Bang on a Can

"Trummings" is an adaptation of a spiritual from the West Indies. I have known the tune since my early youth. My father performed it often, singing the Christmas story and pounding out the celebratory 7/16 accompaniment on two large African drums. In this secular setting the voice and drums are combined by drumming upon the fingerboard of the guitar with both hands. While "the tune" is heard relatively little in this setting, it is the source from which all ideas spring, be they kalimba choirs, tribal rave-ups or asymmetrical funks. --Mark Stewart