"Second line" drum loops?

[TexasMusicForge]

All the news about New Orleans lately has me thinking about those great, funky New Orleans rhythms. Anyone got a suggestion for a source of good "second line" drum loops?

Thanks,

Tio Ed
Austin, Texas
Land O' 10,000 Guitar Players

[TexasMusicForge]

Hmmmmm...wow, the silence is deafening. With no replies after 50 or so views, I've got to assume that either no studio is doing much with New Orleans rhythms for drum loops or at least none of the folks on KVR would know a second line beat from a bowl of gumbo. A sad situation in either case, IMHO.

I've turned up few possibilities after Googling "New Orleans loops". Apparently I have to find some of the musicians who have relocated to Austin from New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina and see about recording some here at my studio.

Tio Ed

[james0tucson]

"none of the folks on KVR would know a second line beat from a bowl of gumbo."

I'm from the Red River area, in Texas, but the Louisiana Bayou country was my stomping ground when I was growing up. Can't help you with canned rhythms, but I can hopefully encourage you that there is some diversity on KVR.

[clueless]

just plagiarize Zigaboo

[deleted]

DELETED

[james0tucson]

Sorry, I've never heard of 'Second Line' drum rhythms - read the thread as I thought it may have been a breakbeat question. (Im british though, and we don't get much american stuff over here unless its britney spears et al)

It's a particular kind of chaos, somewhat unique to New Orleans, that developed as a natural consequence of a crowd following a brass band in a parade/funeral procession/etc. It's a cacophony of a wide variety of African, Carribean, and indigenous American noises. It's a really hard thing to try to explain, and if you've never been to Mardi Gras, it might just be one of those things that *can't* be explained. The closest thing I've heard to compare it to is just as obscure and hard to describe: The antiphonal hippie drums at Rainbow gatherings.

[herodotus]

Hmmmmm...wow, the silence is deafening. With no replies after 50 or so views, I've got to assume that either no studio is doing much with New Orleans rhythms for drum loops or at least none of the folks on KVR would know a second line beat from a bowl of gumbo. A sad situation in either case, IMHO.

I've turned up few possibilities after Googling "New Orleans loops". Apparently I have to find some of the musicians who have relocated to Austin from New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina and see about recording some here at my studio.

Tio Ed

I am fairly sure that I could tell the rhythm from the soup (assuming there were only two choices).

But as for "New Orleans rhythms", well I have jammed with musicians who grew up there (one who played sax, and one who was a punk rock sort of singer/songwriter) and I had no trouble jamming with either of them, but I am thinking that you are referring to something really specific. If you could give some references to recordings, I would be happy to buy them and give them a listen. It's always good to know about gaping holes in the loop market.

[TexasMusicForge]

In the interests of spreading the Gospel Of The Funk to my fellow musicians, I've posted an Mp3 on my website from one of my CDs recorded in the early 90s here:

www.TexasMusicForge.com/music/NewOrleansToAustin.mp3

The song starts off with a variation on the second line beat I was talking about.

The post earlier in this thread about Zigaboo was a reference to Ziggy Modaliste, drummer for the Meters and possibly the funkiest human being to ever walk the planet.

With all due respect, y'all in Europe get way too many canned rhythms force-fed to you by pop radio. May I humbly suggest checking out *anything* by The Meters if you want the real grit and glory of the funk?

Best regards to all,

Tio Ed

[herodotus]

In the interests of spreading the Gospel Of The Funk to my fellow musicians, I've posted an Mp3 on my website from one of my CDs recorded in the early 90s here:

www.TexasMusicForge.com/music/NewOrleansToAustin.mp3

The song starts off with a variation on the second line beat I was talking about.

The post earlier in this thread about Zigaboo was a reference to Ziggy Modaliste, drummer for the Meters and possibly the funkiest human being to ever walk the planet.

With all due respect, y'all in Europe get way too many canned rhythms force-fed to you by pop radio. May I humbly suggest checking out *anything* by The Meters if you want the real grit and glory of the funk?

Best regards to all,

Tio Ed

Actually some of us here are Americans.

And as for the Meters, what sort of Funkiness do they have that say, George Clinton and James Brown Lacked?

[james0tucson]

In the interests of spreading the Gospel Of The Funk to my fellow musicians, I've posted an Mp3 on my website from one of my CDs recorded in the early 90s here:

www.TexasMusicForge.com/music/NewOrleansToAustin.mp3

The song starts off with a variation on the second line beat I was talking about.

The post earlier in this thread about Zigaboo was a reference to Ziggy Modaliste, drummer for the Meters and possibly the funkiest human being to ever walk the planet.

With all due respect, y'all in Europe get way too many canned rhythms force-fed to you by pop radio. May I humbly suggest checking out *anything* by The Meters if you want the real grit and glory of the funk?

Best regards to all,

Tio Ed

Actually some of us here are Americans.

And as for the Meters, what sort of Funkiness do they have that say, George Clinton and James Brown Lacked?

It's a whole different funkin category.

George did a psychedlic funkulation from outer space, inner space, and, frankly, Bootsy did most of the work.

James Brown had a patent leather funk that could play a USO hall in the afternoon and the Apollo the same night, wearing the same hair and shoes.

But the Meters are, basically, to New Orleans funk what the Wailers were to Jamaican reggae. Cajun R&B has its own James Brown, Buckwheat Zydeco .

The Meters are, collectively and individually, among the most influential artists of the century. You might be very surprised to find out just how far and wide their work appears, everywhere from the Stones to Tori Amos, and their tunes are covered by all kinds of bands.

[rogerperrin]

TexasMusicForge, I love your song. Yup, it starts off ala Marcia Ball, Dr. John, Zydeco stuff. Great stuff!! I've personally always "felt" or "heard" this beat/rhythm as a sped-up rhumba. (Spelling?) Some of the accents are hitting on the upbeats, as opposed to a strict marching-band beat. Very cool stuff. Lots of fun in drum circles to break everyone out of their 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 comatrance.

Are you Ed Kliman? and, are the Texas Pumpjacks a steady band?

I'm from the Abilene/San Angelo, Tx area, by the way.

[herodotus]

It's a whole different funkin category.

George did a psychedlic funkulation from outer space, inner space, and, frankly, Bootsy did most of the work.

James Brown had a patent leather funk that could play a USO hall in the afternoon and the Apollo the same night, wearing the same hair and shoes.

Your language is strange to me.

But I guess that's what I get for asking such a silly question.

But I must take issue with the whole 'Bootsy did most of the work' issue. Bootsy didn't get involved until many years after 'Testify' and rarely had writing credits. He was great to be sure, but George was the heart and soul of the project.

[Dr.Wu]

here is a great resource for new orleans style drumming and a great way to donate some money to rebuilt the city at the same time!

www.spectrasonics.net/neworleans/

I downloaded it and the grooves are awesome.
The best 25 bucks i spent in a long time!

RU with me?

Dr.Wu

[TexasMusicForge]

Are you Ed Kliman? and, are the Texas Pumpjacks a steady band?

Hey RogerPerrin:

Yes, I'm Ed Kliman and The Texas Pumpjacks is/was a particular version of my live backing band. I'm gigging around the Austin area under my own name and in the Dallas/Houston/San Antonio triangle (a/k/a "where all Austin musicians go to make the month's rent") as a sideman or bandleader with various friends' bands.

Thanks for asking and always good to hear from another Texan, companero.

Tio Ed
Austin, Texas
Land O' 10,000 Marginally-Employed Guitarists

[TexasMusicForge]

[quote="Dr.Wu"]here is a great resource for new orleans style drumming and a great way to donate some money to rebuilt the city at the same time!
www.spectrasonics.net/neworleans/
I downloaded it and the grooves are awesome.
The best 25 bucks i spent in a long time!
/quote]

Wow - Dr. Wu hit the jackpot with this link. Heck yes, I'm purchasing this pack today. For all y'all who need some schoolin' in New Orleans riddims, the demo Mp3 on this site is worth listening to.

A quick personal note: I went back to New Orleans a few years ago to visit guitarist Brint Andersen, who used to play in my band here in Austin. He gave me directions to find the club he was playing at so I could come out and sit in. I drove out to the address he gave me, but it was a pretty scary-looking block and the street address just looked like an abandoned warehouse building. I went in and there was a dingy little club in there with little light and beer being sold over a wood plank resting on top of a couple of stacked beer kegs.

Everyone in this all-black joint was as New Orleans friendly as could be and that was before they found out I'm a musician. Brint and his rhythm section were tearing it up doing "glow in the dark" funky blues. I got up to blow some harmonica and sing. I could see through the holes in the walls to the outside by the light of a single bulb over the stage area. The band launched into an extended rhythm vamp. I kept hearing percussion instruments behind me I didn't recognize, turned around and it was just the drummer. In true New Orleans fashion, he wasn't just playing his drum kit, but also anything within reach of his sticks that would give him a sound or texture he was looking for. Walls, amps, drum hardware - all fair game.

This is also the city where I've seen guys play cowbell with a drumstick and a spark plug socket slipped over a finger and into the mouth of the cowbell. The trick is playing a steady rhythm striking parts of the cowbell with the drumstick, then getting counterpoint rhythms from the spark plug socket.

I appreciate and enjoy James Brown and George Clinton, but the kind of bone-deep funk I've been describing can be found in a majority of regular gigging club musicians. That's why New Orleans is and was the Shining Beacon O' Funk in this increasingly soulless world.

Sorry for the digression and thanks to Dr. Wu for the link, I deeply love New Orleans music and just want to spread the joy. You can get yourself an injection by checking out wwoz.org - the website for New Orleans radio station WWOZ. They stream their broadcasts from the website and it's a great way to get hip to the riddim.

Best regards to all,

Tio Ed