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| The Exclusive Leon "Ndugu" Chancler Interview! |
| I can't tell you what an extreme pleasure this interview really was for me. How often do you get a chance to interview a world renowned drummer/percussionist and noted lecturer for the Jazz Department of the University of Southern California? Well, believe me, it doesn't happen too often, but when Leon "Ndugu" Chancler told me that he would be very happy to do an interview for me, I was on cloud 9! Trust me, even if you don't think you have heard Ndugu play, you have! He has played with an entire spectrum of musical giants, from Miles Davis, to Quincy Jones, to Frank Sinatra, to Michael Jackson (remember the fat groove on Billie Jean? That's him!), to Santana, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, and, well...you get the point! Not only has he been driving the beat for such artists, but Ndugu has been exploring his own writing and has been putting together some phenomenal solo releases, his last release being the exciting 2000 album, Jazz Straight Up. Don't fear though, because there is certainly more Ndugu music on the way. Ndugu took time out of his busy schedule around the holidays for this interview, and what a treat this was for me! I hope you all enjoy this talk to a true legend! |
| Q: Ndugu, it is an absolute honor to have you here as my guest! Thank you so much for taking the time to join me! Your playing has been a big influence on me as my musical vocabulary has grown over the years, and I just wanted to start by asking you where you found your inspiration to start playing the drums? A: Billy, For me the Drums were a passion of mine since age six. I just started playing on cans and oatmeal boxes back in Louisiana. I don't exactly know where the initial motivation came from since I had never really been exposed to drums before. Q: What blows me away is that by the age of 19, you had already played with Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Eddie Harris, among many others! You must have been considered a prodigy at such an early age by these guys! What was the experience like for you to work with such legends at such a young age? A: Early on in my career, I had some great musical influences and mentors. During my High School years I was exposed to a number of Jazz Greats and also had workshops with such people as Nelson Riddle, Gerald Wilson, Harold Land, and all of the greats in the area such as Stix Hooper, Eddie Davis, and others. I started getting gig experience during High School. Herbie Hancock was one of the special guest at my school among others. This sort of experience and exposure was getting me ready. The one factor that I wish I could have been exposed to more was some guidance in dealing with people and personalities. Playing with great musicians is much more than just playing great music, it is also working,living, and creating together with diverse personalities, ages, and backgrounds. The overall experience I got was the luxury of being truly schooled on the job by the best. These were diverse schools that prepared me for anything that I would encounter in my musical life. Q: Was there any particular moment along the way that defined to you that you had finally made it or that you were going to make it in this business? A: The confirmation that I was going to do fine in the business came in steps that started with my first recording with The Harold Johnson sextet, to working with Willie Bobo thru High School, to Gerald Wilson and Herbie Hancock right out of High School. By the time I was in college and doing weekends with Hugh Masakela, I felt like I had a future. Miles Davis graduated me to the upper class. Q: I tend to overuse this particular term a bit, but YOUR list of credits is truly a who’s who of music history. You have played with everybody from Frank Sinatra, to George Duke, to Santana, to Herbie Hancock, to Michael Jackson on his landmark album Thriller. After all of these years in the business at the level of success you’ve had, do you still find that you are still evolving as a musician and still learning more about drumming? A: In all of my years, I have also been a percussionist. This has kept me forever evolving. Not only have I always enjoyed all types of music, but I enjoy playing various percussion instruments. This has motivated me to always listen and always try to develop new and different things. As the styles of music change,so do I. Miles and Quincy always inspire me to remain contemporary. Q: You formed possibly the most lethal rhythm section of all time with Jaco Pastorius in Weather Report for a period of time. How did you click playing with Jaco? A: Actually I didn't play with Jaco with Weather Report. I played with one of the true bass pioneers in Weather Report before Jaco, Alphonso Johnson. Alphonso has been overlooked as a main force of the band because so much attention was given to Jaco later. Alphonso actually gave them the steps into the direction of great bassists such as Jaco and Victor Bailey. Alphonso and I also were the foundation of a number of other prominent recordings of that era such as George Duke, and Flora Purim. Alphonso is still one of my favorite bass players. Q: I wanted to ask you a bit about your drum equipment. You have been a long time endorser of Yamaha Drums and Paiste Cymbals. What has kept you coming back to these great companies for so many years now? A: My endorsement creed is very simple. I play equipment because it gives me the sounds that I want. Not because it is what everyone is playing, but that it works for me. Inovation comes with taking a stand for what you hear and feel. Q: One thing I have noticed about your set up is that you are very minimal with the cymbals. Some guys like to engulf their kits with cymbals, which certainly seems to be overkill, but you only utilize 3 cymbals plus the hi-hats. Do you find that less is basically more with your cymbal arrangement? A: My cymbal setup is small simply because I get so many different sounds out of each cymbal, I don't need anymore. Q: You are currently on staff at USC’s school of music in the jazz studies group, and I can’t imagine what a thrill it must be to get to hear you lecture! How do you enjoy conveying all of your incredible knowledge to your students? A: I love teaching because I am remaining connected to the pulse of the future. My students and I learn from each other. I can also find more time to practice while teaching. Q: Are you able to squeeze many clinics into your schedule lately? A: Yes I have times in my schedule that devote to doing workshops and clinics. Q: What kind of projects do you have going on in the studio right now? A: Right now I am doing a lot of work from my studio at home. Not only am I slowly putting together another Ndugu project, but I am also doing a gerat deal of composing for other projects like video and film and music for other artists. Patrice Rushen ans I have just completed a new type of DVD that is 5.1 DVD of us playing on one side and an audio CD on the other. This one of those pioneering projects. Q: Ndugu, I want to thank you so much for your time to join me here. It has been a real thrill for me! A: Thank you for having me. |
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