José Duarte - you also play percussion?

Cindy Blackman - no, I'm totally into playing a drum kit and using sticks when I play.... I love the set up of a drumset & using 4 limbs. That's my faborite way to express rhythm.

JD - how did you learn to play drums?

CB - I began when I was a small child by making rhythms on tables or whatever I could find and when I got my first set of drums I played with records & copied what the drummers on them were doing.

JD - which drummers influenced you the most?

CB - Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach & Roy Haynes.

JD - when you play are you the leader or just a side woman?

CB - I play leader gigs as well as sideman gigs but my attitude is always that of being a leader because I want to always treat the music with as much drive as I would my own. That's my goal.

JD - is there any musician you would like to play with? why?

CB - Yes, I'd love to play with Herbie Hancock because he is so inventive! His concept  beautifully innovative, his harmony is the most advanced & his feel is incredible. I would also like to do some more playing with Wallace Roney- he's the closest thing to Miles!!!!

JD - what are the technical differences between Jo Jones and Jeff Watts?

CB - Why would you ask a question like that?

JD - you never use brushes?

CB - not true, I do use brushes.... just not as much as sticks!!!!!!

JD - would you play dance music?

CB - I played dance type music for 15 years with Lenny Kravitz!!!!

JD - in your opinion who is the best jazz drummer?  why?

CB -Tony Williams without equal is the best! His concept, technique, sound, attitude behind the drums are all completely innovative! His right hand is like poetry in motion! He innovated on every limb and in every style that he played in!!!!!!

JD - what are the style differences between Elvin Jones and Buddy Rich?

CB - Elvin Jones is very gutteral, an innovator, the feeloing of triplets & perpetual motion, his sound was innovative. Buddy Rich was swinging in anotherway, the time was more straight & direct with a set of some of the fastest hands on the planet!

JD - your discography?

CB - well, Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Wallace Roney, Bobby Hutcherson, Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Kenny Barron, Don Pullen, Buster Williams, Steve Turre, Lenny Kravitz, Al B Sure, Lucky Peterson, Ayo, Joss Stone.....

JD - do you regret not having your best solos recorded? to record betray jazz music?

CB -Regarding the first part yes, because some of my best playing  was not captured on tape... And I don't understand the 2nd part of your question. I don't think it's a betrayal of Jazz at all to record. Without recording I would not have heard all of the great music that came before me like Miles in the 1950s & 60s, Coltrane's Quartet, Fletcher Henderson, Monk, The Jazz Messengers... The list goês on ando n! I love recordings because I can hear all of the music that I want!

JD - is there still swing in free jazz?

CB -There's rooted rhythmic feeling in every great music so if the music  is expressing time in the right way it has a swinging feeling. In other words  meaning that it feels good, which all music should.

JD - does your drum set needs a lot of cymbals and drums?

CB - No, not realy. I play enought instruments to have  melodic varience within my phrasing but to do that I don't need 20 derums like some people.

JD - thanks Cindy!

CB - You're very welcome & thank you!!!!!!!!