The well-liked Whiplash, "in essence, Rocky with snare drums," wrote the Observer's Mark Kermode, came away with three awards including best editing, best sound and for JK Simmons as the tyrannical and ruthless music teacher Terence Fletcher, best supporting actor from an all-American shortlist.
In essence, it's Rocky with snare drums, or perhaps Full Metal Hi-Hat, with JK Simmons's conductor giving both Louis Gossett Jr and R Lee Ermey a run for their money in the scary drill-sergeant stakes.
But material and style aren't so important: you're getting the essence of his sound, up close, with two kick drums and two snare drums, played in polyrhythmic conjunction with another drummer, the Ghanaian hand-percussionist Abass Dodoo.
In the past five years he has recorded two stunning trio albums — "Essence" (D.M.P ., with Ray Drummond on bass and Billy Higgins on drums, and "Hank Jones: Upon Reflection" (Gitane), with George Mraz on bass and Elvin Jones on drums.
In essence, creditors think the Japanese political system will be able to drum up enough support for the requisite taxes, pulled out of national wealth if necessary, when the time comes.
Elsewhere the guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez work in a crosshatch of itchy counterpoint, and the drummer Greg Saunier boils down his attack to its essence.
That always has been, and in many ways still is, the essence of rock 'n' roll – at least of the guitar-bass-drums variety that has thrived since rockers like Chuck Berry showed everyone how it was done.
I do home demos, play guitar, bass, drum machine, keeping it simple and stripped down, to get the essence of it.
His current touring quartet, with the bassists Greg Cohen and Tony Falanga and his son, Denardo Coleman, on drums, consistently narrows down his jagged, lyrical language to its powerful essence.
Drums, guitar, voices, and elation: the Beatles' "She Loves You" is the essence of pop, a too-good-to-be-true, you-won't-believe-your-ears burst of youthful hilarity.
