The best books on why drummers do what they do

If you want to know about drummers, Brennan’s book will guide you through the cultural, psychological, economic, technological, and entrepreneurial shifts which have collectively drawn the perimeter of the ballpark on which today’s drummers must perform. Now that we can all agree that drums are real instruments, that drummers are real musicians, and drumming is a real art form, this book provides an instrument-led social history that accords the subject an appropriate level of dignity and respect. Compulsory reading for the inquisitive citizen.

Drummers may have their own distinct culture, but in common with most musicians, they prioritize mastering their instrument. Unhappily that can lead to hours of enforced purgatory as limbs and fingers are bullied into behaving correctly on demand. Mind and fear can hold back progress. Werner argues persuasively that mindfulness, self-love, and patience can achieve better results. The suspension of ego, intellect, and judgement; the letting go of perfectionism; the surrendering and accepting of ‘whatever comes out’ are all surer paths to the goal of effortless mastery. It’s an essential read for teachers and autodidacts alike.

This biography of a person that many consider to be the greatest drummer that we’ve had so far, is excellent on several fronts. First, it is written by a long-standing friend and roommate Mel Tormé. Tormé was there when it happened, and as a highly rated jazz singer experienced in Rich’s world, he is able to help us understand why it happened. Second, it speaks volumes about American music and entertainment in the context of the Swing era. Rich could be mean, prickly, and arrogant, and then turn on a dime into a sweetheart. It says much for their friendship that, despite periods of estrangement, it was able to withstand such vacillations. I interviewed the drummer in his Dorchester hotel suite in London in 1968 and I got the sweetheart. Finally, as Jerry Lewis says on the back cover, the book is “written by a champ about a champ”.

This book is about collective collaboration and how musicians learn to improvise. Berliner interviews more than fifty professional musicians from whom it’s clear that improvisation requires a very high level of musical and social cooperation. He explores the alternative ways - aural, visual, kinetic, verbal, emotional, and theoretical - in which these performers conceptualize their music and describes the delicate interplay of soloist and ensemble in improvisation.

Berliner's skillful integration of data concerning musical development, the rigorous practice and thought artists devote to music outside of performance, and the complexities of composing in the moment leads to a clearer understanding of jazz improvisation as a language, an aesthetic, and a tradition. It’s a dense read and you’ll need to want to know something about jazz. But then, if you want to know about kit drumming, you’ll need to know something about jazz.

This unprecedented journey to the heart of the jazz tradition is both fascinating and enlightening.

Many of the best drummers write, or otherwise initiate, their own music for the very best reason: because they have to. This book is an oral history of Panamanian drummer Billy Cobham at the height of his powers, preparing his oeuvre for a 17-piece big band engagement under the guidance of British arranger and trumpeter Guy Barker. The gig is a 6-night run at London’s Ronnie Scott’s Club. Author Brian Gruber hangs out with the band for the duration to capture the verbal and musical fruits of an improvised series of encounters with elite performers. While the story pivots around the drummer, it is nevertheless an excellent multi-viewpoint guide over six decades as to how musicians collaborate and survive in an ever-changing music landscape.