About the author of Roots Jam:

Nowick Gray is a writer, teacher, and workshop leader who has been drumming since 1990. His popular book Roots Jam: Collected Rhythms for Hand Drum and Percussion, and instructional webpages have helped beginning, intermediate and performing drummers understand and play traditional African-based rhythms since 1996. His 2002 book, Roots Jam 2: West African and Afro-Latin Drum Rhythms, has broken new ground in the study and compilation of traditional rhythms for drummers of all levels.

Nowick has studied with a number of African drumming masters including Famoudou Konate, Mamady Keita, Babatunde Olatunji, Alpha Yaya Diallo, and Nii Tettey Tetteh. He has composed, recorded, and helped to organize a variety of drumming events ranging from weekly jams and rhythm study, to annual 24-hour drum circles and trance dances, and has toured with the Nelson, BC-based dance troupe Moving Company. He currently enjoys drumming and performing with a variety of African-style dance and drum ensembles in Victoria, BC.

 

About Roots Jam...

Roots Jam is a compilation of hand drum rhythms that is well presented, with an easy-to-understand-and-use notation that appears to be gaining some acceptance as a standard for hand-drum rhythm notation. This foundation has allowed me, a beginner, to use Roots Jam as one of my primary instructional books. I highly recommend this book to any one who hand drums.
       --A.E. Rice, Albuquerque, New Mexico

About Roots Jam 2...

What a monumental effort! Combining theory, rhythms, scholarship, personal research, exercises and philosophy as well as technically combining text and audio examples. This is a comprehensive, readable and affordable reference for over 80 African rhythms and 40 others. The book also contains a new and important contribution; the identification and classification of generic rhythm patterns.
      --Jean Vaucher, Montreal

Click here to order Roots Jam.

How wonderful to find your web site and be able to see the notation. I have been a drummer all my life, primarily on the kit, and more recently on the hand drums. I have begun to collect hand drums from various regions, djembe, talking drum, doumbek, clay bongos from Morocco, native america, kayum (gourd drum), and have had the best time sitting around with my children or by myself playing the rhythms of my soul. I listen to Babatundi, Airto, and Mickey, among a host of others, and have tried emulating their rhythms, but have always felt that I was missing something. Your site has helped me to begin filling in the blanks in my playing. Thank you for doing this.
      --Peace, Mark Wilder