Bang the Drum

Daru Jones, who’s been one of Jack White’s tour drummers for more than a decade, is on his way to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to meet Bootsy Collins, legendary Parliament-Funkadelic bassist and one-time member of James Brown’s backing band, The JBs. Daru played on Bootsy’s new record, Album of the Year. “I’m shooting a video for the song I played on, ‘JBs Tribute’,” says Daru, sudden fanboy.

That stemmed from a session in Cincinnati, Collins’ hometown, at the King Records building, founded in 1943 and once home to Federal Records, which launched Brown’s career. It’s been empty for decades, but is currently being revitalized. And Daru had a dream.

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“King Records is still boarded up,” he says. “I was like, ‘Man, it would be great if I could get in that room where Clyde Stubblefield recorded ‘Funky Drummer’ in 1970.’” He was able to, and played ‘“Funky Drummer”.

“Somehow Bootsy got ahold of the video. He got so excited he wanted me to go into the studio and make a tune based on what I did.”

This was the second Album of the Year Jones has been on. The first was Detroit rapper Black Milk’s Album of the Year in 2010, whichled to Daru meeting Jack White, who, blown away by the drummer’s solo at a Black Milk show, invited Jones to Nashville and the rest is you know what. Jones has played on every White solo album since 2012’s Blunderbuss.

He says of his time with White: “You just never know with him, and I like that mystique because I try to be the same way with how I move. I’m grateful a few of the tracks I played on made the album. I appreciate Jack because he allows us to be ourselves.”

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