May 2021 – Volume 45 • Number 5
On 17th May 2021
The Sublime Power of Supporting Music with “Special Sauce”
What inspires the human spirit to pursue and achieve greatness? In the case of six-time Modern Drummer cover artist and MD Hall of Famer Dave Weckl, there are many levels of achievement to explore in the evolution of one of drumming’s most accomplished ambassadors. From Weckl’s youthful aspirations to his hard-earned success in the highly competitive New York studio scene, his dedication to following his passion led him to opportunities beyond his wildest expectations. In fact, what embodies the drumming industry in terms of sound, technique, style, and product innovation was partially influenced by Weckl’s unique vision to develop new sonic possibilities, pursue unexplored rhythms, and conceive products that advance the art of drumming.
As a teen growing up in St. Louis, Weckl realized drumming was his passion. At 17, he was already playing six nights a week. At 18, he moved to Connecticut to attend University of Bridgeport with aspirations of becoming a New York City session player. As fate would have it, the bassist in the university’s jazz band invited Weckl to join the group that would become Nite Sprite (named for the classic Chick Corea tune)—a mostly jazz-fusion band performing original music, along with contemporary material from Weather Report and Corea. Eventually, Weckl recruited his long-time St. Louis friend, keyboardist Jay Oliver, who had been touring with Maynard Ferguson, and the two roomed together in Westport, Connecticut.
Eventually, Nite Sprite debuted in New York at the Brecker Brothers club, Seventh Avenue South. It was lots of heavy lifting of gear to the upstairs venue for $20 a player. During this time, Weckl had been sending tapes and letters to Peter Erskine, who was drumming with Stan Kenton. While Erskine was hanging out in New York with jazz guitarist Steve Khan, the two went to see Nite Sprite. Erskine was so impressed with Weckl’s playing, he recommended him for a gig with a group called French Toast, featuring Santo Domingo pianist Michel Camilo and New York session bassist Anthony Jackson. Ironically, Jackson was the bassist who played on Corea’s “Nite Sprite” along with studio-drumming giant Steve Gadd—who Weckl had studied intently in his youth.
Articles in May 2021
Developing Speed Naturally
Almost all young drummers attempt to see how fast they can play at some point. This is a natural stage of development. It is sort of like flexing your muscles just to see how strong you are. Technique is needed…
Earthworks Audio - DK7 Drum Mic Kit
An ideal multi-mic package for capturing the purest essence of your drumset. The DK7 seven-piece microphone set by Earthworks provides everything you need for detailed and accurate multichannel drum recordings and live-performance amplification. This kit includes four DM20 clip-on gooseneck…
Yamaha - DTX6K3-X Electronic Drumset
A simple, powerful, and compact solution to keep you playingwhen acoustic drums aren’t an option. Yamaha makes great gear. Period. When it comes to drums—specifically electronics—the company always succeeds in delivering high-quality products to keep you inspired to practice and…
Don Heffington - Remembrance of a Talent
Dec 20, 1950 – March 23, 2021 Drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Don Heffington died on March 23, after a short-term fight with leukemia—a loss so many were not ready for. Born into a musical family in Los Angeles, Heffington was…
Crashes in Your Fills
The stereotypical rock drum fill might be a measure of 16th notes cascading around the kit from snare to toms, but there are many other options. As we progress as players, we want to increase our vocabulary of beats and…
DW and WFLIII
DW MFG Extended Footboard Models DW recently added new XF extended footboard options for the entire range of MFG pedals and hi-hat stands. The pedals are machined from aircraft-grade aluminum in California, and are offered as single and double pedals…
Sly Dunbar
Modern Drummer, April 1985 Certain people expect me to shine all the time, but artists can’t be at their best every day. No one is perfect. If a song is a good song, it’s much easier for me to play…
Fanny Hill, Fanny 1972
Fanny became the first all-female rock band to release an album on a major label when mega-producer Richard Perry signed the act to Reprise in 1969. Often missed is the other culture-changing element of Fanny—that, with Philippines-born sisters June (guitar)…
The Importance of Writing Notation
We have all heard that it’s very beneficial for drummers to learn how to read music. I completely agree. For me, it was one of the many game changers for my drumming. Learning to understand basic notation gave me the…
Foundational Brush Technique
When I first started playing brushes, I copied what I heard on recordings, and what people like Joe Morello were doing. When Joe came to town, I would get as close as I could to watch how he played brushes.…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
The Paul “Jamo” Jamieson Collection The Rolling Stones rented this vintage Gretsch set for its 1997 “Saint of Me” video shoot. It’s almost impossible to talk about drums in Los Angeles without Paul Jamieson’s name coming up. “Jamo”—as he is…
Denny Seiwell - Revisiting a Classic
Denny Seiwell became Paul McCartney’s first post-Beatles choice as his drummer when he was brought into the sessions for Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram album in 1970 and ‘71. Soon thereafter, Seiwell was invited to join the McCartney’s new project,…
How a Dave Weckl Performance Changed My Life
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Dave Weckl play the drums. At the time, I had heard Dave on records, but had never seen him play live or on TV. One fateful day, I happened to have the…
Ralph Peterson Jr. - A Look at the Life
May 20, 1962 – March 1, 2021 Ralph Peterson Jr.—who came to prominence in the 1980s as one of jazz’s swinging, improv-driven “Young Lions”—succumbed to cancer on March 1. He was just 58 years old. Peterson’s commitment to bebop—as well…
Brooke Colucci - The Drumming Prodigy Powers Plus
Who cares? That’s my attitude about Plush. Who cares that it’s an all-female band? Who cares that none of the band members are even 21 years old yet? Who cares that they have become social-media darlings, and who cares the…
Interview with Jazz Musician Tony Williams
Just what is a Tony Williams? Many of his admirers have described his style as: “Free,” “He doesn’t really play rudimental things,” “He’s loose,” “There’s something out of the ordinary about what he does,” and, “It’s different.” If those descriptions…
Realistic Reggae Rock, Part II
Awesome Drum Fill Ideas for Irie Playing In the April issue, we kicked off your journey through Carmine Appice’s Realistic Reggae Rock with a session on hi-hat patterns. This month, Carmine unveils some cool and authentic reggae fills. Dig in!…
Doc Sweeney Drums - Legend Series M22 Drumset
A divine steam-bent beech setup that’ll make you want to retire your vintage kit for good. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Doc Sweeney Drums is straight killing it with its creative, innovative, and inspiring approach to the solid-shell…
Endurance Exercises
Balance Your Left and Right Hands! The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen each hand individually in order to achieve a balance between the two. For the right-handed drummer, the left hand is the weaker hand, and vice versa.…
