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melmartin.com

Rhythm Man (Do Not Disturb)

15-18 minutes

By

Mel Martin

The title of this article is taken from a composition I wrote and

dedicated to the late Dizzy Gillespie. He once said to me that he
may miss notes on occasion but never rhythm. This left a
profound impression on me and has caused me to do much
serious consideration of the role of rhythm, particularly in jazz.
He is the single musician, other than the great jazz drummers,
who most personifies the use of personal rhythmic drive to form
the basis of his compositions and improvisations. I would have to
also put Sonny Rollins in this category. Rhythm is clearly not just
the domain of rhythm sections and percussionists. Each and
every player in a jazz group must develop a strong personal
sense of rhythm. The concept of having the drummer "keep time"
for the rest of the band is a fallacy. If the players each have a
strong internal pulse as well as a great metric sense to their
playing, then the only thing left to do is to synchronize those
pulses. We each have a heartbeat, a rhythm to our walk and to
our lives. We speak in rhythm as well as tap out rhythms with our

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pencils, fingers and feet. As children we banged on pots and

pans and some actually went on to become drummers or
dancers while the rest of us wish we could have. But it is this
fascination with the power of rhythm that separates the great
players from the not so great. Without rhythm, music turns to
Jello. It just sits there in a formless state. Therefore, the stronger
the sense of rhythm, the stronger the musical statement.

There are many rhythms used throughout the world, both in the
indigenous musics of the world and the more thought out,
cerebral forms. I would like to talk about what I know the best
and that is jazz rhythm which is different and unique unto itself
although many forms of rhythm can be integrated with it. It can
be initially identified by the element of swing.

There are many interpretations of this but it is the element of the

backbeat as played by the high hat on beats two and four that is
essential to swing. The soloist must internalize this feeling so that
his playing will also have a strong feeling of swing. Without this,
there cannot be a true jazz feel. How can a person who does not
play drums go about developing this? The best place to start
would be by playing drums or percussion. The idea of physically
expressing rhythm on a different instrument than the one you
normally play can only enhance your ability to express rhythm on
your main instrument. This is known as "grafting". This, in part,
explains why so many tenor players are good drummers
although I am sure this phenomenon is not limited to the tenor
saxophone. Another way is to play with a great jazz drummer as
much as possible. This is why Art Blakey was able to turn out

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such stellar musicians as well as Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Elvin

Jones and the many great drummers who never got any
recognition. There is a saying that a band is no better than it's
drummer. This is true in many genres of music and particularly so
in jazz. We don't just improvise melodies and chord changes but
rhythmic structures as well. In order to do that, we need the solid
framework of interchange with a great and sure rhythmatist, ie;
the drummer. The key here is interchange where ideas are
passed around and a true dialog can be sustained with the
drums. In a jazz quartet, there should be a four way dialog, but it
is the concept of rhythm that unites everything. There must also
be a compatible harmonic and melodic dialog going on as well,
but rhythm is dominant.

The most important aspect of playing is phrasing. Phrasing is

directly linked to the rhythmic structures that are improvised. You
can hear musical phrasing and breathing in the playing of the
great drummers as well as the great soloists. The phrase is a
rhythmic structure as well as a melodic statement. When initiated
by someone in the group, a clear signal is sent that a response,
namely the last two bars, is called for and the whole group is
directed toward that moment which may launch a newfound
concentration of swing. It also works as a focal point for the
audience. The name Bebop is, in fact, a rhythmic structure and
an identifiable element of that genre. Titles of tunes such as Oo-
Bop-Sh'bam, Diddy-Wa- Diddy and Oop-Pa-A-Da convey an
explicit rhythmic structure. Lester Young's early recordings with
Count Basie displayed a sense of rhythm on the saxophone that

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was unprecedented and influenced generations of musicians to

come. In fact the rhythmic sophistication of that band was a
precedent for the next generation of so called modernists. Bebop
was actually more evolutionary than revolutionary. The element
of swing was never obliterated for the sake of speed and
complex harmonic changes. They just changed the way it was
swung. The early recordings of Charlie Parker and Dizzy
Gillespie swung hard and, in fact, utilized many so called swing
era musicians. If you listen to the early recordings of Louis
Armstrong, you will hear the rhythm section plodding along,
although with great drive, and Armstrong taking a break that
would be light years ahead in terms of rhythmic concept. Roy
Eldridge extended that concept, then Dizzy Gillespie took what
Roy did and extended it even further. Charlie Parker took an
entire summer to learn all of Lester Young's recorded solos which
gave him the basis to develop his own strikingly individual style.
Max Roach used to yell at the pianist Duke Jordan not to be
deceived by Parker's ability to turn the beat inside out. He would
caution him by explaining that Bird had a "drummer in his
pocket." This is a key concept. All players must have a "drummer
in their pocket ". Perhaps this where the saying "in the pocket"
came from. Dizzy Gillespie has stated that "Charlie Parker
articulated our music." The word articulate has a definite
rhythmic component and is the key method that rhythm is added
to melody by horn players. However, the actual placement of
notes must be conceived in advance just as melodic and
harmonic ideas are.

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The derivation of jazz rhythm as well as all other natural forms of

rhythmic music comes from Africa. There has been much written
on this subject and these roots can be clearly heard in the many
recordings from various parts of the African continent that I don't
wish to dwell on this aspect. Instead, I would like to offer the
concept that music consists of three universes: the universe of
rhythm, the universe of melody and the universe of harmony,
essentially in that order of importance. One could possibly add
the universe of language to this, but instrumentalists seldom deal
with this aspect although it is closely tied into the universes of
rhythm and melody. Each universe has an infinite depth that can
be explored by the composer and improviser but rhythm must be
first but not necessarily at the expense of the others. Music must
have melody and harmony represents the sign posts for melodic
structure and improvisation. The old joke about the drummer
"being the person that gets to hang out with the musicians" only
rings true with drummers that tend to only think about their
instrument first and the music second which, unfortunately does
happen a little too often. Thelonious Monk once said "don't play
your instrument, play the music." There are many drummers who
also play horns, keyboards, compose and generally think in
musical terms first and foremost and I know other
instrumentalists that think in technical terms more than musical
so all generalizations are false which, of course, is a
generalization. I think that all musicians should explore the three
universes in as much depth as possible in order to maintain a
true perspective of music.

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There are three elements that need to be understood in order to

deal with jazz rhythm. The first thing that needs to be developed
is a clear and definite metrical sense. This is a mathematical
concept that relates to the exact distance between beats. This
does not have anything to do with swing or rhythmic structure but
steadiness of the perception of time. It is essential for all
musicians to develop this ability. Unshakeable time is a
trademark of all the great jazz players. The second element is
pulse. We all have one, namely our heart beat. Pulse is an
internal phenomenon while meter is an external one. These two
elements need to be linked in order to function in the rhythmic
universe. The pulse of jazz is also linked to the element of swing.
Why is it some musicians swing so hard that they could "swing
you into ill health" and some "couldn't swing if you hung 'em." It
has to do with the strength of their pulse. In other words, the jazz
pulse must be internalized so thoroughly that the soloist would
swing just as hard with or without the rhythm section. In a group
context, the pulse must be shared which accounts in part for the
"magic" chemistry that some groups display. When all members
of the group lock in on that special feeling, the impact is
overwhelmingly strong. In the context of a big band, this is
geometrically true. It is the responsibility of each individual
musician to foster the strength of their pulse. Finally, it is the use
of rhythmic structures or simply, rhythm, that distinguishes the
great jazz improvisers. To conceive and execute rhythm is as
demanding a task as conceiving and executing melodic
structures and harmonic structures. This is what improvisation is

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about. When done creatively and with swing, the result can be a
memorable solo that people would want to hear over and over
and that could be analyzed and dissected. Once the concept of
rhythmic play is mastered, then it is a relatively simple matter to
use that as a framework for melodic and harmonic development.

Most jazz rhythms, although complex in nature, utilize a relatively

simple base. The commonly used time signatures are 4/4, by far
the most common, 3/4, 6/4, 6/8 and occasionally 5/4 and 7/4. But
what about the many other possibilities? Musicians such as Don
Ellis, Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, Denny
Zeitlin, Dave Brubeck and, I'm sure others, have explored and
utilized what are referred to as "odd times". These are not
peculiar but, rather, uneven numbers. They only seem peculiar
because most musicians have never taken the time to study and
internalize the many opportunities to expand their rhythmic
horizons. It's akin to playing music in only three or four keys. If
the musician doesn't take the time to learn to play in all twelve
keys, he is limiting himself. As the musician learns other aspects
of the rhythmic universe, the more his overall sense of rhythm is
expanded. Most jazz takes place in the common meters simply
because it's too difficult to teach others how to play and swing in
odd and unusual meters. Within these confines the truly inventive
rhythmatist can invent cross-rhythms that can be superimposed
upon the conventional rhythmic structures. Billy Cobham, Mike
Clark, George Marsh, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes
are good examples of drummers who commonly do this in both
acoustic jazz and electric "fusion" ensembles. Charlie Parker,

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Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane are good

examples of non-drummers who also do this.

During the late 'seventies I led a band called Listen and we

studied at great length all the unusual meters, in fact, all of the
possible combinations. The drummer in the group was George
Marsh who had compiled pages and pages of rhythmic studies
which we would investigate at every rehearsal. We would spend
hours starting with 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4 and on up through
15/8, 27/8/ and/ some I can't even remember. Most of this is
derived through simple mathematical configurations but many of
them truly swing. There are also many ways that rhythms can be
crossed or superimposed such as the second line which is
crossing five against the fifteen much as 2/4 is commonly
superimposed against 3/4. Why accept these limitations? Many
folk musics throughout the world commonly use five, seven, nine,
eleven and other meters to form their compositions and are done
so naturally, without the intellectual approach that is commonly
employed in Western music. There are specific ways in which the
player can sense these odd structures but much work must be
done before this can take place much as the beginner needs to
learn to count before being able to actually play music. Indian
music also fosters an advanced sense of rhythm. The great Tabla
virtuoso Zakir Hussain can play and improvise in any time
signature and delves into many styles of music and can even
play a jazz ride beat on the tablas and make it swing.

I asked my good friend, the great jazz drummer Donald "Duck"

Bailey who plays with me in Bebop & Beyond to define his

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personal view of the essence of jazz rhythm. His answer was

simple and surprising. He said dynamics, for him, form the
essence. In other words dynamics include how phrases are
accented, loud beats, soft beats, etc. and how melodic phrases
are conceived. He told me that dynamics MAKE the rhythmic
feel. Can the drummer maintain a strong pulse or feel at a soft
volume as well as a loud volume and all levels in between? That
would be the ultimate test for a drummer. One of the reasons
some drummers play loud is a fear of losing the pulse and meter
or fear of the unknown. Of course, the drums are the instrument
in the band that controls the dynamics but who controls the
drummer? If he's truly listening he will apply his instrument to
whatever the musical situation requires. Donald Bailey is a true
master of this. I think other instrumentalists have a fear of the
unknown as well and rhythm may be more unknown to them than
melody or harmony. One of the best ways for a soloist to be sure
his rhythm is correct is to count in "two" on one and three but feel
the upbeats on two and four. This way assures the player that
they will always know where the "one" is. Some are taught to tap
their feet on two and four and this is also valid but counting in two
allows the player to hear the phrasing as it's going down. When
the music gets rhythmically adventurous, this has proven to be
the surest method of keeping it together.

The subject of rhythm is an infinite study and I think that every

musician should delve into it with as much devotion as all the
other aspects of music. It can only help your overall
musicianship. If I'm going to deal with other musicians in a band,

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it would be best if I could talk to them in the language of their

instruments so I have made a study of these things. The most
important point for a jazz improviser is to develop a sense of
rhythmic accurateness and flexibility combined with a strong,
swinging pulse that can be played and felt at all dynamic levels.
When this is accomplished, the player will experience a
newfound sense of direction and security in their playing. This
cannot be underestimated for it supplies the glue that keeps the
music together.

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