“Tony Williams in New York” is a great DVD document of Tony’s Blue Note era band. This was when Tony was playinig his big yellow Gretsch kit with two mounted toms and three floor toms. He had a big sound and of course, Tony played very aggressively, as he always did. This DVD is full of great Tony solos, but I always liked this eight bar break from the tune “City of Lights.” It happens at around 5:54 into the video below. A PDF with a transcription of the drum solo can be found here: Tony Williams City of Lights Break
Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman is a professional drummer based in NYC. His band, LEVEL5, is releasing their debut EP (featuring Oz Noy and Will Lee) later this year.
Latest posts by Mark Feldman (see all)
- The Thinking Drummer: Everything You Think Is Hard Will Eventually Be Easy - April 15, 2018
- The Thinking Drummer: The Case for Less Endorsement Deals - April 8, 2018
- 12 Advanced Double Bass Drum Exercises - April 2, 2018
I love Tony Williams. He is undoubtedly one of the most innovative drummers of the modern era. I first got turned on to Tony’s playing circa the recordings that he did with Miles, but later I checked out his solo albums and live recordings. He was such a powerful drummer. Even as a session man, he let his presence be known in every note. Tony Williams is a true American Musical Pioneer.
Agreed! One of the best drummers who ever lived!!!