Jazz Articles about Mat Marucci

About Mat Marucci

Drum Addiction

Going Forward... Or Is It Backward?

by Mat Marucci
March 27, 2016

This title came from a saying I heard long ago, and many times since, but can't think of where I originally heard it. The saying is “To go forward, you have to go back" and the meaning of this saying will be very obvious by the end of this article. To begin, I will relate a short story: Years ago a young guitarist who I was working with in a rock band was sitting in the living room ...

Drum Addiction

The Groove

by Mat Marucci
March 21, 2016

The groove, feel, pulse, beat, pocket--whatever it is called--is the essence of the feeling of the music being played. Musical genre has its own concept and texture--almost a personality. (In classical music the composer is the main force in the music's texture and interpretation. Very specific instructions for the feeling of a piece and dynamic markings are included by the composer to guide the performer's interpretation of the music. Percussion is used mainly as a coloring for the ...

Drum Addiction

Getting The Hi-Hat Sound

by Mat Marucci
November 8, 2015

The hi-hat sound is possibly the most used and abused part of the drum set. While other parts of the instrument are generally played with the hands or the feet, the hi-hat is played with both--the hands for a “ride" effect, the feet for the “chick" sound and with both for “barks." The focus of this article is achieving the “chick" sound. Many drummers play the hi-hat with a heel-down rocking motion, using the foot much in the ...

Drum Addiction

The Jazz Instrument

by Mat Marucci
October 7, 2015

As the old saying goes, “You have to go back before you can go forward." And that means you should learn the tradition of the instrument to gain greater knowledge and bring more depth to your playing. Let's start at the beginning. Bear in mind that the drum set is the only instrument that was specifically created to play jazz. Originally, the various components of the jazz drum set were used in various ways in marching, concert, and symphonic bands. ...

Drum Addiction

Less Is More? Really?

by Mat Marucci
August 11, 2015

There have been popular views by certain so-called experts that seem to have been accepted as dogma, the term “less is more" being one of them. However, as in any subject from sports to politics to science to religion, every pundit has an equal who has a contrary opinion. I, for one, am bothered by some of these views and not only have a contrary view of them but feel many are either misleading, questionable, or downright wrong.

Album Review

Mat Marucci - Doug Webb: Partners in Crime

by AAJ Italy Staff
May 18, 2010

Chi li ha ascoltati in situazioni più “libere," com'è solito per l'altra casa discografica di Bob Rush, la CIMP, resterà sorpreso - e divertito - ad ascoltare i due veterani, il batterista Mat Marucci ed il sassofonista Doug Webb, in versione mainstream. Si tratta questa volta di un concerto tenuto nell'ottobre del 2004 a Sacramento che ci permette di rilassarci insieme ai tre musicisti. Hanno scelto solo il contrabbasso ad accompagnarli: Joe Dolister, e fra brani scritti da loro ed ...

Album Review

Mat Marucci - Doug Webb Trio feat. Ken Filiano: Change-Up

by AAJ Italy Staff
November 16, 2007

Il secondo volume della session di registrazione alla Spirit Room di Bob Rusch - dopo The Hard Way - del trio di Mat Marucci prosegue da dove si era interrotto il disco precendente, seguendo le linee guida della filosofia della CIMP: nessun missaggio a posteriori e nessun editing di quello che è stato inciso. Tutto viene pubblicato nell'ordine in cui è stato eseguito in studio senza buttar via niente. I tre musicisti proseguono l'avventura ed il piacere di suonare insieme ...