Eddie Marshall Drum Clinic Review

by Alex Walsh

The Eddie Marshall drum clinic on Valentine’s Day 2002 was a huge success. Eleven drummers were present, from beginners to veteran players. Eddie started right away with getting people to the drum kit. He demonstrated a pattern, playing it very fast, and then slowing it way down into its simple components. We then had an opportunity to try, with varying degrees of success. Eddie touched on the history of jazz drumming, as well as his time as a kid on the east coast, cutting his teeth in clubs, and his experience in the Bay Area.

His exploration of Latin jazz was a revelation to this singer-songwriter. I learned that Latin percussionists play very precisely because it’s more of a community effort (they all play together without getting in each others way), whereas American jazz drummers are a little more loose (nice and sloppy, the way I likes it).

Although there was some last minute scrambling to find a CD player (sorry, Eddie!), the night came off flawlessly. Great information, inspiring chops, and lots of laughter we all walked away happy. Thanks Eddie, we look forward to next time!

Back to Local 6 Archives