Disharmony Row

Which was more unlikely? That Ginger Baker would agree to headline a tribute concert to the late Jack Bruce? Or that someone would screw things up to the point that Ginger walked off stage?

Both of these things happened last night at London's Roundhouse, a year on from Bruce's death.

The legendary drummer and the legendary bassist had enjoyed a legendary love-hate relationship for decades.

So the fact that Ginger was apparently prepared to bury the hatchet was remarkable.

The all-star line-up for the gig turned out to be less than starry... guitarists Bernie Marsden and Clem Clempson at least had some stature and relevance, but what were Hugh Cornwell and Joss Stone doing on the bill?

The only moments of real passion came from Ayanna Witter-Johnson (who, solo, played cello and sang a beautiful rendition of Rope Ladder To The Moon) and Jack's daughter Aruba Red (who sang a tear-stained version of Folk Song).

Aruba Red also successfully tackled We're Going Wrong, which introduced Mr Baker to the stage with the loudest applause of the evening.

But things started to turn sour immediately, as someone apparently had forgotten to amplify Ginger's hi-hat, which he uses jazz-style as a timekeeper. This was sorted and he continued to play thunderously beautiful tom-tom runs throughout the song.

But then came Sunshine Of Your Love, which Ginger kicked off, but then seemed to find himself being drowned out by the return of the house band's drummer to an over-amplified kit and more guitarists than it was sensible to put on one stage at the same time. He appealed several times for the sound of his kit to be brought up – without success. So he walked off mid-song.

Jack Bruce deserved better than this. And so did Ginger Baker. The organisers sold tickets on the basis that Ginger was going to play – and then appeared to ensure that he didn't.

But you could almost see Jack's ghost laughing as Ginger stormed off stage. Perhaps their partnership was always destined to end like this.

King George

According to Keith Richards, Charlie Watts once thumped Mick Jagger when Jagger referred to Charlie as "his drummer". Quite right too. But I suspect George Recile may not take such great offence at being known as "Bob Dylan's drummer".

He has served on Bob's Never Ending Tour for years and years (as have the rest of the Dylan band) and but when they pitched up at London's Albert Hall this week for five nights, they sounded as fresh – and hot and cool – as they ever did.

Recile, with his ability to switch from a delicate waltz to hard rock, from swinging jazz to a pin-drop-quiet ballad, is the perfect drummer for Dylan, always propelling the music forward but never playing too loud or too much. His two-handed New Orleans rhythms are a delight to watch as well as hear.

And Bob? Like all the reviews have been saying, he has found a new and remarkable voice to deliver his Sinatra-esque ballads as well as his tougher-edged material. His genius is undimmed.

Long may he sing... and long may George Recile play the drums.

Footes Steps

I've been working fairly regularly at a magazine in central London... and getting behind with drum practice.

If only it were possible to use the lunch hour for playing drums, I thought, as I took a walk down Tottenham Court Road. For no real reason, my footsteps took me down Store Street... where I found not only a music store, but one with a drum rehearsal room in the basement.

Footes, as with most music shops, is staffed by friendly, helpful people, and I immediately felt like I'd found a welcoming oasis in the heart of the city.

Needless to say, I booked in for the next lunch hour... and will continue to do so when I'm in the area.

The Footes room is quiet, fairly well soundproofed and has a nice Natal kit. You don't even have to bring cymbals or sticks. And just an hour concentrates the drumming mind wonderfully...

African Independence

You only have to go into a decent music store to realise that there is a huge number of drumming instruction books. They're nearly all fascinating but few are truly exciting.

The best I've found in a long while is 'West African Rhythms for Drumset' by Royal Hartigan.

It's not only crammed with exercises that will stretch all four limbs to produce some amazing music, but it's also clearly, intelligently and lovingly written, with detailed explanation of the roots of the rhythms, and wonderful photographs of African players.

And if you're a drummer interested in improving their independence (for non-drummers, that means playing different patterns with each hand and foot), it offers some serious challenges.

Nothing else to say really, except buy it.

In The Presence Of Greatness

Russ Payne broke up the Shark Dentists a while ago and formed a new band with a fluid line-up called the Unison Bends. That band has been gigging regularly through 2015 across the M4 delta, from London to Bristol, and is now taking a break until December.

But I've carried on drumming. There's a solo percussion project called Moving Target, which should be completed in November, recorded with the invaluable help of the great Dr Simon Scardanelli. And there's been a bit of sitting in...

I had the good fortune to play at a London street festival with some excellent jazz musicians, including Yosi Marshall on sax, Funky Johnny P on bass and Caroline Cooper on keys. And it was Caroline who said I should call in at a Monday-night jam session at the Halfway House in Barnes... a suggestion that led to the resumption of this blog.

The night I finally made it there, Caroline was on keys, alongside the house rhythm section and some horn players. An endless procession of singers took the stage for some great, old-fashioned swing and ballads.

In the break, the house drummer said I was welcome to sit in... and that there was another drummer in the place who would also play.

This proved to be something of an understatement. When the second half kicked off, there was a man sitting at the drums who had palpable style and panache – even before he touched the kit. And when he played, he played with tremendous skill, subtlety and passion. His brush work was sublime and made me feel like I shouldn't be there. On a ballad, in which one over-ambitious singer began to lose the musical plot, the drummer held everything together and rescued singer and band from disaster.

"Do you want to go on next?" the house drummer asked me. "Yes," I lied. How on earth did I follow this guy?

It's ok, I told myself, just stay within your limits... it'll be a ballad or swing... you're not a jazz drummer, but you can do those.

Then as I settled behind the kit, the singer helpfully told us: "The next one's a rumba."

Well, I improvised and survived, and got away with it. And the next one after that was a welcome uptempo swing number.

It was only later that I discovered the identity of the master drummer who had excited and scared me in equal measures.

Like a real gentleman, he came over to me after the second set, introduced himself and said he'd like to talk. He was Brian Walkley, a veteran from the 1960s, who has played with everyone from Long John Baldry, Elton John and Keith Emerson to Sonny Boy Williamson, T-Bone Walker and Stevie Wonder.

Like all good drummers, he had a fund of anecdotes – like the night he was driving Ginger Baker home... but Ginger couldn't actually remember where home was.

If you are anywhere near the Halfway House, go there on a Monday night. It's great entertainment. And if Brian is playing, it will also be a great education in the art of the drummer.

Back On The Beat

I've been away for a year or so... I'm back. I hadn't stopped writing and I hadn't stopped playing. But I had stopped blogging. Why start again? Because a few days ago I encountered a drummer who played like a dream... and then I had to follow him on stage... and I wanted to write about what happened... So I will...