Cymbals Direct

When one thinks of the 'greatest' Jazz musicians, your mind is immediately drawn to the accomplished pianist and drummer Jack Dejohnette. An immensely talented musician who has been blessed with the ability to pound the ivories as well as provide an amazing backbeat on the drum, Jack is one of those rare individuals who can easily slip between instruments and produce beautiful music with some of the best musicians that Jazz has had to offer.

Jack began his musical career at a young age, starting with the piano at age 4. By the time he was 14, he was ready for the drums. Jack played drums with his high school band while continuing to take formal piano lessons. In the 1960's he began his first foray into the world of Jazz music as part of the Charles Lloyd Quartet.

As a drummer, Jack Dojohnette's musical relationships are as varied as the jazz music he produced. He worked with Miles Davis on the 1968 album 'Bitches Brew', which is now known as a pivotal turning point in Jazz musical history. Other greats also loved to play over Jack's backbeats, including famous Jazz musician John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Eddie Harris.

Dojohnette's most notable mention on his musical discography is the album "The Dohonette Complex" on which he played drums alongside Roy Haynes. After 2 more albums he began to form groups and record with ECM. The groups, Directions, New Directions, and Special Editions are said to have aided in the founding of a new direction for Jazz at that time. Jack has appeared on more titles for ECM than any other musician.

Jack has won many musical awards over the years for his outstanding achievements in Jazz. In 1979 he was given the Grand Prix du Disque and Charles Cros award. In 1989 and 1991 he won album of the year for two of his albums in Japan.

The past ten years have been busy for Jack, as he has contributed to TV and video soundtracks, including two Grammy nominated projects: The Out of Towners and Ivey Divey. Although he has spent most of his musical history collaborating with other Jazz greats, his individual efforts have brought great joy to his fans as well. His individual release of the relaxation CD "Music in the Key of Om" was widely recognized and nominated for a Grammy award. For the purpose of this piece, he developed a relationship with the Sabian Cymbals to develop a Cymbal that would take his music to the next level.

Jack had always used small, bell like Cymbals with his set up. As a co-developer with Sabian, he produced the first set of Resonating Bells. The bells are available individually or in a C-to -C octave. Melodic in sound, the Resonating Bells are useful for sound effects or adding an extra dimension to the music. With Sabian, Jack also assisted in the creation of the Sabian Signature Collection that includes his self-titled "The Jack Dejohnette Encore" range of Cymbals.

Whether accompanying noted Jazz Musicians or branching out on his own to continue his quest for unique sounds, Jack Dejohnette is a true original in the genre of Jazz music.

Labels: Artists