We've heard about pocket so many times but what does pocket mean, and do you have it? We thought we would delve a little further to understand who is widely recognized as having a deep pocket to better help you create one. Pocket.
To me, pocket implies the point at which a song feels just right.
When you hear the pocket, it sounds perfectly comfortable and groovy.
When you play in the pocket, you are serving the song and making it feel good.
The musical importance of pocket cannot be overstated enough; it is paramount in any style. Furthermore, pocket allows the musicians around you to feel supported and grounded in a solid sense of time.
Often times, it is the rhythm section’s responsibility to establish the pocket, for which a groove or song can be built around. As drummers, we have huge influence as to how a song feels, and how it moves from beginning to end.
Below are some of my favorite drummers who have an uncanny ability to play what’s right for the song, form the pocket, and create a solid musical foundation for the rest of the band to sit on top of. The effect that these players have had on my, and so many other drummers’ musicality is unmatched. My list of influences is by no means limited to this list, but these are some of the guys who have had the most significant impact on my playing and feel.
Steve Jordan
Steve Gadd
James Gadson
Bernard Purdie
Aaron Sterling
Zigaboo
Clyde Stubblefield / John “Jabo” Starks
John Bonham
Benny Benjamin, Uriel Jones, “Pistol” Allen
Stevie Wonder
Levon Helm
David Garibaldi
Brian Blade
Al Jackson Jr.
All discussed...