November "Jazz Corner: Dave Weckl" by Sebastian Cabrera

     I’ve heard of Dave Weckl once during my High School year while I was doing Jazz Band. My old jazz teacher, Mr. Harmon, introduced two different drummers that he really enjoyed. The first was Neil Peart from the band Rush (a band I also listen to for the bassist Geddy Lee), and the second, Dave Weckl. The first song I heard from Weckl was from “Island Magic,” featuring Chick Corea from his first album, Master Plan. The moment I heard this song, it reminded me of Sonic the Hedgehog from SEGA, specifically the background music that plays during each Sonic game. Even though this is my first impression, I started to recognize his skills as a musician and started to enjoy a bit of his music.

     Dave Weckl was born in St. Louis, Missouri, January 8th, 1960. Weckl’s parents were lovers of music, as his mother enjoyed listening to music and his father played the piano for fun. He grew up loving music just like his parents and started playing the drums around the age of 8. His father eventually joined Weckl in his practice routines to help improve his music skills. Weckl’s inspiration for music was rock music which consisted of the Monkees, Credence, and Clearwater Revival. But once he learned a good amount of rock music, he wanted to do something different. He decided to lean towards Jazz and Big Band music, which led him to do more jazz during his teen years. A few artists to mention that inspired young Weckl were Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Steve Gadd, and Philly Joe Jones.

     Today, Weckl continues to perform around the world and in the US. He’s coming to LA in December with a band called The Baked Potato, and tickets are $75 (way cheaper than MCR tickets). Besides his reputation for joining bands that have food-related band names (!), Dave Weckl is an amazing drummer who shows passion for his craft and love of music.  

    In 1979, Weckl moved towards the East Coast to attend the University of Bridgeport. While there, he encountered many musicians who sparked his recognition and skills. In a band he joined called Nite Sprite, Peter Erksine (Drummer) recommended Weckl to a band called French Toast. The band featured legendary Bassist Anthony Jackson, who is known for his 6-string bass skills. After doing some gigs for French Toast, Jackson also recommended Weckl to Simon and Garfunkel, who were popular in another industry area which included soundtrack sessions and TV jingles. This led Weckl to perform and be featured in multiple songs, collaborations, and educational opportunities. He then created a band called The Dave Weckl Acoustic Band in 2015 with close friend, Tom Kennedy (Bass Guitar), Makoto Ozone (Piano and B3), and Gary Meek (Sax). But this is the tip of the iceberg for Weckl’s discography and group projects. On his official website at daveweckl.com, he was involved in 10 group projects like Chick Corea Elektric Band (Pianist and phenomenal composer) and Lee Ritenour (Guitarist and contemporary jazz musician). Then, when looking at his discography throughout his career, I counted around 190 albums/songs he participated in from 1981 to 2014. I’ve recognized a few artists and albums, such as John Patitucci (Standup Bass Player) and “Caravan” (I performed this piece with the Reedley College jazz Band, and it is one of my favorite songs). When Weckl was around 21, he did his first project, “Jazzisimo” by Laco Dezi.

     Today, Weckl continues to perform around the world and in the US. He’s coming to LA in December with a band called The Baked Potato, and tickets are $75 (way cheaper than MCR tickets). Besides his reputation for joining bands that have food-related band names (!), Dave Weckl is an amazing drummer who shows passion for his craft and love of music.