Throwback to about two years ago when Karriem Riggins came to Cliff Bell’s and sat in with us on Number 3, the legendary and fierce composition by Detroit drummer Lawrence Williams. I’ve only gotten to play with Karriem a handful of times, and each time leaves a huge impression on me. In terms of feel, I think he’s my favorite around today.

Karriem did a live band set at Northern Lights Lounge in Detroit last weekend, featuring some of Detroit’s finest: Ian Finkelstein on piano, Sasha Kashperko on guitar, Robert Hurst on bass, and Dwight Adams on trumpet. It was a great night. Great energy in the room, and great energy coming from the stage. I ran into so many friends at that show. It felt sort of like a class reunion, but one you actually wanted to be at.

This video is cell phone quality, but worth the watch. Karriem’s playing is terrifying. This is one of my favorite musical moments, paying tribute to our collective musical ancestry through this landmark piece of music.