The Thirst for Music of All Kinds!
The initial spark for this month's newsletter came unexpectedly from my Facebook feed, which shared the following story of Charlie Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021), the recently deceased English drummer of The Rolling Stones. It reminded me that having a thirst for all kinds of music and being open to listening recommendations is something all serious musicians should strive for. Not only does that require an open mind, but it also takes a lot of effort and time. Composer, Elliot Sokolov, who at the time was working a summer job at a Sam Goody record store in New York City, recalls the following:
"One afternoon Charlie Watts walked in and started browsing! I was awe struck, but since it was my job, I approached him and asked if I could help him. He said I could indeed, and pulled out of his pocket a handwritten list of records he wanted. There were dozens of records on the list, the majority of them jazz of all kinds, but also many classical, rock, and folk records...After I told him I was a huge fan of his band and a music student and a guitarist, clarinetist, and composer, he asked me what music I liked. I mentioned several 20th century pieces I liked, including some pieces by Bartok, Stravinsky, Penderecki, electronic music by Davidovsky, as well as some obscure rock music, much of which he’d never heard. He asked me to find all those records I mentioned and add them to his large pile of LPs, saying he wanted to expand his musical horizons. Besides being one of the best drummers around, Charlie Watts was a good, interesting man who treated people with respect and had a thirst for music of all kinds."
Why am I writing a Guitar Newsletter about a drummer? Because musicians inspire other musicians to become better at their trade and learning how prolific lifetime musicians such as Charlie Watts remain inspired is a valuable lesson. What struck me in the story was how Charlie sensed he might learn something from a young music student working a summer job at a record store and was totally open and humble enough to welcome his recommendations.
Listening to a wide assortment of music is by no means uncommon amongst dedicated musicians and anybody who is in the field of music education. One of my favorite music educators and guitar method book publishers, Rikky Rooksby, ties in the benefits of exactly the kind of musical curiousness demonstrated by Mr. Watts:
"I am often asked if there is anything a songwriter can do to summon inspiration. It certainly can't be forced to visit, but it can be encouraged--in the same way that running around in a thunderstorm dressed like Iron Man somewhat increases your chance of being struck by lightning! To extend the electrical metaphor, inspiration is out there and you need to increase your conductivity or receptivity. This is achieved partly by becoming a better all-round musician. Love music, and listen attentively to as broad a range of music as you can" (The Song Writing Sourcebook, 7).
Mr. Watt's habit of "listening attentively" to "as broad a range of music" as he could shaped his unique playing style within The Rolling Stones. It assisted his understanding of how a song could flow and how to really listen to what is going on within the band. Did non-commercial music outside of the rock/pop/folk idiom give him more discernment of how to serve the song best, how to make other members sound their finest and when not to play at all?
I would label Mr. Watts as a sensitive rock drummer, at all times completely attuned and very aware of everything that is going on around him and not hogging any attention for himself. Even though he is known as primarily a rock musician, Charlie had a huge appreciation for jazz. Anybody who plays jazz understands that one of its most important mantras is "Listen at all times to what the other musicians in the band are playing!" Perhaps the following observations from two music journalists about Charlie's one of a kind approach to playing the drums in The Rolling Stones should come as no surprise:
"In the estimation of music critic Robert Christgau, Watts was 'rock's greatest drummer.' Unlike in most bands where the other musicians follow the lead of the drummer, Watts followed Richards; according to New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani, that is what 'makes the Stones impossible to copy."
Turns out Charlie was primarily listening to Keith Richards' guitar playing and not just following his own beat! Listening and reacting to each other takes tremendous skill and courage from all musicians involved. In that spirit this month's playlist features Charlie Watts playing Jazz with the Danish Radio Big Band.
Wishing you much musical growth through many happy and diverse listening moments for the month of September,
Chris
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