Crazy Hass, Chops and Groove work Together!

[Flarobstix]

Rudy,
you're an outcast! I guess everyone has their taste, even if it is liking guys who overplay, can't play to a click, and only play one style of music.
A friend of mine in LA hired Royster Jr to play on a R+B album out in LA on Chambers' recommendation. He later had to call Larry Aberman from Joe Samples band to replace all the tracks because Tony jr was "click chasing" the entire session.
Saying you "don't rate" someone on that level of musicianship is nothing more than insult to yourself and tells real working musicians like myself that you've missed the point. If you can't hear it, I can't help you. All I can say is that if you watch television everyday, you hear HASS play everyday, and in this day and age where people barely use live drums, that says it all.
I'm bugged that any drummer would say that about someone who's accomplished so much and is called a "bad cat" by musicians such as Will Lee, John Pattitucci, and Vinnie Colaiuta.
Not funky? then why does Dr Dre use his loops?
Go figure, more clueless drummers.
Later

[Lee Collins]

Ostinato, I don't go tearing guys down left right and centre. Hardly at all in fact. I imagine having lessons from him must be a great experience, and believe me, I would also take lessons from him. All I said was that what I heard didn't do it for me compared to some other drummers I've been listening to recently, so call it bias.
You know, it's ok to slag off amazing drummers like tony royster, but god forbid someone should say a harsh word about steve hass, and their world falls apart. [img]wink.gif[/img]

[Ostinato]

Okay. I'm out after this. HAHA! Rudy, you're quite the man to argue with. It's fun.
No, i'm actually a huge Weckl fan, and I won't divulge some of the privledged info I have from my NYC drug days in the late 70s and early 80s. I'll just say that I know Jaco liked the grease heavily, and Dave is an amazing drumming with a dead on feel, but he even says it himself "i'm not greasy". I love Dave and last summer I saw Dave and Chick Corea open for The Manhattan Transfer where I first heard Steve, in Lugano Italy where I vacationed with my wife. He(dave) sounded better than ever. I didn't think that was possible. haha

[Lee Collins]

Lol ostinato, yes, don't worry about me, I even argue with my pet goldfish. Usually about who's making dinner.
But anyway, I hear ya man, and good points you made.
[img]smile.gif[/img]

[Ostinato]

okay one more :-)

i don't want to come off like some HASS stalker fan. I love his playing, but he's not my fav of favs. I have respect for him and others. And again, I dig Tony, and eveyone else. I'll state my opinions of experiences and things that I have heard through the grape vine of music, but I would never write something about such an accomplished musician. I would have printed nothing at all. I feel it to be disrespectful. even what you said about Steve Smith. i mean come on. It's Steve Smith!! he plays his ass off! Those kind of negative opinions do nothing and I find them offensive. Sorry, that's just me, i respect these guys.

[Lee Collins]

Yeah, I respect them too. Enormously in fact, because they've worked so hard to get where they are. But just because there's expensive caviar on the plate doesn't mean it's the best food to eat. I might happen to prefer the cheese and biscuits. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Ostinato]

okay okay..where's that hot chick drummer who's dad is a famous drummer! She'll shut us both up using her legs and stockings.

[Lee Collins]

Haha, sheila E, right? Yeah, I was watching her play on a dw promo vid I got a while back. That girl can play alright, and was great with prince.
Going back to steve smith. I think he's a great technician, although even his ideas don't move me like gadd or weckl, but, to me, he doesn't have the kind of groove that I think is groovy. I've discussed him a few times with a good drummer friend of mine and we're both of the same opinion. Honestly, I can think of loads of drummers that wipe the floor with him on just feel. That's not disrespectful, that's me being honest about what I think, and it's true. Chops are great, but mean nothing if the groove isn't there. Feel is everything. I've tried listening to steve smith several times to see if I'm not hearing him properly, but I can't get into him.

[Ostinato]

his rock grooves with Journey are KILLIN'! U can't have #1rock album and not groove.
Journey had a serious rock pocket, and that my friend is Steve Smith. Straight up, back on the beat and beautiful. Many of the early 90s great drummers wouldn't exist without Steve's inspiration

[Ostinato]

robert, play no attention to that. Those statements are so silly that I laughed. "Not Much Of A Pocket"? Why bother saying that? So strange, and such an insult to someone is in the forefront of the young drumming scene.
I came on here to talk about my lesson with Hassy today, and I see these comments that come from some kind jealous reaction or something. To say you beleive what you said only makes you look clueless as Robert said. Wow.
The Lesson:
So my lesson today was wonderful. Hass was out in LA teaching after doing a week in Vegas with ManTransfer. It was $100 for almost 2 hours. We began with me doing some playing so he can check out my tech. He asked me to play in various styles and then asked me to improvise over some 32 bar tunes. After listening, he said " for the next 3 months, don't practice anything without singing a tune, and try not to work on your hands and feet for the sole purpose of speed. Always try to play something melodic.You have more than enough technique."
No one as ever said that to me before. Then we worked on backbeat to a click. he calls it session chops. He had his Roland TD-10 brain with programmed clicks in it. He demonstrated first. Put the click on and played a basic amazing feeling rock beat for 4 bars, then the click dropped out for 28 bars. The time felt like it was lagging to me, and he was also talking to me telling me that the click was still on, just muted and that this really tests for time accuracy. I thought NO WAY is he gonna be on. On bar 31 he played the most solid 16th notes on the snare and came in with the click right there. I swear I almost shit myself. After only 4 bars of time with the click, he played for 28 bars and came back right on the money. So then I tried it, but simpler. With me we did 4 and 4. Needless to say it was very hard. He said he likes doing it for 32 bars because that's the normal length of tunes out of the American song book. He then did the same thing but this time playing 4 bars with the click 12 without and soloing for 16 without, and coming in of course, right on the click. My jaw dropped because during his solo, he modulated to 3 and then 5 over the 4. I've never seen this before. He told me Ralph Humphrey can do it better. He then put on "Crash" and a few other tracks of the Manhattan Vibes C.D and said they didn't use a click. He put the click the right tempo, and it stayed on the whole tune. He said, this is why you need to practice with a click.
We then went on and worked on the styles of Max Roach and Art Blakey.
I'm telling you all, for 100bux, I feel like I spent a summer semester at Berklee School Of Music. He made me realize what tools I need to become a better musician. He didn't touch on technique or reading. I'm so not used to that. He's a real pro musician, not just a drummer.