2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It

Presented by

Jeff Phillips - Walt Disney World, Freelance Musician, Clinician and Adjudicator Session Coordinator – Jesse Bryant, Rochelle School of the Arts - Lakeland, FL

Assisted by

Rob Lambert, Harrison School for the Arts, Lakeland, FL

The Polk State College Band Rhythm Section, Winter Haven, FL

Don West, Director Luke Wilmoth, Piano – Ian Albritton, Guitar – Trenton Moser, Bass – Brendan Nagy, Drums

The purpose of the clinic is to make sure each player in the rhythm section understands their role, that each player is working their best to play together, and that when accompanying a band or soloist, they must play tasteful, unrelenting time.

Swing Style Drums:

 Hi hat usage  Velocity of attack  Eighth note triplet feel on the ride cymbal  Using the left hand to comp, or in the early stages, start to play cross sticks or standard sticking on beats 2 and/or 4  In being an accompanist, a "fill" is never as important and keeping solid time moving.  Don't play a fill or something else just for the sake of playing it. It has to make musical sense and add something to the music. Bass:

 Quarter note placement.  Using the triplet eighth note feel to place the quarter note.  Placing the quarter note "inside" of what the drummer is playing.  The bass should be aiming to place the quarter note inside the hi-hat as it closes on beats 2 and 4.  Play "straight down the middle" with a solid attack on each note, making each note sustain as long as possible.

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 Do not play "ahead or up on the beat". This is poorly chosen terminology often levied by teachers and musicians, at every level, who don't have a clear understanding of what is actually going on.  If you want to ruin a bassist for life, just tell them to play "up on the beat".  Usually, all they are looking for is velocity of attack and commitment to the note.  That said, your bassist must pull the strings, whether it is an electric or acoustic bass to create a solid “4 beat" feel. Guitar (if applicable):

 Again, addressing the quarter note, we will use the Freddie Green/Herb Ellis approach of playing quarter notes.  Guitar uses same basic note placement as the bassist, but with short notes.  Velocity of attack across the strings, with the sound of the pick crossing the strings being of extreme importance.  2 and 3 note voicing when possible or once learned. Use top 3 or 4 strings only.  "Rootless" voicings if possible. Roots and fifths of chords can be omitted.  Go to www.FreddieGreen.org to read about how he did what he did. Sidebar: Freddie did not use a pick, but your student will need to. Piano:

 Depending on whether guitar is present, the pianist role can change.  The pianist can play less notes if guitar is present. If not, then the pianist has to assume a part of the role the guitarist has.  If guitar is present, I have the student play less of the part unless it is a transcription of a famous part, sometimes letting them use one hand at a time until the part becomes 'comfortable".  NO SUSTAIN PEDAL should be used unless you have an advanced player that knows how and when to use the pedal. Teach the student to sustain with their fingers first.  If there is no guitar present and you have a beginning jazz student, I use the same technique already mentioned.  If the student can play fairly well in the section, even if they are strictly a really good reader and not an improviser, I will have them play more of the part, or for lack or better terminology, "busier".  Even still, I try to limit myself to 4 to 5 voices maximum. If the pianist is advanced enough, avoid root position chord voicings and roots and fifths unless voiced in the higher voices.  Again, NO SUSTAIN PEDAL.

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Bossa Nova/Samba

 The average student doesn't have time to make a study out of the "clave" in this music.  They do however, have YOUTUBE. Drums:

 The role can be much understated in the slower tempo Bossa Nova, or busier in the faster Samba tempo.  Bass drum will be light in volume in both.  For simplest, pure form Bossa Nova, listen to original version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's, "Girl from Ipanema" and "Wave".  For more advanced versions of Bossa/Samba, Brazilian artist Rosa Passos.  All of these can be found on YouTube.  Again, everything the drummer plays must be deliberate.  Playing soft or lighter can be accomplished by playing less parts of the kit than playing everything to light and losing the sense of rhythm. Bass:

 For beginner, half notes played on beats 1 and 3 with a solid attack.  Let the notes sustain.

Guitar:

 Again, as mentioned above, we do not have the time to address the “clave” in rhythmic placement of chords for the guitar and the piano. However, you have recordings and videos into the thousands of hours just on YouTube alone.  A student / teacher can study technique, chord structure, note placement, etc., just using YouTube. It does not require a microscopic dissection, it requires listening and emulating. You can use Jamey Abersold’s website to search for chord voicing books, whether it be jazz/swing, or Brazilian style playing.

Piano:

 The pianist should approach comping in Brazilian style in the same manner as the guitarist.  The role, does again, change, depending on whether or not guitar is in the section. If not, then the pianist must study the same type voicings as the guitarist and not play thickly voiced chords.  You can do everything you need to do, initially, in 4 voices.  The rhythmic feel is most important and to not overplay that feel.  If guitar is present, the pianist must learn to not play the same thing the guitarist is playing.  This requires high level thinking that will be addressed in the clinic.

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Jeff’s Recommended Listening for Big Band Rhythm sections

Top artists, by instrument, known for their rhythm section playing

Piano   Mike Renzi (accompanist for Mel Tormé, Jack Jones, )  Wynton Kelly 

Bass  Ray Brown (first and foremost)  Christian McBride  John Clayton  Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (duets with Oscar Peterson)

Guitar  Freddie Green  Herb Ellis  Kenny Burrell  Russell Malone  Frank Vignola

Drums  Jo Jones  Buddy Rich   Terry Clarke  Butch Miles  Harold Jones

Jeff’s Top Big Band Rhythm Sections.

1. Count Basie Rhythm Sections - 1937-1939  Drummer Jo Jones already using the ride cymbal on some tunes by this time.  First rhythm section to have a "light" but tight feel.  Nearly every famous band of the Swing Era had excellent rhythm sections, complete with guitar.

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2. Band leaders Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw had excellent rhythm sections that, despite what some "jazzers" like to classify as a commercial style, are worth studying. The majority of the musicians in these sections transitioned easily to jazz later on.

3. Count Basie Rhythm Sections 1954 to present.

4. Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass had a more "modern" sound, but still had a 4 piece rhythm section that accompanied the band magnificently.

5. Woody Herman 1962-1964 - Great rhythm section with Jake Hanna on drums.

6. Ray Brown and Herb Ellis from the Oscar Peterson Trio of the 1950's must also be mentioned here.

7. Duke Ellington 1954 to 1974

8. Jazz at Lincoln Center Rhythm Section.

There are, of course, many other great rhythm sections, however, I am trying to keep it to sections that played unrelenting time as an accompanying entity. The quarter note is never lost in any of these bands or by any musician. These are musicians who revel in playing "time".

Important reference recordings and/or YouTube videos

Links: Swing

 Count Basie Complete Decca Recordings, 1937-1939. CD Available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgFOsxrlYKw

 Count Basie "Corner Pocket", 1962 DVD available. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IVX8BayOCA

 Count Basie and 1965 Live TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsSEgsLDhA4

 Benny Goodman 1935 (year wrong on link) excellent example of hard swinging in 2 beat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-T43tKJYo

 Oscar Peterson Trio with Stan Getz. No drums. CD Available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqnGrK6Q3uE

 Woody Herman 1963. Mosaic Collection on CD 1963-1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B0UAjrfOYA

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 Duke Ellington, "A Train", 1962 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6mFGy4g_n8

 Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass. "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rovOejbiUEo

 Monty Alexander-Ray Brown-Herb Ellis (all 7 parts to this concert on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK9UDGGOxGk

 "Chattanooga Choo Choo" original stereo track from 1941. Forget the commercial aspect. This is a phenomenal true stereo example of this band and a great rhythm section. Also a great example of an original "shuffle" and use of ride cymbal. The ride cymbal did not really become in vogue until the late 1940's despite many drummers experimenting with it in the late 1930's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxML_k0_NaA

 Count Basie, Blues In Hoss Flat 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4frt6vy2TM&list=PLwF7H2q48PPOkKSUyoagO1Rz7qASpsuOL&ind ex=1

Links: Bossa Nova/Samba

 All Star Brazilian Rhythm Section featuring Oscar Castro Neves on guitar. For those unfamiliar, having a magnificent voice is not the point very often in this music, but the feeling it conveys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZyXZA6QHWw

 Oscar Castro Neves solo singing "The Water of March". Wonderful example of solo guitar as accompanying instrument. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g3-7M51Tns

 Oscar Castro Neves again. All-star Brazilian group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLf9M2qfOR4

 Rosa Passos, vocals and guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqoR9xZGWco

 Jeff Hamilton (drums) Trio playing up tempo Samba. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p38OwwPczKo

 Jose Feliciano 1969 Brazilian Medley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vP2hVjgYW8

 Eliane Elias "So Danco Samba" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F-HNvlz378

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Some of my favorite recordings or DVDs:

 Count Basie 1962-DVD  Count Basie - Chairman of The Board-CD  Oscar Peterson Trio With Stan Getz - CD  Woody Herman Mosaic Collections 1963-64- CDs  Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass with Phil Woods CD  Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert- CD  Keith Jarrett - My Foolish Heart- CD  Benny Goodman 1985 Concert, YouTube.  Frank Sinatra's - Any Albums arranged by either Nelson Riddle or Billy May. 1950s to 1963  Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave CD  Rob McConnell - Atras De Porta CD

Again, for the student, there is a world of resources out there. This is a small representation of the resources I use to train rhythm sections.

Again, the purpose of the clinic is to make sure each player understands their role, that each player is working their best to play together, and that when accompanying a band or soloist, you must play tasteful, unrelenting time. All the theses examples represent that idea.

My videos:  "Lester Leaps In" - Jeff Phillips keyboards, left hand guitar comping, right hand piano comping, left foot playing bass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jPemA5Mj4o

 "I Love You" by Cole Porter - Jeff Phillips keyboards, left hand Brazilian guitar comping, right hand light accompanying, bass pedals (can’t be seen in this video). Not more than five to six total "voices" coming from me. Can play just a few minutes of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js90_yk2sf0

Thank you for coming today. If I, or my colleagues can be of assistance to you and your students, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Best of luck!

Contact Information

Jeff Phillips Rob Lambert Don West [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 407-493-0450

Note: This handout will be uploaded to the FMEA clinics page for you to download.

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