Miscellaneous Pop Percussion

At the core of both "space-age pop" and "exotica" is percussion. In the case of the former, percussion is the most dramatic yet unwearying way to demonstrate channel separation (left channel versus right channel in stereo). Pop percussion uses all manner of drum, bell, gong, block, marimba, etc., often in very non-traditional (experimental, jazzy) arrangements. The standard drum kit may be used too, but usually it takes a back seat to everything else. As a rule, percussionists are treated as secondary to melodic soloists (horns in jazz, guitars in rock, singers in pop), but there is no music without them. Many percussionists are more than capable of expanding beyond the basic time-keeping and complementary duties.

Just as exotica is a form of Latin music, "exotic" percussion is Latin percussion. Latin rhythm has long been the chief way musicians conjure the primitive and push the limits of excitation and daring. It takes little more than a bongo fill to transform a whitebread standard into a haunting, Afro-Cuban mood piece. Whether or not the intent is an exotic mood, the adventurous use of unusual percussion distinguishes good pop from the drum-kit tedium characteristic of most rock and jazz. Sensationalism it may be, but done well it is often fantastic and at least not metronome-monotonous. Besides instrumental records, there are many fine instances of singers backed by ensembles featuring Latin percussion.

A step up and out from the standard percussionist is the inventive striker-of-objects, the weirdbeard who fashions his own instruments. Harry Partch, Moondog (who learned "snake rhythm" from Native Americans), and others have created their own galleries of bizarre percussion instruments. Found objects, industrial refuse, organic materials, and anything else open to the creative mind can be worked into unique "sculptures that sound." Still others have made just the odd percussion device to supply a particular sound or as part of more general musical-instrument making.

Buying: Many pop LPs suggesting "percussion" are nothing special. Look for the albums led by percussionists (such as Bobby Christian & Dick Schory) or with a percussion instrument in the title. Beyond that, it is just a matter of knowing the master percussionists.