Wrist Twisters

Book cover of Wrist Twisters by Elden C. "Buster" Bailey

I posted about the Wrist Twisters book by Elden “Buster” Bailey on Instagram and wanted to share here as well since I don’t see a lot of people talking about this book. It’s a fun one.

Each page is full of two bar phrases in various time signatures. I like using it as my morning warm up by picking a couple of lines and looping them while watching TV or listening to a podcast in the background.

You can buy the book from Steve Weiss Music, which is a great shop for drum books. Here’s a blurb from Steve Weiss, followed by a look inside the book.

After 40 years with the New York Philharmonic and more than twenty years teaching at the Juilliard School, Elden “Buster” Bailey, one of the greatest snare drummers and snare drum teachers of all time, has finally written a snare drum book! It’s called Wrist Twisters, but it’s much more than what the title might suggest. Everyone who has seen it says it is an instant classic. It includes a CD of Buster’s playing and a discography of great snare drum performances with the New York Philharmonic. Scott Stevens of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra worked with Buster for more than three years to compile and organize the materials Buster has been gathering for the last forty years. Percussionists everywhere will be forever grateful to Buster and Scott for their efforts. The Introduction is by Christopher Lamb of the New York Philharmonic and Manhattan School of Music. 132 pages plus CD.

You can buy the book from Steve Weiss Music.

Season 1 is a Wrap

Season 1 is a wrap. Thank you. Stay tuned for season 2.

Season 1 of the podcast is a wrap! I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started this, but it has been fun and the feedback has been very encouraging. Thanks to everyone who has listened.

Big thanks to each one of my guests: Brad Webb, Colin Stranahan, Billy Drummond, George Fludas, and Dan Weiss. It means so much!

Special thanks to Bart at the Drum History Podcast for all of the advice and early technical help. Thanks to Jon at the Four on the Floor blog for helping to spread the word. 🙏

Stay tuned for more episodes later this year and follow me on Instagram @practicingdrummer for more frequent updates.

Jazz Gallery Summer Pass

Here’s a quick plug for The Jazz Gallery Summer Pass. It’s just $60 and gets you either a seat in person or a free streaming pass for all shows in July and August 2023.

Not only is this a great deal (streaming passes are usually $20 per show) but the list of shows and musicians is pretty exciting. I’ll just list a handful of the drummers you’ll be able to check out: Dan Weiss, Brian Blade, JK Kim, Miguel Russell, Adam Cruz, Nasheet Waits, Kayvon Gordon, Jimmy Macbride, and many others.

Don’t miss out on this deal.

This is NOT a sponsored post. I’m just really excited about Jazz Gallery’s summer programming.

Jazz Gallery Summer Pass 2023

Podcast S1 E5 – Dan Weiss

This episode is available in most places that you listen to podcasts.

Season 1 Episode 5 Dan Weiss Practicing Drummer Podcast

Recorded May 2023

Podcast interview with drummer Dan Weiss.

Dan is a drummer and tabla player living in Brooklyn with a unique musical voice that draws from jazz, Indian classical, progressive rock, hip hop, metal, and more. In addition to his varied work as a sideman, he’s also a highly regarded bandleader and composer. Be sure to check out the Dan Weiss Trio and his band Starebaby.

Links:

The song featured in this episode is Halfway to Hartford by Noah Preminger.

The drum intro is from Charles Ruggiero’s Loop Loft sample pack.