Another Chick in NY review...

[yamdrums]

I attended the Chick Corea concert in NYC (as others on this forum did) and thought I would share my experience for those who were unable to attend. I was lucky enough to have front row seats (in front of the drums) and passes to the green room party afterwards.

Gary Burton is a great musician and performed brilliantly? but since this is the house of drumming, I?m going to limit my comments to the drummers of the evening.

First up was Vinnie. Vinnie obviously had very little rehearsal time for this gig? if any. He was reading charts for the ?three quartets? music? and even looked over one time to ask Eddie Gomez which tune they were playing next. To come in to this gig with little or no rehearsal time, basically reading these tunes and to play them the way he did is nothing short of mind-blowing? but, that?s Vinnie. He played with unsurpassed finesse, cleanliness, and musicality. The final tune of the set, ?Sicily? from the Friends album, is a samba. Vinnie floated through the tune as if it were a nursery rhyme. Since there had been no solo time for Vinnie yet, you knew what was coming? after everyone in the group took a solo, Chick gave the nod to Vinnie. People (including me) were on the edge of their seats as Vinnie stopped playing for a second to leave some space? and then began to build his solo. What he played was nothing short of jaw-dropping. I find it very hard to put into words what it?s like to see Vinnie play live, especially when he takes a solo and ?does his thing?? there are no words to describe how incredible what you are seeing is. There is no way to explain it. All I can say is? go see him if you haven?t, and if you have seen him live? you know and understand what I?m talking about.

Next up was the Elektric Band. Weckl played with fire and intensity. What has always impressed me about Dave is the way he uses the cymbals? almost as a separate voice from the drumset. He always plays incredible fills within the context of the tunes, while always catching every hit that the band makes, with seemingly the perfect cymbal voice at just the right time to accentuate the hit while keeping the time and groove flowing. The first tune ?Rumble? was a prime example of this. Weckl continued playing with passion throughout the set, burning through the always impressive ?Got a match?.

For the encore, everyone came back out and played ?Spain?. Dave played a nice part similar to what he plays on the record? and Vinnie mostly used brushes, to seemingly stay out of the way and add some color. Together, it was a nice time feel. Then the moment we had all been waiting for? Vinnie & Dave trading choruses at the end of the tune. That was special to watch, back and forth? with Dave smiling if not laughing at times at the sheer ridiculous ideas and chops that Vinnie was displaying. It was a truly amazing ending to a very special and rare performance of two of the most influential figures of modern drumming. After the show Vinnie went over and gave Weckl and big hug. The tremendous mutual respect and admiration between these two is obvious. In fact, Weckl spoke of ?Vinnie?s genious? after the show several times.

Speaking of after the show? the green room was a great hang. I was lucky enough to get a picture with Weckl to my left and Vinnie to my right, probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. Weckl and Vinnie were both very pleasant and extremely friendly? and how could you not be on a night like this. If you can?t get inspired by a night like this, you are uninspirable.

[Randy walker]

thanks for the report!

[Geoff_G]

great review...you need to write for a music mag / paper sometime soon.

[blake1]

Yamdrums,

How did the drums sound down there? I was sitting stage left on the 3rd tier and could see everything including Weckl (off the stage) watching Vinnie during his performance. From my vantage point , I saw Vinnie hug Dave after the performance and PICK HIM UP OFF THE GROUND !! Vinnie got so excited. I thought that was funny!
When Weckl was on stage after the performance did someone ask how he liked the bass player? I caught the last minute or so of his ? & answer period and thought I heard something about that.
Mike Pope (the bassist for Elektric Band) tried to shake Weckl's hand but Weckl kept ignoring him. He tried to talk to Weckl a couple of times and Weckl kept walking away. It was a real uncomfortable feeling and then Vinnie totally greeted him. Did you notice that? I thought Mike sounded really great.


Is Weckl becoming the next Buddy Rich?


Oh, gossip, gossip, gossip.

Stay tuned for more...

[Plaid]

Ditto on the thanks for that report, yam!!! I can't even imagine how amazing that was. It was just exciting to read! You are completely correct about Dave's use of his cymbals. He always seems to know exactly what cymbal to hit for any given part, and that adds so much to the music. Oh, and if I were in the middle of those two guys for a picture, I'd probably pass out before the button was pushed. [img]wink.gif[/img]

[blake1]

Weckl is the master of kicks. I haven't heard anyone play so many kicks and never lose the flow. When I try to do that it just sounds BUSY. When I heard the first FRENCH TOAST record, he was doing it. Way back then!
I think that is his main signature along with his obsession with sound and electronics.
He's a freak!

[Steve Holmes]

Yam you should scan the pic! I'm sure folks would like to see it.

[buga]

im with Steve.....post sum pics [img]smile.gif[/img]

[yamdrums]

Wow... thanks for all the response guys!

Blake, the drums sounded great down front... in fact, the entire group did, it was a very good mix. The Elektric Band was a little overpowering at times, but I guess it's hard to show restraint when you are playing music that is that demanding. Overall the sound was wonderful. Concerning Mike Pope & Weckl, I went to the green room immediately after the show so I can't comment on what may or may not have been said on stage... all I know is that Weckl & Vinnie were extremely nice and cordial at the green room.

Concerning the pic... I would be more than happy to share it with you guys... it was not taken with a digital camera, but I guess I can get it transferred into digital form and then e-mail it to Steve Holmes... Steve, if you have another idea that would make it easier to get the pic on the forum let me know...
I'm not up to date on placing photos on the net... [img]redface.gif[/img]

[FuseU1]

I thought yam did a great job of the NYC review, so i won't try to top it... except that it looked to me that Vinnie was more of the really excited one, like a kid in a candy shop... the two of them, esp VC, were smiling & nodding at each other during the performances...

...Like yam, i also received the blessing of the opportunity to hang w VC & DW aft the show [by a freak chance circumstanceual happening!]... I was able to speak individually w Vinnie for about 10-15 min. ... i was able to take some vid shots of the boyz [i'd grabbed it out of the rental car] b4 my conversation w Vinnie [whereupon i turned it off & put it down to my side], & he was VERY gracious [the urge to take some footage overrided my sense of decorum at the time - the vibe seemed to be OK]... a VERY humble, kind, respectful, concerned, & "genuinely interested in what you had to say" individual - NOTHING like the horror stories that we often hear about... & he was also VERY respectful of Weckl... he did lay back on the finale, Spain, which was obviously in respect to Dave's position of longevity w Chick AWA Dave's "famous" appraoch to that song... the most notable difference in this version of Spain was the more strict 1/4-note pulse on cowbell during the main choruses [as opposed to DW's recorded Akoustic Band version w the accented pattern]...I also got a snapshot of myself w the 2 of them on either side of me... i thanked both of them for taking the time to hang & chat, & for being patient & tolerant w the snapshots & "vidcamming" - they were both VERY cool about it, ESPECIALLY Vinnie... he seems to be a changed man [no wonder] [in ref to stories that have been told]...

The Saratoga shows were great, too... 2 daze of nothing short of KILLER jazz bands; from traditional to post-modern bop, to avant-garde, to jazz/funk/rock fusion, blues, classical, latin/afro-brazilian, & reggae/ska/calypso influences... [the only drawback, which was a small one, was the boomy sound of the amphitheater in the upper balcony section, which, like some of you other guys, is where i was AW]...
...highlights [besides the obvious - Chick] were:
_Zawinul Syndicate [altho his set was cut short during an amazing uptempo bop/african/mid-east/fusion jam [img]graemlins/grrr.gif[/img] ] - i'm not sure who the drummer was [could'nt understand Joez intros], but it looked like Paco Sery...if it was, then this was my 1st live exposure to this drummer - & HE SaMOKES!! - what a BAND!!;
_Wayne Shorter [w Patitucci, Perez, & Blade - nuff said];
_Brad Meldhau Trio [awesome acoustic bop pianist; killer band, w a great drummer, Jorge Rossi[sp?], & Larry Grenadier from StvSmith & Vital Info fame on upright bass] - i believe Vinnie has also done some live gigs or recording w Brad?];
_Karl Denson & Tiny Universe - this guy's a talented vocalist AWA multi-instrumentalist[saxes, flute, hand-perc.], w an AWESOME funk-jazz-rock-r&b-fusion jam band - w a great drummer, John Staten!];
_Joe Sample [nuff said] w the Crusaders;
_Dee Dee Bridgewater [great fem scat/jazz/r&b vox & bop band w great players];
_Sanborn [Gene Lake, NOT S.Emory, on traps, & D.Alias on perc! - great band, as always];
_Dave Brubeck combo [still kickin it! - great traditional-meets-modern jazz trio];
_Esbjorn Svensson Trio [EST] - jammin'!];

...& on the smaller gazebo stage, some great local & state/regional acts [some of which also did the main stage, AW]:
_Russ Gunn & Ethnomusicology;
_The Bad Plus [jazz/swing cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit[!]" a highlight!];
_Harvie S & Eye Contact;
_Shirley Horn Trio ... etc...

...All in all, a great event in a splendid location, beautiful surroundings, great NY food, & cool shops/vendors [i bought a "BCobham's Glass Menagerie Live in Riazzino, Switzerland, Mar 81" DVD w Mike Stern, Mike Urbaniak, Gil Goldstein, & Tim Landers on the grounds]... another vendor was selling "RPT Studios Earth Drums," some sort of durable, super-elastic "paper" drums w cool paintings [hand-painted] on them that you play w small, light mallets... kinda funny; at the request [more like hounding] of a coupla friends, the guy had me [reluctantly] try em out [all i did was some rudimental & single-note sticking stuff & a couple of latin rhythms between a few of em]; he wanted me to stay & demo em for him, seeing a chance for more promotion; but i had to get some grub & get back to the fury of the shows!]...sounds like i was "tootin' my own horn" just then, sorry... i'm an OK drummer, i guess, if i can take the chance & make a "bold" statement like that here... *yikes* [img]redface.gif[/img] ...
...i was able to meet & hang a bit w blake1 & his girlfriend - cool hang, altho...[what happened to ya aft the show? ;=) ... like Blake, i had balcony seats, which were stage left, DIRECTLY OVER Vinnie's pastel-yellow Gretsch's, which were in turn RIGHT NEXT to Weckl's monster hybrid kit :=D ... [used my binocs, but didn't need em] ;=) ...
...at Sarat. i met Tombo 7/4 [by strange coincidence - he happened upon me by chance]; nice French-Canadian cat, but lost him aft the show AW [sorry about that T, as we could've talked some more] [img]confused.gif[/img] [img]redface.gif[/img] :=( ....
PS - As stated earlier, Vinnie's sight-reading is INDEED still stooopid....

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ July 05, 2003 04:46 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>