Pocketplayer wrote:Williams' phrased like a rock drummer with that huge "jazz" set up drum kit.
Listening, I can argue what he plays does not go well this this style...
yet, he is Tony Williams, so... you know how many drummers auditioned
or got fired for even trying to phrase like this over the years? many would
never have thought to play this way, but there had to be a younger cat
influenced by Ginger Baker and "modern music" that gave jazz a try only
to get kicked out of the audition. Much less bring a loud drum kit...
what did Buddy and the previous gen think of Williams?
I was in music school in the late 80's and I went and saw Tony play many times (as a sideman, and with his own bands.) One of my takeaway's was (like you stated) this... If I did one millionth of the shit that I just heard Tony do on a gig, I would get fired instantly! I remember asking one of my (well known) drum teachers about this, and he replied, "You're right, most of us would. But most of the times you hear "that Tony" it's with his own band, his tunes, he makes the rules, he signs the checks, and he knows what people are coming to see and hear, and so does the band." And when someone hired Tony as a sideman (during that era) they knew what-who they were getting. T. O. N. Y. If they wanted Vernel Fournier, they would have hired Vernel. So there's that. The same probably could have been said about Elvin in that era as well, but he hid it inside some genuine humility.
One of the most audacious things that I saw Tony do was at the Vanguard, and coming out of bassist Ira Coleman's solo, Tony played this BIG flat flam idea running up the toms, (with the BD, right side crash, and the left hand moving up the toms, all playing in unison, at ffff, playing 1e&a, 2e&a, 3e&a, 4e&a, BAM (crashing the ride at the top of the form.) It was sort of obnoxious. I was sitting in the "drum seats" in the Vanguard (behind the post) so I could see everyone's faces in the band. When Tony did that they all just looked at each other gave a little eyeball roll and smiled, all while the audience went nuts! They came to hear
TONY!!!!, not
tonyWhat did previous generations think? I was told by one of Tony's drumming peers (in age, and eventual popularity) that after Tony hit the scene, he was told MANY times by older bandleaders, "Don't be playing none of that Tony Williams shit on my gig, if I wanted that, I'd hire Tony." So bear in mind there was LOTS of jazz gigs (from many bandleaders) that Tony didn't get hired for, in favor of: (for example) Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Higgins, Art Taylor...... In the generations before, the same could have been said about Elvin, and before that Buddy. When Elvin first hit NYC, people didn't know what to make of his approach, he made some musicians VERY uncomfortable.
You're right, you play who YOU are. I got to know Tony (a little) in the last 15 years (or so) of his life. I got the impression that there was some deeper stuff going on. But he was (outwardly) an AUDACIOUS guy. Big cigars, chest puffed out, big brightly colored drums, he had an outward "rockstar" persona, he was TONY!
By the way... Was it really Tony signing the checks? Because the club didn't like Tony's volume either, and that was the LAST time his band played The Vanguard. From then on it was the Blue Note and Birdland in NYC. We are all working for someone.
Don't get me wrong. I loved all of Tony's drumming, but (historical, musical, social, business, etc.) context is EVERYTHING.
Tom, There has been a lot of BD feathering done since the big bands of the 40's, by some very young (and "hip") drummers, and in some very modern approaches to "jazz." I've seen it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, including from (wait for it....) TONY! Good feeling time, never goes out of style, and the best gear (microphones) doesn't create it, musicians do.
Everyone please be safe and smart during these awful and weird times we are in.
MSG