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| drummer Tony Williams |
"Jump Cut"
"Tony (Williams) created these events, they were so entertaining. It's like musical acrobatics. When he would get into a groove they were really nice and intense. He is one of my heroes.
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Most drummers were comfortable playing "chick-e-deesh, chick-e-deesh, chick-e-deesh. He's up there in all the fast tempos, that's where always wants to be. He would do these things that would make you fall back in your chair and say, "where did that come from?"
I can't trace that back to Kenny Clarke or anybody. Any African drummer or anything. He was the one and only guy who made events happen while accompanying horn players and piano players. Really good swinging groove.
I watched Tony Williams once at "The Village Gate" with Miles (Davis) every single night backstage. I played "The Gate" so I could go backstage, practically stand on stage. I watched every single set of every night that they played. They never played the song the same ever. They played at different tempos, Tony did Latino things, he did rhumba things, nutty stuff.
Jump cut to - I get a phone call maybe twenty years later. "Hey Allan, this is Tony Williams." I said, "the drummer?" He said, "yea man. I know you do a lot of studio work and I'd like to do some of that stuff. Boy, it would be great if you could turn me on to some contractors." I said, "Tony, are you kidding me? If I ever had the opportunity to repay you for the thrills I've gotten watching you, it would be my absolute pleasure."
He turned ice cold and said, "man it's no big deal. Whatever it was, just a thought. Alright man, take care see ya." That was my Tony Williams experience."
*excerpt of my interview with Allan Schwartzberg from January 2014
Jake D Feinberg
Drummer Cindy Blackman
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