cool, a lot of names here.

You're not wrong. I wasn't aware of this one:

and was referring to this one:

I assume the second one is much the same (i.e. mindmeltingly wonderful)?

purists are going to cringe but i don't care:

weasel walter


i also forgot joey baron, he is fantastic, at least with naked city.

a fine assumption.

elvin jones
rashied ali

If more purists were familiar with Weasel Walter Quartet (and the occasional expanded groups he's lead), then no reason to cringe! Great stuff!

Check Weasel plus Moe Staiano guesting in an expanded Ettrick lineup with up to four drummers and four sax phalanxes rotating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcMsPJIw2Z4

Other than the usual suspects (Elvin Jones, Rashied Ali, Han Bennink, etc) two excellent contemporary jazz drummers who strangely enough haven't been mentioned yet in this thread are Paal-Nilssen Love and Susie Ibarra.

art blakey for sure

no one should forget joey baron. best drummer i've ever seen. amazing control, sense of interplay, and pure joy. he's tremendously exciting to watch, and he has a great time playing. go see Masada (either electric or acoustic) if you ever get a chance.