How good is this?

A

aydee

Platinum Member
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Surfing the tube this morning, I came up with this old Erskine clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdzweSXO9zg&feature=related

Given all the groovechoptechiquefeel conversations here, I thought this was a nice little all-in-one demo.

In light of the recent Steve Gadd debate, do you see chops here or you dont? curious what people think.

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*PS- sorry mods, would you like to move this to the drummers section?
 
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aydee said:
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Surfing the tube this morning, I came up with this old Erskine clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdzweSXO9zg&feature=related

Given all the groovechoptechiquefeel conversations here, I thought this was a nice little all-in-one demo.

In light of the recent Steve Gadd debate, do you see chops here or you dont? curious what people think.

...
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*hangs slack jawed in awe*

that's it right there. Dont bother speaking on it, just post that clip everytime someone starts some noise. Best of both worlds with an intuitive understanding of taste and texture thrown in for good measure.
 
I was alright. It lacked that get down, gritty, street level, stuff that Stanton Moore plays.

Too sterile for my taste.
 
Anything but sterile IMO. I love that singing snare line. Wonderful expression, almost independent of the substrate groove, yet bouncing within it's boundries. Chops? well yes, but only sufficient to offer the level of control necessary to execute the piece.
 
Perfect example of Erskines ability to play cleanly, and dynamically. I definitely felt like I was watching a demo of someone depicting what human beings refer to as "drumming" though.

Erskine looks like a bus driver, and I second the opinion of sterility. In fact, I feel like I can forgo my upcoming vasectomy after watching this video. I love and respect Peter Erskine's ability and contribution to drumming, he is an awesome player and I have lots of other videos and recordings of him killin' it, but it feels like he shot this video the same day as his grandmothers funeral or something. It feels empty and sad, but brimming with technical prowess.
 
apples & oranges

Yeah, Stanton killed it for sure - now play it or, how many of us got it? Stanton was entertaining us w/ chops, skill & knowledge.

Erskine on the other hand (as boring as it might of be) was stripping it down to show us something as a starting point.
 
In that clip of Peter, I wouldn't call that chops as much as musicality. He's so beyond confident in his time feel, and I get the feeling he's of the mindset that he doesn't need to "impress", which frees him up to think in a more musical sense than a technical sense.
Oh how Stanton kills though...
 
Big Foot said:
apples & oranges

Yeah, Stanton killed it for sure - now play it or, how many of us got it? Stanton was entertaining us w/ chops, skill & knowledge.

Erskine on the other hand (as boring as it might of be) was stripping it down to show us something as a starting point.
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That's a good point.

Here's Stanton breaking down one of his grooves. Maybe a better comparison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIxxB4c_T-k
 
Wow, Stanton's floor tom sounds like a low-tuned Yamaha Recording Custom with a pinstripe or clear head, and not a Gretsch Custom. Sounds "thuddy," not open and full like a Gretsch drum usually does.

I agree with SF: Erskine's a very good drummer, but this video does not demonstrate his best groovin'. Check out Erskine's playing on "Hackensack" from Andy Summer's Green Chimneys album: he's got some groove on there.

For ultimate Stanton groove, I recommend either "Go Go" off of Vintage Reserve or "Launch" from Garage-a-Trois's Emphasizer.

Steady Freddy said:
Little mo Nawleanes.

The man himself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6g32SElGkg&feature=related
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After reading all your comments, I had to watch that OP Erskine clip again. I know I'm out of my technique depth here compared to most of you guys, but what you perceive as sterility, I perceive as space. To me, the piece breathes. I imagine the groove sitting in with other instrument voices. In that context, it sounds superb to me. Maybe my simple rock brain is easily pleased.
 
Sometimes less is more, I really enjoyed the relaxed muscality of that piece. I feel, occassion, that there is too much focus on speed.

I haven't heard of Erskine before, I'm going to check out more of his stuff.
 
Couple of points of note here, guys.

First, I think this clip is in the context of a stripped down instruction video and not a performance and therefore might perhaps be seen to be lacking in phatt, fizz, juice, mustard etc for some..

Second, the point I was trying to make originally was that in my opinion, I think it takes tremendous chops, which were very tightly reined in and controlled, to do what he did here.

Sure, Stanton is awesome greasy in this context and a great example, as I'm sure are millions of of other fine examples of grooves that are dripping with technique and 'chops' which arent obvious.

I guess I'm trying to equate the words chops & technique with the understanding and mastering of rhythm and not necessarily just with speed and agility around the drum kit, which often becomes a popular interpretation.

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aydee said:
Second, the point I was trying to make originally was that in my opinion, I think it takes tremendous chops, which were very tightly reined in and controlled, to do what he did here.


I guess I'm trying to equate the words chops & technique with the understanding and mastering of rhythm and not necessarily just with speed and agility around the drum kit, which often becomes a popular interpretation.

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Click to expand...
Totally agree. I'll go with my original post to back that up.
 
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