There are possibly a very few drummers who can sound like Tony Williams, but Tony really originated so much of his vocabulary. He was really a Jimi Hendrix on drums. I think people generally underestimate the profound influence he had on the Miles quintet.
@SeanRosati4 жыл бұрын
As a teenager too! Genius.
@stephenswinehart28334 жыл бұрын
Was at this clinic with several drummers from NTSU. We knew it was going to be an inspiring day, and indeed it was. Incredible drumming from the masters. Tony was so loose and cool and such a technician. The scrubs he was wearing were a great metaphor for his surgical approach to drumming. So precise and confident in his playing. That's what impressed me. He was a true gentleman. I can't remember the downtown building this clinic was in, but I recall stepping outside during a break and seeing Tony taking in the sights of Dallas. He was just walking the streets by himself and digging the sites. As he remarked, this was his first time to Dallas. He was such a "chill" guy who was always in the zone. I wish I would have had more courage to approach him that day in downtown Dallas and tell him "thanks for inspiring me to work harder," but I figured he wanted this time to himself before performing later in the clinic. I thought his philosophy about playing brushes was so unique. Thanks for posting this as it brought back great memories from my college days at North Texas.
@starbeardiesyoung10 жыл бұрын
Man, brushes on a dotted clear head with snares off. Tony Williams (forever) is the giant of big sound!
@elvin389 ай бұрын
I usually don’t like drum solos. But Tony is on another planet, the music flows directly from him. Only one Tony Williams in a century , as Miles told.
@keepthemetalflowing12 жыл бұрын
I just watched all 3 videos and all I have to say is: wow. Thanks for posting this -Tony is legend...
@foskco875 жыл бұрын
I remember when I was 17 and drumming in a school Jazz festival, Chuck Israels, former bassist of John Coltrane and Bill Evans was a special guest adjudicator. He was absolutely brutal. Was really hard on all the kids. After my jazz combo played he basically ripped everyone in my band a new asshole and then came over to me.... I was shaking..... he told me that I reminded him of the first time he saw Tony Williams playing in a jazz club as a kid...and he ended up giving me an award with scholarship money. I think I almost cried I couldnt believe it. Tony Williams was my favourite jazz drummer. Disclaimer: I am now 30 and nowhere near as good as Tony Williams.
@aavila12065 жыл бұрын
That's pretty cool bro
@DWillAnything4 жыл бұрын
Haha I needed that thank you
@jonsilence12 жыл бұрын
A tornado-like vortex of drumming energy.....NOBODY else in this world can play like Tony did.
@michaelthomas42306 жыл бұрын
jonsilence Another great description of Tony brilliance being described as a force of nature I often hear and visualize as as Tonya playing as a volcano erupting underneath the music lifting everything above it even higher and higher and hotter and hotter the most difficult drummer to imitate and copy so totally unique.☺😁😀🤣
@garyconner61519 ай бұрын
Or like you my fellow drummer.
@Navroze11 жыл бұрын
Williams always remembers drummers he has learnt from, drummers he hears.... and then he is what he is.. the best
@blessedman82035 жыл бұрын
I would have loved to have heard him with Hendrix...that would have really been something!!!
@Twotontessie4 жыл бұрын
Omg I have often thought the same. Tragic that never happened.
@jazzfusionsoul12 жыл бұрын
"These are my drums...all the way from my basement" immortal line.
@lucianlarghi54028 жыл бұрын
There's an interview with Mike Clark and he talks about playing Tony's kit in his basement. That had to be surreal.
@MrEmanuelw4 жыл бұрын
@@lucianlarghi5402 Yeah:"dont play like me...Play what you play!"
This guy is playing something different with each hand and both feet. All coming together. Non drummers have no idea how hard this is to play
@postatility12 жыл бұрын
As generous in his verbal presentation as he was in his music.All of us--drummers and listeners--will be eternally grateful!!
@gumobe5512 жыл бұрын
Tony Williams is one of the greatest drummers of all time. So many more recent top drummers have modelled thenselves after him. What a fabulous guy, so informative and humble as well.
@betweenthevinesmusic83944 жыл бұрын
Awesome! He was like the 'rock' guy of the Jazz world, absolutely groundbreaking!
@davidcurtis44787 жыл бұрын
Mr. Tony Williams - you live on forever in each of us who have the passion and soul of a drummer. Thank you for your years of depth. For the beat of your soul lives on! David Curtis
@danielcerchia2139 Жыл бұрын
One of a kind. Can say so much, his playing said it all. Loved Tony Williams ❣️
@geraldmellon7405 жыл бұрын
The late great Tony... There are other drummers who might be more technically advanced but who else plays with such raw power and energy? When he gets that bass drum chugging with the snare he is untouchable. R.I.P. Tony.
@jonsilence9 жыл бұрын
A force of nature....the eye of the hurricane.... a towering and singular figure in the history of the drums. God rest his gifted soul....he is missed more than words can say. Yes, clearly one of Bozzio's primary influences, and when I first heard Terry I thought "This sounds like Tony Williams smoothed out and run through a computer."
@jefferylyles47828 жыл бұрын
great analogy!!!!!
@AllenSJ58 жыл бұрын
My personal list of the greatest drummers of all time constantly changes, but Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Billy Cobham, Dennis Chambers, and Omar Hakim are among the few who are always at the top.
@trevormcmanis5 жыл бұрын
I completely agree with you (adding Dave Weckl to that list). Since I was in 7th grade (1982) I was a huge Rush fan. Naturally, I saw Neil Peart as a God. In my late teens/early 20s I began to learn about the drummers like Weckl,Chambers, Hakim, etc... I became less impressed with Neil Peart from a technical standpoint. Is that unfair? I still think he is a great player, just not in the way I see the legendary sessions cats... thanks in advance for your opinion.
@DWillAnything4 жыл бұрын
You are spitting straight facts my friend. Straight facts. And yes I realize I’m three years late, hope you are well
@Cpt_Guirk3 жыл бұрын
@@trevormcmanis I would say from a compositional standpoint then Neil towers over the rest of them. But I agree he is not as technically proficient as the others. He said a lot with a smaller vocabulary.
@trevormcmanis3 жыл бұрын
@@Cpt_Guirk You are absolutely correct. Thank you for sharing your comment. After I reread my original comment, I realized I failed to mention that Neil is a primary reason I became a drummer. To be honest, he had more technical ability than I gave him credit for. I still can’t believe he is no longer with us. Neil was an amazing person. 🙏
@4us2grow4 жыл бұрын
7:48 regarding his drum tuning.. the tones are in the key of B.. descending from the 5th note of the scale F#.. down to the root @ B.. then down further to the next F#.. so his Snare and Lowest Tom are both F#.. 1 octave apart.
@DrumsTheWord Жыл бұрын
His flow and groove is just so good. Like a great sportsman, you can watch them without sound and still be entertained. The marvelous movement and technique!
@garyconner61514 жыл бұрын
Just got inspired again at 55 years old.hell I just may take drum lessons again.i gotta keep it moving.
@erics.634910 жыл бұрын
This is master class with valuable information. I've learned things. A great day!
@sticktrik12 жыл бұрын
Man!!! This is priceless!!! What a treat! T. W. up close and personal!! Thanks for the post!!
@TheSinchrostick12 жыл бұрын
Today so many techniques on drums rely on bounce, push-pull,free stroke, Moller etc...and so many things that Mr. Williams played were controlled bounces :)...he still is the one and only to inspire me to carry 3 floor toms on a gig.. thank you for posting these fantastic videos!!!!! :))))
@ausermane59268 жыл бұрын
Brutal sound, absolutely love those clear dots on those drums. Powerful sound but still so melodic, the fundamental comes through more than w coated heads.
@Oneness1008 жыл бұрын
+A UserName The dot heads do sound great when they are tuned well. Sometimes I like using them, sometimes I don't. It does depend on how they are tuned. The dot heads do have a clearer "attack" or "stick" sound to them, if that's what you want. Not as many guys use them these days, but don't always go by normal convention. I think they are cool if tuned right. I also think they are better with the more traditional sized drums. 8x12, 9x13, 10x14, etc.
@jazzbirdbecky6 жыл бұрын
Awesome post. Thanks. I’m “just a singer,” and have just been blessed by listening to and observing Master TW. ✨⭐️✨
@sirdrumalot912 жыл бұрын
I like how his solo was one complete thought, Incredible
@pilsnrimgaard25077 жыл бұрын
San Anselmo in beautiful Moron County. I spent my childhood there so I can empathize with Tony on that one. He's buried in Colma ,San Francisco. He was a innovator for sure, and he is surely missed!
@Aleiuta7510 жыл бұрын
Perfect traditional grip playing.....love tony...
@slickingdom7 жыл бұрын
Every time I hear a drum kit with Remo C.S. Black Dot heads it reminds me of the 1970's and the Tony Williams sound!!! This was during my teenage years and as a matter of fact, my first professional drum kit came with Remo Black Dots back in 1977!!!
@nicksdad112212 жыл бұрын
I don't even play the drums and he's still my favorite musician!
@graciasholmes83464 жыл бұрын
I can listen to him all day. And his drumming too!
@MeAndTheBoys_12 жыл бұрын
Look at that smile on Tony,starting from 20:02. Priceless :) Heart of gold
@simonbergvall71514 жыл бұрын
I like how he says that he doesn’t tune his drums to a specific sound but when he played them it appears to be F#, B, C#, D#, E and finally a high F# om the snare. So basically the first 5 notes of a B major scale! I bet it happened subconsiously!
@jeffmelo845810 жыл бұрын
That just broke me. Amazing.
@stillphil12 жыл бұрын
12:30 brushes on a CS Black dot ! love it. Man thanks for posting these Tony "lessons", fantastic posting.
@Gashy4211 жыл бұрын
incredibly musical. what a force. this totally made my week
@julieb29689 жыл бұрын
Thanks for uploading this. Sydney,Australia August 2015
@Gashy4211 жыл бұрын
fantastic musicianship. there's only one Tony Williams
@darzil00712 жыл бұрын
how hard could have been to have a mic in the audience and pass it along to the next one , poor guy having a hard time to get the questions,, and that light .. gee... having said that it,s a blessing to have a hands on such priceless video,, mat rest in peace mr williams..
@Deagledrumzz8 жыл бұрын
Independence off the charts. He makes the set talk. One thing though, apparently the sound engineer did not know how to control Tonys ride cymbal because it was WAAAY to loud in the mix. I would love to hear and see a better mix of this day. But anyway I'll take whatever there is. Thx for putting this up.
@AlvesterGarnett5 жыл бұрын
The ride cymbal is the most important aspect of a jazz drummer's sound. It sounds perfectly balanced in my home theater setup but I'm listening on a high end audio setup so it might be that your setup is too bright sounding.
@booj1015 жыл бұрын
@@AlvesterGarnett Agreed
@leeschmitz9934 жыл бұрын
It was also a video tape recording, and this is KZbin.
@greer82883 жыл бұрын
Nitpicking
@greer82883 жыл бұрын
Nitpicking
@drummerchef8518 жыл бұрын
A great drummer and a great man!!!
@mossycave40237 жыл бұрын
i love this so much
@gcrichards18 жыл бұрын
The master at work
@radoslavradosevic45865 жыл бұрын
he give all life to drums ,the result must be more then amazing...he is leader ,we are folowers..
@untold_beast74099 жыл бұрын
Interesting tonality on his toms, different way to tune than many drummers would use.
@UK75roger11 ай бұрын
I have a lot of respect - admiration - for a lot of drummers, but, simply,TW was, and will always be - the best Jazz drummer the world will ever hear! Out to Lunch; Nefertiti; Believe it! And his comments were great! Playing for the people - this man was not an egotist! And in the end he played a bit of ride cymbal - absolutely glorious!
Could someone else notice that something seems to happen to the bass drum at the end of the last performance? he seems to stare at someone and point at the bass drum like saying something, and then he smiles...and finishes his solo playing toms and cymbals only 19:57 to the end .... TONY is so unique and GREAT .
@BenjaminWatermelon9 жыл бұрын
It's true but watch part 1 where he doesn't introduce the kick until later on..
@gregorybush3224 Жыл бұрын
Yes I noticed that also. The pedal malfunctioned and Tony just kept moving.
@hihats5 жыл бұрын
of all the drumming giants who have passed,I miss Tony the most.
@roccovaselino5 жыл бұрын
I cried for three days, man.
@dagostinoification7 жыл бұрын
Fabuleux musicien que Tony Williams ....Il figure en tête des meilleurs batteurs de tous les temps....
@Twotontessie4 жыл бұрын
Love this guy. It’s like, how bout I bust fast single stroke rolls up and down the toms and have it sound cooler than anyone, like you’ve never even heard it before?
@blessedman82035 жыл бұрын
Tony, nobody would ever know if your drums were or weren't out of tune because your playing is in the highest of harmony.
@JDSoos10 жыл бұрын
You can really see the influence he had on Terry Bozzio. Great Stuff!
@exapplerrelppaxe79524 жыл бұрын
I like how he knew that he wasn't going to use that drum so he left his towel on it.
@sticktrik5 жыл бұрын
Those drums sound like they would be the same as playing on table tops!..Tight! with a lot of rebound!!
@nybcbuildingmanager67704 жыл бұрын
They sound insanely tight! I wonder if he had his batters tighter or resonants?
@teetomthomas12 жыл бұрын
These are great clips tedsirota!! Thank you. But I find it so odd that Tony Williams is onstage and answering these questions. He's TONY WILLIAMS!!! He ain't got to answer to nobody!!! Great solo at the end.
@fredsavage49253 жыл бұрын
this guy is the all around real deal
@MrZutty7 ай бұрын
He died much too young and is sorely missed. A sheer genius
@glennzornig49785 жыл бұрын
Tony would have kicked The Jimi Hendrix Experience into Overdrive.
@blessedman82035 жыл бұрын
I agree with you on that!!!
@tm724612 жыл бұрын
The man at the very end said Simon Phillips was up next...Simon s a great drummer and i bet he gave a great clinic, but to follow Tony....man, that's rough...
@rillloudmother12 жыл бұрын
A true musician's musician.
@Savignylol3 жыл бұрын
This man sang with the drums.
@jonahmartinez42987 жыл бұрын
We miss you Tony.
@eliseobetancourt861 Жыл бұрын
WOW!!!!!
@angelgroover12 жыл бұрын
thank you for these videos on TW, much appreciated.
@nadir666112 жыл бұрын
like a train with a machine gun !amazing pure TONY
@bml31010 жыл бұрын
Good LORD ...I'm surprised those drums didn't catch fire in those first 2 minutes... o_O ...
@juanestanga17214 жыл бұрын
Does anyone knows who has these cymbals, I know its tony's unique sound but who on earth has them now?, they sound so good as tony sees individualy, HIHAT OMG, amazing, Tony you are the best !!!
@larrymysliwiec63012 жыл бұрын
I want a Ride cymbal that sounds like that! Does anyone know the exact type of K he used?
@davideleouet11 жыл бұрын
12:36 !!! WOW, Unique Brush Technique !!!
@morganneher86435 ай бұрын
That brush playing at 12:36 is ridiculously groovy
@aridematos35557 жыл бұрын
Rock meets jazz
@sbaxter42074 жыл бұрын
I'd rather witness great drumming on old damaged video tape than shallow drumming on pristine 1080p.
@dethronedb7 жыл бұрын
God, he kills me.
@CharlesBeauregard11 жыл бұрын
A good copy of this must exist. Where is the master tape? This performance is phenomenal.
@slickingdom7 жыл бұрын
Charles Beauregard - About 11 years ago I bought 3 Tony Williams DVD's on eBay. One of them was this 1985 Zildjian Day Clinic. Needless to say the seller pushed bootleg copies off on me. However, it came with the copied cover artwork and even the DVD was printed from the original artwork!! Anyway, after looking at them, they appear to be from "Tutu Records". You can research it from there.
@XTheSonofTheSunX11 жыл бұрын
"where the drums end up sounding like a series of cardboard boxes, which is ok, but uh, these are not those kind of drums"
@danmutchler97316 жыл бұрын
Totally hear Max in this.
@algebra57668 жыл бұрын
Wow!
@mppaigesАй бұрын
My God, that's unhinged. Totally sick. Vinnie, Dennis, Lang, Donati, Gadd, Cobham, are all amazing but nowhere near Tony's complete mastery of the soul and mastery of the instrument. Truly untouchable, The best their ever was.
@AnthemDrums Жыл бұрын
Min Marker5:14'ish - though I couldnt hear the question, and perhaps I am projecting based on what Tony's answer was. I love how he stated, "one you make a record, its commercial." I always wonder why people criticize musicians for being commercial. Musicians gotta eat too...
@drummersmrc6 жыл бұрын
I've posted a new video which focuses on Tony's brush playing at 12:37 here and a transcription of the first 12 bars appears on page 56 of my drum book. It's amazing how much Tony continues to inspire us.
@garyconner61519 ай бұрын
Check out the angle on his Tom's. He can't miss.
@Samsgarden12 жыл бұрын
I haven't played for yonks, but I used to tilt the top of the drum toward me.
@Samsgarden12 жыл бұрын
I noticed his bass beater to head position defies Dave Weckle's advice in Back To Basics.
@모데라토-l2j3 жыл бұрын
존경하고 사랑합니다
@handidrummed12 жыл бұрын
I believe they were 8x13, 9x14, 14x14, 16x16, 16x18, 14x24, 6.5x14
@Twotontessie7 жыл бұрын
Starting at 2:00 - awe inspiring phrasing there
@Seamussor11 жыл бұрын
It may just be me, but his mounted toms seem huge. Pretty awesome though.
@MrHutchinson312 жыл бұрын
Sax players love this wall of sound.........
@williampinner1893 Жыл бұрын
I hear no definition out of the ride. Just a roar. Great drummer.
@skyreadersociety61836 жыл бұрын
Vinnie in cuddle mode.
@rizkih87178 жыл бұрын
Hi, do you have clips of the other drummers (tommy, vinnie, simon, kenwood, louis and roli)?
@MrRicholive11 жыл бұрын
you got it ......
@peteryyz435 жыл бұрын
Tony's obviously wearing Scrubs.. because he's the Drum Doctor!
@mogglieАй бұрын
This is esoteric.
@sticksbass12 жыл бұрын
what a magic man... freaky him saying 'im dressed for surgery' and 'my time is about up.'
@drumken11 жыл бұрын
brushes doesn't need coated heads after all :P
@davideleouet11 жыл бұрын
Yes, exactly, the way he phrases shows he thinks half notes !! I put metronome at 130 too, to work on that feeling. Love his sound !!
@blessedman82035 жыл бұрын
His sound has nothing to do with a metronome my friend. I say this with all due respect to you but it is all about his humanity and what is within him. The great Kenwood Dennard once said at a drum clinic of his that I attended that " if you are going to spend hours a day practicing to sound like Tony Williams (or anybody else for that matter) then you will never sound like yourself". Personally, I do not even think Tony used a metronome, he was so in tune with his inner timing that we all posses as human beings. That is the only timing that should matter!!!