Welcome to "See You On The Bandstand", the monthly newsletter devoted to the news and events surrounding the students of Marvin Bugalu Smith's School Of Time.  Check back monthly as we talk about the world of jazz drums. the local scene, news, student progress reports and other exciting drum and jazz related topics. 

                The newsletters highlight the students experience on teaching and playing jazz drums, sharing their views on playing on the bandstand and much more.  This important information will make you play better drums.

Please mark your calendars for April 11th and 12th, Bugalu with George Braith at Lenox Lounge, NYC

"A newsletter for today’s people, written by the people, because the music belongs to the people."

Your teacher,

Marvin Bugalu Smith

          "The Weight of the Bandstand" is a concept that Marvin BuGaLu Smith taught me to describe the emotional content of the music and the musicians. Music is made up of scales and rhythms but it’s the emotional aspect that gives it life and attracts people to it. And it’s the combination of these elements that make up the weight of the bandstand.
A musician’s technique has a great effect on the weight of the bandstand. If a musician’s technique is poor, he’ll have only so much fun on stage. On the other hand having all the technique in the world doesn’t guarantee a great bandstand experience. You could be a master musician but if your emotional state is negative you’ll play like that.
Let’s say there’s a fabulous musician who’s been having a rough day and is upset. When he gets up to play, his emotional content is going to be that of anger. His anger will affect his playing and the musicians. Music is vibration that can be heard and felt which is why emotions come into play; emotions are also vibrations. A musician’s emotional state will affect how he plays.
After I understood this I asked Bugalu what was the best way to prepare for the bandstand. He told me to make sure my practice regiment was good and that I was practicing the right stuff. He also said to be relaxed and open while I’m playing. This way I’d be ready for anything that could happen on the bandstand.


Another thing that affects the weight of the bandstand is the caliber of the musicians. There's a huge difference between playing with amateurs and masters. I recently had the pleasure of playing with John Esposito and Andy McCloud at a jazz jam session run by Marvin Bugalu Smith. Here's a quick bio on these guys:

Pianist/Composer John Esposito has been a source of unbridled creativity for the last thirty plus+ years playing a broad range of improvisational music. His jazz playing ranges throughout the tradition from early styles like stride piano and swing through the mainstream and avant-garde movements. He has performed and recorded with artists including Nick Brignola, Dave Douglas, Dave Holland, Carter Jefferson, Bobby Johnson, Franklin Kiermyer, Joe Lovano, J.R. Monterose, David “Fathead” Newman, Eric Person, Arthur Rhames, Sam Rivers, Roswell Rudd, Pharaoh Sanders and John Stubblefield. He has also composed and performed for theater dance, TV, and performance art. He is the head of the jazz piano dept. at Bard College.

In 1977 Frank Foster recommended Andy McCloud to Elvin Jones; they hit it off so well that Andy played with Elvin for five years, making eight records with him.
In the early ‘80s, Andy started picking up gigs with Clifford Jordan, Arthur Blythe and Don Pullen (who became his mentor in the avant garde). Since then, Andy has freelanced with people like McCoy Tyner and Dizzy Gillespie. He put in three years with Jon Hendricks and then nine years (up through 1998) with Hilton Ruiz. Andy’s also toured with shows like Black and Blue and Dinah. He’s played on 44 records and CDs.

Needless to say it was a challenge to play with cats on such a high level but it taught me a lot. There have been other times at the jam session where I've played with less experienced musicians. Those times were hard because I wasn't able to play to my full potential and I definitely wasn't able to expand on my playing. So the caliber of the musicians on the bandstand determines how much fun one can have and how much learning one can do.
Without Bugalu’s teachings and friendship I’d be lost in the dark. Over the years Bugalu has taught me many things about the drums and music all of which has help me to be successful on the bandstand. Thank you Bugalu for your infinite teachings and undying compassion.

 

       Tuesday is the night, the night where I'm blessed to play with the best jazz musicians in the tri-state area.  For me personally, it is a very exciting, nervous (although that is now dissipating) and educational experience.   There are 3 components, for me, that make up the bandstand experience, the first is technique, an area where I am a baby, still learning, practicing rudiments, etc. (and for me the most difficult) . The second component is relaxation, trying to really just chill and feel the vibe, moment to moment, this is something I can someday master.  Marvin and Kesai have been so instrumental in helping me with this.  The 3rd component is knowing the tunes, this is a key area, because without this and the 2nd component, then technique won't mean anything and my playing will just not be good.  Like relaxation, this too is something that can be conquered and everyday, I try to make progress.  It amazes me how Andrew, Kesai and of course Marvin, see ,like the know every jazz tune ever recorded, but in reality, they have been listening much longer than me and have built up a vault of musical knowledge.

        I have been using two methods to try to work on this 3rd component, the first is having Sirius Satellite piped into my office, here I can listen to a station called Pure Jazz, a commercial free Internet station, that play only jazz from it's early beginnings (big band era) up until about 1970.  Now, I have a good 5 hours a day listening, I also receive the service in all my cars, so I can hear the tunes and write any down that I want to further investigate, it is awesome, and can be checked out here:  www.sirius.com .  The second method, playing with my father and a guitar player, only doing jazz tunes so far there are about 45 songs they play, this gives me the ability to listen to the tune and experiment playing along, it also builds some confidence.  If songs like: Night and Day,  Summertime,  Georgia,  I Love You, Girl From Ipanema, On the Street Where You Live, I’ll Close My Eyes,  Love Letters,  Wave, Secret Love, Work Song or anything else we have tried are called out, now I can relax and be familiar with the tune, know the head, and at least try to play it competently.   Although the musicians I play these and other songs with are no where near the Terrace level of playing, this is still a good LISTENING experience for me and allows the song to meld into my being.  Once applying the lessons from Bugalu, relaxation, practicing technique and to keep the building going on, once a tune is familiar, it can all work together to make the bandstand a better experience.  Until next month:   SYOTB