05/01/2007
Revisiting a classic
Think for a minute about the skills involved in drumming; coordination, timekeeping, the subtleties of emphasis. Add the complexities of a drum kit - snare, kick, toms, cymbals. Factor in the involvement of all 4 limbs keeping perfect time simultaneously, complicated by having to listen to what you're doing and interact with other musicians. Difficult stuff. Hats off to anyone who does it well.
But what if a person could do all that and tell stories - funny stories - using the drumkit to illustrate and punctuate what they were saying?
Well, then you'd have Sam Ulano.
One of the world's noted drum teachers, Ulano is a certified New York Character; publisher of dozens of drum instruction books, teacher of many of the world's great drummers, and possessor of the unique talent of being able to back himself up on drums while telling a story.
In the late 1960's Ulano recorded an album of fairy tales for young children, backing himself on drums. It wasn't in print long, and he eventually produced and sold tapes of the album himself. The outstanding Little Red Rhumbahood appears on the web in various locations, but I know there must be people out there to whom this recording will come as a revelation.
Mr. Ulano still gigs regularly in the NYC area at age 80, and is the author of 2 books about drumming and life.
"It was a very big door."