How many drummers aspire to lay down a groove as well as Ed Greene? Not nearly enough.

On this track, Ed Greene essentially drives the limousine in which Barry White sits, addressing the listener. As the driver, Greene is content to remain largely out of sight. He is devoted to giving the smoothest ride possible, aiming only to help White woo his listeners.

Notice:

— The way Greene’s drums melt into the groove right away.

—That the groove breathes both funkiness and subtlety. (Indeed, what is funk without subtlety?)

—The many, finely calibrated levels of accents here.

—The ghosted snare notes just before THREE in each bar of four. Note how crucial it is that they are barely noticeable. To accent them more would splash a little too much cologne on the groove.

—How big the drum fills into the choruses feel as a result of the restraint shown elsewhere.

Thank you for reading.