The Grooves of Art Blakey

Art Blakey was a legendary drummer who, in the 40s and 50s, was a pioneer of modern bebop drumming. He played with jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk and recorded over 70 albums with his band, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

Known for his bold swing style, showmanship and total independence on the kit, his drumming inspired thousands of players in the 20th century and beyond.

0:00 - Intro
In this video – filmed on the exact type of drums Art Blakey used in the ’60s – Brandon Toews breaks down some of his most famous drum grooves and explains why he was one of the most in-demand jazz drummers of his time.

1:37 - Groove #1: “Caravan”
This Afro-Cuban groove, often called the nanigo, has a cool pattern on the ride bell. Keep that quarter note pulse going with your hi-hat foot!

5:25 - Groove #2: "A Night In Tunisia”
This one uses double strokes between the floor tom and rack tom, a Mozambique bell pattern, and feet alternating through the groove. Art Blakey used to play “A Night In Tunisia” at an insane tempo: around 290 BPM. In this video, Brandon keeps it “chill” at 280.

8:09 - Groove #3: “Moanin'”
It’s the original jazz shuffle! While you maintain a standard jazz pattern on the ride, you’ll create a shuffle feel by alternating ghost notes on the snare with backbeats on 2 and 4.

If you enjoyed this lesson, check out full note-for-note transcriptions of these songs (plus 1000s of other songs and lessons) in the Drumeo members area: https://drumeo.com/trial-10004

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