Sometimes I wonder: why can't we see drum battles today? As watching these old videos I surely say that they were doing it for fun, and the audience was inquisitive and opened. It was a great musical occassion where the main role was the drummers' but you could hear music as well. A newer reason to feel sorry about the past is gone.
In the first video you can see in order: Elvin Jones, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. Perhaps the three most known jazz drummer in our history, but each has a different style in this video. Elvin Jones starts with a free, loose play, and while listening to it the "ancient force" comes up from the deepness. It's the most hardly understoodable performance of the three, I think. Watch his hands at 1:03, he almost drops the drum sticks, his posture is so loose. Compared to this Max Roach is very strict and complex. There's an always returning motive in his play. I don't feel that kind of looseness at him as at Elvin, so his drumming is very determined and disciplined. I like the way as Elvin stares at him, but don't believe in those comments - I think their knowledgement is the same. Watch that incredible hihat play at 1:58. And eventually Art Blakey comes in, taking the attention with a big beat on the cymbals. His style is more minimal than the first two. There's a constant base and he builds upon this every time. In the end his solo turns to the well-known Art Blakey rhythm, the same which we can hear in the beginning of the album: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - A night in Tunisia.
In the second video the atmosphere is looser: it's a great party with lots of fun and - don't forget it - with lots of good music. Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich plays the famous song by Benny Goodman - Sing, sing, sing. That's funny as that man takes his shoes onto Buddy's and Gene's drum at the end of the song. See below for more interesting videos.
Elvin Jones & Max Roach & Art Blakey:
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