10 Drumming Chameleons from DRUM! Magazine
This article was originally published in the May 2014 issue of Drum! magazine.
Master drummers who can sound authentic in any given drumming style are members of an ultra-elite club. Not only have they learned the stickings and rhythms inherent in every style on the planet, they also know how to make them feel right, which is perhaps the trickiest part. That’s why we call them chameleons. Some, like Vinnie Colaiuta, are so versatile that they almost don’t have a signature style. They simply fade into whatever arrangement they have to play, be it metal, jazz, fusion, or pop. Others, though, simply possess a distinct style that is so malleable that they can sound at home without compromising their identity.
So here’s our list of the top ten chameleons from the past and present that set bars far too high for most of us to ever reach—although that’s no excuse to stop trying!
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10 Drumming Chameleons
Tony Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl4eNR3Ag7c&t=3s
When Tony Williams first strode on stage with jazz icon Miles Davis in 1962, at the tender age of 17, he’d in fact already clocked professional experience with saxophonists Jackie McLean and Sam Rivers. While he displayed a mastery of metric modulation and polyrhythmic play early on, which left a lasting influence on drummers of all stripes who followed, it would have been impossible at that gig to predict the wide range of styles he would tackle throughout his career. From bebop sessions with Miles and avant-garde explorations with Eric Dolphy, to his invention of jazz fusion with Life Time, reggae sides with Jimmy Cliff, and rock cuts with Yoko Ono and Public Image Ltd., Williams could seemingly fit into any stylistic situation without ever forsaking his sound. Who knows what else he would have taken on if he hadn’t died prematurely of a heart attack at age 51.
Steve Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CPB-kO3F9s&t=3s
Dennis Chambers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBXBokooeuc&t=3s
Omar Hakim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rVpHt9G2GQ&t=1s
Peter Erskine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7201WDnHfx4&t=14s
Stanton Moore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqSREduT-Tw&t=2s
Dave Weckl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1BNRvPVGqY&t=1s
Steve Gadd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoicumiP6Bw&t=8s
Cindy Blackman-Santana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGgiN1YNoQ4&t=1s
Keith Carlock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei8psDCGPDU&t=10
Kenny Aronoff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6fgbxXvwtQ&t=2s
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