Dirty Impound

Watching Joe Russo work a drum kit is theatre in motion, a story unfolding in sweat and limbs, the emotions and ideas of a piece playing across this generational standout’s face. When you add your ears to the mix he brings you bodily into the tale, a reminder in our bones of rhythm’s role as storytelling’s pacesetter. A bicentennial baby – he snuck into this world at the tail end of 1976 – Russo is a true blue American musician with a wide open perspective on the role of percussion in an almost ridiculous array of settings, the melting pot ideal in beat-making form.

He’s as adept at the avant-bounce of his longtime duo collaboration with keyboard ninja Marco Benevento (where the daring pair marries classic 60s jazz keyboard-drum dynamics to WHATEVER the fuck falls into their imaginations) as he is as the revitalizing drum force in Grateful Dead torch keepers Furthur. And between these two poles one can find Russo exploring modern electronic grooves in Shpongle as well as past stints with projects as diverse as the Gene Ween Band, American Babies and Younger Brother. If there is one defining thread to these divergent outlets its Russo’s unerring ability to find THE right pulse for the specific moment.

His feel and range are somewhat ludicrous, yet he never comes off as some drum clinic guru. His undisguised delight at finding the mythical “pocket,” even in downright perverse music, always carries over, the technique and endless hours of study and practice invisible when he’s onstage or immersed in studio exploration. This knack for being completely present for the song at hand is one of Russo’s gifts which spills over onto his collaborators. If he’s behind the drums it’s a good bet that everyone else playing with him will be a bit more dialed in, even if only to what Russo is laying down, and the results will be richer, more interesting and more unpredictable (in the finest sense) than they would be without him.

Here’s what Russo had to say in the Impound’s drummer survey.

read on for Joe’s answers

If one had to settle on a single word descriptor of percussionist Andrew Barr the best might be “sublime.” There is great power to the drum center of The Slip, Surprise Me Mr. Davis and most recently his collaboration with brother Brad Barr in the aptly titled The Barr Brothers, but also something more fluid, elusive and altogether intoxicating, a roll and glide that’s far more alluring than simple crash ‘n’ bang. Judicious use of force, a sensibility that stretches outward to Africa, and an obvious sense of play missing from most high end players further set Andrew Barr apart from the pack. Watch his face as he navigates through music as diverse as the folksy bounce of SMMD or the cosmic headcharge of The Slip onstage or the knotted, fascinating, melodic spaces he explores with the Marco Benevento Trio. What’s revealed through his expressions (and really his entire body language) is a musician on a quest for fresh sounds grounded in inarguably rich foundations.

Andrew’s prowess is on full display on the long awaited self-titled debut from The Barr Brothers, which arrives September 27th on Secret City Records. Like its drummer, the album is a complex and well, subtle work, touching on thorny ontology, God and The Devil running through clouds and morning fog. It’s also beautiful, quietly moving and a further extension of the Barr Brothers’ seemingly endless vision. Time spent with this grower – a kindred spirit to Barr buds The Low Anthem though with a winning, unexpected Congotronics streak – is time well spent. One feels pulled through a few veils that surround the waking world, drawn into the silken truths that hide just outside of normal sight. And it’s full of lovely songs, too.

Here’s what Andrew had to say in the Impound’s drummer survey.

read on for Mr. Barr’s answers

Tasty.

This is the word more than any other folks have used to describe Dave Brogan. Well, at least in my company, this one comes up a lot – more than 50 times by my count. I first picked up on it in 2008 as I was really getting to know Brogan and began keeping a loose count. It’s a word often uttered like a foodie savoring a morsel of artisanal charcuterie as someone watches him have his way with a drum kit. His movements are pleasurable continuity, a confident player who loves swinging just outside his comfort zone, fingertips stretching into chaos and improvisation but his main punch reminiscent of iron percussion machines like John Bonham and Jim Gordon (Derek & The Dominoes, Delaney & Bonnie), where wicked technique and brawn mingle so, so nicely. Dave lets you see the work of drumming only when it is work, mostly rolling smooth, a smiling foundation behind whatever musicians he’s backing at the moment.

While his main gig is California pop-rock gems ALO, he plays in a variety of settings, studio and live, and always adapts like butter on warm toast – be it pounding the living hell out of his gear in M8 Mailbox, streaming along all modern like in Beck tribute Newfangled Wasteland, or working the brushes like a proper SoCal cowpoke in Brokedown In Bakersfield. No less than a half dozen really good bands have let slip in my company that they’d snap up Brogan in a heartbeat if he came up on the open market. My theory to his widespread appeal is not just his raw talent and practice/road time won skills but his general vibe. Musicians feel secure in stretching themselves towards their best stuff with Dave Brogan at their back.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s a heck of a budding singer-songwriter in his own right – his 2008 solo debut, Thunderbird Sun Transformation, is a real jewel (it’s actually better than my original glowing review might suggest) – not to mention a thoughtful arranger, quality harmony vocalist and general catalyst for good music. So, more than a terrific drummer, Brogan is a terrific musician who happens to specialize in percussion.

Oh, he’s also a pretty darn good writer. He was one of the Impound’s initial cadre of contributors, chronicling ALO’s travels last year for DI. And he’s got a swell drum blog that’s been evolving nicely this year. He’s definitely onto some next level drummer stuff, and while non-drummers may not grock it all there’s still a good deal to glean from Dave’s observations.

Here’s what Brogan had to say in the Impound’s drummer survey.

read on for Dave’s answers

One’s first impression of Simon Allen might well be that he’s a touch wild, maybe even charmingly loopy, but altogether sweet. The man simply seems down for everything, ready to get his hands sticky in whatever the world is serving up. However, when The New Mastersounds drummer sits down behind his kit he’s lock-tight lethal, a lanky English answer to African-American forebears like Idris Muhammad, Zigaboo Modeliste and Clyde Stubblefield. What’s also refreshing about Allen is how he nearly always seems to be having THE best time of anyone onstage, whether he’s in his main groove with NMS or sitting in with any manner of funk or rock performers. What it all boils down to with Allen is his innate ability to swing and swing hard. Rather than dazzle folks with complex fills or crazy time signature shifts, he finds the proper pulse and pumps it beautifully. You can hear this on group’s new album, Breaks From The Border, or flying off stages as the quartet tours worldwide.

Here’s what Simon had to say in the Impound’s new drummer survey.

read on for Simon’s answers

It’s often said that enthusiasm is infectious, and few drummers embody this notion as well as Bradly Bifulco of rising San Francisco modern rockers Big Light. The look of determination and impassioned purpose on Bradly’s face onstage shines a light that’s pure rock ‘n’ roll, a youthful yen to bang out one’s own noise in the great pantheon, to shake ‘n’ rattle because there’s no other goddamn choice. His playing reminds one of early Bun E. Carlos in Cheap Trick or even Ringo Starr in the days when the Fabs were still bangin’ out Chuck Berry numbers. His sweat drenched frame is all-in from note one and he seems like he’s endlessly pursuing betterment one tune at a time. There’s a lot to like about Mr. Bifulco, not the least the determination and raw passion he brings to Big Light. We’re chuffed as fuck to have him kick off our new drummer question series, and he even created the graphic for this segment, too.

read on for Bradly’s answers