Hello everyone!

Today I heard the sad news of the passing of Monsieur Jacques Delécluse, percussion master and teacher that changed and revolutionized the world of percussion. As a professor at the "Conservatoire de Paris" from the early 60's until the late 90's, he was famous all over the world for the books that he wrote, such as "12 Études pour Caisse-Claire", "30 Études pour Timbales", and "20 Études pour Xylophone", among others. As a performer, Delécluse played with the "Orchestre de Paris" and with the concert society "Domaine Musical" with Pierre Boulez, father of serialism and electronic music. Delécluse was also an excellent piano player, which allowed him to play with his students and give them a different musical approach.

The "Étude 18" from "Méthode de Caisse-Claire" was the first book that I studied in. This book consists of the fundamentals of snare drum technique as a series of exercises; 25 Études that apply these techniques to musical context. I love these pieces, which allow me to work on the control and dynamics of the instrument. The intricate rhythms and huge range of dynamics requires you to play musically but also with extreme accuracy.

My first teacher, Philippe Labadie, (who was himself a student of Delécluse) gave me the best foundation that I could get as a young percussionist and drummer. I studied with him from 1995 to 2008. Philippe Labadie is currently teaching at the "Conservatoire de Paris" and "Conservatoire National Superieur de Lyon" and he performs with the "Orchestre de Paris" and other ensembles in the capital. I would like to dedicate this video to him and Jacques Delécluse, whom I never got a chance to meet in person.

Merci Monsieur Labadie!!!

A very nice version of "I Though About You" performed by Eliane Elias. I just love this tune and how this band is swinging. It is so pleasant to play with these musicians:-) Marc Johnson on bass, Eliane Elias on piano and vocals and Steve Cardenas on guitar. The arrangement is very subtle with a nice progression from "2 feel" to "walking" on the melody. The kicks played during the melody give momentum to the interpretation. The difficulty here is to swing at their level, I start with the brushes and I try to lock my Hi-Hat with the feel of my brushes. Then with the sticks, same thing but I tried to stay as relax as I can to make the music feels good and swing with the bass of Marc Johnson. During Eliane' s solo, I play with her  and follow here ideas without over commenting on them. I try to play like it's the first time and the solo is made on the spot. There is a reason why she didn't record the tune with a drummer and I respect that. She did a tribute to Chet Baker and Chet towards the end of career was playing with a drum-less trio. The first time I heard the song, I wanted to play along and now I am very glad to share it with you:-)
Thanks for listening!