Welcome to the Discussions section. Here you can leave me a message or post a question. I'll do my best to respond in person. If you'd like to contact me directly, feel free to email me at the address below.

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Hi John. Former student Jonathan Riley here. Just wanted you to know the work you did with me at M.S.M. really started to pay off once out of school and applying it. I still use the brush techniques you helped me delvelop. I find myself using your approach with my students as well. Thanks.
by Jonathan Riley (Maplewood, NJ)May 6, 2008 3:01 PM
Hi John. I first saw you in clinic at the Rhythm week in England many years ago. With your exercises I began the long path of discovering and playing jazz. Since then I've bought all of your books and have been playing drums professionally for over 5 years. You really have been the main inspiration for my drumming and I feel your books provide direction into an otherwise very intimidating and daunting style of music. So thanks! Is there gonna be any new books coming out? Sam
by Sam Nadel (London England)April 29, 2008 5:38 AM
Hey John, I enjoyed hearing you and talking a bit at the Andy Roberts gig and again at the Shippensburg concert.Hearing all that swinging music infused me with new life ,ha ha!I look forward to hanging out .
by Chuck Karner (Baltimore ,Md.)April 26, 2008 10:33 PM
Greetings John: Just wanted to say it was great meeting you this past weekend in Chicago. Your clinic at Steve Maxwell's was very informative and then watching you put those techniques in a performance setting at the Green Mill was a great treat. It was a very informative and educational weekend. Thanks again for hanging and spending time with us. Until next time . . . safe travels and keep swinging. Sincerely, Barry - - Check out our bands website at: www.flatcatsmusic.com
by Barry Rosenthal (Chicago, IL)April 21, 2008 11:26 AM
Hi John this is Alex from mexico, firs let me tell you that you are a grat inspiration to my druming, I have study your two books, the art of... and beyond.. and they are must learn material for any serius jazz drumer. I have some questions and is not about technique, is obout jazz, I have 15 years playing the drums, just 2 yeras in to jazz, and just 1 year ago I go out to the street an star playing jazz real jazz, and feel that that helps a lot. but my question is about jazz gigs, I have 1 year playing jazz gigs once or twise a week in some restaurante or hotel loby bar. most of the musicians I play with are more experimented, and have long time playin jazz, mostly standars the classic jazz gig, due to my short experience I have found that it is dificult for me just seat at the drums and star paling any real book standar that I have never herad or played, all my band mates just tell me that I have to swing and folow the song, some time do trade 4's or 8's and taht is it, 12 songs and the gig is done and pay, I have several time ask them to rehears, but they keep saying that jazz is all about iprovistion, and there is o need to rehears, just do the gig waht ever the song is and that is it, you know that a real book at least have 400 songs on it, and I have heard most of them, but in my short time playing jazz, it is creasy for me just to seat and play a standar that I have never play, I don't know the feel of the song or how they are going to play it. my questiong is: it is true that there is no necesary rehearsals and jazz is all obout iprovisation? it is true that a good jazz drumer should play any song, in any style they come up with? we were talking about keith jarret trio and I said to the that I was shure that these guys do rehears or at least they used to rhears a lot in past times, and they said: no these guys are grat jazz musicians and they improvised all they play. do you think it is true? if so what you recomend for me to be confortable in playing any song in any stile that other come up in that stage moment. thatks so much for your help and your books
by Alex meludis (mexico)February 29, 2008 2:56 PM
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