Andre Fischer. Image via twitter.com.

A great example of a drummer playing the song:

Andre Fischer, one of the great R&B drummers, coaxes the song along by way of his whispering ride cymbal and hi-hat. These subdivisions are barely present, just audible enough to give the song motion without our attention being drawn away from the vocal performance. How many drummers practice playing this quietly? Too few, because a gentle song wants a gentle, even delicate drum groove. Note how the soft dynamics in no way impede the groove, which is deep from start to finish.

And then notice how the shift to quarter-note side sticks during the choruses . . .

Oh, sweet thing
Don’t you know you’re my everything

enhances the sense of elevation, in concert with the rising chord voicings.

No one who pays attention to his drumming can be surprised that Andre Fischer went on to become a Grammy-winning producer. Indeed, if you listen deeply, you can almost hear him asking himself “What does this song actually need?” before his first stick makes contact.

Thank you for reading.