Keith Carlock With Sting - Review

[Derek DeFields]

they're ringy alright, but (to me) it's that horrible ringy that I usually try to tune out. He tunes to accenuate those tones instead. Likewise he likes the kick totally open but flappy.

Keith is one of my favorite players and his sound is very much a part of his playing.. I guess put me in the love the playing, hate the sound column please.

[tombo74]

WebDeco, Thanks for the review!!

And Benny, I also saw the Mercury Falling show and what you say is real. It reminded me of some things.
The show started with the musicians energetically running to their instruments and Sting to count off the 1st tune: 1-2-3-4...then...nothing!
Vinnie was not even behind his kit yet! He was nonchalantly walking to it with a cigarette in one hand, a drink in the other and a towel on his shoulders. C'mon Vinnie!
It then started but during all the show he seemed less preoccupied by the music than by how he could manage to drink and smoke while playing (often with one hand!). It was the 1st time I went to see Vinnie and was all excited but I was disapointed. Not that the music really suffered but I found Vinnie's attitude to be a bit non-professional. I read that long tours litterally destroy him. He looked bored to death (probably with reason), or maybe it was one of those nights...but...He nevertheless killed on 7-days!!

I must say I reconciled with his live performances when I saw him with the Randy Waldman trio or with Chick and friends [img]biggrin.gif[/img] .

And on Keith Carlock, for what I've heard/seen, I agree that his sound his pretty terrible.
On the live Krantz "Your basic live" he sounds like he plays a Mickey Mouse kit and cheap sounding B8 cymbals. But the stuff he pulls out and his groove are amazing!
IMO he looks bad, moves bad, sets up bad and sounds bad but who am I to critique? Hey!, he gigs with Krantz, Steely and Sting! and those major acts obviously see more than that in him. They're interested by his UNIQUE style, talent, groove and chops and by the energy he brings to the music. So that may be the recipe: Spending less time trying to look/sound cool (or like another) and more time developing our unique voice?

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ January 28, 2004 08:07 PM: Message edited by: Tombo 7/4 ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 28, 2004 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Tombo 7/4 ]</font>

[Derek DeFields]

The best compliment you can give to someone in Jazz is, "you don't sound like anyone else." To me, that's Keith. (like it or not)

btw, 2 Drink Minimum is actually another drummer named Zach Danziger. There are reportedly vids of this trio floating around though I've never seen them. (let's make it happen guys)

[ashio nz]

Re the Mercury Falling tour, I saw Sting perform here in Wellington in Nov '96 with Vinnie & he looked bored. Sting introduced the band & said something like 'Here's the one & only Vinnie Colaiuta...c'mon Vinnie get up here' & he was dragging his steps man. Came to the front of the stage & waved (tiredly, long hair in tow! This particular show was near the end of the tour after 18 months or whatever & is such a long time I guess...

I felt he was professional in his playing (I don't think he had been to NZ before) but his mind was awol. His time was perfect but no spirit. It still didn't matter to me - I had gotten to see him live at last. There were a lot of drummers there at the venue who, no doubt, were Vinnie fans not Sting fans.

Even thru 7 Days, Sting was prompting him/urging him to add some spice but it just wasn't there.

[tombo74]

"Your basic Live". Sorry.

[maxdis]

I saw Vinnie with Sting in '97 in my town (in Italy), and can confirm the cigarette/drinking thing..! He also managed to drop the ashes off the cig hitting them with a stick!!! [img]eek.gif[/img]

[JohnDrum]

I might be mistaken here, bur didn't I read somewhere(possibly on this board) that Vinnie was going through some major personal issues around this time - a divorce or somthing like that? Even in the rarified circles that Vinnie inhabits, that's still got to have an effect on all aspects of your life!I know Buddy Rich famously said to one of his bandmembers that " they don't pay to see you with a toothache, or any of your problems - it's SHOWbusiness" (not the exact wording, but you get the gist).I saw Vinnie in Manchester in 1996, somewhere near the start of the tour, and was absolutely blown away by everything about his performance -his taste,licks, skill, and the thing that stands out, even after 7 years, is the sheer clarity of his sound. I can still remember the goosebumps when, in complete darkness, the press roll that starts Hounds of Winter grew, so smoothly, to a crescendo. Over the course of the last year or so, I've got hold of a few live Sting DVDs, particularly from the Mercury Falling tour - that album means a lot to me as it seemed to resonate at a time when I was going through a major personal trauma - and I was deserate to revisit the era. I had lots of CD boots from the tour,but live video was what I was after. Co-incidentally, I've just this morning watched my latest find - aDVd compilation( don't you love ebay?)of a few shows from '94-'96 - 2001. The great thing is watching Vinnie on the French Taratata show from '96 - ponytailed, skinny, looking tired and serious - having so much interaction with Kenny Kirkland throughout the long improv. piano solo section of 'When The World is Running Down', and grinning at Kenny's audacious latin-tinged, across-and-over-the-bar phrasing. Vinnie, to me, is always a joy and an inspiration to hear and watch,and if he occasionally lets life get to him - he's only human, despite lots of recorded evidence to the contrary.

[ab0u910e]

Wow!

Nice words John! I would love to know where I could get hold of any clips of Vinnie playing the tunes from the Mercury Falling album. It's one of my favs and I think is largely underrated. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers

Jonathan

[eaglebeat]

JohnDrum,

Can you give me some names of the Sting DVD(r)'s you've bought on eBay?
[img]tongue.gif[/img]
Thanks!

[WebDeco]

1996!

Anyone who saw Vinny at the 1996 PASIC Show in Nashville would think he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

After a lackluster solo during his "clinic" he actually took about 15 minutes to call his wife on the phone (while on stage) in hopes to get the entire crowd to sing Happy Birthday. It didn't go over too well.

There was actually a time where he stopped during his performance and said "I'm really not into this today". To which afterward he started "working out" some weird time signature grooves and he actually would stop and "try again". CLASSIC! I still enjoyed it regardless.

The impression I got was that he became bored with Sting's music during that era and it affected his mental approach toward his playing.

After the Show I saw him literally run towards the pizza concession at the Convention Center with Steve Smith and 2 kids - how surreal is that!?

This was quite the opposite Vinny from his performance at the 1995 PASIC in Atlanta which was awe-inspiring!

I guess we all go through bad times.

I still think his drumming on Ten Summoner's Tales is some of the best of it's kind.