Brought up by loving parents in a house where the only two records were Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and Yma Sumac's "Virgin of the Sun God" on 78 rpm singles. Started playing drums age 11. Messing with old tape recorders and transistor radios led to interest in experimental music and recording techniques, while longing to play flute as a child led to renowned woodwind doubling. Playing vibraphone heralded a gradual return to first love of percussion. Over 40 years he has played with far too many wonderful people across the world to even beging to list them here. Remains one of the few people to have played both Derek Bailey's Company Week and Top of the Pops (with Moloko).
What makes us feel drawn to music is that our whole being is music: our mind, our body, the nature in which we live, the nature that has made us all, all that is beneath and around us - it is all music. As we are close to all this music and live and move and have our being in music, it therefore interests us. It attracts our attention and gives us pleasure, for it corresponds with the rhythm and tone which are keeping the mechanism of our whole being intact.
INAYAT KHAN
Drums are essential, and before I will call you a drummer, you have got to drum as though they are essential. Now, there is more besides drumming than just beating. As a drummer, it's my job to know what that part is. I have got to find it.
I have the deepest study in mind - even a spirit study. I know that sounds very funny to some drummers to hear me say "spirit", but drumming IS spirit. You have got to have that in your body, in your soul. And it can't be an evil spirit. It's got to be a good spirit, because music is no good if you're evil.
If you're evil, you are going to drum evil, and when you drum evil you're going to put evil into somebody else's mind, and the first thing you know, that somebody'll put the evil in somebody else's mind. Well, what kind of a band have you got? Nothing but an evil spirit band. Now, if a spirit is good, any good spirit will dwell with good spirits. And god help a bad spirit band!
When you are happy you can pretty near wash the glumness out of someone else. If a group hasn't got harmony or brotherly love, laughter, and happiness of heart, well, you haven't got a good group.
BABY DODDS
