Table of contents

Biography

References

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Biography
 

Influences, Teachers and Mentors

The pop music of the mid – 60’s was my first influence.  Like most teenagers, then and now, I saw playing music as a way of both having fun and gaining the approval of friends and peers. Somewhere around this time the tune “Take 5”  by Dave Brubeck was getting a lot of airplay.  This featured an intricate drum solo by Joe Morello, and this inspired me to seek out more of his recordings. I purchased several,  mostly second hand, and he became my drumming hero.  I also became acquainted  with a fine studio and jazz drummer ( in Wellington, N.Z.) named Bob Little.  I studied with Bob, not through formal lessons, but by watching him play on every possible occasion. He was very helpful and patient with answering my questions and I remain grateful to him to this day. He also suggested other famous drummers I should check out like Shelley Manne, Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson; the list goes on.
I got to know more of the top Wellington drummers of this period and started doing gigs and getting recommendations.  Dave Frazer was the outstanding local drummer at this time and was very inspiring.  Bud Jones was a graduate of Univ. of Denver Jazz Orch. and had moved to NZ. for a position in the NZSO.  I took a couple of lessons with Bud and found him very helpful.  He developed my understanding of the importance of good technique in expressing your ideas clearly and accurately.

Turning Pro.   The early 70’s was a golden era for “live” music in NZ and I began working 6 nights per week; mostly cabaret and night club gigs.  This also helped me get my reading skills together as good readers got the top gigs. I worked with several good musicians through this time though none were “household names”.  One of my most important associations was with a fine pianist / singer called Harry Mullany (now living in Melbourne, Aus).  We did a lot of the better commercial music of the time like Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Steely Dan.   This in turn, familiarised me with a new range of drummers e.g. Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro and Hal Blaine.  It’s interesting that these people are often cited as major influences by the drum stars of today. I was also listening to and playing jazz on every possible occasion. Pianists Kevin Clark and John Carson, and guitarist Tony Glass were some of  the players that I did several concert appearances and recordings with.
During this time I also met two fine drummers from Melbourne, Australia.
Ron Sandi lands and Brian Czempinski toured New Zealand with stage shows, and both were willing to give generously of their time and knowledge. The tuition I received from Brian in particular remained an inspiration for many years.

The Great Jazz Drummers.
Joe Morello was my point of entry to jazz, simply because he was heard more on the radio at that time.  By tuning into jazz radio programs of the day and reading Downbeat jazz magazine my listening range spread out from there. In addition to those mentioned earlier I soon discovered the work of  Ed Thigpen, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, Kenny Clark, Ben Riley, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Cobb and a little later, Elvin Jones and Tony Williams.    By reading about the people who had influenced these players I worked back, via recordings and bios., to discover  Jo Jones, Sid Catlett, Chick Webb and Baby Dodds. 
Drum set playing has grown like a tree from its roots in the early 20th century, with its many branches producing different styles.  Ultimately all drumming is connected and I strongly recommend that all drummers should explore the earlier influences of their current favourites.  If you know where your drumming has come from, you’ll have a better idea of where it’s going.

Going to concerts  has always been a good way of getting familiar with great players. During the 60’s and 70’s many top international drummers visited New Zealand.  Outstanding among these was Ben Riley with Thelonious Monk, Roy Haynes with Jimmy Smith, Rufus Jones with Duke Ellington, and Harold Jones with Count Basie. More recently we’ve also had visits from Billy Hart, Louie Bellson, Jeff Hamilton, Bill Stewart, Joe LaBarbera, Jack DeJohnette, Brian Blade and Vinnie Colaiuta.

Drum Clinics.   Roy Burns was the first American drummer to perform a drum clinic in NZ in 1976. Since then we have had several fine clinicians come our way. Most memorable for me have been  Steve Smith, Dennis Chambers, Louis Bellson, Dave Weckl, Tommy Igoe, Joe LaBarbera and  JoJo Mayer.

The Auckland Scene
Upon moving to Auckland in 1977  I got to know and hear more of New Zealand’s top drummers.  Several people stand out at that time: Don Branch, Frank Gibson Jnr, Frank Gibson Snr., Bruce King and Roger Sellars.  Although these gentlemen played quite differently from each other, all impressed me equally with their consistency  and attention to excellence. They were all capable of playing to a high standard in a wide range of styles; a must for any successful musician.

Further study.  In 1977 I began a series of helpful lessons with Frank Gibson Jnr, but as he was heading for the UK, I switched to Bruce Gaylor.  Bruce was originally from New York and had studied with the great Jim Chapin. He introduced me to the Moeller technique and opened my mind to a whole new range of skills I’d never previously considered.   I also did a correspondence course called “Natural Hand Development for Drummers” by Roy Burns with the Dick Grove Music School in California.
In 1980 and ’81 the Jamey Abersold  jazz  clinics  visited NZ for one week intensives.
The outstanding tuition of Ed Soph ably assisted by Adam Nussbaum and Tony Reedus,  inspired me irreversibly in the direction of the contemporary American drum education scene.

Visiting New York
I made my first trip to NYC in 1989.  I was able to enrol at Drummers’ Collective drum school before leaving home so I had a starting point for my studies. Among the stand-out teachers there were Kim Plainfield, Frankie Malabe (Afro-Cuban drum set and percussion) and Duduka Da Fonseca (Brazilian drum set)
Many world-class drummers were gigging around town at that time and in 5 weeks I got to see Max Roach, Art Blakey, Airto, Mel Lewis, Jack DeJohnette, Freddie Waits and John Riley.  The last two (Waits and Riley) were also active teachers and I had several hours of tuition from them both.  I also arranged a series of outstanding lessons with legendary teacher Jim Chapin.
On subsequent visits to the U.S., I had the opportunity to see and meet two of my all-time heroes, Roy Haynes and Elvin Jones.
I also had further tuition with John Riley (always an inspiration) plus spent valuable time with Adam Nussbaum, Joe LaBarbera and George Marsh.

To sit and listen to these drummers in “live” performance is an unforgettable experience and a life-long inspiration.  Many are also very friendly and encouraging if approached in a polite and respectful manner.  I remain deeply indebted to all those listed above.

Notable Performances

During the mid 1980’s I began working with a very innovative saxophonist called Jim Langabeer.  We both had a passion for Afro-Cuban music and formed a group called Superbrew.  For a period of about four years we played several concerts including the Wellington Festival and the Norfolk Island Jazz Festival. We also recorded a successful album called Africa – Aroha.

In 1992 I met an outstanding English trumpeter (now living in NZ) called George Chisholm.  We began doing quintet gigs and radio programs. This in turn led to the formation of the George Chisholm Big Band which continued on a regular basis for another 5 years. With this band we played several festivals and made some very good recordings   We also maintained the quintet format and made a successful CD “Perfect Strangers” which won Jazz Album of the Year in 1994.  In 1996 we represented NZ at the Bangkok International Jazz Festival.

In 1997 I was asked by Rodger Fox to do a quartet tour of NZ with American jazz pianist Bill Cunliffe. Bill is a world class musician and I rate that tour as a pinnacle experience.

 

Photo Gallery

.               
     New York 1989 with Jim Chapin and Art Blakey

                     
       1991 with Louis Bellson in NZ    1999 with John Riley @ Village Vanguard NY              2002 with Elvin Jones

              Bangkok Jazz Festival - 1996