This is an essential exploration of 12 world-renowned jazz drummers, their influences, the music they made famous, and the gear they played. Authentic transcriptions and easy-to-follow lessons are included for 36 legendary beats and solos. You will gain insight into the development of the jazz genre and it's many subgenres. The CD includes performances that demonstrate all the beats and solos in the book. All paths lead to jazz. Trace back to the origins of most any style of music and you'll find that all paths lead to jazz. The most influential masters of rock, funk, reggae, progressive rock, and even metal drumming cite the legendary jazz drummers and the music they created as at least part of their inspiration. Jazz, more than any other genre, embodies the creative spirit and the basic human instinct to push boundaries. This book dives into the genre we all know and love and explores it from a drummer's perspective. You'll learn about jazz, its roots, and all of the significant events that happened as it flourished. You'll learn about a dozen drummers that impacted the style, the gear they used, the licks and solos that made them famous, and the significant albums that defined their genre. Welcome to On the Beaten Path: Jazz! Enjoy the ride.

Featured artists include: Art Blakey * Jack DeJohnette * Jeff Hamilton * Elvin Jones * "Papa" Jo Jones * Philly Joe Jones * Gene Krupa * Joe Morello * Buddy Rich * Max Roach * Bill Stewart * Tony Williams.

"This is an excellent approach to learning the drumset, not only because of the great examples in the book, but also because a student going through the book will learn the value of the process of listening, transcribing, and learning to perform transcriptions." --Percussive Notes