JazzMonthly: At what point did you make the decision to become a professional musician and actually record your own CD?
DB: We have a silent backer, who attends just about every Friday night gig at El Meson. His desire and support to record the Santa Fe All Stars with The Three Faces of Jazz made the project come to fruition. He is a pianist and an incredible artist in his own right.
JazzMonthly: Dave, you’re not only a talented drummer, but also a truly accomplished vibraphonist. How did all this begin for you?
DB: I grew up in a musical environment. My dad, Owen Brady, conducted the LA Philharmonic Orchestra in Los Angeles as a guest conductor many times. He played the organ in the “Godfather” the baptism scene. He was always practicing on the grand piano in our living room. My first instrument was cello, then piano, then I just had to play the drums. Bill Douglass, Art Tatem’s drummer, was my drum teach for many, many years. So at 10 years of age, I began studying music. Bill during one of our lessons said “alright now come over here to the vibes” And that is when I started playing and studying the vibraphone.
JazzMonthly: What musicians have influenced you the most?
DB: On drums, I loved hearing Philly Jo Jones, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and of course Buddy Rich. On the vibes, probably my favorite is Bobby Hutcherson, followed by Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton (whom I gigged with), and Cal Tjader.
JazzMonthly: Dave you are also a published author of instructional drum books. Tell us more about this? What was the progression leading up to developing your own set of music method books?
DB: While living in Sonoma County, in California, I was working 5 nights a weeks and teaching 46 students weekly. It was during this period that I wrote the 3 books.
Throughout my 30 years of private teaching, Hal Leonard published and distributed “BAG OF TRICK’S” for a period of time years back. It sold pretty well for about 4 years. I have since revised the book, have updated from cassette to CD, and have a new cover. The study review section of the book has 12 new practice pad exercises, 6 of which are paraphrased jazz tunes with accompanied vibes playing the melody on one side of the stereo mix. The students I am working with find it enjoyable and a fun way to work on rudiments as well as phrasing tunes. “STEPS AHEAD” PARTS l & 2. Teachers love working with their students with these books as each page moves forward with some new challenge. All 3 books have had good reviews from Modern Drummer.
Critic with MODERN DRUMMER, Richard Watson writes " This new book (“BAG OF TRICKS”) and CD set offers a conceptual foundation for drum set improvisation, as well as some ready-to-use weapons for your hot licks arsenal. Several musical styles are represented, including jazz and Latin, but rock feels and sensibility predominates. The CD provides clear (if not always spotlessly clean) demonstrations of the licks and solos.... Since musicality is a very subjective notion, some of the BAG OF TRICKS solos may appeal to some players more than others, but each has a character distinct from the other 19. The result is a rich variety of ideas to mix and match, modify and inspire - in total a valuable tool for drummers at all levels of soloing experience." "BAG OF TRICKS" BK & CD - $20.
My other 2 books are
STEP AHEAD PART 1, Rhythmic Studies For The Snare Drum and Part 2, Rhythmic Studies For The Drum Set.
Robin Tolleson, writer for MODERN DRUMMER writes "Drum students and teachers will enjoy these two study books. Young drummers will benefit from the logic and pacing of the beginning exercises...By exercise 9 of Part One we're playing in 5/4 and well on the way to the detailed study of notes that the author prescribes as simple, tied, dotted, subdivided in rolls, and combined into triplets. Brady has a good ear for creating catchy cadences, and includes some fun duets as well. A group of exercises at the back of the first book stresses dynamics and incorporate many of the earlier ideas into musical performances. Part Two focuses on applications of the rhythms onto the drum set. Brady begins with 8th-note rock beats, but is soon offering exercises involving 16th-note triplets, fills using the hi-hat foot, advanced rolls with kick drum and right hand, and Afro-Cuban 6/8 grooves. STEPS AHEAD PART 1 - $15, STEPS AHEAD PART 2 - $15 *BOTH* PART 1 & PART 2 - $25
JazzMonthly: You can go to Dave's website below to contact him if you are interested in purchasing any of his instructional books.
We’ve been talking with recording artist Mr. David Brady. He has released a fantastic new record called “The Three Faces of Jazz/Santa Fe.” You have got to check out this CD. Dave it’s been a pleasure, my friend, and best of everything in 2012.
Jazz Monthly
Visit web site:www.santafeallstars.com
