Francis' Drumming Blog

Here’s a collection of 7 jazz grooves from various standards of the bebop and hard bop era. Drummers like Max Roach, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Clarke, Vernel Fournier, Billy Higgins, and Elvin Jones are the masters of these Latin-oriented grooves.

• Featuring Max Roach on drums, “St. Thomas” by Sonny Rollins, from the album Saxophone Colossus (1957), features a distinctive calypso groove that drives its rhythmic vitality. The drum pattern, rooted in syncopated rhythms and light accents, complements Rollins’ melodic lines while adding a danceable, inspired feel. This blend of calypso with bebop sensibilities highlights the creativity and versatility of both Rollins and Roach, making “St. Thomas” a timeless piece and a popular jazz standard.

• “Full House” by Wes Montogomery is a live album recorded on June 25, 1962. On the title track’s intro, Jimmy Cobb plays a 3/4 latin groove. The right hand plays on the floor tom shell, and the left hand moves around the tom and the cross-stick, with the left-foot hi-hat on 2 and 3.

• “A Night in Tunisia” from the album Our Man in Paris (1963) by saxophonist Dexter Gordon is a perfect example of a Latin-oriented groove. The drummer is the legendary Kenny Clarke providing a mambo bell-oriented groove.

• Ahmad Jamal’s “Poinciana” is a jazz classic known for its enchanting melodies and innovative piano improvisation. Featured on the album At the Pershing: But Not for Me (1958), this timeless piece showcases Jamal’s exceptional talent for crafting evocative melodic lines and impressionist harmonies, featuring the creative drumming of Vernel Fournier. He plays a New Orleans-oriented groove with an open-handed technique, with the left hand on the hi-hat and the right hand (with a mallet) on the snare and the floor tom. That’s an open way to play a groove, giving you new perceptions and rhythmic solutions.

• Another Max Roach groove is “George’s Dilemma” from the album Study in Brown (1955) by Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet. The tune is an AABA form with a latin feel on the A section and a swing feel on the bridge. The latin groove is related to the mambo bell pattern, with cross-stick on 2 and tom on 4 (on the first and second 8th-note).

• “The Sidewinder” from the album of the same name (1964) by Lee Morgan is a perfect example of playing in the gap (not swing and not straight eights). Billy Higgins is a master of this feel! Listen carefully to the original tune.

• In 1977, Art Pepper released the album The Trip after a long period of inactivity. The title track “The Trip” is a 3/4 tune with impressive and smooth Elvin Jones drumming.

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Here’s the PDF including the transcriptions.

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