Dave Weckl

I am not surprised 20k.. nice.

Having drum sets up to my ears here at home, has made me think about unloading the kits that are not being used much.. has no bearing on finances usually, and more on storage space.

Dave Weckl is one of the more important master drummers that have added to our collective "vocabulary". This puts him in an entirely different league with the likes of Tony, Elvin, Jack, Vinnie, Gadd, Bonham, Purdie, and many more who have developed a personal style and vocabulary that became so attractive and popular we "all" have a little bit of them in us. It is hard not to find a little of these guy's DNA in an accomplished drum set player.
How many of you have an 8" tom or 2 that you bought because Dave used one? I know I do. I am sure that 20k will by a nice new ProTools rig or muscle car:)
Check out some of Dave's new music/playalongs. I just bought one. I got a pdf, QT mov, full track and track w/o drums. 4.99 . (remember "sharing" is stealing)...great stuff as usual from DW.
Peace.
 
Just saw The Brothers at Wanee and they are tearing it up with WSP right now. Greg is sounding great I wonder if they get into something other than Melissa. I would love to here Dave and Greg do a Midnight Rider. Among others....
 
The Weckler has a new demo on Yamaha's website....He shows ninja like precision and grace as he demonstrates the sounds of the new PHX drums.....

http://www.yamaha-drums.co.uk/media/index.html

Enjoy!

Wow! What can you say.

Other then this anyway. I saw years ago what I think was his first video. VHS tape. Back then he discussed holding the stick in his left hand at the end of the stick, and I see now that he has changed his grip back towards the middle of the stick. Has he ever discussed he reasons for the change? On the tape he said he was too powerful for the grip he now uses. I haven't read everything here if I've missed it already discussed.
 
Dave was the first drummer I ever watched... when I was 3 my dad sat me down on my toy kit in front of the tv watching Chick Corea n I got hooked pretty much straight away.

He makes the drums sound so great... the kit he was using in that concert sounded so great though. It was an outdoor concert recorded fully off the tv in the 80s so I think it mustve been a big concert, but I can't pinpoint it. Any Weckl or Chick Corea-heads help me out?
 
Has he ever discussed he reasons for the change? On the tape he said he was too powerful for the grip he now uses. I haven't read everything here if I've missed it already discussed.

I'm a match griper so I'm gonna guess Gruber had something to do with it. And yeah its almost two different drummers old/new DW.

Both are vicious behind the kit...
 
Dave was the first drummer I ever watched... when I was 3 my dad sat me down on my toy kit in front of the tv watching Chick Corea n I got hooked pretty much straight away.

He makes the drums sound so great... the kit he was using in that concert sounded so great though. It was an outdoor concert recorded fully off the tv in the 80s so I think it mustve been a big concert, but I can't pinpoint it. Any Weckl or Chick Corea-heads help me out?

There are a couple of CCEB concerts aired on tv. As far as outdoor concerts are concerned, I think that the 1991 Beneath the mask concert, filmed at Paul Mason's winery in Saratoga might be the one you mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUSFFFlf8UY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8CP12cyGU8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rI9fevwT2s

Otherwise, there is the live @ the sky concert from Japan in 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH12eN8tCzw

Scott Henderson was just kicked out of the CCEB and Jamie Glaser played for a short time in the band before Frank Gambale took over. Im not sure what was aired as it was a japanese festival. The stuff I've seen from those concert series (as its a yearly recurring event are usually 3 or 4 songs from a performer.
 
ive read a few comments from the first page and surprisingly there were some comments about weckl being too technical, uninteresting etc

what the hell? never realized any drummer right in his mind would have anything bad to say about weckl
he is flat out amazing, easily one of the best
 
It's been less than an hour since I left the jazz club where Dave Weckl was playing tonight with Mike Stern. It's actually the first time I've ever seen him in person. I've been listening to him since he became ubiquitous in MD for his work with Paul Simon and Chick Corea back in the mid '80s. I bought all the Chick Corea stuff he played on and he quickly became, and remains, one of my favorite drummers.

It struck me tonight watching Weckl that he really does have an exceptional sense of time (which I already knew, but it was cool to see). I was joking before the show that I was going to count how many times 4 bars could go by without him getting all virtuoso on it. I was guessing zero, but I was very wrong. He can be a great pocket player.

Like Bonzo great.

Perhaps incongruously, I saw my other favorite "Dave" drummer 3 weeks ago (Dave Grohl), so my new fantasy is to see Dave Weckl do a project similar to Queens Of The Stone Age or Them Crooked Vultures. Or just some contemporary rock project where he could surprise everybody by stripping down to a four piece with over-sized toms and big crashes and just release his inner Bonham/Grohl while supporting the song. It's there, I saw flashes of it tonight.

Then he could join the ranks of Terry Bozzio (Missing Persons), Stanton Moore (Corrosion of Conformity, Galactic), Steve Gadd (who hasn't he gone gold with!), Steve Smith (Journey), Rod Morgenstien (Winger), and Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Megadeth). It's like the only thing left he hasn't done.

That would be amazing.
 
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ive read a few comments from the first page and surprisingly there were some comments about weckl being too technical, uninteresting etc

what the hell? never realized any drummer right in his mind would have anything bad to say about weckl
he is flat out amazing, easily one of the best

If you close your eyes, that question would not come up...too technical? People are just nitpicking in my opinion, no drummer can be perfect, so lets bring him down.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUzyxqOAWho&feature=related

most people have probably seen this, but the two licks he does when he comes back in after his latin jazz solo, well they are just SO perfect!
 
The debate between technique and Soul is a valid one, and the two are not mutually exclusive, however, one comment complaint of Weckl is that, while he possesses immense amounts of technique and feel, he doesn't pack a lot of "umph" when he plays. Other players, while lacking in technique, communicate a lot of energy and emotion anyway. I think Vinnie channels the highest level of technique and intensity together that I have ever heard, except for a few gospel drummers I suppose, and obviously some jazz drummers. I agree that Weckl's playing is a little empty. He's very beautiful to listen to, and his technique is 2nd to no one, but I"d rather listen to a lot of other drummers with less technique simply beacuse they communicate more to me, more emotion, more energy. It's hard to explain, but I understand people when they say this, and I agree.
 
Weckl (and Vinnie Colauita) totally up-ended my perception of double bass-drum use in jazz. Really amazing stuff.
 
Hey there drummers,

I have to say that I made one of my dreams truth last Nov. 21st, when I saw Dave Weckl playing live for the first time in my life.

It was the Mike Stern concert at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA.

I had an awesome experience. Mike's playing and compositions were amazing and beautiful. Dave Weckl drumming was superb, tasteful and inspirational. Tom Kennedy and Bob Malach were phenomenal. Awesome, awesome expirience....

It would be really nice if I can meet Dave one of these days and study drums with him...Well, let see what the future has in store for me!

Cheers,
 
ive read a few comments from the first page and surprisingly there were some comments about weckl being too technical, uninteresting etc

what the hell? never realized any drummer right in his mind would have anything bad to say about weckl
he is flat out amazing, easily one of the best

Agreed!...Weckl is amazing!....easily one of the best (if not the best) out there today.....
 
My favorite work of his is when he backed up Michel Camilo on 1989's "On Fire" disc. He kills, and it made me want to understand that contemporary sound.

If you don't have that album, it's a must. Joel Rosenblatt and Smitty are on it, too, and it's excellent!


I agree with you in the Michel Camilo stuff...This had been one of the greatest CD in my collection. The tracks "Island Stomp" & "And Sammy Walked In" are my favorites. Dave's playing drums on those two. Also "On Fire" with Rosenblatt on drums...Great stuff...

Cheers,
 
Name ONE drummer who plays more sophisticated fills than Weckl! By the way; there has never been, and will never be a drummer, or any musician, who can master all aspects of the instrument. Weckl could NEVER have mastered what, let's say Jeff Porcaro mastered, and vice versa (RIP Jeff.) Both were/are masters of the instrument, but are very different drummers.

Out of respect for Bernhard's wishes I shan't answer that, but anyways, you didn't quite get what I meant, which was - Weckl would name plenty of other drummers who have mastered all aspects of the instrument, and he would definitely tell you there are drummers who play more sophisticated fills.
 
I agree with you in the Michel Camilo stuff...This had been one of the greatest CD in my collection. The tracks "Island Stomp" & "And Sammy Walked In" are my favorites. Dave's playing drums on those two. Also "On Fire" with Rosenblatt on drums...Great stuff...

Cheers,

OK..on you two guys recommendation I will buy this CD...I'm sure it will be good..honestly I don't know if I've heard anything that Weckl plays on that I don't like...
 
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