Beat breakers and disrupting jazz through creative collaboration

Throughout history, drums have been used to conjure spirits, create ecstatic states, unite communities, and instil fear into the hearts of enemies. They remain central to protest music across the globe, from Hong Kong to Russia and the United States. Jazz is a language well-versed in activism; the music of Charles Mingus and Max Roach was part of the soundtrack to the civil rights movement. With this impetus, saxophonist-composer Jeremy Rose and the Earshift Orchestra collaborated with drum virtuosos Simon Barker and Chloe Kim to create Disruption! The Voice of Drums. Their creative collaboration became a focal point for understanding the exchange of knowledge and distillation of musical ideas. Kim’s journey was to rediscover her Korean musical heritage, shaped by her studies, her diverse professional career and her solo drum practice. Barker did the opposite: he transcended audible influences yet retained the philosophical foundations from a 20-year mentorship of these traditions through an ongoing solo drumming project. The resultant work captures the diverse approaches of the soloists, steeped in both jazz and geographically adjacent East Asian and Pacific Island solidarity. This created a trans-Pacific tone in which carefully composed sections reflect the global disruption of 2020. The article brings forth new perspectives on the power of learning through collaboration, breaking away from influence, and an exploration of the spirit of jazz itself; a subversive music whose cultural intersections not only serve as materials for inspiration but as a source for social reactivity.