Since it's easter right now, I find it appropriate to show a video clip from the movie Easter Parade from 1948 starring Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Ann Miller.
Here is a clip with Fred Astaire drumming and tap dancing in a toy store in the number "Drum Crazy". There are a lot of rhythms both with the drums sticks and his feet.
What do you think of Fred Astaire tapping in the film Easter Parade? Tell me.
Here is a great video with Gene Krupa playing Drum Boogie from the film Ball of Fire.
Ball of Fire was made in 1941 and features Gary Cooper as Prof. Bertram Potts who is researching slang words for an article in an encyclopedia. He meets the singer Sugarpuss O'Shea played by Barbara Stanwyck who teaches him about slang words while she is hiding from mobsters.
What do you think of this video clip with Barbara Stanwyck and Gene Krupa performing Drum Boogie? Tell me.
Sometimes I try to illustrate musical concepts (like for instance call and response) and here is a perfect example of drum tags when Chris Barber and his band plays Royal Garden Blues. A drum tag is a drum solo just before the ending of the song (often 4 bars) and then the bands ends with four more bars. In this video clip the drummer Alan "Sticky" Wickett does not do only one but 14 drum tags which makes the ending of the song nearly half of the song. He lays down great rhythms and I'm sure all drummers could get inspiration from him.
I also like the somewhat unusual use (in connection to dixieland jazz) of an electrical guitar by guitarist John Slaughter.
Read more about Chris Barber at his website.
If you like to know more about different kinds of traditional jazz, check out the Traditional Jazz Educators Network's Traditional Jazz Style Guide.
What do you think of the video clip with Chris Barber and his band playing Royal Garden Blues? Tell me.
