Ed Thigpen was my teacher, when I was young. He lived in Copenhagen, and I used to bike to his rehearsal room. Often I ended up spending two or three, up to four hours of playing, listening and talking music, life, nature and rhythm and drinking a soda on the stairs. He was not a normal drum teacher, but much more a sensei. He is buried close to where I live now, and I occasionally go for a walk to the cemetery. He sure was a great drummer, artist, thinker and human.
The “pocket” comes when drum high hat and bass concentrate on two and four. Oscar told me: the “forget none and three, action is on two and four.” Never forgot that.
During my very first gig playing jazz with an acoustic trio in 1968, I was only 18 years old and scared to death. The bass player leaned over and very quietly said in my ear, "Don't worry son, I've got your back." He saved my life that night. If that had gone wrong, I would have given up on playing drums forever. Ever since then, I have always maintained close contact with all the bass players and given them the respect they deserve. This video reminds me of that night. Thank you!
Thanks for this Quincy. I have used this video with students for several years but didn't talk through it even though I know what's happening. Your commentary is great and I enjoy it very much, so I'm going to play them your thoughts on the video. This OP trio was the first OP material I heard and I was hooked instantly. I get on the stand now with too many players who want to "over-interact" instead of creating time that a bolt of lightening couldn't crack. I had a drummer argue with me about this video because of Ray directing things. I told him, "Ray knows what Oscar wants and knows what will move him!' They had already worked together for 8 year when Ed joined them. I met Ed once....what a supreme gentleman and musician. I was fortunate.
I just want to say, there's a jazz thing that's in some bones, and I try and I play, but no, that jazz is not in my bones--it belongs to these guys--and you know what? that's where it belongs--so great man.
Loved this, thank you! I dig that you pointed out their tight, intimate setup. One thing I noticed also was how Ed controls the tone and the length of the note with the left hand by muting with a little pressure at times. He's also accomplishing this by playing from a higher angle and rotating his wrist toward the body to use his fingers. I grew up as a child listening to this music and somehow at the age of 11, I understood the intensity, beauty, and hard swing of this trio. My dad was an excellent jazz pianist and educator who loved Oscar Peterson, so we had his records. I used to look at the album photos and study them while listening, laying on the floor under my dad's piano. I remember one of Ed in a white tee-shirt sitting at a Ludwig sparkle kit and he had his mallets stowed on the floor tom between the shell and the top of the leg as it comes out of the bracket; the handles coming out at almost a right angle. I thought that was so cool! I'm sure it was a "quick change" method because on this record "VERY TALL" with guest Milt Jackson they play the best version of "On Green Dolphin Street" you'll ever hear and he switches seamlessly between brushes, sticks, and mallets. There was also a picture of Milt leaning back with a slant to the side with his eyes closed, arms extended while playing in a state of emotional rapture. Just that picture said so much to me about the emotional content of the music, and at this tender young age I heard it, saw it, got it. It literally directed the trajectory of my life forever, and shortly after I got my first snare drum and taught myself to play the brushes. It's mesmerizing listening to Ed play them, he has a magical way that goes beyond the strokes. I remember listening really hard and VISUALIZING what he was doing to get that; what a master. We also had "Oscar plays the Swingin' Brass"; a big band setup with the trio, and you should hear Ed playing that stuff man!
As a pianist it is very refreshing to see the opinions around the drum or bass players or the harmony with the rhythm section in general. It’s very easy to always have Oscar at the forefront of ur listening cus he’s just so mind blowing. But the outstanding work behind the piano’s boastful shimmering is often under appreciated or entirely forgotten.
The interaction between Ed and Ray is perfect! When I play drums in gigs like this, I don't always know who the bass player will be or the setup for the venue (stage, floor, dinner/dance, dance or just cocktails with a small dance floor), but I ALWAYS try to be as close to the bass player as possible while seeing the piano player's hands. Visual or verbal cues are required, not just optional. Like you said, "...in constant conversation with each other". There is no way to describe this because it is more of an experience than just watching or listening. The music just flows when it happens naturally. The cymbal changes should happen naturally and not interrupt anything, it should supplement the feeling. Can you tell that I'm smiling? I've been playing jazz with small groups since the early 70's .
You just made me think that swing is not just about "swinging hard" but as much about timing, restraint, sensitivity and listening. At the same time, it's not just technical virtuosity, it has just as much heart, soul and emotion! The Oscar Peterson Trio is having a great conversation, but unlike a real one, everybody is SUPPOSED to talk at the same time, and make split second decisions about what to say. I wish there was a word like GENIUS that applied the highest level of human feeling (the word PASSION doesn't quite capture it for me). This is it!
Thanks for your analysis pointing out the nuances- crisp hi hat, etc. I saw Oscar in a quartet setting including Joe Pass at the Blue Note in NYC and I remember them doing a version of Sweet Georgia Brown where they didn’t state the head at the beginning. Oscar just improvised all the way through, then Joe did the same. They did this for 6 minutes and then the rhythm section kicked in and that’s when they played the head. That was almost 40 years ago and I still get goose bumps thinking of it.
As a Dane, I know it was recorded in "Holbæk Jazzklub" in 1964. The music is smoking, and the audience is also smoking in the literal sense. Ed Thigpen lived in Copenhagen for the last part of his life. I visited him a few times and talked wire brushes. P.S: I would love to hear your drummer's reaction to a concert I attended in 1986 in the beautiful Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. ua-cam.com/video/GTkMghTOsEY/v-deo.html
Oh, yes… that’s correct…. The trio in Denmark 1964. 3 nights, If i recall at the Jazzklub… and this performance was from the 1st night. (It’s not found on DVDs published…only night 2 and 3.) Thanks heavens for “Jazz Icons” DVD series for their work preserving the concert!
Wow this was sweet! Been listening to Oscar Peterson for my whole life (he’s from my hometown ❤) but never watched any videos of him play. As a dancer I really appreciated your breakdown of their physical communication through the music. Really excellent video/reaction! 🙌
This is an example of transcendent artistry. Thank you for honoring this iconic, humble artist. Love your channel. Your teaching is so deeply heartfelt. Thank you.
Watched, and listened twice in a row......you are correct about Complimentary playing . Each member,has the groove.....but they are also in the correct Space.......you can hear each instrument,any time you selectively listen......No One is mashing over anyone else's part. I picked up this theory listening to Steely Dan back in the 70's.....and it applies to All Bands,to my Ear.....when they are all In Time, on the Chord Changes, and in the Space......that is Magic to my Ear. The Jazzy Swing though.....Wooooo! Thanks for the share😉
Thanks for hitting me back.....would love to hear you break down Stevie Wonder's Superstition......it's Salty,Jazzy Funk, but it's recorded with everyone in their Space......and we're talking 70's recording gear. ... I think that's why I loved this Trio video......with limited reproduction gear......Those Cats Just Can't Be Denied.....it's Epic AND Timeless!
Swing is right! Wow! Fantastic! What a tremendous band. Like Oscar Ed Thigpen was so swinging & cool (and the best brushes player ever in my humble opinion). Cheers mate.
Thigpen’s lead ins after those beginning breaks are outstanding. When he changes rides later on, when Peterson starts the block chords, he chooses a dryer ride. I think he purposely went for that to get more definition. That sound is more percussive than the washier ride. That percussive sound with those percussive block chord adds a new level of intensity without playing louder or faster or any other thing. Brilliant! FP
C Jam Blues was written by Duke Ellington. (But Basie's played it.) Oscar's original trio was piano, bass, and guitar. That's the one where he copied Nat Cole's trio from the 1940s. The guitar player was Herb Ellis. I got a chance to drive him and Barney Kessel through a blizzard for five hours to Syracuse, NY back 1980. They had just done a concert at SUNY Potsdam in early Feb 1980 with the group The Great Guitars and had to catch a flight next day. Both of them had played at some point in their careers with Oscar, and told me a LOT of great stories on our way down to Syracuse. They were a couple of really nice guys. Of course, to honest, the album that inspired me to pursue a career as a jazz pianist was Oscar Peterson Live In Russia. The drummer on that album? Ed Thigpen. Thanks for allowing me to post this, and thanks for posting such a great video. Have a great Christmas. PMH
@@drumqtips Oh, no worries. The more stories that get shared about these guys who gave all of us so much to listen to and learn from, the better. Thanks for posting.
Count Basie's C-Jam Blues 😂. I always thought, Duke wrote it 😉. The additional 4 bar pick up each chorus is also from Dukes original recording. I also perform it with this additional 4 bars with my trio. It's real fun to do it like this to break the bluesroutine and upsets everyone when they has to do the first time.
Ron Burgundy says thanks from San Diego 🖐🏽, I noticed that when Ed clips the open hihat towards the end the timing is very clipped, almost rushed it gives it added intensity I think, this was a very enjoyable and educational video, many thanks Quincy 💥🥁💥
I think this is a great demonstration and lesson in listening. They are all locked in together and totally in the groove!!!!!! Fantastic. It doesn't have to be loud and busy to be powerful!!!! All the money and all the fame cannot put on a smile on your face like these guys have from just playing music together!!!!
Just repeating the comment about the "expert play-by-play analysis" which I greatly appreciated and would love to see more of! Just a great job on this video. Bravo!
I had the incredible honor of getting to literally just hang out with Ed Thigpen at PASIC in New Orleans in '91. He will always be one of my all time favorite role models. Mr. Taste!
Wow incredible! Oscar Peterson may be the greatest musician that ever lived. Thanks for sharing. I'd like to throw a name into the mix when it comes to swinging. Eddie Costa the great pianist from the mid late fifties and early sixties. Here's a link to a nice version of "Lets Do It" Although not as broad and dynamic as that super performance above, and I believe Eddie would even tell you that, there is a special place in my heart for Costa's swinging and intense style.
“Tight or loose” is an eternal theme in jazz playing. Ed's play here, while intensely tight, offers great space and freedom to the other two, Oscar and Ray, without making the listener feel suffocated or constricted at all.
Quincy I just found your vid and really liked your analisis. Now I have to say that this was the best line up that Oscar Peterson had. Ed Thigpin and Ray Brown, then he changed it and for me it never was the same.
Simply fantastic. Both the original video of course, as I have always been a fan of this trio. But also your analysis, because as you show there is so much to learn by just watching those fantastic musicians closely. And I love your excitement about this music, which I feel too listening to it.
Maybe someone already said. It's not Basie, it's the maestro Duke Ellington's tune and the arrangement had the 4 bar breaks in the big band and then landed on the one chord again back at top of blues. And Oscar does that for many choruses.
I'm glad to discover people who feel what i feel listening to this! I agree, this Is the most swinging video on UA-cam! Thanks for sharing man! I loved It!
Amazing new series! I enjoyed a lot watching this killer video with your comments! And learned a lot about they verbal communication ! Also the part about the ride cymbal change over the block chords is a gem! Thanks as always! 🙏 Have a nice week!!!
I love this trio. They were so amazing together. Night Train is one of my favorite recordings of all time. Ed doesn’t always get the king of recognition that others like Art, Max or Elvin do, but I think he should always be included in any list of the greatest players. More importantly, however, is how he anchored the band. Whether it’s was with sticks or, more famously, brushes, Ed just drove the band perfectly. Thanks for the video and commentary.
certainly one of the greatest and swinging tunes shown on youtube with the greatest Trio ever, Oscar, Ed & Ray. watching this video since many years and it so inspiring and great. Great to hear and see your feel and your comments and observations
First of all - thank you for your reaction. I'm a 'kid" from Canada. Who knew two of the best pianists from the 1960s were Canadian. One - Oscar. The other one Glenn Gould. Both broke their genre of music - true outsiders. If you have not - do a review on Glenn Gould. The man was Michael Jordon on the keys - regarding Bach. (Goldberg Variations). And think of it Gould and Peterson lived close to each other. Hah!
Wow, that’s amazing that you knew both of those genius Pianist’s! Maybe I’ll try to do something on Glenn Gould and how it relates to what we do as drummers. Good idea and thanks for sharing!
I’m not wading into a competition with the great Oscar P, but the groove Wynton’s group locked into at the House of Tribes has a similar deep feeling swing for me. Cheers again! m.ua-cam.com/video/dH7JeQK5hvE/v-deo.html
This is cool. I like your comments, Quincy. You obviously dig it and it is super swinging for sure. I had a lesson with Ed Thigpen here in Vancouver back in the early 80's. He didn't really say a lot, but what he said had weight. He was getting across that feel and swing wins over chops every day of the week.
These reaction videos you're doing are so important to me and many others. It allows me to see things I never noticed and in turn will improve my playing and listening skills. Thankyou! Ps. That little hi hat open hit Ive been doing for a long while. Not because of Ed but Gavin Harrison. It just found its place in my jazz playing.
I hear this on a regular basis. When I play this vid I have to watch it multiple times each visit. I've been playing the recording for over 55 years. Ed definately drives em once released following Oscars fantastic intro. These guys were always on fire when they played together Thank goodness and the Universe that it was captured this way. Terribly missed. Thank you for playing it and sharing your feelings. Lets hope it comes back into vogue again
i was searching for this kinda video for quite some time. jazz reaction/analysis by the guy who truly knows whatss up whats happening!!! pls moreee thank youuu this teaches a lot this teaches how to listennn
Man!! Thank you for that!! I was so locked in and it was as if I was playing. So many good things are going to happen when I get a kit in my house again. Now I know where to go when I need my timing belt adjusted.
Yes Sir!!!! This video said it all 👍as you mentioned before mr. Davis it's the most swingin' stuff ever 💫 GREATEST OSCAR PETERSON TRIO FOREVER!!!! many swingin' greetings from Prague 🎹🎉🙏
I’ve listened to many albums in my time around drums, jazz, music. But when I want to ground myself in tasteful playing, clean up my busywork. I come back to Night Train. It’s a masterclass on what to play and what not to play. Sometimes I want to explore Elvin triplet mania or Max’s beautifully elegant hand motions. But you can swing just as hard, arguably harder by just listening and get in where you fit in like Ed & the OP Trio! What a great video and message for us all Q!
Y E S ! ! ! ready, of course, always for Oscar Peterson. His where some of the very first jazz albums I bought when I still was a teenager. Thx for the lesson!
Ed Thigpen!!! The epitome of taste!!! Appreciate you’re notes about the hi-hat. Clean, crisp, and a full range of dynamics. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on any thing by Frankie Dunlop, Eddie Blackwell, Billy Higgins, or Connie Kay. I think each of these gentlemen are great players. Time to get past the standard canon of three or four drummers of the bop era!! And, Ed Thigpen, is one of those great drummers!!
Thanks. The communication between the three of them! Yeah BTW..if you are still looking for suggestions, mine would be..Dave Brubeck Quartet..Castilian Blues. In 5/4. It swings and has a tasty solo by Joe Morello.
Great way to start a day! I started laughing at few points due to the intense swing! Especially when Oscar started in on those block chords! I´ve recently watched another Oscar trio vid featuring NHOP on a bass solo that....well you can only imagine! :)
Perhaps equal or a close second in how things swing could be Oscar and his trio playing “Blues Etude” in 1974 at Ronny Scott’s night club in London. So glad I found your You Tube here. I am very impressed with your analysis, especially of the subtle communications between these extremely talented musicians.
Quincy - this is by far the best educational Video that I have seen in a long time! Great breakdown and analysis of the trio, song, groove, dynamics and especially the cues from Oscar and Ray! Love it!!!
I've been listening to that track since I was a kid - my parents had quite a bit of Oscar on vinyl - and I never tire of it. I like what you said about the simplicity of the playing; even Oscar, though relentlessly complicated, has tiny, tiny gaps between the very, very fast notes. I play a bit of blues keyboard (badly) as a hobby but one thing I notice at jam sessions is that many players just don't make space for music to happen. I'm always trying to make space and get things to swing but most players I know want to rock the blues and fill in all the gaps.
@onnicegramquincydavis2 Are you real or is this a scam as happened to me when commenting on Rick Beato's UA-cam? Answer from Quincy only please. @quincydavis
Digital Download Store (30% off of EVERYTHING until January 1st)
qsdigitaldownloads.sellfy.store/
Ed Thigpen was my teacher, when I was young. He lived in Copenhagen, and I used to bike to his rehearsal room. Often I ended up spending two or three, up to four hours of playing, listening and talking music, life, nature and rhythm and drinking a soda on the stairs. He was not a normal drum teacher, but much more a sensei.
He is buried close to where I live now, and I occasionally go for a walk to the cemetery. He sure was a great drummer, artist, thinker and human.
You have your soul’s ears wide open. Your words are the music of a quartet..❤
That’s amazing Francis. Tak for sharing good sir👊🏾
Ed Thigpen was your teacher? Wow! What? Oh man , so cool, would have loved to have met that guy. So lucky, very impressed.
@@celticpridedrums Well, he had many students, I was just one of them ... but he indeed was an inspiring human being!
This isn't so much "reaction" as it is expert play-by-play analysis AND I LOVE IT. Love how you draw attention to the subtle communication going on. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Mark!
As a drummer, there's so much to learn from Thigpen. He knew how to serve the music.
Check out Bobby Durham aswell.👍👍
One of the greatest trios ever. Ed was a friend and he was not only a great drummer but also a great person. One of the tastiest drummers ever.
Nobody swung like Oscar. Imagine being in his trio. These cats are top notch!
Agreed!!
Ed Thigpen's Hi-Hat work is so crisp. The pitch, the touch, the pocket. An all-time great.
Ed Thigpen is underrated and rarely listed among the top greats even though he is.
It didn't just stop with his hi hat work, the man was an absolute BEAST of a player.
Wonderful Grady Tate was another "Crispy" drummer....
The “pocket” comes when drum high hat and bass concentrate on two and four. Oscar told me: the “forget none and three, action is on two and four.” Never forgot that.
During my very first gig playing jazz with an acoustic trio in 1968, I was only 18 years old and scared to death. The bass player leaned over and very quietly said in my ear, "Don't worry son, I've got your back." He saved my life that night. If that had gone wrong, I would have given up on playing drums forever. Ever since then, I have always maintained close contact with all the bass players and given them the respect they deserve. This video reminds me of that night.
Thank you!
Awesome story Boom. Bass Player and DrumHER have to be best friends, at least on the bandstand :-) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this Quincy. I have used this video with students for several years but didn't talk through it even though I know what's happening. Your commentary is great and I enjoy it very much, so I'm going to play them your thoughts on the video. This OP trio was the first OP material I heard and I was hooked instantly. I get on the stand now with too many players who want to "over-interact" instead of creating time that a bolt of lightening couldn't crack. I had a drummer argue with me about this video because of Ray directing things. I told him, "Ray knows what Oscar wants and knows what will move him!' They had already worked together for 8 year when Ed joined them. I met Ed once....what a supreme gentleman and musician. I was fortunate.
Awesome you use this video with students. Your students are lucky to have you as their teacher Jeff!
This right here!! Young drummers everywhere listen to the man!! QD is giving you the stuff!
🙏🏾🙏🏾
I just want to say, there's a jazz thing that's in some bones, and I try and I play, but no, that jazz is not in my bones--it belongs to these guys--and you know what? that's where it belongs--so great man.
Loved this, thank you! I dig that you pointed out their tight, intimate setup. One thing I noticed also was how Ed controls the tone and the length of the note with the left hand by muting with a little pressure at times. He's also accomplishing this by playing from a higher angle and rotating his wrist toward the body to use his fingers. I grew up as a child listening to this music and somehow at the age of 11, I understood the intensity, beauty, and hard swing of this trio. My dad was an excellent jazz pianist and educator who loved Oscar Peterson, so we had his records. I used to look at the album photos and study them while listening, laying on the floor under my dad's piano. I remember one of Ed in a white tee-shirt sitting at a Ludwig sparkle kit and he had his mallets stowed on the floor tom between the shell and the top of the leg as it comes out of the bracket; the handles coming out at almost a right angle. I thought that was so cool! I'm sure it was a "quick change" method because on this record "VERY TALL" with guest Milt Jackson they play the best version of "On Green Dolphin Street" you'll ever hear and he switches seamlessly between brushes, sticks, and mallets. There was also a picture of Milt leaning back with a slant to the side with his eyes closed, arms extended while playing in a state of emotional rapture. Just that picture said so much to me about the emotional content of the music, and at this tender young age I heard it, saw it, got it. It literally directed the trajectory of my life forever, and shortly after I got my first snare drum and taught myself to play the brushes. It's mesmerizing listening to Ed play them, he has a magical way that goes beyond the strokes. I remember listening really hard and VISUALIZING what he was doing to get that; what a master. We also had "Oscar plays the Swingin' Brass"; a big band setup with the trio, and you should hear Ed playing that stuff man!
Awesome Alan! Thanks for sharing.
OP is one bad man, and his trio work is stellar....
As a pianist it is very refreshing to see the opinions around the drum or bass players or the harmony with the rhythm section in general. It’s very easy to always have Oscar at the forefront of ur listening cus he’s just so mind blowing. But the outstanding work behind the piano’s boastful shimmering is often under appreciated or entirely forgotten.
The interaction between Ed and Ray is perfect! When I play drums in gigs like this, I don't always know who the bass player will be or the setup for the venue (stage, floor, dinner/dance, dance or just cocktails with a small dance floor), but I ALWAYS try to be as close to the bass player as possible while seeing the piano player's hands. Visual or verbal cues are required, not just optional. Like you said, "...in constant conversation with each other". There is no way to describe this because it is more of an experience than just watching or listening. The music just flows when it happens naturally.
The cymbal changes should happen naturally and not interrupt anything, it should supplement the feeling.
Can you tell that I'm smiling? I've been playing jazz with small groups since the early 70's .
Boom! I love your comment and I love the way you talk about the music and the interaction between drums and bass. Cheers my man!
You just made me think that swing is not just about "swinging hard" but as much about timing, restraint, sensitivity and listening. At the same time, it's not just technical virtuosity, it has just as much heart, soul and emotion! The Oscar Peterson Trio is having a great conversation, but unlike a real one, everybody is SUPPOSED to talk at the same time, and make split second decisions about what to say. I wish there was a word like GENIUS that applied the highest level of human feeling (the word PASSION doesn't quite capture it for me). This is it!
Thanks for your analysis pointing out the nuances- crisp hi hat, etc. I saw Oscar in a quartet setting including Joe Pass at the Blue Note in NYC and I remember them doing a version of Sweet Georgia Brown where they didn’t state the head at the beginning. Oscar just improvised all the way through, then Joe did the same. They did this for 6 minutes and then the rhythm section kicked in and that’s when they played the head. That was almost 40 years ago and I still get goose bumps thinking of it.
As a Dane, I know it was recorded in "Holbæk Jazzklub" in 1964. The music is smoking, and the audience is also smoking in the literal sense.
Ed Thigpen lived in Copenhagen for the last part of his life. I visited him a few times and talked wire brushes.
P.S: I would love to hear your drummer's reaction to a concert I attended in 1986 in the beautiful Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.
ua-cam.com/video/GTkMghTOsEY/v-deo.html
Oh, yes… that’s correct…. The trio in Denmark 1964. 3 nights, If i recall at the Jazzklub… and this performance was from the 1st night. (It’s not found on DVDs published…only night 2 and 3.)
Thanks heavens for “Jazz Icons” DVD series for their work preserving the concert!
Wow this was sweet! Been listening to Oscar Peterson for my whole life (he’s from my hometown ❤) but never watched any videos of him play. As a dancer I really appreciated your breakdown of their physical communication through the music. Really excellent video/reaction! 🙌
Glad you enjoyed it! Very cool That you as a dancer, appreciated this video and my breakdown. Thanks for watching!
This is an example of transcendent artistry. Thank you for honoring this iconic, humble artist. Love your channel. Your teaching is so deeply heartfelt. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Watched, and listened twice in a row......you are correct about Complimentary playing . Each member,has the groove.....but they are also in the correct Space.......you can hear each instrument,any time you selectively listen......No One is mashing over anyone else's part.
I picked up this theory listening to Steely Dan back in the 70's.....and it applies to All Bands,to my Ear.....when they are all In Time, on the Chord Changes, and in the Space......that is Magic to my Ear.
The Jazzy Swing though.....Wooooo!
Thanks for the share😉
Thanks for hitting me back.....would love to hear you break down Stevie Wonder's Superstition......it's Salty,Jazzy Funk, but it's recorded with everyone in their Space......and we're talking 70's recording gear.
...
I think that's why I loved this Trio video......with limited reproduction gear......Those Cats Just Can't Be Denied.....it's Epic AND Timeless!
Wonderful video, interpretation and fantastic music! This universal music will never die as long as people listen with their soul.
That’s so true my man! Well said.
This is so much better than the usual "reaction" videos. Your deep knowledge of interplay shines through
Swing is right! Wow! Fantastic! What a tremendous band. Like Oscar Ed Thigpen was so swinging & cool (and the best brushes player ever in my humble opinion). Cheers mate.
Couldn't agree more Chucky!
Thigpen’s lead ins after those beginning breaks are outstanding. When he changes rides later on, when Peterson starts the block chords, he chooses a dryer ride. I think he purposely went for that to get more definition. That sound is more percussive than the washier ride. That percussive sound with those percussive block chord adds a new level of intensity without playing louder or faster or any other thing. Brilliant! FP
Spot on Frankie!
C Jam Blues was written by Duke Ellington. (But Basie's played it.) Oscar's original trio was piano, bass, and guitar. That's the one where he copied Nat Cole's trio from the 1940s. The guitar player was Herb Ellis. I got a chance to drive him and Barney Kessel through a blizzard for five hours to Syracuse, NY back 1980. They had just done a concert at SUNY Potsdam in early Feb 1980 with the group The Great Guitars and had to catch a flight next day. Both of them had played at some point in their careers with Oscar, and told me a LOT of great stories on our way down to Syracuse. They were a couple of really nice guys.
Of course, to honest, the album that inspired me to pursue a career as a jazz pianist was Oscar Peterson Live In Russia. The drummer on that album? Ed Thigpen.
Thanks for allowing me to post this, and thanks for posting such a great video.
Have a great Christmas.
PMH
Yup you’re right. I jacked that one up goooooood. Thanks for sharing your thoughts PMH👊🏾
@@drumqtips Oh, no worries. The more stories that get shared about these guys who gave all of us so much to listen to and learn from, the better. Thanks for posting.
Fantastic break down of a fantastic performance. Thanks Quincy!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Count Basie's C-Jam Blues 😂. I always thought, Duke wrote it 😉. The additional 4 bar pick up each chorus is also from Dukes original recording. I also perform it with this additional 4 bars with my trio. It's real fun to do it like this to break the bluesroutine and upsets everyone when they has to do the first time.
Yeah I messed that one up gooood. Lol!!
Oscar Peterson is my favorite Jazz piano player. I listen to these songs all the time. Great stuff! Thanks Q!
One of the most swingin' pianists of all time for sure!
Ron Burgundy says thanks from San Diego 🖐🏽, I noticed that when Ed clips the open hihat towards the end the timing is very clipped, almost rushed it gives it added intensity I think, this was a very enjoyable and educational video, many thanks Quincy 💥🥁💥
Haha! Please give my most swinging regards to Mr. Burgundy for me. Thanks for checking out this video my man and thanks for the comment.
I think this is a great demonstration and lesson in listening. They are all locked in together and totally in the groove!!!!!! Fantastic. It doesn't have to be loud and busy to be powerful!!!! All the money and all the fame cannot put on a smile on your face like these guys have from just playing music together!!!!
Just repeating the comment about the "expert play-by-play analysis" which I greatly appreciated and would love to see more of! Just a great job on this video. Bravo!
More to come!
It’s so therapeutic to watch Ed hit the drums and Cymbals! Swingin!
Agreed Giant!
Excellent message. So happy that I stumbled upon your channel.
I had the incredible honor of getting to literally just hang out with Ed Thigpen at PASIC in New Orleans in '91. He will always be one of my all time favorite role models. Mr. Taste!
Wow incredible! Oscar Peterson may be the greatest musician that ever lived.
Thanks for sharing. I'd like to throw a name into the mix when it comes to swinging. Eddie Costa the great pianist from the mid late fifties and early sixties.
Here's a link to a nice version of "Lets Do It"
Although not as broad and dynamic as that super performance above, and I believe Eddie would even tell you that, there is a special place in my heart for Costa's swinging and intense style.
“Tight or loose” is an eternal theme in jazz playing.
Ed's play here, while intensely tight, offers great space and freedom to the other two, Oscar and Ray, without making the listener feel suffocated or constricted at all.
Quincy I just found your vid and really liked your analisis.
Now I have to say that this was the best line up that Oscar Peterson had.
Ed Thigpin and Ray Brown, then he changed it and for me it never was the same.
I can't tell you anything, because I am speechless after seeing this!
Thank you! Smoking bro!!
Quincy, this is a great lesson. I got to play with Ray Brown one time and I will never forget the feeling. Thank you!
Yeah man. I love Ed Thigpen's playing. I was lucking enough to meet him a couple of times and have a lesson with him.
Awesome you got to meet him and have a lesson!
Simply fantastic. Both the original video of course, as I have always been a fan of this trio. But also your analysis, because as you show there is so much to learn by just watching those fantastic musicians closely. And I love your excitement about this music, which I feel too listening to it.
Thanks!
Maybe someone already said. It's not Basie, it's the maestro Duke Ellington's tune and the arrangement had the 4 bar breaks in the big band and then landed on the one chord again back at top of blues. And Oscar does that for many choruses.
Hello, first time by. Mrs and I enjoyed the music and your narrative. We will be back for more. Thanks so much
Cheers!
Love this post
It’s gold
Thankyou Quincy😊
Thanks Tim.
So good,thank you for sharing.
I'm glad to discover people who feel what i feel listening to this!
I agree, this Is the most swinging video on UA-cam! Thanks for sharing man! I loved It!
I absolutely love your channel Q!
Kind regards & Happy Holidays,
George
Many thanks!
Amazing new series!
I enjoyed a lot watching this killer video with your comments! And learned a lot about they verbal communication !
Also the part about the ride cymbal change over the block chords is a gem!
Thanks as always! 🙏 Have a nice week!!!
Right on Joel! Hope you’re well.
I love this trio. They were so amazing together. Night Train is one of my favorite recordings of all time. Ed doesn’t always get the king of recognition that others like Art, Max or Elvin do, but I think he should always be included in any list of the greatest players. More importantly, however, is how he anchored the band. Whether it’s was with sticks or, more famously, brushes, Ed just drove the band perfectly. Thanks for the video and commentary.
certainly one of the greatest and swinging tunes shown on youtube with the greatest Trio ever, Oscar, Ed & Ray. watching this video since many years and it so inspiring and great. Great to hear and see your feel and your comments and observations
You sound exactly like me showing this video to my friends for the 10th time😂😂😂.
Keep swinging man!
Ha!! Hard to contain oneself when listening to such a high degree of swang!!
First of all - thank you for your reaction.
I'm a 'kid" from Canada. Who knew two of the best pianists from the 1960s were Canadian. One - Oscar. The other one Glenn Gould.
Both broke their genre of music - true outsiders.
If you have not - do a review on Glenn Gould. The man was Michael Jordon on the keys - regarding Bach. (Goldberg Variations).
And think of it Gould and Peterson lived close to each other. Hah!
Wow, that’s amazing that you knew both of those genius Pianist’s! Maybe I’ll try to do something on Glenn Gould and how it relates to what we do as drummers. Good idea and thanks for sharing!
Wow this is so cool how you are indicating the cues. Good stuff
This is one of my top 3 videos ever! Great to hear a musician explain the magic I hear! 😃
I love that trio!
This was awesome Quincy! More please!
I’m not wading into a competition with the great Oscar P, but the groove Wynton’s group locked into at the House of Tribes has a similar deep feeling swing for me. Cheers again! m.ua-cam.com/video/dH7JeQK5hvE/v-deo.html
And pt 2…m.ua-cam.com/video/D0KUReqMxo8/v-deo.html
This is cool. I like your comments, Quincy. You obviously dig it and it is super swinging for sure. I had a lesson with Ed Thigpen here in Vancouver back in the early 80's. He didn't really say a lot, but what he said had weight. He was getting across that feel and swing wins over chops every day of the week.
Right on Paul! Thanks for sharing.
That was it, Wow! Never seen before! Thank u!
I've always loved Ed's playing ever since I 1st heard him play on vinyl back in 1983. I was and still am HOOKED!!!
Awesome you got to see Ed!
Have you ever Dimenuendo and Crescendo in Blue by Ellington live? That is another piece that swings!!!!!!
That Monty Alexander rendition of the Work Song in Montreux swings as hell as well. It's from the Montreux Alexander record.
I think more cats should be talking about the importance of this trio. Thanks for this Q
Absolutely Johnny!
This is C jam blues by Duke Ellington not Count Basie.
@@charlesbarry971 Yup! I screwed up:)
These reaction videos you're doing are so important to me and many others. It allows me to see things I never noticed and in turn will improve my playing and listening skills. Thankyou! Ps. That little hi hat open hit Ive been doing for a long while. Not because of Ed but Gavin Harrison. It just found its place in my jazz playing.
I've seen that video many times, and had the same thought: swingingest video on the internet! Their groove makes me feel joy every time!
Awesome video, Q! Thanks for sharing 😀
Thanks brother Henry! Happy new year dude!
You do good work on video comments. One jazz video to check out is The North Sea Jazz Festival 1979 Count Basie.
PLEASE do more of these Q
Glad this does it for you. Thad Jones/Mel Lewis "Fingers" does it for me.
This is laugh-out-loud wonderful! What a groove - doctors should prescribe this video for low mood issues…😎
He's basically playing Duke's Place - It is a Blues in C, but there's a specific theme he's using from Ellington.
Right!
Loving this react video! Please make it a series!
Right on Joel!
I hear this on a regular basis. When I play this vid I have to watch it multiple times each visit. I've been playing the recording for over 55 years. Ed definately drives em once released following Oscars fantastic intro. These guys were always on fire when they played together Thank goodness and the Universe that it was captured this way. Terribly missed. Thank you for playing it and sharing your feelings. Lets hope it comes back into vogue again
i was searching for this kinda video for quite some time. jazz reaction/analysis by the guy who truly knows whatss up whats happening!!! pls moreee thank youuu this teaches a lot this teaches how to listennn
Thank You! I found this years ago and have to listen to it frequently.
What a sick sick lineup
I wasn’t ready. And I’m happy
😂😂😂
Man!! Thank you for that!! I was so locked in and it was as if I was playing. So many good things are going to happen when I get a kit in my house again. Now I know where to go when I need my timing belt adjusted.
Yes Sir!!!! This video said it all 👍as you mentioned before mr. Davis it's the most swingin' stuff ever 💫 GREATEST OSCAR PETERSON TRIO FOREVER!!!! many swingin' greetings from Prague 🎹🎉🙏
Thank you, Quincy!! I love this format!!!
We’ve transitioned from this brilliance to a bunch of freaks with blue hair who play three chords on a guitar. Or worse, rap.
posted your video on the jazz guitar forum...brilliant
🙏🏾🙏🏾
Brilliant. Thanks for this 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
I’ve listened to many albums in my time around drums, jazz, music. But when I want to ground myself in tasteful playing, clean up my busywork.
I come back to Night Train. It’s a masterclass on what to play and what not to play.
Sometimes I want to explore Elvin triplet mania or Max’s beautifully elegant hand motions. But you can swing just as hard, arguably harder by just listening and get in where you fit in like Ed & the OP Trio!
What a great video and message for us all Q!
Glad you enjoyed this video my man! And you’re right, it IS a masterclass on what to play and what not play.
Would love to see a reaction video of Jeff Ballard on Knives Out with the Brad Meldhau trio. Game changing performance for me.
Good lesson today. I purchased k con hihats and they are the best hats I have played! I am very happy with them.
Glad you like them! Congrats on the new CYmbals!
Not to mention Ed is one of the greatest brush players ever!!
Y E S ! ! ! ready, of course, always for Oscar Peterson. His where some of the very first jazz albums I bought when I still was a teenager. Thx for the lesson!
My fave of Oscar is with Joe Pass on the recording of Sunny from the album The Greats.
Ed Thigpen!!! The epitome of taste!!! Appreciate you’re notes about the hi-hat. Clean, crisp, and a full range of dynamics.
I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on any thing by Frankie Dunlop, Eddie Blackwell, Billy Higgins, or Connie Kay. I think each of these gentlemen are great players. Time to get past the standard canon of three or four drummers of the bop era!! And, Ed Thigpen, is one of those great drummers!!
Right on Kenneth. Thanks!
Reminder: this is BE-BOP. Yeah, blues, jazz, classical, folk, country, whatever... come into play, whenever.. but this is BE-BOP.
Thanks. The communication between the three of them! Yeah
BTW..if you are still looking for suggestions, mine would be..Dave Brubeck Quartet..Castilian Blues. In 5/4. It swings and has a tasty solo by Joe Morello.
Best reaction video I've ever seen. Thank you, Pr. Q!
Very interesting
Than you very much !
Great way to start a day! I started laughing at few points due to the intense swing! Especially when Oscar started in on those block chords! I´ve recently watched another Oscar trio vid featuring NHOP on a bass solo that....well you can only imagine! :)
Perhaps equal or a close second in how things swing could be Oscar and his trio playing “Blues Etude” in 1974 at Ronny Scott’s night club in London. So glad I found your You Tube here. I am very impressed with your analysis, especially of the subtle communications between these extremely talented musicians.
Quincy - this is by far the best educational Video that I have seen in a long time! Great breakdown and analysis of the trio, song, groove, dynamics and especially the cues from Oscar and Ray! Love it!!!
I appreciate that Brian! Thanks for watching👊🏾
Loved this ! Absolutely brilliant commentary too . Three cats at the top of the world right there
I've been listening to that track since I was a kid - my parents had quite a bit of Oscar on vinyl - and I never tire of it. I like what you said about the simplicity of the playing; even Oscar, though relentlessly complicated, has tiny, tiny gaps between the very, very fast notes. I play a bit of blues keyboard (badly) as a hobby but one thing I notice at jam sessions is that many players just don't make space for music to happen. I'm always trying to make space and get things to swing but most players I know want to rock the blues and fill in all the gaps.
@onnicegramquincydavis2 Are you real or is this a scam as happened to me when commenting on Rick Beato's UA-cam? Answer from Quincy only please. @quincydavis
Those are some crisp sounding hi hats. Great tune. Thank you Q!
Thanks Freddie!