First things first - grab your free transcription here.
This week, “meat and potatoes” video. We’ve been veering into psychology a lot, so, for a palette cleanser, some old-school Dennis Chambers.
I remember first hearing material from Scofield’s Blue Matter record as part of the DVD Serious Moves, which I watched with my classmates in a dark conference room at the library of our college. Subsequently, I’d downloaded Blue Matter, and the accompanying live album Pick Hits Live, and listened to them until I “wore them out” - digitally speaking.
Of course the Scofield canon is full of Chambers pyrotechnics, from single stroke madness, to ostinato solos, to upward crashes, to all manner of crazy headwear. But one of the Dennis-isms that stuck with me was something altogether less flashy. It was a simple ride-cymbal groove from the song Make Me - practically a throwaway at the end of Serious Moves.
But the elegance of what Dennis is doing on the chorus stuck with me, and I appreciated it all-the-more after years of thinking about interesting ways to play the ride cymbal. And the crux of what makes this pattern “more than the sum of its parts” is nothing more fancy than a humble double stroke.
RRLL.
But deployed in such a fashion as to elevate the whole thing. That’s why I believe - I’d put my money on - this being Dennis’ simplest/easiest lick. But I’ll let you decide.
Either way, using this RRLL can enhance other grooves as well. And it’s aged like wine.
Hope you enjoy!