For more than 40 years, Dave Weckl has developed and maintained
a reputation among fans, peers, and the international music
community, as one of the great living drummers.
His contributions to iconic music,
music education, and the gear that drummers use, are many.
Modern
Drummer magazine has inducted Weckl into their Hall of Fame
(2000) and
named him "one of the 25 best drummers of all time."
These honors, in addition to many more bestowed by the music
community, are the product of Weckl's commitment to
excellence. His dynamic and diverse drumming, which
has inspired musicians worldwide, is built on a foundation
of knowledge and passion.
Weckl was born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960. Though
his parents were not professional musicians, his mother loved
music and his father played the piano as a hobby. Weckl started
drums at the age of 8, playing along to records in a spare room.
He eventually moved his kit into the living room where he
sometimes accompanied his father who played piano.
Early on, Weckl practiced to rock records by the Monkees,
Credence Clearwater Revival, and more. Rock drumming came easily
and his interest quickly turned to Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson,
Philly Joe Jones, and Steve Gadd, to name a few. In his early
teens, Weckl's passion for jazz and big band drumming reallly
blossomed.
During his high school years, Weckl received many awards from
the NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators) for
outstanding performances in his high school's
competition-winning jazz band. He also became involved
with numerous local groups starting at the age of 16 while studying
with St. Louis-area teachers Bob Matheny and Joe Buerger.
1979 saw a move to the East coast and the University of
Bridgeport.
While playing the New York club scene with a band called
Nite Sprite, Weckl started receiving accolades from established
studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and
Peter Erskine. It was Erskine who recommended Weckl for his
first 'big gig' with a group called French Toast, forerunner to
the Michel Camilo band. That band featured
iconic electric bass player Anthony Jackson.
From this group, Jackson recommended
Weckl for the prestigious 1983 Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour.
This got Weckl noticed by a much larger industry audience and
lead to many session opportunities, including radio and TV jingles, sound
track sessions, and top recording dates with George Benson,
Peabo Bryson, Diana Ross, Robert Plant, and many more.
In 1985, Michael Brecker recommended Weckl to Chick Corea for
his new Elektric Band. That was the beginning of a seven-year
relationship with both the Elektric and Akoustic bands where
nine recordings and three videos were produced. The Akoustic
Band release earned Weckl a Grammy.
The Elektric Band showcased Weckl's cutting-edge drumming and
innovative use of electronic and acoustic drums, bringing him
worldwide recognition. Though the Elektric Band went on a
10-year hiatus in the early '90s, the band still tours from
time-to-time. They released a 17-part conceptual album entitled
To The Stars in mid-2004, and have
reunited for tours in 2011 and 2016/17.
Weckl's solo career began in 1990 with the release of Master
Plan. Co-written/produced with longtime St. Louis
friend/colleague Jay Oliver, the album was a watershed moment in
Weckl's career. Some would say it ushered in a new generation of
contemporary drumming.
Master Plan featured a dynamic and diverse collection
of tracks featuring top jazz artists of the time. The album
created a palette for Weckl's wide-ranging abilities in jazz,
fusion, and Latin-inspired music, solidifying him as an emerging
leader in the drumming world.
The album's title track, written and performed by Chick Corea,
featured Weckl and Steve Gadd on drums. Weckl had been seen as a
protege to Gadd and their styles meshed perfectly on the track.
But in many ways, the tune marked a "passing of the
torch" in terms of next-generation artistry on the drums.
Weckl has recorded and produced nine other solo/leader
recordings to date. In addition to
Master Plan,Heads Up and Hard-Wired earned him great notoriety in the early '90s.
In 1998, Weckl
realized his long-time goal of forming a world-touring band. The
Dave Weckl Band released five studio records, including:
Rhythm Of The Soul, Synergy, Transition,
Perpetual Motion, and Multiplicity. The band
also released a hot live album, LIVE (And Very Plugged In)
plus a compilation of DWB and instructional videos entitled
The Zone.
Instructional videos have always played a big role in Weckl's
career. His original product, entitled Contemporary Drummer
+ 1, was one of the first play-along products ever
published for drums. His Back To Basics and The
Next Step releases were best-sellers in the '90s and also
continue to sell today.
Weckl updated his
technical approach in the '90s after studying with
Freddie Gruber. He then released a three-part series of videos called
A
Natural Evolution, which included an appearance by Gruber.
These products redefined earlier concepts to help drummers
understand how to play in a relaxed, efficient, and musical way.
They also helped solidified Weckl's stature as an articulate and
respected teacher. His clinics and master classes continue to attract
capacity crowds worldwide.
After many years of sideman work with guitar legend Mike Stern,
Chris Minh Doky's Nomads, Oz Noy, and more, Weckl spent 2013
reuniting with Jay Oliver. They
launched a crowd funding campaign that attracted more than 2,000
pre-orders of a project that would eventually be called
Convergence.
The album featured 10 tunes, including piano and drum solo
pieces and a remake of Stevie Wonder's legendary tune "Higher
Ground." The video of "Higher Ground" has been viewed millions
of times on YouTube and Facebook. Drummer Chris Coleman, bassist
Jimmie Johnson, guitarist Dean Brown, singer Chrissi Poland, and
several amazing horn players and vocalists took part.
The project also saw collaborations with Canadian singer
Emilie-Claire Barlow and Riverdance creator Bill Whelan. Oliver recorded several native Irish instruments at Whelan's
personal studio in Ireland.
Convergence was released with three companion products:
a play-along package for drums, a play-along package for all
other instruments on the album, and a full-length documentary
entitled Flies On The Studio Wall.
In 2015, Weckl formed an acoustic jazz group with longtime
friend/collaborator Tom Kennedy (bass), Gary Meek (sax), and
Makoto Ozone (piano/B3). The group was called The Dave Weckl
Acoustic Band. To date, the band has released a CD entitled Of
The Same Mind and a live DVD filmed at Catalina Jazz Club in
Hollywood.
More recently, Weckl has returned to touring with the Elektric
Band, Mike Stern, and Oz Noy, while completing sessions in his
Los Angeles-area home studio. He has also formed an
online
school with comprehensive lessons, new play along products, and
live footage from current tours.
He says
"it is my goal to inspire as many young (and not-so-young)
people as possible to want to play music, whether it be on drums
or another instrument. With all the negatives in the world
today, I feel this is my way of contributing a positive action
toward spiritual happiness, which music can be a big part of, if
you let it. So parents, if your child has a talent for music,
please allow them the opportunity to develop that
talent!"
Outside of music, Weckl has a passion for automobiles and
racing. Check out his
YouTube racing channel!
Beyond music and four-wheel indulgences, Dave's biggest passions
and sources of inspiration come from his daughter, Claire,
and his wife, Clivia.
A college graduate (psychology), Claire definitely has
the music gene. She sang an amazing version of
"Cups (You're
Gonna Miss Me)" for the Convergence album. Her talent,
passion, and work ethic make her father proud every day.
Dave's wife, Clivia, is a passionate singer with an album
entitled "Love's Way Back." Click
here to listen and watch videos!
Click here to view Dave Weckl's comprehensive discography.
Here are some videos with footage from Dave's
various projects. Click the title in the
upper-left corner of the video to open in
YouTube, or you can make the
video full-screen by clicking the box
in the lower right corner.
Nite Sprite "Samba De
Munoz"
Dave with Paul Simon (1984)
Dave with Michel Camilo (1993)
Chick Corea Akoustic Band (1991) Alive
Chick Corea Elektric Band (2003) "Got a Match?"
Mike Stern Band (2009) "Chromazone"
Dave Weckl Band (1998) Live at Musicians
Institute