15 Greatest Groove Druumers of All Time

JohnnyG

JohnnyG

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This list from the April 2010, DRUM Magazine.
In alphabetical order.

Kenny Aronoff
Hal Blaine
Matt Chamberlain
Steve Gadd
Jim Gordon
Roger Hawkins
Gerald Heyward
Al Jackson Jr.
Jim Keltner
Zigaboo Modeliste
Andy Newmark
JefdfPorcaro
Bernard Purdie
Ringo Starr
Clyde Stubblefield
Jabo Starks

Again this is their list, not mine, so please don't call me names. LOL

This entire issue is dedicated to GROOVE. Check it out.
 
Kenny Aronoff? Seriously? What a joke. How does he make the list and not Ndugu Chancler?? I guess I can see him make the list in a boring Keltner rock sort of way.

How are they defining groove? That's the bigger issue, I think. Keltner, Aronoff, Ringo are completely different kinds of groove compared to masters like Zigaboo, Jabo, Gadd, etc.

They also forgot about David Garibaldi and Stanton Moore. Huge omission. Alan Evans of Soulive is also quite good.
 
John Bonham should definitely be there. He has some of the greatest grooves such as when the levee breaks.
 
i dont like this list much either. they need to break it out into rock, funk, motown/soul or something. IMHO i might drop Aronoff & Chamberlain in favor of Stewart Copeland, Dennis Chambers, Dave Garibaldi (WTF, people !!!), Bonham. what about STEVE SMITH ? those Journey grooves are solid gold. geeze, i almost forgot Rick Marotta...the "Peg" groove is maybe top 5 for me.
 
I don't think there would ever be a list that "everyone" would agree with, no matter what "rhythmic concept" was featured. There's always a different thought, from one person to the next, about "who" should be on "what" list. Since the beginning of time, until the end of days. I have the mentioned April 2010 issue of Drum! (subscription) just got it yesterday as a matter of fact. And I've read most of the 15 Greatest Groove Drummers Of All Time section. Though I don't agree with every drummer listed, I did/do enjoy the write-ups of each one. I think the writers hit-the-mark, for the most part, on that aspect of it, anyway.

I enjoyed the "Dissecting the Beats" section as well. "Essential Grooves Every Drummer Must Know." 18 examples of different groove-styles. Check it out! Pretty cool stuff there.

I do wanna agree with the Kenny Aronoff selection, though. His body of work, IMO, exemplifies "groove".
 
Lots of good ones in the list IMO but some I either haven't heard or didn't realise I'd heard them.

Some drummers who come to mind whose grooves have given me pleasure but haven't been mentioned by anyone (can be dull to read the same names over and over with no reference to what they've played)

Funk/soul etc
Robbie McIntosh (AWB, eg. Pick Up the Pieces)
Jim Hodder (Steelies - Your Gold Teeth, King of the World)
Harvey Mason - Herbie Hancock, eg. Sly, Chameleon
Michael Shrieve - Santata (lots) and Stomu Yamashta, eg. Ghost machine
Ed Greene - Barry's White's Love Theme and Steelies's I Got the News

Rock
Charlie - eg. Miss You, Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Bill Bruford - Crimmo, eg. Thela Hun Ginjeet, Discipline, People
Joe Blocker - Steve Hillage, eg. Unidentified (Flying Being)
Willie Weeks - David Bowie, eg. Fame
Mick Fleetwood - eg. Tusk
Ian Paice - eg. You Fool No One

That's only 11 but most of the good ones are taken ... guess that happens in a number of areas of life.

Wy tells me that Earl Palmer is The Man, but I haven't (consciously) heard enough of his stuff to say.
 
Seriously getting sick of these lists.

I think my biggest issues is the WAY they're stated. 15 GREATEST Groove Drummers.

I mean seriously?

That's ridiculous.

I could make a list of the 500 greatest groove drummers, and I'd still be missing some of the best guys out there.

Where's Steve Jordan?
 
Ian Paice's - You Fool No One, is a master-piece of how to groove.

Pollyanna said:
Lots of good ones in the list IMO but some I either haven't heard or didn't realise I'd heard them.

Some drummers who come to mind whose grooves have given me pleasure but haven't been mentioned by anyone (can be dull to read the same names over and over with no reference to what they've played)

Funk/soul etc
Robbie McIntosh (AWB, eg. Pick Up the Pieces)
Jim Hodder (Steelies - Your Gold Teeth, King of the World)
Harvey Mason - Herbie Hancock, eg. Sly, Chameleon
Michael Shrieve - Santata (lots) and Stomu Yamashta, eg. Ghost machine
Ed Greene - Barry's White's Love Theme and Steelies's I Got the News

Rock
Charlie - eg. Miss You, Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Bill Bruford - Crimmo, eg. Thela Hun Ginjeet, Discipline, People
Joe Blocker - Steve Hillage, eg. Unidentified (Flying Being)
Willie Weeks - David Bowie, eg. Fame
Mick Fleetwood - eg. Tusk
Ian Paice - eg. You Fool No One

That's only 11 but most of the good ones are taken ... guess that happens in a number of areas of life.

Wy tells me that Earl Palmer is The Man, but I haven't (consciously) heard enough of his stuff to say.
Click to expand...
 
In historical order.
Baby Dodds
Gene Krupa
Davey Tough
Buddy Rich
Kenny Clarke
Joe Morello
Shelley Manne
Grady Tate
Earl Palmer
Don Lamond
Jimmy Cobb
Hal Blaine
Bernard Purdie
Jim Keltner
Steve Gadd
Jeff Porcaro.

Am out of time frame now.

( so many unmentioned! The Motown guys, the JB guys, Garibaldi, Mike Clark..Al Foster, James Gadson, Kunkel and so many more...
 
And Pol, yes, Earl Palmer is the man. Anyone reading this thread has heard the Great Earl Palmer play drums.

Earl was and remains "The Man".

I doubt Paulinho De Costa's resume' is as extensive. I would say it is 1000's of dates out. No contest. Earl Palmer is and will always be "The Man"!
 
I have not read all of it but there are sections on the definition of groove, 5 ways to ruin the groove, etc. Only got the magazine yesterday but thought it would stir some interest by posting their 15 all time.
 
I second the steve jordan and the Dave Garibaldi their who i think of when i think groove, even some stanton moore.
 
generally speaking lists such as these are merely one writer's opinion and the fact that they may have a column in a drum magazine does not necessarily make their opinion any more valid than yours! (Unless the writer is Billy Amendola, and then I have to agree with everything he says because he is my friend).

When I think of groove I automatically think of those great pocket players: JR Robinson, Russ Miller, Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Jordan, Bernard Purdie, Ricky Lawson, James Gadson, Steve Ferrone, Steve Gadd, Russ Kunkel, Jabo, Zigaboo, Prairie Prince and newer folks like Stanton and Keith Carlock.

I put my fifteen up against the original fifteen. Of course, I do so, because these are my fifteen, not Drum's fifteen!

Paul
 
GRUNTERSDAD said:
I have not read all of it but there are sections on the definition of groove, 5 ways to ruin the groove, etc. Only got the magazine yesterday but thought it would stir some interest by posting their 15 all time.
Click to expand...

GD, I'd be interested in hearing more about the 5 ways to ruin the groove article. I should get organised with these things.
 
Paul Quin said:
generally speaking lists such as these are merely one writer's opinion and the fact that they may have a column in a drum magazine does not necessarily make their opinion any more valid than yours! (Unless the writer is Billy Amendola, and then I have to agree with everything he says because he is my friend).

When I think of groove I automatically think of those great pocket players: JR Robinson, Russ Miller, Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Jordan, Bernard Purdie, Ricky Lawson, James Gadson, Steve Ferrone, Steve Gadd, Russ Kunkel, Jabo, Zigaboo, Prairie Prince and newer folks like Stanton and Keith Carlock.

I put my fifteen up against the original fifteen. Of course, I do so, because these are my fifteen, not Drum's fifteen!

Paul
Click to expand...

Shoot, ya, Forgot Ferrone,Stanton, and Carlock too...
 
I would put Greg Errico on my list.

Might put Josh Freese on there too. Given the number of recordings he's played on, I wouldn't be surprised if he's considered the next Jeff Porcaro or Steve Gadd in 20 years...
 
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