I took a lesson with Zach in the mid 90's. He is a tremendous player. Definately had some stuff going on.
Long To Be Loose and 2 Drink are definite must-haves for Zach. He's taken the beat/phrase displacement thing to a whole other level. One of my favorite drummers, truly inspirational IMHO.
I think Zach and Krantz were made for each other, I wish I was able to see them live. I saw Zach w/ Camilo in I think '95 and then I saw him with Dave Fiuzcynski a few years later and also w/Boomish or Bluth and it did'nt really do much for me. It's like his best playing only exists with Krantz.
I've always wanted to study with him but could never get my ass down to Drummers Collective. I know that Dave Dicenso studied with him for a bit. I used to corner him in the hallway and interrogate him about his studies with Zach. I remember him saying that they did the linear and displacement stuff. I think you can hear a little of Zach's stuff in Dave's playing, like when he displaces linear phrases.
Steve-what's on that clinic video? Does he play w/ anyone on it?
Do you have any live shows of Krantz w/Zach?
I took a lesson with Zach in the mid 90's. He is a tremendous player. Definately had some stuff going on.
I saw him with play with Wayne only once, right before Keith took over- it was awesome. Steve nailed it- it WAS deeper and does hit you right in the gut.
He's doing exactly what he wants to be doing right now with the writing and producing. I took one lesson with him back in 1997, it wasn't really a lesson- we mostly talked about his career. He wasn't very enthusiastic about drumming for other people unless the money was good...he was getting into his own thing and getting more interested in writing and producing. This was around the time he was starting to get into drums-n-bass. Anybody who knows him knows this about him.
He told me of a demo tape he made in his teens, Weckl heard it, Chick Corea heard it, he got the gig with Michel Camilo at 17. One can assume Weckl recommended him. He got together and played with Corea he told me- this is right before Electric Band II. I think Chick was checking him out for the gig but used Gary instead.
I used to see him all the time around town, either playing or hanging out. Whenever I would go to see Rodney Holmes, he would be there, too. It's funny- in my one 'lesson' with him, I told him I had gone to North Texas briefly...he asked me if I knew Keith. I remember him saying "He's good" like he doesn't say that very often, so it really meant something...Apparently Keith had moved to NYC at the same time I did. Ironically, we had both taken a 'lesson' with Zach to hang out, talk, play, network, etc. The only difference was Zach recommended Keith for the WK gig! I saw Keith play with Wayne from the very beginning. I was there when Walter Becker was sitting at the bar, checking Wayne out, and I was there the night Donald Fagen sat in with the band for the whole night. That was incredible. Keith's playing was on fire, he was confident...I would have been freaking! That's how Keith got the Steely Dan gig.
The rest is history...
Wayne's played with many great drummers, but his favorite is still Zach, from what I've heard. You can hear it in Wayne's voice when he talks about him.
Steve- I gotta see that clinic!!!
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 21, 2005 10:56 AM: Message edited by: cjbdrm ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">To each his own, I guess. I prefer 2 Drink Minimum -- much more energy, and more exciting playing from Wayne and Zach. Of course, you're right that with 2DM you've got to put up with some sonic unpleasantness -- the ride (I think you're right that it's the mic in part, but it's also Zach's playing -- he smacks the hell out of that ride!), and his toms DO sound pretty much the same. Extremely dead sound to those toms (which I noticed last night as well), which makes them hard to distinguish from one another.Originally posted by Steve Holmes:
Wayne's Long To Be Loose really blew me away. I like 2 drink minimum as well but the quality and drum tuning kind of bug me (is there any tonal difference to the toms at all?) I don't like the washy ride either, could be the room/mic/whatever but there is some great playing on there all around.
I don't think Keith comes close to being the drummer Zach is on that gig. I have a great clinic of his on video I will get around to uploading/BT'ing.
Regarding your preference for Zach over Keith on that gig -- okay, cool, but I'd be loathe to compare them. I've probably seen Keith play that gig at the 55 twenty times over the last two years, and he absolutely kills it! WK's concept for the band has changed a great deal since Two Drink Minimum, and Zach's playing (on that disc) clearly wouldn't cut it for what WK is trying to accomplish now. Keith and Zach each do what they do so damn well, and each is a such unique voice on the instrument, and has contributed so much to WK's music, that I just don't think you can say that one drummer is better for the gig than the other.
I know that's a cliche to say, but in this case I think it's really warranted. We wouldn't say that "Philly Joe doesn't come close to being the drummer Tony Williams is on that Miles gig", would we? We want to hear both of them doing their own thing, don't we? (Not trying to be argumentative here, Steve, but Zach and Keith are two of my favorite players -- and I kind of think that the comparison between Miles's two great quintets and WK's two great bands is an apt one.)
Cheers.
I understand what you're saying.
After hearing both guys as much as I have I just think that Zach pulls his stuff from a deeper place. I think he has deeper ideas that require more facility which appeals to me I guess. From a drumming intilectual stand-point when I listen to Keith I enjoy the grooves but I'm not confused or challenged in any way.
Zach challenges me and I enjoy his particular phrasing much more. He repeats himself less and is also not quite as sloppy. Keith is sloppy in a GOOD way, a way that caters to Wayne's sound. Toss Panos has the good slop. Elvin slop, ('nuff said).
Granted I'm not terribly familiar with the current Zach. In fact, last time I saw him I was kind of disappointed. I would Love to take a lesson with the guy though. Anyone know him? We should get him posting on here.
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 21, 2005 12:50 AM: Message edited by: Steve Holmes ]</font>
Yeah I gotta get the video up. It's good stuff, Zach in his prime of that era. I'm going away for the holiday but early next year I'll see if I can make it happen.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">WHAT? I never heard about that! When? Where?Originally posted by cjbdrm:
... he got the gig with Michel Camilo at 17.
Are there any recordings of Zach with Michel floating around?
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Does that mean that this topic was just a hair away form being entitled "cjbdrm" ?!? [img]wink.gif[/img]Originally posted by cjbdrm:
Ironically, we had both taken a 'lesson' with Zach to hang out, talk, play, network, etc. The only difference was Zach recommended Keith for the WK gig!
Zach was already teaching at Drummers Collective in 1991. He really looked like a kid. I saw him play with Leni Stern around this time. Very Weckl-ish back then, but he surely matured and developed a style and sound of his.
How old is he now?
LOL- yeah, right...I coulda been a contender!
Yes, Zach played some gigs with Michel sometime after one of his earlier CD's I think. There's a video of him playing in Europe with Michel. He looks and plays exactly like Weckl. Remember that video Steve?
Mark Walker also played with Michel- they're just not on any recordings.
Mark's also one of my favorites, a super, super cool cat, and awesome player and teacher. And of course, highly underrated, no MD love, etc. He's good friends with Todd Sucherman- do you know him Randy?
I've heard that Michel(in his words): "...runs his trio like a little army."
I think Zach is around 32, not sure. Definitely not in his "early 20's", though knowing his sense of humor he'll keep that bio circulating for as long as he can....
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 22, 2005 10:33 AM: Message edited by: cjbdrm ]</font>
Hi Guys,
I think that the really young Camilo's drummer that you are talking about was Cliff Almond, not Zack.
I don't any souvenir about Zack playing with Camilo, but we never know...
He had the job at these time by Weckl's recommandation.
Cheers.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Cliff joined Michel in 1990 for the recording of "On the other hand". I have a video of this tour in Germany with this "baby face" Cliff playing exactly like Weckl. I think I read somewhere that Cliff kept bugging Dave for recommendations at some point. It seems to have paid off. I also read that Michel likes to play with young drummers because they are easier to mold to his needs.Originally posted by Rodge:
I think that the really young Camilo's drummer that you are talking about was Cliff Almond, not Zack.
I don't any souvenir about Zack playing with Camilo, but we never know...
But if a video of Zach with Michel really exists, I'm really interested by it.
And I love Mark Walker's playing with Paquito D'Rivera. Especially on "Reunion" with Arturo sandoval, which IMO, is one of the best latin jazz album. I saw Mark with Oregon a few years ago. Nice touch.
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