Tootie’s Tempo: A Drum Story

Tootie’s Tempo: A Drum Story is a unique multimedia journey that follows the migrations of drums and rhythms – from Nigerian talking drums to the innovations of jazz greats like Elvin Jones and Tony Williams. Designed for live presentation, it features as presenter the legendary Albert “Tootie” Heath. Heath’s presentation includes commentary on each of the diverse drum phases he has selected, such as: Batá drums, New Orleans parade music, and early big band pioneers. Several of these units incorporate rare audio or video samples from the drummer’s own archive, as well as humorous and touching personal anecdotes from his experiences contributing to some of the most integral decades of jazz. Heath also accompanies the presentation with live demonstrations of various rhythms to reveal their timeless power in an intimate and personal setting. The presentation, lasting about an hour, is designed with some flexibility in mind, allowing Heath to tailor it to different audiences depending on their musical backgrounds, age, and interests. Perfect for students of all instruments, lovers of music, and anyone with an interest in history, Tootie’s Tempo: A Drum Story can be booked through Vahag...

TOOTIE’S TEMPO

A drum story

Click on the arrow to the right, or the image of any drum, to explore an abbreviated sample taken from Albert “Tootie” Heath’s live presentation on the history of the drum

Tootie Heath

Prince Rasa Ayanleke Adegoke

African Talking Drums

One of the oldest and most unique classes of drum, with variations found in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and many other West African nations These drums “talk” because their pitch can be altered by squeezing them at the sides and changing the tension of the drumhead They are used musically, as well as to communicate detailed messages and stories

Tootie Heath

Lisette Santiago plays three Batá drums at once

BATÁ

These hourglass-shaped drums from Nigeria were brought to Cuba as a result of the slave trade of the 1800s Today they continue to be used for religious ceremonies (in the Santería tradition) as well as in secular settings The batá usually consists of three drums: the largest is the Iyá (also called the mother drum), the medium one is the Itótele, and the smallest is the Okónkolo

Tootie Heath

“Poinciana” audio

From New Orleans parade music to early drum set rhythms

Vernel Fournier (1928-2000) A New Orleans’ native of Creole descent Perhaps best known for his work with Ahmad Jamal, Fournier recorded a classic drum beat with Jamal on the title-track of the pianist’s 1958 album “Poinciana” Influenced by New Orleans parade music, Fournier’s rhythm combines elements of the bass and cymbal patterns common to that musical tradition

Vernel Fournier explains the origin of the Poinciana beat

Tootie Heath

Audio: Tootie with Monk

Tootie’s Story

Since the 1950s, drum icon Albert “Tootie” Heath has performed and recorded with many of the biggest names in jazz, including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Nina Simone, and his brothers, Jimmy and Percy Heath A frequent instructor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, he is also the creator of The Whole Drum Truth, a revolving percussion quartet that has featured such luminaries as Billy Hart, Louis Hayes, Ben Riley, and Kenny Washington Tootie currently leads a trio with pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street

Video: The Whole Drum Truth

Photo slideshow

Tootie Heath