Over the years I've been writing these pages I've been lucky enough to have had a healthy amount of correspondence with many regular readers (have you said hello yet, via the contact page? Why not? Go and do it now!) Quite a few of the emails I regularly get are from keen drummers. Some are … Continue reading Library #6: Tips For Aspiring Heroes
Instruments
Instruments #8: The Chinese Cymbal, c.1920s
Today's article is the third and last of a three-part series examining cymbals and cymbal-playing in 1920s jazz. In Instruments #6 and Instruments #7, we've already had a look at two period examples of Turkish-style cymbals from my small collection, learned a bit about their manufacture and development, and heard how some of our 'Twenties … Continue reading Instruments #8: The Chinese Cymbal, c.1920s
Instruments #7: The ‘Snappy’ Turkish-style Cymbal, late 1920s
Over a year ago, I promised that I’d be taking a three-part look at cymbals and cymbal-playing in 1920s jazz, each article profiling a typical period instrument from my own collection which I use regularly, and examining some instructive audio examples of our ‘Twenties drumming Heroes using theirs in action. I began with an essay … Continue reading Instruments #7: The ‘Snappy’ Turkish-style Cymbal, late 1920s
Instruments #6: K. Zildjian heavy Turkish Cymbal, early 1920s
So far in this portion of the site we’ve looked at drums from the 1920s quite a lot, most recently in our two-part examination of the evolution of the most important part of the kit – the snare drum - during the decade. To redress the balance, this article will be the first of a … Continue reading Instruments #6: K. Zildjian heavy Turkish Cymbal, early 1920s
Instruments #5: The Windsor Dual-Tension Snare Drum, late 1920s
We’ve already had a look at the 'Snapper' type of snare drum commonly used during the early years of the decade – in many ways a relic of the 1910s. Today we’ll see how the instrument evolved throughout the 1920s to become something more recognisable to modern drummers. The main snare drum I use when … Continue reading Instruments #5: The Windsor Dual-Tension Snare Drum, late 1920s
Instruments #4: The ‘Bock-A-Da-Bock’ or Hand Cymbal, 1927-9
About two decades ago, as a curious teenaged jazz drummer, like many listeners keen to explore the earlier forms of the music I first alighted on Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven records. I started there partly because I already knew some of Louis’s later work, and because I’d read about these early records’ … Continue reading Instruments #4: The ‘Bock-A-Da-Bock’ or Hand Cymbal, 1927-9
Drums In The Twenties 