The Evolution of the Ride Cymbal Pattern from 1917 to 1941: An Historical and Critical Analysis
Presented
by
DR. COLLEEN CLARK
WEBINAR OVERVIEW
A research presentation from the
2021 JENX Online Conference.
The purpose of this study is to provide a historiographical and musical analysis examining the jazz ride cymbal pattern, from its inception on woodblock, small accessory cymbals, hand cymbal mechanisms, and brushes through what becomes known as the modern-day ride cymbal pattern. This research examines a wide array of drummers and bandleaders, with the objective of identifying the earliest recordings of this important addition to jazz drumming, and popular music history while analyzing the ride cymbal pattern’s evolution through definitive recordings.
The study begins with the earliest known recordings that clearly display the pattern as it is played on any of the instruments mentioned above. The research concludes with the jam sessions of the early 1940s at Minton’s Playhouse, where the pioneer of bebop drumming, Kenny Clarke, experimented with altering the pattern.
At this point, the pattern reached its final level of maturity and has since experienced no subsequent major modification. The historical and geographical analysis uses relevant literature from the field of jazz history in order to interpret and evaluate the impact of the overall trajectory of the music and players. By surveying newspaper and magazine articles, archival interviews, and photographic sources, combined with audio and film analysis, it is clear that drummers navigated a path to the maturation of the pattern.
ABOUT DR. COLLEEN CLARK
Drummer, composer, educator, and bandleader, Dr. Colleen Clark is the first woman to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Performance at the world-renowned University of North Texas, the oldest jazz institution in America. As a newly nominated member of the Associate Graduate Faculty at the University of North Texas, Clark currently oversees the research interests of doctoral students in jazz studies. As a player, Clark has been described as “someone to watch” and “someone who will be turning heads in jazz for years to come”. Clark was invited by the ASCAP Foundation to lead her band, the Colleen Clark Collective, at the Kennedy Center. Dr. Clark has performed in prominent NYC venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, and the 55 Bar. Her debut album, consisting entirely of her original music, Introducing Colleen Clark, was produced by Gordon Stout and engineered by ten-time Grammy Award nominee/winner, Brian Dozoretz. Clark proudly joined the Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Combo on their premiere performance at the Jazz Education Network Conference in 2019. Dr. Clark currently teaches at City University of New York’s Borough Manhattan Community College and the University of North Texas. Clark also serves on the advisory board for The BeBop Corporation and has been a lead teacher in the ChiCa Power program at the Jazz House Kids. Clark can most recently be heard playing on SteepleChase record #900, Allegra Levy’s “Lose My Number: Allegra Levy Sings John McNeil”.
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