On the night of 8th December 2004 poor little West One-Four was close to bursting
with the talent on offer. One of the UK’s finest drumming commodities, Gary Husband,
was joined on stage by bass playing impresario, Janek Gwizdala and Janek’s long
time guitarist collaborator, Tim Miller.

The trio, who have never performed together prior to this master class, reeked havoc upon
the audience with their avalanche of free-jazz improvisation. At times chaotic, at times
sublime, a truly musical exploration was taking place before our eyes. All preconceptions
were abandoned to the feel of the moment. The envelope was persistently badgered and
pushed to near breaking point. When these guys hit the mark and really locked in, the
quality gleamed from the stage.

The very concept of improvisation is fascinating. The gap between creative idea and realisation is basically nil.When players of this calibre embark on such a journey,
the resulting sound can steal the breath from your mouth.

During the Q&A session, all three artists fielded questions from the students of Drumtech and Guitar-X. Golden insights were generously

shared with the crowd, further enhancing the whole experience. Gary analysed his
performance and broke down some of the phrases and patterns he used throughout the
night. Few things compare to a legendary figure of Gary’s stature laying bare the tricks of
his trade.

Obviously with an audience full of ‘aspiring Gary Husbands’, an intense interest was taken
in how to develop similar skills and dexterity. Gary explained that he practises everywhere,
even in the car. This mental approach allows him to create and expand different concepts
wherever he may be.

Tim lent a word on the importance of dynamics and their huge effect on the overall feel of
the music. He also recommended singing the instrument part while performing (this applies to drums as well). The old adage, ‘if you can sing it then you can play it’ rings very true it would seem. Tim allows the music to move through him and appears incredibly relaxed, yet animated while performing. Indeed each artist took care to highlight the value of being relaxed while performing and how they have gained freedom on their instruments through maintaining this posture.

Janek answered questions on the various and somewhat idiosyncratic techniques he
employed throughout the night. He managed to produce a bongo-like sound from his bass
by playing while muting over the pick-ups in a certain way. This stays in keeping with his
multi-instrumental philosophies. Janek being, a world-class trumpet player, keyboard player and drummer, can employ different techniques on different instruments. On practice, Janek explained how his cross-string playing only came through slow and methodical exercises. This repetitive regime gradually built up sufficient strength and coordination to enable him to play his most difficult technique. Definitely a lesson in there for all of us.