrument, try writing songs. Drummers make great writers and producers. • Really listen to the musical tones your drums and cymbals produce. • Know how to read music and chart out songs. We can only memorize so much.

DO NOT • Underestimate the power and musicality of the drums. • Forget that a bad drummer equals a bad band. • Forget that playing music is about more giving than receiving—not in notes, but in effort and passion. • Let other musicians brush you off as “just the drummer.” We need to work harder to prove them wrong. • Be the drummer who only has a small window of dynamic control. Our power is in the dynamics. BUSINESS

• Learn about the music businessDO and how you fit in. • Understand that there are so many areas of the business other than playing. • Know the income tax specifics for a self employed musician. • Be organized and easy to get ahold of by phone/email. • Be professional in dealing with people in the industry. • Have a website or some way to market yourself. • Have your own business cards with contact information. • Keep an updated promo package of work you are doing.

DO NOT • Think that people in the industry know who you are just because you play. • Be afraid to market yourself. You are your own public relations department. • Think that just because you play well, great gigs will come your way. You have to work hard and earn these opportunities. • Think that you will get endorsements from companies because you play well. This is a whole other side of the business that is always misunderstood. • Concentrate on just one area of the industry. You can create opportunities by having an open mind and being diverse. Also remember, knowledge is power. ATTITUDE DO • Always have an open mind. Keep criticism in perspective, but listen to your peers and other musicians you respect. • Listen to all styles of music. Even if it is not your thing at least give it a try. • Be positive and a team player. As I said there is way more giving than taking on stage. • Help carry gear, offer to drive on long trips or just be there to lend a hand. • Be ready for last minute changes and adversity. It is life, after all. Do not panic. Just dig as deep as you can into your soul and do your best DO NOT • Let your ego get out of hand. We have to play with an edge and attitude, but we have to know when to shut it off. I know players who have lost work because of this and had no idea why. • Think you are more important than the music or any other player on stage. • Bad mouth other musicians. This news travels fast and you will find that everyone loses your phone number quite quickly. • Brag when things are going well and bitch when they are not. Keep this in balance. Other players don’t need to feel like they are your counselor. • Let compliments go to your head. It is nice to be appreciated but just accept graciously and keep playing at your best.

JAYSON BRINKWORTH IS AN ACCOMPLISHED DRUMMER, PERCUSSIONIST, VOCALIST, EDUCATOR & WRITER.

CLICK ON HIS IMAGE TO LINK TO HIS WEBSITE. by Sean Mitchell

hink of the numerous times you sat be- Consider for the sake of simplicity that ru- Thind the practice pad and did your single diments and technique are to your playing strokes, your doubles, your triplets and your as vowels are to a sentence. You can get five stroke rolls. That time was imperative to by without them, but it makes things a little you as a player whether you were conscious harder to understand. of it or not. You were building the foundation What if Van Gough only had one color of of what would become the drumming temple paint, or Wayne Gretzky could only skate for- knows as insert name here. ward? When you lack technique you lack the Let’s face it, we are in an industry that ability to utilize the very tools that will help thrives on communicating human emotion you express your distinctiveness as a player. and ideals. Two musicians who verbally Imagine a world where ghost notes don’t ex- speak different languages can communicate ist (and cross over to the other side); where on the same level when they play music to- press rolls and buzz rolls line the streets, gether. As drummers our “job” is to speak asking for your spare change; where the mil- the language of rhythm, and in order to be lions of unused flams fill our unemployment understood we must mind our p’s and q’s. lines and saturate our homeless shelters. Enter endless hours of rudiments and Let’s look at any common sentence and technique practice. say that vowels represent the rudiments and techniques you possess and practice, as monotonous as they are. In the string of Better, but still… huh? a sentence the less technique (vowels), the For a number of years I sat with the head- harder it is to express the flow of creative phones on and hammered out groove after ideas. groove of my favorite tunes. One in particu- The following sentence we will say has no lar gave me my first mental meltdown: Aero- technique, and therefore the sentence con- smith’s “Walk This Way.” To that point I was tains no vowels: able to play straight eighths on the hats with a decent backbeat and equally ample four t s s r sly c l th ng t on the kick. However, in the case of this new b bl t h t th ngs f r l v ng! tune I was tackling, Mr. Kramer had added those tricky little sixteenths on the kick. As a young player my drumming vocabu- You can see that clearly, someone has lary was limited enough I could not play the tried to express a thought here, but, without song at all. Not because I wasn’t talented but the vowels, something was lost in transla- because I lacked the awareness of the foot tion. Now let’s take a moment and practice a technique that would enable me to play the few techniques. Say for example we practice kick pattern for that tune. As a good friend enough technique to have only e’s become has so eloquently put it: “The things you part of the equation. Thus our musical mas- don’t know you don’t know.” ter piece will now read: Isn’t it scary that we brilliant and highly evolved humans can run around formulat- t s ser sly c l th ng t ing thoughts and free will, but are also prone be ble t h t th ngs f r l v ng! to letting ourselves believe that we are only as capable as what we currently know? The average player, for example, might play to a hundred people a night only because he or she does not yet have the awareness or the technique it takes to play to a hundred thou- sand a night. Needless to say, if ever you have an issue with your abilities or a lack of practice time the person you need to talk to is always waiting in the bathroom mirror. Now let’s get back to our sentence. Let’s say that we now have done enough work with that seemingly lame practice pad to warrant the addition of some i’s:

It is seri sly c l thing t be ble t hit things f r living! Click HERE to check out Jack Straight on the web. See the thing I always missed when prac- www.myspace.com/jackstraightwpg ticing rudiments was that I underestimated how much I was accomplishing when I sat at my practice pad. There was a period in time us so much in the way of freedom to down- when I was on the road in my early twen- load and distribute music, but the process of ties that our band was learning tune after digital compression unfortunately does limit tune to accommodate what I now deem to the depth of our musical landscape once it be a ridiculous sized set list (five one-hour hits the web. Because of this duality we have sets) as per request from the many clubs become a society all too accustomed to the we frequently played. For a time, I hate to heavy four on the floor dynamics with the say it, but I chose to forsake technique to relentless 2 and 4 on the back door of the learn tunes. In the end, I paid the price when groove. Although a beautiful thing in its own I came upon many concepts which initially right, you still must go out and spend some seemed relatively easy but proved difficult to time with the notes and space between the execute without certain chops. Try playing backbeat to find balance; for there lies a les- any sixteenth note shuffle on the snare at son or two in control and dynamics. Listen to a rate of 170 bpm or higher and tell me that vinyl and CDs to find the mastering that ac- you don’t need technique! tually lets you hear those grace notes, those Back to our metaphor: the sentence that beautiful flams, and those magnificent buzz lacks vowels. Let’s put my two-fingered typ- rolls. ing skills out of their misery and say that you Be bold, my fellow batterista. Your voice now have enough quality time with your rudi- in music requires its own care and consid- ments that you have all the vowels a cunning eration—for drummerkind cannot live on 2 linguist could need. And thus we read: and 4 alone. The road to musical expression is only partially paved with groove. Vive la It is a seriously cool thing to chops! be able to hit things for a living!

In this day and age of heavily produced mu- sic and compressed sound, MP3 has given

THE BLACK PAGE WANTS YOU The Black Page is looking for a few good teachers. We are starting a global database of educators worldwide to publish every month in The Black Page. Education is the future of drumming, and the more access we have to great teachers the better off our industry will be. To submit your name, email address/website to our database, email Sean at: [email protected]

The listng is free for full & part-time drum educators. Please provide some reference material for us to look at. DOUBLE BASS BUILDING BLOCKS by Ryan Carver Here is an exercise I have been shedding a lot lately. This is de- signed to help build speed control and endurance. Start by playing each line twice. Then progress to playing each line 4 and 8 times each. Start at a slow tempo and slowly up to the faster tempos. Re- cord your max tempos. Endurance is key, so play each one as long as you can.

Ryan Carver is a member of the Academy of Drums faculty, the Vic Firth education team and PASIC. Click either link below to visit him on the web or to email Ryan your questions and groove requests. www.carverdrums.com www.myspace.com/ryancarver “Some of the high schools are beginning to turn out some good young musi- cians now. They’re all musi- cally educated. That’s what we’re gonna need to change this music. So, it’s up to you guys.” Uriel Jones 1934 - 2009