How And Why Jeff Hamilton Is One Of The Best Drummers Of All Time

There are many great Jazz Drummers in the world. The Genre is old enough now, that it is no longer enough to be able to have super fast speed allowing you to fly around the drums at a loud and in your face rate. Neither can you come off as a pro by just having crazy syncopation knowledge, by playing super weird and off tempo rhythms that you somehow tie into the time signature. There are of course exceptions. Drummers like Buddy Rich are revered for the inhuman speed at which they play, and many a Latin-Jazz Drummer will show off with impossible-to-understand 5/4 and 13/16 rhythms. These are both cool, but in today's modern Jazz scene to stand out it is better to try and imitate a more musical approach of Drumming. Many Drummers play like everything is a solo, hammering out super loud and complex beats and accents underneath the most simple chords and mellowest lyrics. So how should a Drummer play? Well, an old saying among educated Drummers is to "Play to the Song." So what does this mean?

One perfect example is Ringo Star of The Beetles. Ringo has never been known for his super speedy skills and crazy chops on the drums. His infamy in this regard goes as far as John Lennon saying "Ringo isn't even the best drummer in The Beetles." when asked about Ringo's skill. Beside this, the Drumming Ringo did for the Beetles was perfect. It was loud when it needed to be, it was intense when it needed to be, it was quit and supportive when it needed to be, and it always perfectly accented the music. Because of this Ringo is now the most expensive Drummer in the world to hire.

So how does Jeff Hamilton fit into all of this? Well, like Ringo Star, Jeff Hamilton is well known for playing to the band. In addition Jeff is known for his pro level chops and skills, especially when playing with brushes. Outside of his band playing what I think makes Jeff standout is his soloing. His solos are musical and thought out to an extreme, and never show off a lick unless it fits the piece. Jeff is even known for emulating the melody of a song in his solos, showing a level of musicality above and beyond the vast majority of Drummers.

It's these reasons that make Jeff Hamilton one of the best Drummers, and outside of that one of the best Musicians in the world.