The first in a four part series - The Art of Drumming - broadcast last night (Friday 8) on Sky Arts was not unlike attending a free-of-charge drum clinic. Presented by Steve White (one-time associate of Alan Barnes), each and every interviewee/clinician exuded real enthusiasm for their chosen instrument. Ginger Baker offered pithy comment and Deep Purple's Ian Paice talked of his determination to swing it in the heavy rock outfit. The work of Earl Palmer and Jabo Starks was well documented; Palmer in at the birth of rock 'n' roll (Little Richard, Fats Domino), Starks immortalised by his time with Bobby 'Blue' Bland, Howlin' Wolf and James Brown (Clyde Stubblefield the other of Brown's two on-stage drummers).
At the end of this opening episode, during which there was much talk of swing, hi-hat, snare and 16th notes, Billy Cobham, still going strong at 76, appeared fleetingly and the remaining three episodes will feature one or two jazz drummers of note. Part two of The Art of Drumming is on Sky Arts at nine o'clock, Friday 15th. Russell
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