Added: 3 years ago
From: DrumChannelOfficial
Views: 215,955
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (181)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • #ICONIC.........

  • So relaxed and effortless... a beautiful thing to watch Novak play.

  • I meant Novak and Cobb...I was just watching two videos with both guys...You both are some of my favourite jazz drummers, and it makes me mad that when I play this stuff, I feel tired afterwards, and sweat. HOW DO YOU NOT SWEAT? Is there a secret? I mean, I have tried dry and wet deo's, I have tried powder...But My tie even get's sweaty...lmao, and I AM A FIT THIN GUY!!! What the Novak!?!?

  • @DangerD205 Yeah I play aux percussions as well; I am a big guy but I can roar on congas/bongos without breaking a sweat; as soon as I sit behind a kit and start playing, its over. I know other drummers, to that just don't have that issue I guess its something that you have to leave at "What the Novak?".

  • @DangerD205 i sweat all the time.

    but theres times where im doing more on the drums and because im so relaxed and in the pocket i just dont sweat. i dont heat up.

    since Gary is always in the pocket, i guess thats why he never sweats? hes plays relaxed.

  • @DangerD205 LoL! Trust me brother I've been lifting weights for 35 years and am pretty damn fit and have ALWAYS sweated like hell playing drums. There is no secret. It's physiological and has to do with a variety of things from Basal Metabolic Rate to percentage of body fat to diet to alkaline levels to acidosis -- in particular latent tissue acidosis and on we go. So, there's your lesson from a dude certified in Health, Wellness and Nutrition. What the Novak indeed dammit!

  • @DangerD205 even your tie gets sweaty.. you are playing in a shirt and tie?..

    you might be fit and thin but you are still going to sweat if you are exerting yourself.. if u don't want to exert urself so much to play the drums then play more relaxed and in pocket

  • does anyone know the specific name of this type of jazz?

  • @FrieLegos Bebop / up-tempo / swing

  • just saw Gary play with Josh Groban. it's incredible how versatile he is. unreal.

  • very very cool

  • WOW

  • anyone know what ride he is using?

  • Guys i'm trying to learn Jazz drumming but from this video uhhh i'm sorry to say i couldnt recognise any disctnct pattersns.

    To me it just sounded like noise (the solo part) could you please help me decipher what exactly was happening there?

    -Drum Dumass

  • @Hellguy10 The clip is surely difficult to follow but It's played really precisely with intense feeling. Even the Q&A structure is more like free form. I mean it's not like traditional fours. Try to focus on the basic pulse. Here it is 4/4, just tap the pulse with your feet and try to listen how these rhythmic phrases flow on the basic pulse. Gary uses a lot of odd groupings in his soloing. Notice how the ones of the odd groups land in the middle of basic pulse.

  • @Hellguy10 they are playing a jazz standard called stablemates, composed by benny golson in the 50s. the form on this tune is a little tricky, which makes trading or soloing over it trickier. the form is A B A, with the A sections being 14 bars long and the B section being 8 bars. It took me a minute to figure out, because it's an odd thing to do, but Gary starts his solo on the last A of the form, so instead of taking one whole chorus (A+B+A), he takes A+A+B+A.

  • Two words for Gary Novak:

    TONY WILLIAMS.

  • @Easleytee I'm sure he knows who Tony Williams is and has probably learned a thing or two from Tony's playing

  • whats the name of the composition?

  • its kinda boring

  • @Skullheaddrummer its what u call real drumming dude. bet u cant do any better

  • Gary plays traditionally...and quite well I might add. As a matter of fact I would say he "kills" it. For a small example go to "Gary Novak amazing solo 1 and see some of the artistry he lays down.

  • Matched grip is wrong? Bill Stewart would care to disagree.

  • I Love the ay Gary Novack approaches the fours solos. His swing is right in the pocket and very solid. Love to listen to his ideas.

  • Gary is holding his sticks wrong. I took lessons Murray Spivak, who taught Bellson, Garabaldi and Palmer to name a few. Typical Rock Drummer turned jazz,,what the hell he is starting a tour with my friends Groban, Steven and Akoi

  • Next you must consider giving trumpet lessons to Dizzy Gillespie. Ever see his awful embouchure? Or how about Wes Montgomery always picking the guitar with his thumb for crying out loud.

  • @philthyrichman Your an idiot. Dont really care who you took "lessons" with Mr big bucks... how could you LISTEN to this and say anything negative about Gary??? Do something useful with your traditional grip, and shove your sticks where the sun doesn't shine...Or in your case, maybe it does.

  • @philthyrichman

    Matched grip is not 'wrong'. What the hell? As long as you have a fulcrum and have full control over the stick, you are holding it correctly. No one really cares who taught you.

  • @philthyrichman You might have taken lessons, but I highly doubt you actually learned anything. Grip style doesn't matter.

  • @christraven for me, i like the sound of tradtional more on the snare. its easier to kind of brushing it and get a warmer sound.

  • @philthyrichman Max Roach and Art Blakey at times both played matched grip and those are probably not only Gary's idols but probably Jimmy's as well.

  • @philthyrichman

    It has been widely known for some time that matched grip is generally equally as effective as traditional grip, more practical in some applications.

    Get over the "in the old days " crap lol. Did you also walk to school barefoot in a snowstorm, backwards, uphill both ways, with a 40 pound backpack,....

  • Smooth as silk. I could watch him do this all day...

  • Man, talk about making something look effortless...

  • I think Gary Novak won this round of the drum off........

  • how does one even count a measure in all this? Jazz is tough stuff

  • @teamgod ...I agree with you...personally, I've considered jazz (and perhaps jazz fusion) as signifying an amazing grasp of drumming...

  • Wow. He plays with such ease. Just made me realize I need to practice a lot more now!

  • How does a seasoned jazz professional such as this, manage to hold the sticks wrong?? It will always be a mystery to me.

  • @rgvhen there is no wrong and right way to hold it. If he plays well that way, thats what works for him. and thats right for him.

  • @rgvhen Don't be ignorant. Did you hear the licks Gary Novak was playing?

  • @rgvhen

    how do you suppose he's holding his sticks wrong? its the way thats most comfortable for him and the way that makes him most proficient. that seems pretty correct to me.

  • @rgvhen What exactly do you mean wrong? He holds them perfectly. If you think that's wrong, you don't know what's right. He's got a very relaxed grip, fulcrum in the middle finger and thumb and perfect balance with his other fingers supporting. Maybe you're one of these guys that think a jazz dude has to have trad grip...? I hope I'm wrong because that's just thick.

  • Play that? Hell, I wish I could DREAM about playing that!

  • What happened to Gary's hair.... ?

  • @jazzenterprise He lost it coming up with these fills.

  • Gary is a monster.

  • This is the second coolest drum-related video on You Tube. The first is the video with that one guy who records himself playing along to Rush songs ;)

  • Great solo! jazz is fucking amazing!

  • one of my favorite drummers, but I prefered the sound of his yamaha maple custom drumset.

  • The volume of applause was not to the level that solo deserved.

  • Matched grip is standard in playing jazz in Europe,because lot drummers plays other percussion instruments,and playing matched is easyer to play all of that.And Gary Novak is big inspiration in Europe.GREAT!

  • tht too crazy

  • I went to school with Gary's sister and met him when we was about 10 or 11 years old.

    at that time he was using standard grip and played with his fathers jazz band in the clubs in Chicago.

    One day while visiting his sister he was walking around his parents house practicing single stroke rolls on every surface of the house with out missing a beat.

    I would challenge any of you negative commenter's to pick up some sticks and do that same at any age,

  • @1ProPhoto ....single stroke rolls are easy. am i missing something?

  • @1ProPhoto ... what is standard grip .... never heard of it before .

  • A true master making it look easy.

  • buenisimoo, maestros !

  • always remember that he was playing in front of jimy cobb.....the absolute jazzmaster,with max roach,of all time

  • I present you: The power of proper tuning and technique!

  • @nojam4u i don't like that tuning

  • jimmy cobb is such a dawg, hes just sitting there chillin in suspenders

    i saw him play like 6 month ago and he was wearing suspenders too

  • Jazz drumming is the hardest to play! The insane double bass may seem hard to some, but this by far the hardest to play. Your eyes decieve you. Just play it and you will discover a whole new level of drumming insanity!

  • @Chavacito32 well said. but i think we can all agree that Latin jazz is THE hardest type of jazz to play. in my opinion at least.

  • @FrieLegos Yea because of all the complex rhythms that all ur limbs have to do at once. i think if u can't play traditional jazz, there's no way u can even think about playin latin jazz. right now i'm studyin jazz and i absolutely love it. helps my playin on all angles

  • @FrieLegos

    Latin Jazz is a difficult style to get used to IF you did not grow up or spend lots of time listening to it! 

  • " I will never eat here again if I don't get the BEST seat in the house!"

  • That fat guy's really eyeing up those tasty chops... Novak's finger work on the left hand is incredible.

  • @dolenslupus That 'fat guy' is Jimmy Cobb mate. 

  • gary novak was THE BEST drummer chick corea ever showcased ever in my opinion.

    Peace...

  • @127quinn I agree

  • JEFF TAIN WATTS RULES!!!!!!!!!

  • Everyday I pray to Vinnie Colaiuta to make Gary Novak the president!

  • @OKEKOBEB I thought I was the only one!..........Comforting

    

  • Gary is killin it... mannnnnn

  • see, this guy could play death metal better and faster than any death metal drummer out there but he chooses to play jazz, because jazz is harder.

  • @brainac0cult

    Harder is a bad term.

    It's more open for expression, it's endlessly flexible, and it doesn't compromise creativity.

    Deathmetal, like most metal, compromises a lot of creativity and is rather fundamental.

    Not to mention Jazz is just beautiful.

  • OMFG! AMAZING.

  • trad lets the sticks just rest in your hands

  • who can suggest an album that kinda stuff (amazing jazz drumming)

  • Who's the dude hangin' out in the suspenders? He should be doing something too. He should be eating a huge plate of spaghetti from his hand while those other guys are playing. His name is now Noodles Jackson. This should be called "Gary Novak and Jimmy Cobb Jazz Solo Featuring Noodles Jackson- Drum Channel."

  • @MrSteebies i'm not sure if that was a joke, but that fat guy IS jimmy cobb, one of the greatest jazz drummers in history, he can get as fat as he wants and still kick most guys asses

  • Great stuff !! Who's the pianist ?

  • @Zumppyh

    chick correa

  • Gary Novak: One the planet's finest & most musical drummers!!! Just pure beauty!

  • to meee toooo.... Most musical drummer in the planet

  • MrLamaPro its not a one handed fulcrum roll its just sticking. hes playing a sticking pattern and splitting it up between his right hand on the ride and his left on the snare

  • must of been quite daunting for novak with a master like cobb watching him play!! not to take anything away from novak hes a master in his own right

  • @sicock86 no shit- imagine knowing that this guy played with Miles on Kind of Blue, and he's checking out your feel and time? Anybody can dazzle with chops- Cobb's listening for the deeper shit.

  • Very beatiful!!!

  • It is surprising to see him using matched grip for jazz, but maybe he got used to it from touring with Alanis Morissette all those years. I read an interview where he said he had to play much louder with her because of the huge crowds, and if he used traditional grip he would have broken his thumb off. In this video he's using his left middle finger as a fulcrum and the index as just a guide. It's the Weckl technique and it works for me.

  • Gary used and knew it 10 years before weckl´s evolution videos, check his solo in 1993... and to that point, Gary played all rebound techniques ...

    he knows there are thousand ways .... not only one .... and He does it

  • it seems quite a few of the older generation jazz guys are using matched now. ie jack dejohnette.

    pretty cool!

  • yeah. Dejohnette got told by his doc that he had to switch back to matched to save his wrists!

  • Your comment made me think of Stewart Copeland. Traditional grip... loud player.... huge windup at times.

  • @owlcu I play a lot of jazz and I play matched. I used to play Trad but I switched.

  • same as me, holding the stick with the middle finger just feels more relaxed i think even more natural, and works fine for me too.

  • Not knowing who Jimmy Cobb is is criminal. Go listen to the song "So What" off the 1961 Miles Davis Carnegie Hall album. Cobb busts things up behind Miles' searing trumpet solo. Jimmy was masterful.

  • I was always frightened by the thought that both Gary and the pianist were locked on with internal timing (during this final solo), simply because i couldn't maintain the pulse whilst he was continually playing over the measure. Then i realised at 1:31 Gary subtly signaling the pianist to return. It wasn't a matter of bars, rather a matter of when he felt he had displayed enough of his technical ability. Nevertheless, an amazing performance.

  • cool can you watch my drum set video i have good drum set pdp dw

  • my dream drum set!!! :D

  • whos the random fat guy in suspenders?

  • @skate6913 :)

  • That's Jimmy Cobb.

  • That's Kenny from South Park!

  • @skate6913 Dude! That's Jimmy Cobb!

  • v samey

  • If you like gary in this type of situation you need to check out Bob Berg's Another Standard. OH MY GOD!

  • @brodestar93 GREAT CD; Also, Joe Locke - 4 Walls of Freedom. Gary is one of the best !

  • @cheezruff 4 walls, yea! One of my favs.

  • whos the biker sittin by him

  • That's Jimmy Cobb man!!

  • That's it. G.N. is my new favourite drummer.

    What is it I like about him?

    Hmmmm, very rudimentary based and *musical*. Could also be his slightly old school discipline.

    Lately, watching some drummers is the pits. It's like a competition with no dignity or musical purpose.

  • I made a simple comment and Buddy Rich had said many times you cannot get the speed with matched grip. So there! Your mother wears combat boots.

  • check out Ronald Bruner jr. modern drummers can and do play in circles around Rich

  • @28freshw absolute garbage bruners drumming.typical black smash everything.

  • Why on earth would that be true, since the right hand IS using matched grip even if the left uses Orthodox?

  • Old timers favor trad because that's what they were taught. There's no inherent advantage in it. How was Buddy able to get his right (matched) hand to go as fast as his left (trad) hand in a roll? Same hand speed, right? It's true, HE couldn't make matched work as well, but he hadn't been using it his whole life as he had trad. It's a silly debate. If the left hand grip in trad were inherently "better," wouldn't there be at least 1 drummer out there, somewhere, who used that grip for BOTH hands?

  • the swing is death

  • shit, gary plays it so effortlessly.

  • I don't like matched grip at all. Is this guy British?

  • Do you listen with your eyes moron??

    Who gives a fuck if he plays matched.Roy Haynes plays matched-he would shit all over you.

  • His fulcrum with left hand is strange ! Anybody know if it's a particular hand technique ?

  • I believe he is using his middle finger joint as a fulcrum

  • I think he's using the middle and the ring fingers together as a fulcrum, but hard to say. He's using fingers, wrists, arms, the whole hands - all done simultaneously. The trick is to find the golden middle - between the arm, the wrist, the fingers, the elbow, the mind :) It's a kind of meditation.

  • agree... is a lil strange...

  • no you see he's using any fulcrum point that feels comfortable at the time.... he play with a lot of middle and thumb but you can see him blending that together with the index and at times even the ring.....i actually caught him playing with only the thumb a couple times and just letting the stick do its thing for a couple beats....its called being LOOSE.

  • ummm....I had no idea about Gary Novak. I was looking for some Jimmy Cobb footage. I had no idea Novak was such a beautiful drummer. I doubt I could even strike a drum with Jimmy Cobb setting there staring at me. This is great. I dig that we share a surname.

  • not my cup of tea but really kool

  • and just for the heck of it for all you people out there that just can't respect or understand jazz well then try checking out Chris Coleman - Drum Solo.... u may find it "cool." because i know some metal rockers out there wanna see something fast and endulging.

  • very nice just seems like too many notes..

    but this is drum channel so it makes sense...

  • Beautiful...just beautiful and tasteful drumming!

  • this man could play anything!

  • What a typical comment of a person who is setting themselves up to be a nobody. WilonDrums has to just be a drummer, because a REAL musician respects all music whether they really like it or not. Your right on one thing you quoted "LOL". Thats what your career probably is a Huge Joke because it's too hard for you to achieve what want to be. Be careful to all wack a-- instrumentalist of your poor comments. I'm a passionate professional Musician and I Love My Drums. EBDrummin Out...........

  • or you could have just thumbs down'ed his comment like the other guy instead of writing an essay.

  • It may be "mellow", but it is still technical. Try playing really fast, quietly and still be smooth, but be able to play loud and slow and vice versa. I feel thats what jazz drummers have great grasp of.

  • lol i was a bit interested in jazz drummign but if this is what jazz drumming is like i cant do it, its too mello for me

  • Happy Birthday, Gary

  • i love playing with that sort of overflowing off beat feel. yet you are still in perfect timing. this guy does it great

  • Victorthell hes a amazing drummer

  • use the john riley art of bop drumming book for good exercises and feels.

  • I love Jazz,but dont know how to play it, the basics yes, but the complexities like in this guys drum fills - no. Could anyone tell me how to grab the concept of Jazz fills like this guy uses? it seems that every good Jazz drummer knows how to pull it off like that. Im a drummer of twenty years, and I have to admit shame that I dont know anything about it

  • Wow 20 years thats a long time.I'm only 14 and have been playing for 7 years. I'm in intermediate jazz, but I'll try and help. My drum instructor (who has played for about 40+ years) has been teaching me jazz for awhile and says this a lot. The more you listen to jazz music the more comfortable and creative you will play. It's helped me greatly. Also try new things AND PLAY FOR OTHER PEOPLE! Some things you think sound horrible might sound really good to everyone else.

  • I know right!!? just listening helps a lot and about playing in front of other people, that helps a ton too, especially if they're honest people...A couple of times I've been told I played great when the fills I did or grooves I decided to play were really simpe and sucked to me, but if that's what other people like, you gotta give it to them

  • hey

    i've been playing for 9 years and i'm 16

    i play jazz, latin jazz, etc

    i recommend you to use the syncopation book. that will help you with the independence and fills. Do the jazz swing with the right hand, hi-hat 2 and 4 and right hand syncopation, try it, that's a Vinnie Colaiuta exercise and it helped so much =D take care.

  • whatever you try and learn, submerse yourself in it. If you are a rock player, you learned it by listening to rock drummers and music and slowly began playing to the songs then able to write your own..the same holds true with any style..totally live and breath it.

  • You've got guts to admit that!

    Get yourself a copy of the book "Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer" by Jim Chapin

  • a SUPER great book. excellent suggestion.

  • meat ball!

  • Awesome playing! I really enjoyed it!

  • is that Morton Downey Jr on piano?? o.O

  • Damn I have always wanted to learn how to play jazz but I am left handed and I play open with a classic right hand setup so its REALLY hard to adapt to it.

  • Dude. That's no excuse. You can do it. I play the exact same way and I'm going to Florida State University for Jazz Drumming

  • lol it'll make you really good if you can do the hihat with the left and the ride with the right. trust me.

  • wow

  • chris coleman too

  • To the people that say drummers who play match can never have finesse in their left hand----

    go have a talk with Gary.

  • yeeeah, Gary is greatest in both - he´s able to play traditional and matched, check out him with Chick Corea Elektric Band - best stick grippin´I´ve ever heard, most relaxed. But Gary brake his little finger, that´s the point he is not playing traditional in full time. But nicest thing is - that Gary is not caryin´ about fashion whether traditonal looks better than matched.

    He is far behind this categories and thoughts.

    He is GREATEST drummer and CHARACTER to me

  • yeah!!!love jazz

  • I could watch him play that all day.

  • Oh yes... one of the world's most underrated / unknown drummers... also can't believe how much he does with so little motion -- almost looks like a magic trick! LOL

  • Relaxation! Gary Novak the MAN!

  • Amazing! Such a versatile player.....

  • I have the great and fortunate pleasure of having acquired one of Gary Novak's 7 piece DW kits... (custom work done on the bearing edges)... I can only pray that I put them to justice.... Keep on drummin'.. Peace, GK

  • Awesome!

  • Someone lost the form of trading. I think the piano player lost the form to the tune. Gary was kind of giving the look of......."you dropped on the ball dude."

  • That ride sounds awesome!!!!

  • How Gary Novak never got on the "Top 25 Drummers of All Time" Modern Drummer poll, i will never know.

  • i bet gary was scared shitless.....its like having god stare you down!

  • Gary! flash!

    stunning!

  • the pianist seems like a fun guy to be around lol

  • yeah, he's just all smiles ... erm ... not!

  • One of my favs!....He's crazy gosh...

  • he smokes. end of story.

  • Love Gary, but why is Jimmy Cobb just sitting there? Where is this from?

  • Jimmy happened to be in the audience that night. Midway through this tune, he got up, took his chair, and sat on the stage. He waited suffering until the tune ended and then said to Garry: "Stop playing so many god damn notes son!" hahahaha True story ;-)

  • where did you hear that lol thats hilarious

  • It´s prepared jam with Gary. They are very close friend, and for that inadequate audience, Gary totally blows away all that jazz drummers. Jimmy Cobb sounds next to him like drummer from brass band.