Not So Modern Drummer continues to celebrate the life and music of legendary drummer Tony Williams in our new ongoing series. Chapter 9 presents the personal recollections of Thomas De Sena. Tom has been an ever-present force on the New England music scene since the early 1970’s. He will be featured in his own ‘Not So Modern Drummer’ article later this year.
“I remember back to the time when every drummer would hang out at ‘Creative Music’ in Wethersfield, Connecticut. The store was managed by legendary drummer/inventor, Bob Gatzen. A few times a year, Bob would bring in a well-known drummer to present a clinic. When it was finally announced that Tony Williams would be next on the schedule, everyone got really excited.
On the day of the clinic I was looking out the front window of Creative watching as a Ford Econoline van pulled into the parking lot… Through the rear windows I could see Tony, his bass player, and a set of Canary Yellow Gretsch drums thrown in the back with No Cases !! OMG, I was star-struck - but it was kind of amusing because Tony’s drums were always bigger than life to me – And there they were just lying in the back of a van.
At the clinic, Tony’s playing was both subtle and powerful. I sat to his left on the hi-hat side…Real close. Tony’s drums sounded better than I could have ever imagined.
I and many of my drumming buddies would always talk about his sound. When you heard him on those drums you knew immediately it was Tony. The black dots on both the batter and resonant sides of his heads were his own distinct trademark - both visually and tonally.
Tony could play in virtually any style - Rock, Funk, Latin, Straight ahead… Or, Whatever - It was always Tony. He crossed all boundaries with his own vocabulary and it just worked. His interpretation was so unique that I couldn’t say whether it felt like Funk, Latin, or a new and completely different Groove. Yet, again - to me, it was Tony!
His musical approach to everything was the key. The way he tuned his drums along with his total command. He could be so powerful when the situation called for it. Those incredible ‘FLAMS’ - along with his open stroke rolls on the rack toms…Effortlessly changing sound sources within any meter.
I went out and bought every Miles Davis record Tony played on…. I loved ‘Seven Steps to Heaven’. That short solo is so classic, so perfect, and so Tony. ‘Nefertiti’ was, and still is one of my favorites… And the ‘VSOP’ album was taking it all to another level.
I remember his early solo stuff like ‘Turn it Over’…I could never really connect with it. ‘The Old Bums Rush’ was easier to understand and appreciate. It’s funny how a good friend of mine use to kid around every few years and take out ‘Turn It Over’ and then put it away. Agreeing that we were still not ready for that. LOL. Yet, when “Believe It" arrived, the album became life changing.
‘Fred’, ‘Snake Oil’, and ‘Red Alert’ - What playing... What songs. Again, defying classification as a certain brand of music. -- To me - It was always just Tony being Tony.”
– Thomas De Sena
Photo 2 – Tom DS