Steve Smith – Low Volume Kit #4 – Diane

In this 4th installment of “From The Practice Room NYC EDITION“ using my Low-Volume Kit, my approach to the song “Diane” is to solo from beginning to end. I’m working to stay deep in the pulse with Paul Chambers walking bass, plus listening to the soloist for ideas, time and phrasing. Another priority is tuning into my own drumset phrases, getting into a flow and developing motifs over an extended form - in this case 6 minutes. I occasionally play a little “time” but my focus is soloing. I’ve been working on a few new phrases that I want to integrate into my vocabulary, I find this is a helpful way to accomplish that. Plus, I try to leave space between the ideas so they are clear and stand out. The band performance is from the album Steamin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet, a fantastic album to play along with to develop a strong feeling of swing. Stay loose and relaxed and swing! - Steve Smith