S1E7 - Kevin Washington - Mississippi (band), World Drummer

Kevin Washington is one of the most versatile drummers today who doesn't like to be categoried by genres. He takes music to a whole new level incorporating worldly grooves from Afro-Latin to West African to Hip Hop, Funk and R&B. He's the son of saxaphonist Donald Washington and singer/music educator Faye Washington. Kevin grew up in Detroit immersed in learning music and listening to the jazz greats who came before him. His musical carer began at 5 years old with his first performance at the Detroit Jazz Festival. He learned a lot about drums at a young age by hanging and studying with family friends like Max Roach who taught him brushes technique and other nuances of jazz drumming. His drum path took him to Minneapolis and to New York City where he studied drums at the New School. He then taught rhythm section fundamentals at the Harlem School of the Arts. Kevin is currently a drumming instructor at the Walker West Music Academy in St. Paul, MN and leads the student jazz ensembles. He has played with any great artists including Antonio Hart and James Carter. Kevin is currently redfining the directions of the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene through collaborations with top musicians in the region in a wide variety of projects, inclduding his own modern jazz quartet called Mississippi featuring Kevin's original compositions.

In this extended episode, Kevin covers a broad array of drumming topics that include how he has been influenced by rhythms and cultures from around the world, and the importance of being true to those traditional rhythms and cultures when playing drums.

Kevin also talks about...

• Secrets of how playing rudiments on a pillow is a great way to build techique and touch.
• How subdivisions are a foundation thoughout his playing.
• How the drummer is a team player and serves as the bus driver to keep everyone in the band on the bus as it drives down th road.
• How playing drums is all about "the Pocket' and to make sure that everyone hears the Pocket.
• How listening is the most important thing in improvisation. He listens to everything and allows the chord changes to tell him what to do. 
• Why he describes himself as the Miles Davis of drums. 
• To be a great drummer, it's important to steep yourself in tradition and learn the language of traditional music.
• The method he used to learn how to seperate his limbs to build independence and how that same method is helping his students today.
• His immersion in West African rhythms and learning melodies on the drums based on the clave rhythm.
• Saying goodbye to the "One" when playing with West Africans and how black music is heavily based on subdivisions.
• How you need to have trust with other band members to support improvisation. Help other band members to feel the pulse in your subdivisions.
• His uniqueness is playiing the language of each genre and how "the culture is the catch". 
• How playing with intention is everything. You have to train your body in order to let the spirit move you and not have to think about notes.
• Trap Beats and Afro Beat rhythms are capturing his attention today where it's all about the hi-hat. And Funk never gets old.
• Typical barriers for drummers often surround not exposing yourself to a diverse array of music. You've got to be innovative and always moving forward.
• When learning new rhythms and grooves, some drummers don't want to put in the work at slower tempos to get it right before they play it fast.
• How he encourages drummers to go to the woodshed and work on Pocket. The most important thing to bring to the band is the feel of the Pocket in the music.
• The #1 goal for drummers is to make people feel the movement and want to dance. 
• Play along with a metronome and recordings to build your Pocket. Moises is a great app to support building Pocket as it provides the ability to mute the drums in any recording as you play along.
• Follow your heart and leave what you're doing if it's not aligning with your desires. Do the research and stick to your beliefs about finding the right band. Meet other musicians and get out to hear what's going on.
• Don't play mechanicaly with the same old licks. Keep creating and failing until it's right.
• Breathing is important to good drumming. Keep your body loose. Practice good technique, use good body posture and comfortable kit set up to make playing easier. Use a pillow and drum pad to improve technique.
• Be humble and admit to self what you don't know. Practice what you don't know and never be satisfied. If you stop learning - quit
• Be generous and pass the torch to others to help them advance where you can.

Kevin's band - Mississippi, a modern jazz quartet in Minneapolis featuring his original compositions.

Follow Kevin on Facebook and Instagram at Kevin E. Washington.

Intro/Outro music on this podcast is from Kevin's single - Journey To The Light.

If you're interested in studying under Kevin, contact Walker West Music Academy in St. Paul, MN

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