House of Drumming.com

Went to see Prince last night at the Forum. Killer show and John Blackwell was on point. I was really impressed with his pocket and his musicality. There was no overplaying / gospel chops madness. He really picked his moments. I was talking to a friend of mine who went to Berkelee with him and mentioned that John was playing straight ahead bop with Billy Ekstine when he was 17. The dude is badd.

Sheila E was also there. ehhhhummm legs for days and yeah Glamorous Life still jams.

I saw them about a month ago. I thought John (and the whole band for that matter) sounded fantastic! No Sheila E, tho....

I've always liked John's playing with Prince. I wasn't as much of a fan of Cora Coleman-Dunham with Prince (although there's no question that the girl's got chops. Just didn't care for her playing with Prince). Of course, Michael Bland is my favorite of Prince's many drummers. That being said, Blackwell is great for that gig.

I heard only praise for John from heavy weight who saw Prince lately, that include Fish, Tain, etc...

Great, I like that guy, he's a sweet humble guy, he has a great right foot too.

Is John on any of prince's records?

Hey SP, John recorded on Prince's album called the Rainbow Children. There's some great tracks on that record.
http://youtu.be/ur8p_HbXR_8


I think he's done some other stuff, but I'm not sure.

Yeah, Funky Drummer. Michael Bland was really sick. Diamonds and Pearls is one of the best ballads ever! You'd be hard pressed to find a better pop r+b ballad drumming. Not to mention Sexy MF, Papa, etc... really nasty. I heard him recently on a Johnny Lang's album called Turn Around which won a Grammy in '07. There's some really great moments.

D'Angelo with John Blackwell Jr. and Pino Palladino (SNL, 2015):
http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/02/d ... ive-watch/

He really picked his moments

great to hear this. i caught some Live Prince w/JB and his drum sound
was amazing! i just felt he perfectly complimented this music. Playing
w/Prince has little to do w/chops and much about listening and keeping
the pulse of his songs alive. His personality fits this gig perfectly.

One of the tightest bands I´ve ever heard... My gosh!