Best rhythm sections...

edited October 2011 in Musicians
Having secured myself a stone roses ticket i've been musing on why I like the band so much.
Partly because they were big during my formative music years.
Partly because brown and squire wrote some cracking tunes.
But also because the rhythm section: mani on bass and Reni on drums, are excellent. Interesting without being wanky and spot on timing-wise.
The more I've thought about this the more I've realised that almost all of the rhythm sections of my favourite bands have the same qualities. My all time favourites are Steve scipio and Sam Kelly of Cymande, but also cream, Hendrix experience (tho' mitch mitchel is a bit much at times) and Gomez*. I think all these have rhythm sections that creative and solid.
Doubtless there are jazz rhythm sections that are more accomplished than all of the above, but I find the jazzers more difficult to anylise. (Some I find unmusical - despite dave's efforts Pastorius eludes me.)
Personally my musical outlets have always been bass and percussion (and in private drums), so may be there's some personal bias at work here. Or may be it's just that I'm shite at more melodic/complicated instruments.
Anyhoo I'd be interested to learn of any other interesting rhythm sections, and our esteemed members thoughts on them and rhythm sections generally.

* I like the Beatles too. McCartney is a really interesting bassist - unusually melodic. I also think Ringo is wrongly maligned. He's interesting and solid, if not brilliant.

Comments

  • edited October 2011
    My fave riddim sections (how many can I have???):
    • Charles Mingus & Dannie Richmond
    • William Parker & Hamid Drake
    • Jaco Pastorius & Peter Erskine (with or without a percussionist)
    • Almost any James Brown rhythm section between about 65 and 80
    • Kenny Gradney, Ritchie Hayward and Sam Clayton (Little Feat)
    • Charlie Haden & Paul Motian
    • Gary Peacock & Paul Motian
    • Charlie Haden & Ed Blackwell
    • David Izenson & Charles Moffett
    • Jimmy Garrison & Elvin Jones
    • Wilton Felder & Stix Hooper (The Crusaders)
    I like funkiness, playing round the beat and pushing the music forwards from a rhythm section. Plodding 4s ain't my thing, so you can forget 90% of rock rhythm sections.
  • I agree with your assessment of rock rhythm generally. TBH it might be one of the reasons I've never been into the genre. What do you make of the few 'rock/pop' ones I mentioned above?
  • I'm with you on the Hendrix Experience. I kind of enjoy them for a while, and then they go all ploddy on me.

    I can't go with the Beatles because I HATE Ringo as a drummer. My list is where all two or three members are great. If I went for rhythm players, alone, then I'd be adding Jim Black for a start, and Joey Baron, the greatest drummers of their generations. Have you heard Jim Black? He's absolutely astonishing, playing everything from rock 4s to pulseless free music at a level that others struggle to attain.

    OK. I'll add Greg Cohen and Joey Baron from the original Masada Quartet/Acoustic Masada.


  • For me its John Bonham and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin
  • edited October 2011
    I think Carlos Vega & Lee Sklar deserve a place here. Not the most
    definitive video, its more about the body of work & the feel they
    had.


  • Can I add Billy Martin and Chris Wood from Medeski Martin and Wood? Baad MFs
    :-D
  • I think Carlos Vega & Lee Sklar deserve a place here. Not the most
    definitive video, its more about the body of work & the feel they
    had.


    Lee Sklar did that fantastic bassline on Billy Cobham's Spectrum album that Massive Attack appropriated for Safe from Harm.
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