I'm just happy to see all this discussion of ECM music, which I deeply love. I live in the US, and if I'm lucky 1 musician in 100 who I meet has even heard of it. Sometimes I wonder who bought all those recordings.
Just stumbled upon this...being a European drummer, born and raised in Denmark, I have to say you could not be more wrong in this video. ECM drumming....is absolutely NOT a "drumming style" - It is a way of approaching improvised music from a completely different angle...forget about "swing", "patterns" "boogaloo", "samba".....whatever....It is all about playing music from the heart and soul of where you come from..Master Norwegian drummer on all of the most important ECM albums Jon Christensen said it: "Forget the american BS" (He truly loved the US !)...."I am playing the waves - the wind - the sea", If you lived here you would understand...Listen again and listen without even thinking of drumming - Listen for the space between the notes...Best from Copenhagen ! ;);)
I read Jon Christensen's interview in _Modern Drummer_ in 1994 when I was just starting out and although I went years before actually hearing him play, the philosophy he expressed in that interview was a big influence. Then throughout my 20s I listened to _Belonging_ and _My Song_ over and over again. I also love what Manu Katche, Nana Vasconcelos and Marilyn Mazur did with Jan Garbarek in the 1980s and 90s: very intuitive.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm a guitarist and have been an ECM fan since the 70s but only recently, in fact this week, began to study what the ECM drum syle is, in the context of soloing practise, so this video is just perfect timing. Love your sound and playing!
Love the drumming examples showing Straight Eighths and Uptempo. I have tried many times to focus in on DeJohnette (great example being Waterwheel with Ralph Townes and Eddie Gomez) and Jon Christensen (Solstice album being a great example, or the Keith Jarrett European quartet) - and still feel challenged understanding exactly what these drummers do to keep up such an interesting and varied rhythmic pattern. This is the first video i have seen even discussing this.
Hi! Thanks for checking it out! The main ride is a glorious 24" Istanbul Agop traditional dark ride. It has such a lush warm blossoming crash. All the best to you!
"Touch" (E. Weber). To me, the talk of straight-eights feel seemed to make some sense in this video. But my sense of rhythm is only approximate. Jon Christensen etc: I tend to think of the style drummers played on ECM records as being influenced by the tonality of cymbals, like a player fond of using cymbal bells, tuned cymbal trees etc., but never using ride cymbals for a general wash of sound, like in a loud playout, because of a desire for a more precise sound, like as in a percussion composition. So make that ride cymbal as crisp as possible, as if it were being used in a classical orchestra. Maybe that's the sense of talking of a straight-eights feel. This from someone who never actually learnt how to play. Weber, Rypdal typical ECM artists. Christensen played for Weber. DeJohnette for Rypdal. Compare and contrast how DeJohnette played for Rypdal or for US artists: that might reveal, or reflect, something, perhaps.
Nuanced comment, not sure I understand. Were these quotes from Jon Christensen? As i mentioned in my other comment, one of my very favorite drumming pieces was DeJohnette on “Waterwheel” with Ralph Towner. A masterpiece in my opinion.
"ECM drumming: a pre-history" would have been a much more accurate title for this interesting but ultimately disappointing video. Maybe there will be a part two with more attention given to the great ECM drummers of the 70s -- Christensen, Moses, DeJohnette, Motian, et al -- and the musical elements in their playing that differentiate the "ECM feel" from the broken-eighth styles that came before.
There is not a homogeneous ECM style or sound. To my ears, one of the best sounding ECM recordings is the piano trio album, Not Two, Not One, by Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, and Paul Motian. This one was recorded in NYC by James Farber. Not the usual recording in European studios with their house engineer.
Why would you do a presentation on ECM drummers and then play a bunch of Blue Note stuff? I don't think you know much about ECM drumming at all! You certainly should have mentioned, and played, Jon Christensen. He was with ECM from the beginning and played on more ECM recordings than any other drummer. He was the quintessential ECM drummer. He was the master of sensitivity. He could drive a whole band with just a ride cymbal. He created the ECM drumming style!
Yes. Although as I said elsewhere, Paul Motian was ECM before there was an ECM, it's crazy that this video would show drummers from another style, then say "also check out" Jon Christensen! There needs to be another, better video, and without the presenter doing so much of his own drumming, which doesn't even illustrate the styles very well.
I'm just happy to see all this discussion of ECM music, which I deeply love. I live in the US, and if I'm lucky 1 musician in 100 who I meet has even heard of it. Sometimes I wonder who bought all those recordings.
Just stumbled upon this...being a European drummer, born and raised in Denmark, I have to say you could not be more wrong in this video. ECM drumming....is absolutely NOT a "drumming style" - It is a way of approaching improvised music from a completely different angle...forget about "swing", "patterns" "boogaloo", "samba".....whatever....It is all about playing music from the heart and soul of where you come from..Master Norwegian drummer on all of the most important ECM albums Jon Christensen said it: "Forget the american BS" (He truly loved the US !)...."I am playing the waves - the wind - the sea", If you lived here you would understand...Listen again and listen without even thinking of drumming - Listen for the space between the notes...Best from Copenhagen ! ;);)
I read Jon Christensen's interview in _Modern Drummer_ in 1994 when I was just starting out and although I went years before actually hearing him play, the philosophy he expressed in that interview was a big influence. Then throughout my 20s I listened to _Belonging_ and _My Song_ over and over again.
I also love what Manu Katche, Nana Vasconcelos and Marilyn Mazur did with Jan Garbarek in the 1980s and 90s: very intuitive.
Yes, you got it. Another video on this subject should be done with what you said here in mind.
@@charlesstanford1310 Manu Katche was too noisy, too bangy, to "rock" for Garbarek's music. He was not sensitive to Jan's music.
Excellent take on ECM drumming, and on broken eight note feel, many thanks
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm a guitarist and have been an ECM fan since the 70s but only recently, in fact this week, began to study what the ECM drum syle is, in the context of soloing practise, so this video is just perfect timing. Love your sound and playing!
I am so happy to see this subject being discussed!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you for this! I'm looking for what makes ECM style and found this.
This will not help you. Listen to the drumming of Norwegian Jon Christensen. He created the ECM style.
Exceptional! Thank you for a great resource, MIDI Fortress!
As a guitarist, it’s nice to see that you drummers are just as argumentative and contrary over minutia as we are 😂
Great video and playing man! Thanks for sharing it!
Love the drumming examples showing Straight Eighths and Uptempo. I have tried many times to focus in on DeJohnette (great example being Waterwheel with Ralph Townes and Eddie Gomez) and Jon Christensen (Solstice album being a great example, or the Keith Jarrett European quartet) - and still feel challenged understanding exactly what these drummers do to keep up such an interesting and varied rhythmic pattern. This is the first video i have seen even discussing this.
Jack overplays on every album he's on. Jon Christensen is much more musical, sensitive then Jack could ever be.
SUPER informative and your cymbals sound great
Beautiful!
I think pat methenys bright sized life is the blueprint with the floating bob moses
Nice explanation and demonstration!
Paul Motian invented ECM drumming before it was ECM.
cool!!
Thank you. Main ride sounds great! Mind sharing what size and model?
Hi! Thanks for checking it out! The main ride is a glorious 24" Istanbul Agop traditional dark ride. It has such a lush warm blossoming crash. All the best to you!
Love it
"Touch" (E. Weber). To me, the talk of straight-eights feel seemed to make some sense in this video. But my sense of rhythm is only approximate. Jon Christensen etc: I tend to think of the style drummers played on ECM records as being influenced by the tonality of cymbals, like a player fond of using cymbal bells, tuned cymbal trees etc., but never using ride cymbals for a general wash of sound, like in a loud playout, because of a desire for a more precise sound, like as in a percussion composition. So make that ride cymbal as crisp as possible, as if it were being used in a classical orchestra. Maybe that's the sense of talking of a straight-eights feel. This from someone who never actually learnt how to play. Weber, Rypdal typical ECM artists. Christensen played for Weber. DeJohnette for Rypdal. Compare and contrast how DeJohnette played for Rypdal or for US artists: that might reveal, or reflect, something, perhaps.
Nuanced comment, not sure I understand. Were these quotes from Jon Christensen? As i mentioned in my other comment, one of my very favorite drumming pieces was DeJohnette on “Waterwheel” with Ralph Towner. A masterpiece in my opinion.
"ECM drumming: a pre-history" would have been a much more accurate title for this interesting but ultimately disappointing video. Maybe there will be a part two with more attention given to the great ECM drummers of the 70s -- Christensen, Moses, DeJohnette, Motian, et al -- and the musical elements in their playing that differentiate the "ECM feel" from the broken-eighth styles that came before.
thank you. I would have added joey baron too.
There is not a homogeneous ECM style or sound. To my ears, one of the best sounding ECM recordings is the piano trio album, Not Two, Not One, by Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, and Paul Motian. This one was recorded in NYC by James Farber. Not the usual recording in European studios with their house engineer.
What kind.make and model of snare drum
Jon Christensen!❤
Dude what is your main ride? is that a 26incher?
Nice!
Jon Christensen
YES! How can you do a presentation on ECM drumming and not even mention Jon Christensen???
Christen Jonsen.
Jon christensen on Hyperborean by Arild Andersen ❤️🔥
Jon Christensen on Touch (Eberhard Weber - Yellow Fields) and Jack DeJohnnette on Will (Vitous, Rypdal, DeJohnnette) are masterworks of drumming.
GReat Video
Why would you do a presentation on ECM drummers and then play a bunch of Blue Note stuff? I don't think you know much about ECM drumming at all! You certainly should have mentioned, and played, Jon Christensen. He was with ECM from the beginning and played on more ECM recordings than any other drummer. He was the quintessential ECM drummer. He was the master of sensitivity. He could drive a whole band with just a ride cymbal. He created the ECM drumming style!
Yes. Although as I said elsewhere, Paul Motian was ECM before there was an ECM, it's crazy that this video would show drummers from another style, then say "also check out" Jon Christensen! There needs to be another, better video, and without the presenter doing so much of his own drumming, which doesn't even illustrate the styles very well.
He is one of the masters.
Jon Christensen ❤️🔥 he knows how to snow on drums 😍
Those who don’t criticize those who do..
I keep coming back to this video and each time it makes me angrier
First
it's high institutional jazz, european funded fostered. However the music, artists and sounds are superb.
Nice!