Andrea
Dave Weckl is an American jazz-fusion drummer who was born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960 is well known as a person who runs the Dave Weckl Band. Inducted in 2000 in the Modern Drummers Hall of Fame. He has developed and maintained a reputation among fans, peers, and the international music community, as one of the great living drummers for more than 40 years.
Dave Weckl parents were not professional musicians, but his mother loved music and his father played the piano as a hobby. Little 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.
Dave Weckl Early Journey
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.
One day Weckl started receiving accolades from established studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and Peter Erskine. After that Erskine recommended Weckl for his first ‘big gig’ with a group called French Toast, the forerunner to the Michel Camilo band. That band featured iconic electric bass player Anthony Jackson.
Knowing Weckl from this group, Jackson decided to recommend Weckl for the prestigious 1983 Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour. This made Weckl noticed by a much larger industry audience and lead to many session opportunities, including radio and TV jingles, soundtrack sessions, and top recording dates with George Benson, Peabo Bryson, Diana Ross, Robert Plant, and many more.
Dave Weckl Solo Career
Long story short, 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.
The album featured a dynamic and diverse collection of tracks featuring top jazz artists of the time. It 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 title track was written and performed by Chick Corea, featuring 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.
Dave Weckl and The Dave Weckl Band
In 1998, Weckl finally made up 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.
Also 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.
