Authentic Dixieland: Drum Book

Swinging, loose, and full of good humor. These tunes bounce with the energy of New Orleans street parades and smoky club sessions, inviting your drummer to be a steady time-keeper with personality rather than a technical showpiece.

Drummers in early-to-intermediate jazz ensembles who need to understand how to voice the kit differently than modern jazz demands. This book works for combos, big bands learning their roots, or any program building a Dixieland unit.

• Anchor the beat with your kick drum rather than filling the space; Dixieland drums support, not dominate.
• Listen for the tempo cues from the front line and let them breathe before you lock in. These pieces live in conversation.
• Experiment with brush work on the snare for softer voicings, especially on ballads like Wabash Blues.
• Keep cymbal crashes economical. A single, well-placed shot beats constant crashing.

Pair this with a concert focused on jazz history or use individual tunes as encores after larger concert works. High Society and Panama work especially well as audience-friendly closers. You can also build a full Dixieland evening by combining this with compatible trumpet, trombone, and clarinet books.

• Comping rhythms specific to early jazz styles
• Balance between timekeeping and musical conversation
• Brush technique and dynamic control
• Responding to front-line phrasing rather than playing independently
• Distinguishing stylistic differences across 11 foundational Dixieland standards