POWERFX The Samplist Guide to Jazz Drums

Oct 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Gene Porfido

More than just a collection of samples, The Samplist Guide to Jazz Drums offers a historical look at some of the great drummers and bands in jazz.

The PowerFX Samplist Guide to Jazz Drums ($49) is a collection of beats, patterns, and samples played by jazz drummer Ralph Peterson and produced by Bil Bryant. The CD-ROM contains nearly 450 MB of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV files, as well as video interviews (in Windows Media Player format) of Peterson demonstrating his extensive knowledge of jazz drumming.

The collection is organized into five main folders according to style. Each folder contains samples or subfolders of samples and a video of Peterson demonstrating how the jazz greats played the enclosed patterns. Most of the phrases are two measures long for easy editing and looping. A sixth folder, Tools, contains individual samples of drums, fills, solos, cymbals, and cymbal combinations.

All That Jazz

The stylistic categories on the CD-ROM are Afro-Cuban-Latin, Bop, Brushes, Funky, and Old School. In each category, Peterson plays patterns that are based either on specific songs or on the playing of drummers known for a particular style. Conveniently, the names of the samples include the musical style or drummer as well as the bpm.

The Old School category takes you from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, to the unmistakable tom-based playing of Gene Krupa on “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Peterson includes examples of various Mardi Gras — Indian and second-line beats, and he captures the hi-hat feel of Count Basie's drummer, Papa Jo Jones.

The Afro-Cuban-Latin folder holds five subfolders: Bomba, Bossanova, Calypso, Mambo/Rumba, and Samba. Peterson plays the Latin-based rhythms made famous in the early '50s by Dizzy Gillespie's percussionist, Chano Pozzo, and later by John Coltrane's drummer, Elvin Jones. Jazz legend Billy Higgins, who played the bossa nova with brushes and a stick on his snare rim, is also represented. The styles of Art Blakey, Max Roach, Tony Williams, and Jimmy Cobb help make the Bop folder a Who's Who of jazz drummers.

Funky is the least explored of the five drum styles, but Peterson does capture the syncopated feel of virtuoso drummers Steve Gadd and Harvey Mason. Brushes play a major role in jazz, and in the Brushes folder, Peterson shows his mastery of many feels, from fast bop to swing and ballads.

Making History

The Samplist Guide to Jazz Drums is as much a history lesson as it is a treasure trove of samples. Peterson is well qualified to share his extensive knowledge of jazz drumming; he studied the subject at Rutgers University, played with Art Blakey, and worked with Branford Marsalis, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Stanley Turrentine.

The CD-ROM is well recorded and captures a soft, old-style sound. Although Peterson's kit is close-miked as well as room-miked, the balance creates an appropriately open and live sound. Every nuance of each instrument is present across the stereo spectrum, from the ringing of the toms to the rich sustain of the ride cymbal.

The Samplist Guide to Jazz Drums is worth investigating for its historical value alone. The information presented in the liner notes, videos, and recordings gives a true feeling of what jazz is all about. If you are looking for samples of authentic and well-played jazz drumming, this CD-ROM is an excellent choice.

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Overall EM Rating (1 through 5): 4.5

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