Customer Reviews

The Master Drummer

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Definitely a great DVD - one of the first that is really geared towards jazz drumset playing, although drummers playing any style can benefit from this material. I was lucky enough to study with John for 2.5 years in college, and I've hung with him a bunch since. He's an extremely articulate and inspiring teacher, and this DVD is really well done and deeply informative. You won't really get the gist of it from a single viewing. Like John's books, there is a serious wealth of information to delve into. You'll be working on this stuff for years!

There are four sections of roughly half and hour each covering technique, groove, creativity, and musicianship. The first section has a lot of talk and demonstration of technique, but unlike most other drum DVDs, Riley focuses on things that are important to jazz drummers playing jazz music. That having been said, drummers playing any style of music can benefit from this material.

Part of John's concept is to work on coordination exercises that really help improve your comfort level at the kit. These exercises may not sound like music when you hear them demonstrated, or when you try them yourself - John mentions this. You have to dedicate to them with the faith that they will indeed end up improving your coordination, time, groove, etc. It's kind of like in "Karate Kid" when Mr. Miyagi makes Daniel Larusso paint the fench and wax the floor. He doesn't realize it at the time, but he's learning essential skills.

There is a nice section where John demonstrates a series of classic bebop solo phrases, from the language of Philly Joe, Max, and Roy Haynes. He then shows you how to take those ideas and make your own creative language out of them by rearranging the notes or phrasing, and combining them together.

My favorite part of the DVD is the last section. John plays a recording of himself playing a gig with George Garzone, Kenny Werner, and Ed Schuller. We hear the band trading choruses with the drums on "Solar." John stops the tape after each trade and discusses what he was hearing and what inspired him to play what he played. You really get a sense of how much these guys are interacting and how closely they are listening to each other.

Another element that I dug are a couple of "lo-fi" clips of John in his practice room at home. In one, he's working on Elvin's solo from Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile" and in another, he's just playing a stream-of-consciousness drum solo and is absolutely killing!

FANTASTIC!!! John did a great job organizing
the material, especially considering that the subject is so broad.
It's really refreshing to see a drum DVD that actually addresses MUSIC
and not just Bruce Lee chops.

Bravo John Riley !!!!!!!
"The Master Drummer"-Mr. Riley's latest educational offering is as complete an educational and inspirational program as any drummer could ever dream of....This top quality production is divided up into 4 parts.....the information spans from basic to very advanced--presented in a clear logical progression...the demonstrations are impeccable...this dvd is entertaining, informative, and inspiring...AND--John's Dizzy Gillespie story included in the program is worth the purchase price...(curious--HA !--get the dvd!! you'll love it..)--this is a must have for any drummer !!!--this is a must have for any Jazz musician..--!!!!
Hey Amazon--5 stars is not enough--can we give this dvd 100 stars?
(Steve Barnes L.A> freelance drummer playing and STILL learning for 50 years.....thanks for the lessons JOHN !!!!)

John Riley has once again raised the bar in drumset education with his soon to be a classic DVD, The Master Drummer. As with his books and anything he has published, his informative and extremely well organized approach to musical drumset playing has been artfully broken down into four main components. Sophisticated but practical concepts are very thoroughly presented and demonstrated with the deft musical touch that has made John one of the true giants of the drums. Very rarely do we encounter a musician with both musical and technical brilliance who has the ability to convey the information in a manner we can absorb. John Riley is all of this and more. Please take advantage of the DVD, it is a wealth of information.
Joe McCarthy
Leader/Drummer Afro Bop Alliance 2008 Latin Grammy Winner
Adjunct Professor of Music, Georgetown University, Washington DC
www.joemcdrum.com

As somehow who has taken private lessons from John Riley, and whose career has been helped immeasurably by his mentorship, I strongly recommend this DVD (as well as John's jazz drumming instructional books). If you buy this package, you are getting an incredible deal. John wisely encroaches on, but doesn't rehash material found in his books. He has provided me with years of additional instruction all within one DVD.

The way that John organizes the material, his clear explanations and inspiring demonstrations of the examples, and the provided play-along opportunities are brilliantly constructed. The cinematography is first rate and gives the viewer a virtual vantage point of taking a lesson from one of the world's best drum teachers. John's uncanny ability to motivate his students comes out.

Over the years, John has helped me to understand what it takes to achieve mastery, very similar to Malcolm Gladwell's concept in his book, Outliers. Though I haven't achieved jazz drumming mastery, John Riley's passion and his giving spirit has again pointed myself (and many others) in the right direction.

Thank you John.

John Riley's educational DVD is one of the best drumming DVDs I've seen. For those familiar with Riley's books (The Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming, and The Jazz Drummer's Workshop), this DVD not only reinforces concepts from those excellent books, but it also expands on them by offering new concepts and exercises not found in his books. therefore, I would highly recommend it to any serious drummer, even if he or she has already studied from Riley's books.

One of the great things about Riley's DVD (and this is true of his books as well), is that he not only offers very specific technical exercises to develop one's vocabulary on the instrument, but he also offers very pertinent information on how to utilize that technique in a musical way. For someone who is learning jazz, this DVD is especially invaluable, but its concepts and exercises are also relevant for any drumming style.

Some of the other reviews on Amazon have covered the specific contents of the DVD. I will add that I especially liked Riley's demonstration of various bop solo licks, as well as the transcriptions of various jazz "Latin-ish" patterns played by jazz drumming masters. I also liked his discussion of the concept of "headroom", and the attendant independence exercises are great. The footage of him working up the transciption to an Elvin Jones solo is also very informative.

In sum, this DVD is incredibly informative and well-produced, which is exactly what I've come to expect from a brilliant educator and player like John Riley. I whole-heartedly recommend it.

Just thought this DVD deserved another 5 star review.

The other reviews cover the material presented on the DVD nicely.

The PDF printouts included are basically a 17 page "book" of in depth material (also presented on the DVD) that really compliments and supports the excellent instruction books that John Riley has already written. I would have happily dished out $15-20 (or alot more!) just for those gems.

Well worth the money- one of the more in-depth, concept building music instruction DVD's I've seen. You really feel like you are sitting in on a lesson and getting valuable insights about practical steps you can take to make music more functional and.....musical.

Thank you Mr. John Riley

I won't say what's been said already. All I can tell you is that this DVD should be in every serious drummers library. There are horrible DVD's, fair DVD's, good DVD's,and finally a "GREAT DVD" put together by one of the best musicians in the business. John shows the importance of having a thorough knowledge of the history involved and where it can take you. For the first time a drummer actually teaches about listening to the other musicians in the band and says what needs to be heard by all aspiring jazz players. Great job John!!!!!

John Riley truly is a Master Drummer and one of the greatest music educators of all times.

John Riley has been playing and teaching the drumset for many years and has written well regarded books.
Here he joins the growing number of drummers who are featured on their own DVD - some would say deservedly so.

He shows a few of his favourite phrases (as played by the jazz masters), how these can be changed around and a personal statement made.
John also goes into the personal aspect of how to relate to other musicians in your band and the positive consequences of speaking a common language and listening to each other - a point he illustrates when he breaks down a solo he played live.
I liked very much the story he tells about getting up to play with Dizzy Gillespie and not knowing the songs Dizzy was asking for - John's personal feeling about how Dizzy reacted says so much and illustrates such a compassionate way for musicians to relate to each other that I was emotionally affected by it.
I also was also affected by it as I realised not many musicians would react the way Dizzy did - you'll have to see the DVD to understand what I mean.

I do wonder how many younger musicians will make the long hard journey to discovering that listening to others is the best way to play music.
If you are interested in how to swing or how to feel the 'swing pulse', then go no further than this DVD.
If there was one thing I could add to this DVD, it would have been live footage of John performing with a band.
I wholeheartedly recommend it.

John Riley's books are great and so is this DVD. It was well worth the purchase for me, if for no other reason then for the tip about stick wax, which I'd never heard anyone mention to me before. I began using it immediately and I really love it! But the playing is phenomenal and the DVD is loaded with many examples, when worked on as instructed will strengthen your groove tremendously. Thanks John!