The Grooves of Art Blakey

Art Blakey was a legendary drummer who, in the 40s and 50s, was a pioneer of modern bebop drumming. He played with jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk and recorded over 70 albums with his band, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. Known for his bold swing style, showmanship and total independence on the kit, his drumming inspired thousands of players in the 20th century and beyond. 0:00 - Intro In this video – filmed on the exact type of drums Art Blakey used in the ’60s – Brandon Toews breaks down some of his most famous drum grooves and explains why he was one of the most in-demand jazz drummers of his time. 1:37 - Groove #1: “Caravan” This Afro-Cuban groove, often called the nanigo, has a cool pattern on the ride bell. Keep that quarter note pulse going with your hi-hat foot! 5:25 - Groove #2: “A Night In Tunisia” This one uses double strokes between the floor tom and rack tom, a Mozambique bell pattern, and feet alternating through the groove. Art Blakey used to play “A Night In Tunisia” at an insane tempo: around 290 BPM. In this video, Brandon keeps it “chill” at 280. 8:09 - Groove #3: “Moanin’” It’s the original jazz shuffle! While you maintain a standard jazz pattern on the ride, you’ll create a shuffle feel by alternating ghost notes on the snare with backbeats on 2 and 4. If you enjoyed this lesson, check out full note-for-note transcriptions of these songs (plus 1000s of other songs and lessons) FOR FREE on Drumeo: _______________________________________________________ ►Learn Drums Here: ►Free Lessons: ►Our Favorite Music Products: _______________________________________________________ Follow us: ►The Drumeo Beat: ►Facebook: ►Instagram: ►TikTok: @drumeoofficial Follow Brandon Toews ►Facebook: ►YouTube: ►Instagram: ►TikTok: @ _______________________________________________________ #artblakey #jazz #drumeo