Videotaped Lessons From the Masters

It was always one of the great regrets of jazz musicians in the early years that self-instruction was virtually the only path toward education in this all but undocumented art form. Jazz education was nonexistent, a contradiction in terms.

Even today, unless the young student’s family can afford to send him to one of the institutes where jazz is the subject of formal learning (Berklee in Boston, Dick Grove’s in Los Angeles, etc.), he is unlikely to have direct access to the playing methods, let alone the instructional concepts, of the artists he admires and would like to emulate.

Today, that situation is slowly changing, thanks to the initiative of two New York musicians who are taking advantage of the video revolution.

For the past eight years Rob Wallis and Paul Siegel, both studio drummers in New York, have been running a music school known as DCI (Drummers’ Collective Inc.). In 1980, they had the idea of expanding their potential by starting a video library that would afford a VCR’s eye view of prominent musicians performing and explaining the nature of their work.

Although the project began as a drummers’ series, it has grown in scope to include other rhythm section players on keyboards, guitar and bass. These videotapes are unique not only in their intimate view of the musicians, but in their inherent value simply as music and entertainment.

Some of the videos come equipped with an instruction booklet. Though written explanations will appeal primarily to those who read music, most of the films will be of interest to anyone interested in a closer look at these artists, their styles and the generally lucid manner in which they are explained.

Following are some of the most valuable:

“LOUIE BELLSON: THE MUSICAL DRUMMER.” DCI Music Video Inc. VH 005. Because of Bellson’s outgoing personality, the articulate analyses of his playing and the inherent values of his work both as a drummer and composer, this is one of the most rewarding items in the series. Leading a quintet with Ken Hitchcock on saxes and flute, Remo Palmier on guitar, the late George Duvivier on bass and John Bunch on piano, he demonstrates a broad range of styles: Bossa nova, shuffle rhythm, jazz/rock, swing, contemporary back-beat.

Each tune is followed by Bellson’s discussion (and illustration) of what rhythmic effects he was using. Particularly delightful are his soft-shoe-like impressions of Jo Jones’ brush work, and, finally, in an almost unbelievable solo, the story of his pioneering use of two bass drums, which he plays with demonic celerity. A 64-page booklet is available to accompany the 60-minute video, but everything Bellson has to say is self-explanatory.

“JACO PASTORIUS: MODERN ELECTRIC BASS.” DCI Music Video, Inc. VH013. In the light of Pastorius’ tragic demise at age 35 (he died last year of injuries suffered in a fight with a Florida night club owner), this documentation of his genius is unique and invaluable. Unusually long (90 minutes, with a 40-page booklet), this a fascinating mixture of music, autobiography and technical elucidation. Pastorius talks about his original experience as a drummer (he took over a departed bass player’s job and all but mastered the instrument in a week), the diversity of his influences and the development of his unprecedented skills.

Jerry Jemmott, an experienced New York studio bassist, interviews Pastorius and plays a blues duet with him. Along the way Pastorius can be heard playing everything from his own “Portrait of Tracy” to John Coltrane’s “Naima” and even “America.” The last segment is mainly given over to a trio performance for which he is joined by John Scofield on guitar and Kenwood Dennard on drums. As a coda he even tosses in a piano solo. Pastorius, through the use of formidable right- and left-hand technique, of chords, modes and arpeggios, was able to transform the electric bass into an all-purpose solo instrument as well as a rhythm vehicle. Even those who remember him with Weather Report and his own groups, the video will come as a revelation.

“CHICK COREA: KEYBOARD WORKSHOP” DCI Music Video. VHO29. Always adept at defining and describing his music, Corea demonstrates his approach to practicing, improvising and composing. Interspersed among the discussions are his performances of J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variation 1, an original children’s song, Ellington’s “Mood Indigo,” Cole Porter’s “Easy to Love” (the 62-page booklet has a valuable harmonic analysis by John Novello of Corea’s approach to the tune), and finally an on-the-spot view of Corea composing a new piece from scratch, correcting it, completing it and performing it with his trio (John Patitucci on bass, Tom Brechtlein on drums). Though parts of this 60 minute session may be a little too technical for the outsider, much of it holds up well simply on the inherent strength of the music.

“ADRIAN BELEW: ELECTRONIC GUITAR.” DCI Music Video. VH006. Unwittingly, in this 60-minute display of twisted virtuosity, Belew highlights everything that is wrong with the over-electrified music scene. Displaying what he himself characterizes as “an embarrassing array of electronic weaponry,” he describes his use of fuzz tones, flanges, frequency analyzers, tape loop machines, compressors and volume pedals. For those who would care to hear a guitar resembling a herd of African elephants or imitating a bagpipe solo, this will have immediate appeal. For others it will merely come across as a series of hideous distortions by the former member of King Crimson. Watching this 60-minute demonstration is truly a depressing experience.

“MAX ROACH: IN CONCERT & IN SESSION.” DCI Music Video. VHS 0015. Max Roach is presented here in two separate 30-minute programs, neither of which involves any technical explanation. In the first, taped at a New York jazz festival, he plays several unaccompanied drum solos and reminisces a little about his high school days and the period he spent subbing with Duke Ellington.

The second segment, recorded in a studio, employs his regular quintet, augmented, all too briefly, by his daughter Maxine on viola, Walter Bishop Jr. on piano, and a singer, Matilda Haywood. The explanations consist of generalities. The best passage is a Martin Luther King speech to which Roach plays a counterpoint, illustrated by some ingenious graphics. For Roach fans, this portion is of interest, but as instruction the entire hour falls short--surprisingly, since Roach has had years of experiences as a professor of music at various universities.

Among the other videos in the DCI catalogue are drum sessions with Ed Thigpen, Elvin Jones and Lenny White, a contemporary keyboard survey with Richard Tee, and a John Scofield examination of guitar improvisation. The videos are priced from $29.95 to $59.95. For information call (800)342-4500.

Having covered the rhythm section, Rob Wallis and Paul Siegel plan soon to enlarge their program by producing similar videos for the horn players. It’s certainly an idea whose time has come; in fact, it arrived many years ago, before the days of video. We are fortunate that productions like these are helping to make up for so much lost time.