Dave Weckl

What do u guys think of Weckl................

I think Weckl's just awesome. My drum teacher said he never makes mistakes! He's my favourite cause he plays the drum so smooth and with so much feeling,but of course there r other amazing drummers too. It's just I get the most feel when I hear him play, what do u guys think...........?
 
Re: What do u guys think of Weckl................

Weckl is amazing I agree. I know a while back Dave got bashed for being too perfect but, that didn't stop me from liking him. He played a couple of nights at a small music club here in the Detroit area a few years ago and I went to both shows and really enjoyed myself. He was great as well as all the other players in the band. My wife and I were driving to the location and we spotted a motorhome and there's Dave behind the wheel driving the whole band to the show. It was amusing to have seen him that way also.

Recently I picked up Chick Corea Elektric Band - Live At Montreux 2004 on DVD and Dave does not disappoint. He is featured quite nicely throught and the DVD runs a bit under three hours. That is just the band playing. No featurettes, no bonus stuff, just the band playing up a storm. At $14.99 I consider it a very good investment.

Cheers

J P
 
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Dave is a world class drummer, no doubt about it. But sometimes, I find he's a little too perfect. Everything is correct, and that's what leaves me a little vacant. I'd rather listen to someone edgier, like Morgan Agren. Having said that, it is incontestable that he is an incredible drummer with a great sound.
 
Lambo said:
Dave is a world class drummer, no doubt about it. But sometimes, I find he's a little too perfect. Everything is correct, and that's what leaves me a little vacant. I'd rather listen to someone edgier, like Morgan Agren. Having said that, it is incontestable that he is an incredible drummer with a great sound.

I kind of understand what you're saying, it's sort of nice to know that a drummer like that still makes mistakes, like the rest of is. But to me, it really astonishes me that someone can play so perfect. I think he's an ideal teacher.
 
Best modern drum sounds recorded. Period.
 
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riffraff said:
Weckl's video Back To Basics is one of the most awesome drum videos of all time

Yeah, i'm gonna get that one.

I really got into practicing my technique because of him.
 
Any of you guys have a picture of Dave's drumkit in the "Back to Bsics" vid' to post on this forum? That kit is just so awesome, but I can't find it on the web !!!
 
Thinshells said:
I have both, need I post a photo? they look and weigh identically...

similar yet different.

Notice the Gadd sticks from the shoulder to the bead have very little taper to them (or from butt to tip, for that matter).

Weckl sigs have a beefy shoulder and a harsher taper down to the tip.

The center of gravity is way different too. Hold on in the fulcrum and find the center balance point. You'll notice the Gadd ones differ from the Weckl ones.

The shape of the tips, while similar, are not identical.

Also, Gadd plays with the BUTT of his sticks a lot, and the shape and tape of the stick reflects that. I think his sticks are long and skinny with little taper to accomodate this flipping the stick around for using the butt on the ride, but still feeling the same as when the stick is the other way.


Just my observations, having tried both sticks.

The only thing I dislike about either stick is that when your hands sweat, that finish gets real slippery (and the Gadd stick lacquer on the bead wears through really fast).
 
lfdy said:
Is he complaining that some music is nicely rounded?

What's wrong with that...


He's talking about the actual recording and tone of the instruments. I tend to agree....you get that super eq'd, perfect recorded, studio magic type of sound a LOT with fusion albums.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely Weckl. He was ALL I listened to for my earlier formative drum years..and I absolutely love Corea, but a lot of that type of stuff leaves me cold these days. The cool thing about those big fusion groups, was how good they were live. You lose most of that super slick studio sound in a live situation, and you really get to here how bad arse those cats really were.

One thing though...it's kind of moot talking about his old stuff. If you listen to anything Weckl's made since the whole Freddie Gruber experience...his new stuff is AWESOMELY groovy. His drums still sound freakin' prefect, but his band has a whole new fire that I really like.
 
brittc89 said:
Do you feel like its wrong for musicians to play music that is technically challenging to the player?

Absolutely not, but pieces that are written from the standpoint of a chops-challenge, I feel, miss reaching their emotional potential a lot of the times. Technique should be vocabulary to a musician and used to communicate something other than the vastness of the vocabulary itself. Dave Weckl is extremely capable of great playing, I just haven't heard enough to say that "as a musician" he moves me. I bought the Corea stuff in the 80s 'cause it was the rage. It didn't move me then, and it doesn't move me now. I have watched Weckl instructional videos that floored me from a technical standpoint and, from this post, I'm intrigued enough to go search out his more recent work. So thanks.

As for "nicely rounded," in my opinion, it's one thing to shape and form, but to smooth out all the edges of a musical piece tends to lose the soul...again, this is just my opinion.

Oddly enough, I use Dave Weckl sticks...Hmmmm....

TOMANO
 
Here's a shot of his kit before a private show at NAMM last week, and a shot during the show:
 

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Well after reading what people had to say im a little surpires alot of peopel were bashing him. Hes an unbeleivable drummer, his latin sutff is killer etc. however, i can see how this overplaying could get borring after a while. Thing is there is nothing wrong with what hes playing, some people say hes not a musical drummer but he obviously is. It may be true though that he could benifit by playing other styles and showing us that he can play less complicated stuff, while still adding to them musicaly. Its obvious he can do this though, im sure weckl could play many different syles unbleivably. overall this might be nice to see but im still happy with what he does now he still plays awesome stuff.
 
I just heard a copy of the GRP big band and dave does an amazing job. I had never really heard much of his stuff but i am completly blown away. Like him or not this guy has some badass chops!
 
DogBreath said:
Here's a shot of his kit before a private show at NAMM last week, and a shot during the show:

Why was it private? Maybe this perception of inaccessiblity takes away from his popularity a bit? I've heard he is kind of private and not a great one-on-one clinician. I think he is just in such a different league than all of us that he "seems" different. I bet he'd be great to get lessons from!
 
Stu_Strib said:
Why was it private? Maybe this perception of inaccessiblity takes away from his popularity a bit?
It was a private event sponsored by Sabian to present their annual Lifetime Achievement Awards to Walfredo Reyes, Sr., Mitchell Peters, and Bill Ward (of Black Sabbath). The event was hosted by Dom Famularo, and held in a ballroom at the Anaheim Hilton.

Dave Weckl was the first act to follow the awards, and then Terry Bozzio and Joey Heredia each did a set. I met some really cool people there that night, including some DrummerWorld fans. Because the show wasn't advertised and their weren't any tickets made available, I doubt that anyone who wasn't there even knew about it, so it probably didn't contribute to Dave Weckl's (or any of the other drumming luminaries) reputation as "inaccessible." If anything, we all felt privileged to participate in such an intimate event.

Pictures:
#1: The Anaheim Hilton ballroom, site of Sabian LIVE and the 2006 Sabian Lifetime Achievement Awards.
#2: Sabian president Robert Zildjian welcoming everyone to the event.
#3: Bobby Sanabria introducing Walfredo Reyes, Sr.
#4: Walfredo Reyes, Sr. and Robert Zildjian.
#5: Bill Ward addressing the crowd.
#6: Master of Ceremonies Dom Famularo and a very happy group of drumming aficionados.
#7: Dave Weckl thanking his fans.
#8: Dom Famularo chatting with Terry Bozzio behind his kit.
 

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