Virgil Donati

I don't listen much to the music Virgil plays, but I sure can appreciate it, and I can appreciate his ridiculous talent. I can't say I try to play like him (not that I could), because I play a very different kind of music, but I'm inspired by the example he sets for total dedication to his craft.
 
I don't listen much to the music Virgil plays, but I sure can appreciate it, and I can appreciate his ridiculous talent. I can't say I try to play like him (not that I could), because I play a very different kind of music, but I'm inspired by the example he sets for total dedication to his craft.
You have to listen to his new solo album then, it's very interesting harmonically and
compositionally IMO - many improvisations too - so it could appeal to jazz fans too, I guess.
 
I was at that Sydney performance, it was really confronting and now that I watch the playback it all seems so organized. Around the 4 min mark he's really in sync with the part, I don't think he's reading a chart but does he actually plan these things?
 
It's just been announced that Virgil's changed to DW Drums... Is anyone else as surprised as I was to see that?
 
Personally I'm disappointed he's gone to DW but that's just because I'm not a great fan of their stuff. What's important is what he's doing, which is driving drumming forward like no other player at this time, in my opinion.

I do think there are some remaining questions about his pure musicality, in the sense that the greatest drummers of our time (Weckl, Smith, Colaiuta, Chambers) could be put into any musical situation and make it magical. But Virgil is part of the newer generation and we must give him time in that sense. I do feel a bit of an idiot questioning him in the sense that I don't want to detract from thefact that he's just the most incredible drumset player: he does so many things that I would have said were impossible and a bunch of stuff that I don't understand.

Sensational.
 
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