Keep Groovin’

My number one priority at any gig is to provide a solid foundation for the band. Period. The style of music will not change this for me. I always want to lay down a groove from which the other musicians can jump on (or off) with their ideas. Yes, sometimes it’s a conversation between players — including me. That does not mean that I’ll do a drum fill every two bars or, worse yet, change the feel just as often. I don’t approach music as a contest or as an opportunity for me to display some “razzle-dazzle.” It’s not important to me to make sure that everyone hear everything I can do, every time. I want to play for the song, and that usually includes knowing when to simply keep groovin’. The vocalists like it, the band likes it, the audience likes it, the dancers like it, and I like it. Some music does give me the chance to play more complicated drum beats, but (again) that doesn’t mean that I’ll change that drum beat every few bars. The groove rules. I’ll play with it and change it when it seems to want that. Otherwise, I try to keep groovin’.