This funky drum groove is from "Phantazia" which appears on the 1977 Harvey Mason album, Funk In A Mason Jar. My transcription is from the first four measures of the bass solo, starting at the 3:20 mark of the tune.
To truly appreciate this groove, you really need to listen to Harvey perform it. I've provided the full track for you here (Educational Purposes Only) since the album is hard to come by.
I highly recommend working on this notated passage at a slow tempo, getting the sticking and coordination down first, then begin working towards performance tempo (quarter-note equals 120 bpm).
Unaccented Snare drum notes should be played as ghost-strokes; work to keep these sounding quieter than the HiHat strokes to achieve a nice blend and balance. The HiHat eighth-notes in measures one and three should be given a little weight on the downbeats. I call this technique the "rocking motion" because the hand uses a push/pull or open/closed movement to emphasize the pulse of the music.
Notice the smooth open HiHat sounds that Harvey employs — he sounds very relaxed and sophisticated; nice.
