
DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997                 TAG: 9702280059

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E8   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAE SINNETT, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK 

                                            LENGTH:   78 lines

THE SOUND OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER A LOCAL MUSICIAN RECALLS MEETING HIS IDOL, THE SUPERLATIVE JAZZ PERCUSSIONIST TONY WILLIAMS, WHO DIED LAST WEEK.

TONY WILLIAMS influenced thousands of drummers the world over. Having played drums myself for 30 years, I can say that many drummers have played a role in my development. Tony Williams was the most influential.

A few nights ago, a friend and fellow admirer of Williams called to tell me that Tony had died of a heart attack. He was only 51. Although the conversation lasted about 10 minutes, I couldn't tell you what else was said. I don't even remember hanging up.

Williams, who died last Sunday, was a child prodigy - Miles Davis brought him into his band at the vulnerable age of 17. Williams is also credited with starting the ``fusion'' movement with his innovative group Lifetime. In his lifetime, he redefined drum set performance in modern jazz.

Some of his performances with Davis - ``Nefertiti,'' ``Miles Smiles,'' ``Seven Steps to Heaven'' - are classics, all accomplished before the age of 26. But, frustrated with the music scene, Williams went underground for a few years in the early '70s, only to re-emerge with a fresh, innovative sound.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to bring him to Hampton Roads. I was so excited about meeting this icon, I couldn't even think about watching him play. Picking him up at the airport seemed more important - having the master at my side while I drained him of as much information as I could on the ride to his hotel.

Perhaps a little selfish, but how often did drummers get a chance to drive Tony Williams around?

It seemed like forever as I waited for passengers to file off that plane. Then he appeared, walking fast. I introduced myself, and although I had never mentioned that I was a drummer, somehow I felt he knew. He shook my hand and said, ``Let's go.''

Somewhat distant, and not exactly loquacious, we walked briskly to baggage claim, where we learned that one of his drums, a 14-inch floor tom tom, was missing.

After listening to a few choice expletives, I said, ``Tony, I have a 14-inch floor tom tom.''

``But I play Gretsch drums!'' he yelled.

At that time, so did I.

He said, emphatically, ``But mine are canary yellow!''

With as much calm as I could muster, I said, ``Tony, so are mine.''

From that point on, our relationship warmed. He used my drum, and I still have that drum head today.

During his performance that night, Tony opened one of his solos with a 10-minute ``double stroke roll'' - drumspeak for one of the most important elements of playing. A younger drummer in the audience asked me why on earth he would spend so much time on that most fundamental of rudiments. I had to scratch my head on that one.

Of course, he played much more than that, and it wasn't until months later that I appreciated that 10-minute roll. I remember watching him: his posture perfect, his beautiful, melodic playing. But, most importantly, it was definitive Tony Williams.

Although he was one of the most awesome technicians around, he chose to play conceptually with depth, using his technique to create something lasting and meaningful. His clarity, his special way of letting the listener hear what he did, was a thing of beauty. He played, knowing his zenith was reached years before, that his biggest statements were made and that thousands had benefited.

Yet, there was a special statement in that 10-minute roll. It said, ``Be patient, and never forget the importance of the fundamentals.''

Thank you, Tony Williams. MEMO: Jae Sinnett is a jazz drummer, composer and educator, and host of

``Sinnett in Session'' on WHRV-FM (89.5). ILLUSTRATION: Photo by COLUMBIA/File

Tony Williams, right, played with the Herbie Hancock Quartet in the

early 1980s. From left are bassist Ron Carter, pianist Hancock and

trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

FILE

Drummer Jae Sinnett once brought Williams to Hampton Roads.