by davidpenalosa » Sat Jan 10, 2009 1:53 am
I remember that Kim Atkinson once told me he found that rhythm mentioned in some kind of music reference book. He said it's called "boogaloo", is from New Orleans and is the only authentic North American hand drum pattern. I took this info at face value, but over twenty years later I asked Kim about it, hoping to get the name of the book and he didn't remember the source (although he still does call the pattern by that name). I was very disappointed that Kim had no recollection. Here's the pattern in 2-3, as it's always played:
O - O - S - - O - O O - S - - -
O = open tone
S = slap
It's very similar to the Cuban comparsa bell pattern. The slaps are on the backbeat, just like the funk drumset part. I don't know the earliest recorded example. Perhaps Johnny knows? You hear it a lot in early Motown and related music. I have found it helpful at times when I needed to reinforce the backbeat in 2-3 music.
-David