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Will Kennedy


Just sticking this up because I love it, and because Will Kennedy is one of the world's most effortlessly groovy drummers.

POSTSCRIPT. I guess the irony won't be lost on some of you that this is a gospel tune, and that these guys are (mostly?) religious, especially Kennedy, who appeared at drummers for Jesus. Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta is also now a minister. I have also noticed that many drummers tend to be drawn to philosophy. Could there being a link between attraction to (skill at?) drumming and an attraction to thinking about the Big Questions? Probably not, but still, here's a bit of anecdotal evidence. Any more anecdotes on this theme?

Comments

Paul P. Mealing said…
Never heard it before, but thoroughly enjoyable.

I don't think I've ever seen that quartet combo before - like a jazz trio with a sax.

Personally, I liked the piano best - it's the glue. But I liked it when they were all flying together - you expect it to come unstuck but it doesn't.

Regards, Paul.
Excellent. But oh what crappy sound quality!
Oh, and Paul: If you haven't heard this quartet combo before but like it, check out some of the old recordings with Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson, and Jon Christensen. “My Song” and “Nude Ants” are among my favourite albums.
Paul Hutton said…
Completely unrelated to this post, but thought you might find this new study interesting (via Mindhacks.com):

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18513-damaged-brains-escape-the-material-world.html

"Urgesi's team found that the 24 people with gliomas in the posterior parietal cortex tended to score higher on the self-transcendence test after surgery than they had before. By contrast, the scores of people with gliomas in the anterior region of the cortex, and of people with meningiomas, did not change after their surgery.

This suggests that it is the removal of neurons from the posterior parietal cortex which is responsible for the personality change, and not simply experiencing a serious illness or undergoing brain surgery, Urgesi says. He suggests that the removal reduces activity in this brain region and that this may increase feelings of transcendence."
Steve G said…
Hi Stephen,

I'd suggest that, what would seem like a relationship between interest in drumming and interest in the big questions, perhaps could be explained by more practical reasons. I'm a drummer and have been a drum teacher, and myself and many other drummers I know started drumming in Church and have since grew out of our religious beginnings. As drums, hardware, cymbals, etc are very expensive, and practice isn't exactly a very sociable activity, I've found that many young drummers have had there equipment provided for them by a church and can practice in a nice isolated church building. So my best guess would be that interest in the big questions, for many drummers, arose from the same environment that encouraged them to take up drumset as an instrument in the first place. Not sure about Vinnie or Will, but I know John Blackwell, Aaron spears, Eric Greene, Marvin McQuitty, Derico Watson, to name but a few, started there drumming careers in Church.

Your book 'The Philosophy Gym' amongst others, really started me out on the road to some serious thought on my previously very confused ideas about life, god, goodness. Thanks. Though I've been considering faking a belief in God for a convenient place to practice;-) Any other suggestions would be gratefully considered.
Stephen Law said…
Hi Steve

Ah, that's not a bad theory, actually. Free rehearsal space would be great. Perhaps I should feign religious belief myself?

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