Billy Higgins on the Sidewinder
by Tim Lake
The Sidewinder is a classic album. The title track is a classic and so is the groove. So classic in fact that it is often dubbed the "Blue Note" groove and was something of a signature of the immensely versatile and legendary drummer Billy Higgins.
Interestingly the cymbal pattern is played almost straight and it's very hard to hear what the bass drum is doing, but the groove is carried in syncopation in the snare drum.
You should notice that this is an application of the figure we looked at in jazz drumming #idea 21.
Listen, get it together, play along and come up with your own variations.
This was originally posted on "Jazz Drumming Blog" back in 2014.