Drum – Suite – Life

Drum-Suite-Life is the initial CD of Newman Taylor Baker’s project, Singin’ Drums; the result of a life-long desire to have the drum set accepted as a solo instrument, and using it to honor the U. S. African culture where the drum set developed. For Baker, the drum set represents the strength, intelligence, creativity, power, endurance, and love of the culture. He writes, “The drum set has a story to tell. We present Singin’ Drums in a variety of settings to share our story.”

Baker explores forms such as blues, gospel, marching band, dance, and European symphonic music. Drum-Suite-Life follows the U. S. African tradition where music is passed on orally, like the street beats in our marching bands, the spirituals on the plantation, and the rhythms of our dance orchestras. 

The works reference – in drum terms – the buzz of the strings on a rural blues guitar, the vocal qualities of the West African talking drums, unmilitaristic marching bands, Negro spirituals, the era of the Harlem Renaissance, and the creative inspirations of Andrew Cyrille, Milford Graves, and Rashied Ali. “Thank You, Ms. Jones, Hold On” is dedicated to Elayne Jones, a musician who recently retired from the San Francisco Opera, and was the first black woman timpanist in the U.S. classical music world. 

New York based Newman Taylor Baker has performed with Kenny Barron, Billy Bang, Henry Grimes, Billy Harper, Joe Henderson, Abdullah Ibrahim, Ahmad Jamal, Leroy Jenkins, Sam Rivers, Henry Threadgill, McCoy Tyner, and others. At the young age of 67, Baker has found a new music and instrument by joining the Ebony Hillbillies, the only NYC based black string band, and playing washboard: a magical experience. 

Drum-Suite-Life is part of innova’s NEA-supported “NYFA Series” celebrating the work of composers who have won the New York Foundation for the Arts Music Composition Fellowships.