Dave Weckl
Encyclopedia
Dave Weckl is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion
drummer
. Weckl attended Francis Howell High School
in St. Charles, MO and graduated in 1978. He majored in jazz studies at the University of Bridgeport
in Connecticut. Starting out on the New York fusion scene in the early 1980s, Weckl soon found himself working with artists such as Paul Simon
, Madonna
, George Benson
, Michel Camilo
, Robert Plant
and Anthony Jackson. His most famous early work though, where his popularity blossomed, was with the Chick Corea Elektric Band
from 1985 to 1991.
Weckl spent a total of seven years with Corea, during which he performed on numerous albums and also appeared with Corea's Akoustic Band
. He augmented his work with Corea by continuing his session work and appearing often with the GRP All-Star Big Band. In addition, he recorded four albums in 1988 and 1989 with the Manhattan Jazz Quintet
. Weckl has also released a series of instructional videotapes, and in 1990, he led his first solo date, Master Plan, for GRP. Heads Up followed in 1992, as well as Hard-Wired in 1994.
After leaving Corea's band, Weckl recorded and toured with guitarist Mike Stern
. Under his own name, he has been the leader of ten recordings since 1990, seven of which as the Dave Weckl Band. Dave endorses Yamaha Drums
, Sabian Cymbals and Vic Firth
Drumsticks, all of whom he has assisted with the design of new products, such as Sabian's HHX Evolution and HHX Legacy cymbal lines.
Around 1996, his style and setup radically changed, in large part because of his studies with Freddie Gruber
.
Coated Ambassadors (toms), Coated Ambassadors (snare), Coated Ambassador (bass), Weckl Bass Drum Muffle and Weckl Active Snare Dampening System
Dave Weckl Band:
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
. Weckl attended Francis Howell High School
Francis Howell High School
Francis Howell High School is a four year public high school located in Weldon Spring, Missouri. Approximately 1800 students from Defiance, Foristell, New Melle, O'Fallon, Saint Peters, Saint Charles, Weldon Spring, and Wentzville attend school at Howell....
in St. Charles, MO and graduated in 1978. He majored in jazz studies at the University of Bridgeport
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport is a private, independent, non-sectarian, coeducational university located on the Long Island Sound in the South End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The University is fully Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges...
in Connecticut. Starting out on the New York fusion scene in the early 1980s, Weckl soon found himself working with artists such as Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Michel Camilo
Michel Camilo
Michel Camilo is a pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work...
, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
and Anthony Jackson. His most famous early work though, where his popularity blossomed, was with the Chick Corea Elektric Band
Chick Corea Elektric Band
Chick Corea Elektric Band is a jazz fusion band, led by pianist Chick Corea. Following the demise of Return to Forever, Corea established the musical ensemble in 1986. Following a long hiatus, the band reunited to produce "To the Stars" in 2004....
from 1985 to 1991.
Weckl spent a total of seven years with Corea, during which he performed on numerous albums and also appeared with Corea's Akoustic Band
Chick Corea Akoustic Band
Akoustic Band is a 1989 album by Chick Corea's Akoustic Band, featuring Chick Corea with John Patitucci and Dave Weckl.The Allmusic review by Daniel Gioffre states: "After recording a string of fusion records in the late '80s with his Elektric Band, Chick Corea returned to acoustic jazz with this...
. He augmented his work with Corea by continuing his session work and appearing often with the GRP All-Star Big Band. In addition, he recorded four albums in 1988 and 1989 with the Manhattan Jazz Quintet
Manhattan Jazz Quintet
The Manhattan Jazz Quintet is a jazz ensemble consisting of David Matthews on piano, Lew Soloff on trumpet, Victor Lewis on drums, Andy Snitzer on saxophone, and Charnett Moffett on bass...
. Weckl has also released a series of instructional videotapes, and in 1990, he led his first solo date, Master Plan, for GRP. Heads Up followed in 1992, as well as Hard-Wired in 1994.
After leaving Corea's band, Weckl recorded and toured with guitarist Mike Stern
Mike Stern
Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...
. Under his own name, he has been the leader of ten recordings since 1990, seven of which as the Dave Weckl Band. Dave endorses Yamaha Drums
Yamaha Drums
Yamaha Drums is a subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation founded in 1967. The company manufactures acoustic and electronic drum kits as well as percussion instruments, marching band equipment, and drum hardware.-Production:...
, Sabian Cymbals and Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
Drumsticks, all of whom he has assisted with the design of new products, such as Sabian's HHX Evolution and HHX Legacy cymbal lines.
Around 1996, his style and setup radically changed, in large part because of his studies with Freddie Gruber
Freddie Gruber
Freddie Gruber was a jazz drummer and teacher to a number of professional drummers.Gruber grew up in the nascent New York be-bop scene, and played with Charlie Parker, among many others. Gruber's student list includes Vinnie Colaiuta, Neil Peart, Steve Smith and Dave Weckl...
.
Drumheads
RemoRemo
Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...
Coated Ambassadors (toms), Coated Ambassadors (snare), Coated Ambassador (bass), Weckl Bass Drum Muffle and Weckl Active Snare Dampening System
Discography
Dave Weckl:- 1990 – Master Plan (GRP records)
- 1992 – Heads Up (GRP records)
- 1994 – Hard Wired (GRP records)
Dave Weckl Band:
- 1998 – Rhythm of the Soul (Stretch records)
- 1999 – SynergySynergy (Dave Weckl Band album)-Track listing:#High Life#Panda's Dream#Swunk#A Simple Prayer#Cape Fear#Wet Skin#Synergy#Where's My Paradise?#Lucky Seven#Swamp Thing#Cultural Concurrence#Tower '99-Personnel:*Dave Weckl - drums, tambourine, percussion...
(Stretch records) - 2000 – Transition (Stretch records)
- 2001 – The Zone (Stretch records)
- 2002 – Perpetual Motion (Stretch records)
- 2003 – Live (And Very Plugged In) (Stretch records)
- 2005 – MultiplicityMultiplicity (album)-Track listing:# Watch Your Step# Elements Of Surprise# Vuelo# Inner Vision# What It Is# Chain Reaction# Cascade# Mixed Bag# Down On The Corner-Personnel:*Dave Weckl *Steve Weingart...
(Stretch records)
Videos
- 1988 – Back to Basics (DCI music)
- 1990 – The Next Step (DCI music)
- 1993 – Working It Out: Latin Percussion I - With Walfredo Reyes Sr. (DCI music)
- 1993 – Working It Out: Latin Percussion II - With Walfredo Reyes Sr. (DCI Music)
- 2000 – How to develop your own sound (Carl Fischer publishing)
- 2000 – How to practice (Carl Fischer publishing)
- 2000 – How to develop technique (Carl Fischer publishing)
Books
- 1988 – Back to Basics
- 1992 – The Next Step (Manhattan Music)
- 1994 – Contemporary Drummer + One (Manhattan Music)
- 1997 – Ultimate Play-Along for Drums level I vol. I (Alfred Publishing Company)
- 1997 – Ultimate Play-Along for Drums level I vol. II (Alfred Publishing Company)
- 2001 – In Session with the Dave Weckl Band (Carl Fischer Music)
- 2004 – Exercises for natural playing (Carl Fischer Music)
Endorsers
- Yamaha DrumsYamaha DrumsYamaha Drums is a subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation founded in 1967. The company manufactures acoustic and electronic drum kits as well as percussion instruments, marching band equipment, and drum hardware.-Production:...
- Sabian Cymbals
- Vic FirthVic FirthVic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
Sticks & Mallets - Remo Drumheads
- ShureShureShure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges,...
Microphones - Latin PercussionLatin PercussionLatin Percussion, also known as LP, is a brand of percussion instruments, specializing in ethnic instruments engineered and manufactured to withstand the rigors of use in a drum kit, orchestral percussion section, and similar applications...
- M-AudioM-AudioM-Audio is a business unit of Avid Technology that designs and markets digital audio and MIDI interfaces, keyboards and MIDI controllers, synthesizers, loudspeakers, studio monitors, digital DJ systems, microphones, and music software...
- XL Cases
External links
- Official site
- Dave Weckl on Drummerworld
- Dave Weckl at OnlineDrummer.com - Contains video clips.