Todd Vinciguerra:
Author of "Beginning Independence for Rock and Alternative Drumming",


"Studies in Drum Set Independence Vol. 1 & 2"

published by Mel Bay Publications.

This page is home to resources of all kinds relating to my favorite jazz drummer, Leon Parker. Besides his incomparable skills on the kit, what I like about Parker is his musical vision. Simply put, he combines musical traditions--jazz, African, Latin, and others--with innovation. So many of today's jazz musicians fall into one of two categories. They're either "neotraditionalists," such as Wynton Marsalis, who would like nothing more than to turn back the clock to the "golden years" of jazz of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Or, they are in the less well-known population of the "avant-garde," whose music is innovative and perhaps interesting, but its abandonment of traditional musical forms makes it inaccessible noise to the ears of most people. To me, Leon Parker combines the best of both worlds: his music has a fresh, interesting sound, but it's rooted in rhythmic grooves that make it accessible: it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.
Born: August 21, 1965, in White Plains, New York.
Leon Parker consistently shows that less is more by making a great deal of music on a greatly reduced drum set sometimes consisting only of a snare drum, bass drum and a cymbal. Parker started playing drums when he was three and became serious when he was around 11. At 15 he playing in a local youth jazz band, and two years later, he started studying classical percussion. After graduating from high school, Parker moved to New York City, taking lessons with Barry Harris and freelancing ...

Home site of Michael Ryan, Drummer from Connecticut who has played with The Boogeymen, Free Fourmula, The Reilly Clan, Donald Brown, Roger Wallace, The Jerks, The Highland Rovers, James Montgomery, Guitar Gabrielle and Samurai Celestrial to name a few.
Michael began playing drums at the age of 7 with an assortment of percussion
instruments. At age 9, he began playing the trapset and began receiving private
lessons from noted New York jazz drummer, Dave Zimnicki. At age 17 he began a life
long love of bar gigging. At age 18, Michael joined the 9th and 102nd U.S. Army
Band, comprising of a symphony, concert band, Big Band, Jazz ensembles, and
Marching Corp. He performed for presidents and heads of state throughout the
globe during his 8-year stint with the Army Bands.
After a move to Tennessee, Michael began playing in Jazz and Blues bands throughout
the Southeastern United States. In his travels, he has performed and recorded with
such noted artists as :
-Donald Brown (from Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers)
-Free Fourmula
-The Boogeymen
-blues diva Sara Jordan
-Texas Music Roundup recording artist Roger Wallace
-guitar legend Guitar Gabrielle
-bluegrass legend and national flatpicking champ Mike Whitehead
-Eccentric percussionist Samuri Celestial from Sun Ra's Orchestra
-Blues harp icon James Montgomery ...

Charles Connor's (Little Richard's original Drummer) Official
Web page.
CHARLES “Keep-A-Knockin” CONNOR, original drummer for Little Richard, created the unique “Choo Choo Train” style of successive eighth notes with a loud backbeat used by nearly all subsequent Rock 'n' Roll drummers and, in fact, his drumsticks are on display at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.


The son of a chief chef Merchant Marine seaman and father from Santo-Domingo and a Louisiana-born mother, CONNOR reveals, "I was born in New Orleans, in the heart of the French Quarter, the very hub of Cajun, Blues and down-island rhythms. My mother told me that whenever music was played, I kicked really hard in her womb.” He grins and exclaims, “I was born to be a drummer!” He winks and continues, “Probably 'cuz of that exotic Creole and Dominican blood coursing through my veins,” then laughs mischievously.


As a toddler, CONNOR was drawn to marching parades and the “second-line funeral bands” playing Dixieland jazz through the streets of New Orleans and loved to hear his father, home on a three-month leave, sing Calypso songs around the house. Imitating the drums, CONNOR banged on pots and pans all-day and cried hard when his mother had to take them away to cook family meals.


Although his parents had two other sons and a daughter and could not afford expensive gifts, they saved enough money to buy CONNOR his first drum set when he was five. When his drumming became “a loud nuisance” to the neighbors, he practiced with his drumsticks four to five hours a day on a practice pad.


Inspired by such notables as Bob Alden, Art Blakey, Charles Otis, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Max Roach, CONNOR dreamed big and diligently spent all his spare time working towards his goal of becoming “a professional drummer.” His hard work paid off at age 12 when he began playing drums for local parties and wedding receptions, but his “professional” career began at 15 when Roy “Professor Longhair” Byrd hired him as a last-minute replacement for the 1950 Mardi Gras in New Orleans.


With family blessings and his mother's sage advice, “never use your skin color as an excuse; never doubt yourself; if you believe in yourself, everybody else will, too,” CONNOR went on to drum for Smiley Lewis, Guitar Slim, Jack Dupree then Shirley and Lee.


At 18, CONNOR joined flamboyant Little Richard's original road band, The Upsetters, his joy marred only by the deep racial intolerance the band had to endure. CONNOR says, “[Black] musicians back then didn't have Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr to motivate them. We had to find inspiration from our faith and within our hearts.”


CONNOR cocks his head and says, “Little Richard was an ingenious promoter. To draw attention to his band and ensure they could perform on stage, he had to show bigots that the band wouldn't threaten their way of life. Little Richard promoted the band and avoided racial prejudice by insisting the musicians wear thick pancake makeup and act effeminate!”


CONNOR pulls at his chin, and then smiles as he admits, “ I really had fun. I worked with artists like Lloyd Price during vacations from Little Richard and, since Little Richard and James Brown shared the same booking agent, on "off-nights" I appeared with “The Godfather of Soul,” who coined the phrase, “CONNOR was the first to put the funk in the rhythm!”


CONNOR continues: “I was 20 when Little Richard's band toured the United States in 1955. We played all the major theaters, including such prestigious venues as the Turner Arena and Howard Theater in Washington, D.C.; the Royal Theater in Baltimore, Maryland; the Apollo Theater in Harlem and the Paramount Theater with Alan Freed in Brooklyn.” He says in awe, “In New York, the white teenagers saw blacks having so much fun that they would dance in the aisles with them! Man, those were heady times,” and chuckles aloud.


While on a 1955 tour of Japan and the Philippines, a young girl approached CONNOR, and asked for an autograph, but he had no idea then that she would later influence his life. The years disappear as he grins and, in wonderment, says “[For some reason] I wrote: I hope you come to America someday. Keep Rock 'n' Roll in your life.”


Gaining momentum in 1956, Little Richard's band appeared in such popular feature films as “The Girl Can't Help It” with actress Jayne Mansfield; “Don't Knock the Rock” and “Mr. Rock 'n' Roll.” Then, as Rock 'n' Roll exploded on the music scene, the band recorded several hit songs like “Keep-A-Knockin',” featuring CONNOR'S first four-bar drum intro on a Rock 'n' Roll record; “ Ooh! My Soul,” also featuring CONNOR'S distinctive "Choo Choo Train" beat; and “She's Got It,” with a regular backbeat. CONNOR reminisces, “The Civil Rights Act may have been passed in 1964, but Rock 'n' Roll music brought young people and the world together a decade earlier.” He concludes proudly, “We got respect and power; our popularity cut across racial lines” ...

Kevin Twigg, drummer:
I was born and raised on the south shore of Long Island, NY in 1956. My parents were Brooklyn born, and moved out to the suburbs on the the heels of the Levitown craze. I have 3 sisters and a brother. My brother moved to Florida with my folks, but the rest of us live within 20 minutes of where we were raised. I guess we liked the sunny south shore!

My earliest drumming memories are of Holiday parades and the swing records that my father listened to. Those drums really touched my soul! I would get great adreneline rushes when I heard the power of the drums. By the second grade, I started banging on laundry hampers that I turned upside.

At the end of the third grade, the band teacher was recruiting students for the next year. 30 future drummers showed up to get the opportunity to bounce each individual (borrowed) stick on the drum three times.That was the first time I ever played a real drum. MAN, WAS I HOOKED!!!!! The teachers name was George Raynor, and he was a true bandsmith. For concerts he would dress up in a Sousa-like uniform, and when he lifted his baton, he got respect! ...

New York All State Orchestra 1974

Performed with Cosmopolitan Symphony in Alice Tully Hall- Gerald Swartz conductor

Recording sessions with Marty Henne and Jeff Ganz- several singers including Barbara Smith(Cover Girl model and restaurant owner) and Donna Pescow(Saturday Night Fever, Angie Show, Out of this World). Donna later got Geri and I in for taping of her TV show in L.A. -sat next to Sarah Purcell.

Worked in collaboration with Composer- Jazz Pianist- Mary Lou Williams for performance of "Mary Lou's Mass" at the Interchurch Center, 155th St., New York,NY I got Chip Watterson to play guitar,Kenny Kirkland to play piano and Cecil McBee,Jr. to play bass(1976).

Jim Priess sounded myself and Joe Aebig to rehearse with Steve Reich Ensemble for a work in progress(1978).

assembled an entire volunteer orchestra of MSM students to record two pop arrangements for Doug Hoefer, Larry Wolf, Dave Signorelli, Bill Bebee( Speakeasy). A huge learning experience! ...