Tiger Bill Reviews

On The Beaten Path: Jazz - The Drummer's Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It

Book/CD

by Rich Lackowski and John O'Reilly Jr.

 

 

Learn from Jazz Greats
Regardless of whether you are a drummer specializing  in Jazz, Funk/R&B, Alternative/Punk Rock, Metal, Fusion, Reggae, Jam, Classic Rock, or Progressive Rock drumming, the best drummers on the planet are those who have studied the legends who came before them. Even the legends themselves have stolen or, if you prefer, borrowed techniques and ideas from those who have come before them. The best of the best modify the licks they pick up and add them to their own bag of tricks. This is what helps you construct a unique style of your own.

The initial volume in this series "On The Beaten Path:The Drummer's Guide to Musical Styles and the Legends Who Defined Them," featured the top three drummers in each of the nine most popular musical genres. As large as the book was, at over 240 pages, it was still impossible not to leave out many of the popular drummers in each genre. However, the fact that it was voted the number 1 educational book in Modern Drummer's reader's poll and number 1 in DRUM! Magazine's reader's poll certainly sent a signal to the author that he was on the right track!

Author Lackowski followed up the first volume with a book called "On The Beaten Path: Progressive Rock - The Drummers' Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It," which wisely concentrated on a single genre to allow the coverage of a full dozen of the top Progressive Rock drummers in great detail.

In this volume, "On The Beaten Path: Jazz - The Drummers' Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It," author Rich Lackowski teams up with John O'Reilly Jr. to share the definitive grooves and licks of the top dozen drummers from the Jazz genre.

The featured dozen are Art Blakey, Jack DeJonette, Jeff Hamilton, Elvin Jones, "Papa" Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Gene Krupa, Joe Morello, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Bill Stewart, and Tony Williams.

The book is laid out in twelve main chapters, each of which is dedicated to one drummer. Included are photos, biographical information, text/diagram of gear setups, and transcripts of three trademark grooves or solos of each artist. Author Rick Lackowski ranks each of these patterns for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level players and breaks them down into easily digestible segments. And, for those who can't read the music notation, an audio CD is included containing a demonstration of each pattern in the book.

In addition to the main chapters there are additional ones covering Music Notation, The Legends of Jazz Drumming (brief history of jazzl drumming including a timeline), a discography of other jazz drummers and recordings you should know, and the author's own experience following The Path.

Special Features
An audio CD is included that contains 36 tracks that demonstrate each pattern and solo that appears in the written transcripts throughout the book.

Bottom Line: On the Beaten Path: Jazz Book/CD
Author Rich Lackowski is on a roll. This book is the ideal tool not just for use by drummers learning on their own, but for use by drum instructors as a valuable tool to help get and keep their students motivated. The dozen top jazz drummers featured here will no doubt add tons of inspiration to any drummer's workout routine!

Regardless of experience level or musical style, or whether you love or hate jazzl music, your bag of tricks will benefit greatly from taking a trip "On The Beaten Path: Jazzl - The Drummer's Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It."

While $19.95 is a solid value for a 112 page book and audio CD, you can get it for even less online. Just click the following link: