Unbelievable

I may not be a drummer but have been in jazz in the past.

All I can say is holy crap!

That kid is good and needs to be on Leno / Letterman ASAP

You'd think the low volume stuff would be really hard with the headphones on.

Amazing!    He's one of the best drummers I've ever seen.

 I may not be a drummer but have been in jazz in the past.

All I can say is holy crap!

That kid is good and needs to be on Leno / Letterman ASAP

You'd think the low volume stuff would be really hard with the headphones on.

Headphones eliminate all the rebound from the sound, a muffle or baffle if you will.  They also have headsets that have built in metronomes, those have a small dial on the right ear.

I think it's safe to say this kid is going places.  Tony Royster Sr. has got to be one proud dude.

Anyone can train their muscles to have the dexterity and balance to do rudiments like that, the only thing you need .........is time.  This kid is 12.  I wouldn't think this is even possible, he must have had a practice pad in his crib.  His first book was "stick control I",lol.  I'm blown away

THIS KID is no slouch either

That was pretty cool.

JT Bagwell

Wow, amazing.

Check this kid out to, I've seen him play at a couple basketball games around here. Amazing skills.

It is really good to see such raw talent and enthusiasim. That being said America is filled with young drummers like this. Buddy Rich was playing Vaudville at age 6! However these kids you are seeing are playing rudiments and sticking patterns, the real test of thier skill will come later on when they have to PLAY WITH OTHER MUSICIANS. It is one thing to play a highly practiced and REPETATIVE "solo", a display of chops and willingness to learn a set of sticking patterns.

Drummers like Rich, Steven Gadd, Art Blakey,Max Roach and the mentioned Tony Williams, all started out with the great level of Chops and determination these kids are showing. They rose to the top because of thier musical ability, the talent to play extremely complex time signatures while ACCOMPINING OTHER MUSICANS,learning how to support other peoples solos while staying out of thier way and real musical knowledge and prowess.

There are many " One trick ponies " in music, many of them on drums and guitars. That Eddie Van Halen guy, who hammered the strings, in the course of history doesn't approach the level of playing a Joe Pass . These kids have a long way to go. I am not knocking their dedication or obvious amount of raw talent, it just is going to take a lot more for them to take what they have to a real level of musicianship.

Here's the same kid just older.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-ZWxmaVuWk&feature=related

Street drumming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVOzjVwjOUM

And older

Jamming with a band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glrbndJPEGo

2000 Grammy awards

And another band

I did not go searching: Mr. Royster is on his way, now that is real sight to see! That is what talent and Musicianship is all about! That kid is better than I ever was, I never had that kind of determination and if he stays with it , he will be one of the drummers that will leave his mark! 8-)

The street drumming thing however I gotta tell you NY and New Orleans is full of them. Anyone with a moderate amount of hand/eye co-ordiantion and a willingness to learn: Para diddles, open and closed rolls and ruffs can learn how to do that. It borders on doing a kind of musical trick!

I accually started searching before your last post. I wondered the same thing.

QUOTE FROM LBH:

All I can say is holy crap!

Anyone can train their muscles to have the dexterity and balance to do rudiments like that, the only thing you need .........is time. This kid is 12. I wouldn't think this is even possible, he must have had a practice pad in his crib. His first book was "stick control I",lol. I'm blown away

Absolutely.  I wish he wasn't into playing the fusion stuff so much, I just don't like the genre.

Looks like DW was no fool and signed this kid up on their kits asap.  Man, they make some beautiful sounding stuff, I love a mic'd set, but especially when it's one of theirs.

,...Dennis Chambers can't take his eyes off him.  I love seeing the old appreciate the new.

and yes Dom, it looks like this kid is one of the ones where if you give them 100 drums to hit, he'll hit all 100 !! lol

For those of you who have never looked into playing the drums.  

is a clip to show you just what you can't see.  It's not just a fast roll, every tap has a purpose and a proper position.  NOW go back and watch one of the previous clips and think about all the stuff you can't "see"

I LOVE this thread!!!

I remember when Tony Royster Jr. first appeared on the scene (in that Modern Drummer festival performance that LBH started the thread with).  Like Muddy said, it's amazing to see how he's continuing down the path.

While we're on the subject, here's some more great stuff:

Vinnie Colaiuta w/ Sting, live:

CLASSIC Steve Gadd groove:

Bernard Purdie, the groove is so funky it reeks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gujufbGoS20

More Purdie - a variation of the "Purdie Shuffle", as heard in the classic Steely Dan recordings, Babylon Sisters & Home at Last:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pclpe8dT7cY

Dave Weckl....'nuff said  :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRF7HHzqrG4

Hey Check out the THIS IS COOL thread started by JT BAGWELL, I put a lot of the classic Jazzers on that thread!

Ill put it here also:

First a taste of Elvin and Blakey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA5dt9QT4Ms&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdsCVeWHZlQ

Max Roach;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeYXfmgHU9c

Buddy Rich

Steve Gadd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRGfkK8bjOo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=397MbYqzmT0

 THER"S PROFF THAT SOME GUYS SAY MORE IN ONE MINUTE?A FEW BARS< THAN GUYS WITH 40 drums and can't paly more than 2 of em anyway

Speaking of which:

Gene Krupa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSAPaThWJE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qECrvQC-lio

\Wrap it up with PAPA JO JONES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59bN6k8pvxc

I played blues and soul, and because of laziness never reached my potential. I had an Uncle and a cousin as well as a string of teachers who showed me the greatest jazz musicians in the world. America's original art form, is often kept in the backround. THE BEST PALYERS IN AMERICA have ALL BEEN JAZZ MUSICANS, not just on drums; Louis Armstrong. Wyton Marsellis,Miles Davis, John Coltrane it goes on and on and my all time musical genius THELONIOUS MONK. Go listen see for yourselves. There is a lot of great music out thier and a lot of talaneted musicians but the cream of the crop has alaways been in jazz.

Ho hum.

Another prodigy playing with himself.

Hey Drums; I love Pretty Purdie myself. My favorite piece recorded by him is that wicked groove and triple high hat opening on Aretha's ROCK STEADY!!!!!!!!!

Hey Drums; I love Pretty Purdie myself. My favorite piece recorded by him is that wicked groove and triple high hat opening on Aretha's ROCK STEADY!!!!!!!!!

Right on Muddy, Purdie is the man!  That "Rock Steady" groove really is killer.  Deep, deep pocket.  Dig it!