Despite the fact that most of us bassist are perfectly appreciative of the rhythm section counterparts we get to share stage and studio with, the following article is about those thoughts that you’ve probably had at some point. Those thoughts that surface upon listening to one of your favorite bands and thinking: “What would it be like to play with that drummer?”. It’s an interesting topic, even if just for daydream and discussion, and while I have my pics I’d like to hear from other bassists (or other musicians in general) about what they’re dream rhythm section would be. Here is part 1 of my unorganized list.
Aaron Harris (ISIS, Palms)
The rhythm section of deceased, post-metal gods Isis was one of the most underrated and overlooked I can think of. With Jeff Caxide occupying multiple sonic spaces with his unique bass guitar approach, and with Aaron Harris’ steady builds and musical playing, they were a big part of what made the music of Isis have such a huge impact. Harris always played tastefully but adept, but I think the thing that stands out the most about him as a drummer was always his tone. If it ever were as simple as taking Oceanic or In the Absence of Truth to an engineer and saying “Make my drums sound like that!” I absolutely would. One of the most perfect drummers for the kind of dynamic, progressive music that’s always hit me hard.
Emil Amos (Grails, Om)
Speaking of underrated, Emil Amos could out-play just about any drummer you can think of, and you probably don’t even know who he is. He plays so minimally in Grails and Om (a testament to his fortitude) that I was blown away when I heard him cut loose on the Grails DVD Acid Rain. His fills are insane and he always manages to play the right thing and get a great sound out of his kit, just listen to Burning Off Impurities if you need proof of that. I honestly think this guy could make anything I, or anyone else could do sound amazing.
Jerry Fuchs (Maserati, !!!, LCD Soundsystem)
A brilliant talent lost too soon, Jerry Fuchs may have played for some under the radar bands, but the guy could have become the next Bonham. his grooves in Maserati brought post-rock to the dance floor and his one-handed drum fill in “12/16” is the stuff of legend. RIP Jerry.
Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, many jazz projects)
Bill Bruford may be known as a drum virtuoso, but he was never showy enough to demand that everyone draw their attention to him. As a matter of fact, before I read his autobiography I didn’t even know that Bruford played in some of the bands that he did. He may be a bit of a typical choice, but I can’t help but thinking that his many years of experience in prog rock and jazz would have to bless him with the ability to always play exactly what was needed, and not pull out the ridiculous stuff unless it was called for. He’s retired now though, as it if wasn’t already unlikely enough that I’d ever get a chance.
Deantoni Parks (The Mars Volta, Bosnian Rainbows)
Deantoni Parks showed that he’s something of a rhythm alchemist during his time playing with The Mars Volta and Omar Rodgriguez-Lopez. Parks attacks his kit like a demon and I can’t even begin to wrap my head around the kind of rhythmic contortions and manipulations he deals out. Even with that being said he’s pushed boundaries even further with his Technoself album, an experiment that has him at the helms of both a drumkit and keyboard simultaneously while he both plays and pulls up pre-recorded samples in a dizzying display of musicianship. Trying to keep up with this guy would be fun just for the challenge.
Mark Guilianna (Beat Music, also many jazz projects)
I had the pleasure of seeing Mark Guilianna live with his jazz quartet during a recent trip to NYC and I was astounded. It’s not often that a player can balance such gargantuan chops with true dynamics and tastefulness but he makes it look easy. Whether it was subtle, textural touches or full on speed-of-light sixteenth note madness, he’s a young gun on the top of his game. Not to mention he’s a pretty nice guy as he didn’t mind humoring me as I convinced him to take a CD of my new all bass experimental recording.
Danny Walker (Intronaut)
Drumming talent isn’t hard to find in the extreme metal world but Danny Walker is a rare gem. Rather than just sheer speed and velocity, Danny blows minds with polyrhythmic manipulation that somehow grooves while still making theory nerds scratch their heads in confusion. If you don’t know Intronaut I highly recommend you get an album and listen to how talented and creative this guy is while also experiencing some transcendent progressive metal.
Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta, Queen of the Stone Age)
Maybe this is a poor comparison since I am by no means a drummer or percussive art expert, but in some ways I can’t help but look at Jon Theodore as being like a young Bill Bruford. Neither drummer necessarily draws attention to themselves, but a cursory examination shows that this is because they balance talent with function and musicality. Theodore doesn’t play anything that doesn’t need to be played but he’s still obviously fantastic, his drumming on the first three Mars Volta albums alone is enough to make me dream about how awesome it would be to play with him. I’ve also heard say that the era of TMV in which he was in the band was by far the era of their best and most energetic live performances. I saw them with drum virtuoso Thomas Pridgen and let me tell you, if it gets much better than that than this dude is truly incredible.
The (slightly) Discerning Bassist 