There’s something special about New Orleans drummers. A statement I read and hear regularly and while my untrained ear suggests that is true, I cannot in my own words explain why.
Drum Magazine has made it easy for me though by interviewing four of New Orleans top drummers. (The article is no longer available online). The magazine pulled together musicians who have handled the beat for The Meters, Professor Longhair, Wynton Marsalis, Papa Grows Funk, Galactic and countless other projects. Some of the conversation gets a little beyond my understanding. Here’s a lay summary of it:
While New Orleans wasn’t much different as other Southern locales for discouraging the continuation of African culture, the city was unique in that it did allow for New Orleans slaves and people of color to congregate at a central location, known as Congo Square, on Sundays to share, among other things, music. From this setting, Caribbean and African rhythms and syncopation met European harmonies and melodies.
The key distinction of New Orleans drumming is an emphasis on the bass drum which in the New Orleans parade tradition is the heart and soul of the show. The bass “is the main voice; and the snare drum is the polish.” Interestingly, in the marching band, second line tradition, the bass drummer and snare drummer are two separate musicians.
“Bottom line is it has to be a pelvic thing. . . What makes me unconsciously decide whether it’s good or bad is when I’m having a conversation [at a gig] far away from the music with someone who’s totally distracting me, and in the meantime I’m moving my butt. Then I know it’s the science of true, organic swing.”
Sweeney's Gumbo YaYa 