Colporta Jazz Standard Rearrangement

Hi! Here we're looking at a rearrangement of the Colporta jazz standard, "All of You." This rearrangement retains the form of the piece, which is a 32-bar structure for the duration of the complete melody (often referred to as a chorus). We've added a more contemporary feel to the drums with a backbeat, while the underlying essence remains the swing ride cymbal pattern.

Drum Patterns

Basic Feel

The key aspects of the drum part include:

• Swing Ride Pattern: The essence comes from the swing ride pattern.
• Hi-Hat Patterns: Focus on hitting the hi-hat on beats 2 and 4.
• Bass Drum Patterns: These change throughout the piece, and some sample patterns are provided. An approximate version of the bass drum pattern might sound like this:

[Insert Sample Here]

Ghost Notes

An additional ingredient added to the basic pattern is the use of ghost notes to fill in spaces within swung eighth notes. This gives us a final two-bar pattern similar to this:

[Insert Example Here]

Variations on the Bass Drum

It's worthwhile to explore variations on the bass drum once you are comfortable with the hand pattern. Experimenting with what the bass drum plays underneath can add depth. Here's a sample of that concept:

[Insert Sample Here]

Linear Figures

Within the piece, there are several linear figures. This means we are playing between the right and left hand along with the bass drum, but none of the sounds are occurring simultaneously.

Key Examples

• Two Beat Pickup: Located at the very start of the piece.
• Last Two Bars of the Eight-Bar Drum Solo Intro. These should sound something like this:

[Insert Example Here]

Tip: The effectiveness of these phrases hinges on the snare drum's volume; it should be very quiet, essentially ghost notes. This allows your right hand and bass drum to be the focal points.

Band Introduction

After the eight-bar drum solo intro, we transition to an eight-bar band intro, where the band joins in. This occurs after the two-bar drum fill we just examined. At the end of this introduction, we introduce another fill. Let's play that next eight bars, starting from the two-bar fill:

[Insert Example Here]

Melody and Solos

With the band introduction complete, the form of the piece begins, featuring the melody:

• The melody plays over the same 32 bars.
• During the first playthrough, we switch to acrostic, maintaining the swing ride and hi-hat patterns.
• Feel free to embellish in any way you like, but keep the acrostic sound through this chorus.

Keyboard and Guitar Solos

• For the next chorus (keyboard solo), we switch to an open snare sound, reminiscent of the intro.
• The pattern is played for 32 bars during the keyboard solo, followed by another 32 bars for the guitar solo.

Throughout this section, there's a gradual increase in intensity and dynamics, moving from mezzo piano to mezzo forte or even forte, preparing for the drum solo.

Drum Solo Structure

The drum solo follows the original 32-bar form:

• First Half (16 Bars): Dedicated to the drum solo.
• Second Half (16 Bars): The band rejoins to play the last 16 bars of the head.

16-Bar Drum Solo Breakdown

We'll now look at the 16-bar drum solo, two bars at a time. Here are the specifics:

Bars 49 and 50

• Focus on six-stroke roll stickings: Right, Left, Left, Right, Right, Left.

Remember, the contrast in dynamics is crucial, accented notes versus quieter notes.

Bars 51 and 52

[Insert Example Here]

Bars 53 and 54

[Insert Example Here]

Bars 55 and 56

• The second half features an inverted double stroke roll: Right, Left, Left, Right, Right, Left, Left, Right, Right, Left, Left.

Bars 57 and 58

[Insert Example Here]

Bars 59 and 60

[Insert Example Here]

Bars 61 and 62

[Insert Example Here]

Last Two Bars: 63 and 64

[Insert Example Here]

Full Drum Solo Playthrough

Now, let's play through the drum solo in its entirety, nice and slow.

[Insert Full Solo Example Here]

Once this is complete, the band rejoins for the second 16 bars of the 32-bar head. Be attentive, as there's a figure punctuated in the final 16th bar before the turnaround ending for the last four bars of the piece.

Ending the Piece

Let's take it from bar 77, four bars before the end of the head, and conclude with the final four bars of the piece:

[Insert Example Here]

Final Thoughts

That covers all the parts you need to play the piece. The main challenges revolve around:

• Retaining Your Place Within the Form: Pay attention to when the keyboard and guitar solos occur within the 32-bar structure.
• Playing the Drum Solo: Whether playing the written notes or improvising, maintain your awareness of the form. Remember, you will play for 16 bars before the band reenters.

Hopefully, you will find ideas within this drum solo to incorporate into your own playing. Look for nice licks and effective hand-foot combinations.

The key to the sound is the internal dynamics of your phrasing. Focus not only on the overall dynamics (mezzo forte, piano, etc.) but also on the contrasting dynamics between accented and unaccented notes, which will highlight the phrasing while keeping the ghost notes on the snare quiet.

There's plenty to explore in this track. Enjoy playing along to the backing track!