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I just got Zildjian Days, New York, and Zildjian Days, London, for my birthday. Pretty sick, but I must say they should have shown more Vinnie. Gadd is great, but Billy Cobham is unimpressive. I think the latter was more "old school" at the time, and that's why he's on the video. I don't think he really stands up by today's standards. Gadd is tasty as hell and has a surprising amount of chops. Vinnie plays in some bizarre "something/16" time signature which is just plain nutty. I've only seen it once and haven't had time to figure it out. Again, he doesn't play nearly enough.
Zildjian London is better produced (1995 as opposed to 1987) but I don't find the drumming as impressive. None of the players, in my opinion, are up to the Vinnie, Dave, Steve Smith, etc. level. I don't find Dennis Chambers very impressive either (bring on the hate mail). He's on Zildjian Days, London, and he's got REALLY fast singles, crazy independence, but so what? I find Simon Phillips equally boring. I want MUSICAL PHRASING, for the love of God. Greg Bissonette is okay, but nothing he did blew me away, either.
I also got the Buddy Rich Concert with Dave, Vinnie, and Gadd, and it is by far the best video of rhidiculous drumming available. I hadn't seen it for years, and it's unreal.
A special thanks to Randy Walker for sending me the Blue Note Tokyo show. It is top-notch. I wish he had made a CD with Vinnie. Made my birthday that much better. Thanks, Randy!
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Jack
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My pleasure, glad you liked it.
What cd are you wanting?
Randy
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I agree with you, man. Gimme the Weckls and Vinnies anyday over the Dennises.
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I meant that it would have been nice if Chick had made a CD with Vinnie. Other than GRP Superlive, I don't think he did.
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Jack
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The Blue Note is on cd. As an import though.
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I don't wanna start slagging Dennis off, but remember that post I posted a little while back about him being rude.
It contained loads of comments ratifing the comments above, his playing is boring, samey and uninspiring at times.
GM
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>I also got the Buddy Rich Concert with Dave,
>Vinnie, and Gadd, and it is by far the best
>video of rhidiculous drumming available. I
>hadn't seen it for years, and it's unreal.
I LOVE THAT ONE! Just watched it today again. :-)
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Yeah, there's one point where Dennis, while doing an ostenato (sp?) on his bass drum and high hat, looks at his watch, drinks from a water bottle, and dries his face with a towel, obviously just to show off for the crowd. I thought it was cheesy.
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Jack
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Billy on that tape is playing his ass off. His solo is built around musical phrasing and melody. It's one of the best solos I've ever seen.
I mean, that solo is all about phrasing, as is Tommy Campbell's. Gadd plays some beats...cool beats, but so what. Look at the solo's big picture, Billy created a piece of music with suspense, tension and release.
I agree about CHambers on ZDL...what a showboat, and he was clamming left and right. Very unmusical. I prefer his playing with Scofield.
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"Gadd plays some beats...cool beats, but so what"
<strike> You are banned from this forum.</strike>
I disagree.
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webmaster,
www.houseofdrumming.com
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I stand by my statement. On *that* tape, Gadd's playing wasn't as good as some of the other things I have seen him play.
COmpared to Cobham, Gadd, on that tape, didn't play musically.
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>COmpared to Cobham, Gadd, on that tape, didn't play musically.
What are you talkin' about? Gadd always plays musically. :-) :-)
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It's a good thing that drummers don't hire Gadd. That female guitar player was definitely getting into his playing in the background. I think that something all of the players lacked on that tape was a decent sounding drumkit. Gadd in particular though could have played a cardboard box and it would have still moved the earth. JMHO.
Clint
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I thought Tommy Campbell's solo was really amateurish. There was nothing techinically wrong with it; it just wasn't very interesting or good. He never finishes a phrase. I didn't like Cobham's for basically the same reason. His double bass work is awful, and I don't think his namesake chops are impressive at all.
Compare his playing to Terry Bozzio's (who also uses a huge kit, uses lots of single strokes, and is known for his "musical" solos). Bozzio blows him away. Again, there's something to be learned from every drummer, but I think Campbell and Cobham don't really stand up by TODAY'S standards, albeit back in the day they were innovators.
Gadd, though, simply grooves his ass off, and that's timeless. I will say this though (since I'm in critic mode), I wish Gadd would learn a new fill. That thing he does with the bass drum and toms gets old fast. He really over-uses it on the Buddy Rich vid.
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Jack
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I thought the same thing about Campbell's solo when I first started playing the drums...I listened to it later and had a change of mind.
MethodAir http://www.electricmountain.com/methodair.mp3
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Campbell's solo is very musical and since he plays in an unorthodox style, he plays some interesting stuff. He certainly doesn't have ape Gadd or Vinnie.
I just hear the melodies he and Cobham play on their kits, I don't hear the same of Steve Gadd on that tape.
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I watched the video last night again, and I take back what I said about Bissonette. He actually does some cool stuff. REALLY fast singles between the bass and hands. Plus he's the only one who demonstrates some swing independence (holding traditional, no less). The verdict is still out on the other guys...
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Jack
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I hate that one Gadd fill too. Maybe he does it as a reminder to people about all the records he drummed on in the seventies and eighties. He shoulda just got up there and played the groove from Lenore.
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Trilok Gurtu is on that Live in London video...some of the stuff that guy has done is untouchable.
MethodAir http://www.electricmountain.com/home.htm
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[This message has been edited by MethodAir (edited March 05, 2002).]
