Vinnie anybody

[Todd Knapp]

I've seen Vinnie up close several times, but the best experience was unique.  I managed the Drum Shoppe in Toronto in the late 80's and we had Vinnie and Alex Acuna come up for a Yamaha day.  I had a great chance to hang with Vinnie for 3 days and play with him.  I think there's a shot of the clinic up on my  http://www.drummercafe.com/featured-musician/drummer-percussionist/doug-tann.html]drummer page .

I was at that clinic, ostensibly to see Acuna. I was in early highschool at the time. I was blown away by Vinnie's chops but, at the time, I had little to no concept of what he was doing...

Still don't.  ;D

[felix]

OK I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY OTHER THAN AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT'S DOUG TANN- i LOVE YOU MAN!!!!!

I don't think anyone's mentioned his 1994 self titled solo release... wonderful CD... actually one of my favorites for that era period.

dc

yes fantastic cd!!!!!  it's at my friend's house and I have to get it back!

great thread and about time!

Is it true that Vinnie can sight read hieroglyphics?

[Matt Self (Gaddabout)]

I don't think anyone's mentioned his 1994 self titled solo release... wonderful CD... actually one of my favorites for that era period.

dc

It's funny how the drummer best known for "blowing" ends up restraining himself on most tracks on his own CD. Slink is probably favorite track on that one. The feel is juicy sweet.

[lrac3]

I too must give some love to the  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000003OZJ?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000003OZJ]Vinnie Colaiuta CD .  Personally I don't think there's a bad track on it.  I dig the groove on "Chauncey".

[Zappa-fan]

Wow, those are priceless interactions!  I've never seen Vinnie live, just on video. 

The funniest Vinnie thing I saw was a clip of him and Zappa and they were just goofing around.  V played a bunch of cool licks and then he started making seal or walrus sounds.  Totally hilarious. Of course, with Zappa, that might have actually been a real song. 

That clip is of course to be found on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPobB_1kZao
Have watched it number of times. ;D

I like his playing with Sting because he was really playing for the song and in my very humble opinion when he's playing the more fusion stuff these days he gets sometimes too busy.

Further more I like his playing with Tom Scott and not to forget with Joni Mitchell. The JM video entitled "refuge on the roads" is extremely good.

[Matt Self (Gaddabout)]

And since we're posting clips on my favorite topic, here's a live performance of a song that was perhaps the defining moment in Vinnie's career. It's Vinnie doing a "lite" version of the "Vinnie stuff" for a pop setting -- and it works so well. Just a brilliant job of playing, composing, working with a challenging artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBgyKoWPC5Q

[Doug Tann]

Andiamo Vincenzo..as Sting says....Brilliant, my friend, just brilliant...although it's an interesting study to see just how dramatically his posture and body language have changed over the years..

And Felix....you're gonna make me blush, my brother.

This is a wonderful board!

I'm in the middle of recording some BLOWING fusion tracks with a bud of mine from GIT.  If we get finished before I go back out I'll give you all a sneak peak.

Cheers

Doug

[Todd Norris]

Ha, that's the V clip I was talking about!  Crazy. 

I have only a precious few of the recordings listed so far.  The guy has so darn many great recordings out there.  I have some more exploring to do! I'll have to search my memory to list what my favorite recordings are that I own. 

[frankbriggs]

Great..
Good one Doug.

I think it will be nearly impossible for anyone to touch his career at this point.
So much to talk about.

[Doug Tann]

I do wonder how much time he's actually in the studio these days, given his touring schedule.

I know it's generally acknowleged that Vinnie has been at the top of the recording pile for a very long time, with maybe only Josh Freese covering some of the harder edged things..although i do own the Megadeth album that Vinnie is on and even though it's not my cup of tea..I still think Vinnie sounds very convincing.

Frank's point is excellent...I can't name too many guys that get hired by Dave Mustaine and then Faith Hill and then Herbie and then David Foster and then Corea/McLaughlin and then Jeff Beck and then Glen Campbell..and the last goes on.

I do have a wonderful 1st person account of Vinnie in the studio.  I worked with an Italin singer named Enrico Ciefiello who hired Vinnie and Neil Stubenhaus to play on his album.  I can share the details if we think it's appropriate to get that detailed.

Love this stuff

Cheers


Doug

[Matt Self (Gaddabout)]

I can share the details if we think it's appropriate to get that detailed.

Only you can decide if it's appropriate, but I'm always up for a Vinnie story.

[KevinD]

I do have a wonderful 1st person account of Vinnie in the studio.  I worked with an Italin singer named Enrico Ciefiello who hired Vinnie and Neil Stubenhaus to play on his album.  I can share the details if we think it's appropriate to get that detailed.

That would be a good story to hear, I'm always interested in the behind the scenes aspect of things.

Do you know anything about the session that he did with a Swiss musician named Matthias Heimlicher? (I admit I had to Google him to find out who he was) There is a video on YouTube of Vinnie in the studio with Jon Landau, Steve Lukather and Simon Phillips. It looks to be recorded at Simon's house/studio where they did the last Toto album. Simon appears to be engineering the sessions, although there is some footage of him playing too.

That is a lot of high rate talent! I've seen some other videos on YouTube of some of those guys in session for a lot of foreign artists. The tune on that particular YouTube video is pretty laid back and generic, I don't think anyone was struggling to play their part, but I guess the artists are willing to pay for the best.

[Steve "Smitty" Smith]

It's Vinnie doing a "lite" version of the "Vinnie stuff" for a pop setting

I'll take "Vinnie Lite" over monster Vinnie any day.  I love watching mind blowing chops, but his pop playing his much more satisfying to me on a musical and emotional level.

[Matt Self (Gaddabout)]

I'll take "Vinnie Lite" over monster Vinnie any day.  I love watching mind blowing chops, but his pop playing his much more satisfying to me on a musical and emotional level.

I love both, but it's the 'Lite' version I find inspiring. That's why I love the GRP SuperLive CD. There's no shortage of tasty inspiration there.

[frankbriggs]

That clip is of course to be found on Youtube
Have watched it number of times. ;D

I like his playing with Sting because he was really playing for the song and in my very humble opinion when he's playing the more fusion stuff these days he gets sometimes too busy.

Further more I like his playing with Tom Scott and not to forget with Joni Mitchell. The JM video entitled "refuge on the roads" is extremely good.

Thanks for that..I had never seen this.
How much fun were these guys having!? Priceless.

Vinnie is a bonafide genius no doubt. Miles once said a drummer like Tony Williams only comes around every 50 years. I think Vinnie is that guy of our generation.

Has anyone heard "River" the Joni Letters? I hope that wasn't already mentioned...
His performance on Nefertitti is amazing and very different for him. A totally different drum sound also.. low pitched Elvin-esque.  He sounds like Elvin on steroids.. or acid.

I agree with the above regarding his solo album. I like Darlene's Song...some great harmonic stuff going on, great writing .. oh yeah and the drumming is nice too:)

[frankbriggs]

It's also Weckl's first re-introduction post-Gruber (if I have my timeline straight) and I've said many times it's difficult to tell the difference between the two on their cuts (and I pride myself on being able to pick those two guys out based on their phrasings!).

Dave Weckl is on a par with Vinnie imho. It wouldn't surprise me that they could mimic each other.
Their careers are different. To me the greatest drummers add to the vocabulary of the instrument..which they have done along with Gadd, Tony etc etc etc.

[Doug Tann]

Speaking only for myself....and with humble respect..I prefer blowing, crazy, on the edge, seat of your pants, hold your breath, is he really going for that and is he gonna make it out alive Vinnie.

Saying that..my favourite DVD is the Boccelli DVD that David Foster produced called:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I2J6RI?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000I2J6RI]Andrea Bocelli: Under The Desert Sky

Vinnie plays nothin but perfect pop pocket for 90 minutes with an amazing audio mix

Also:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008AOXD?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00008AOXD]Faith Hill: When The Lights Go Down

Once again..superb groove with plenty of over the ride cymbal close ups camera shots.

Also:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6305869049?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=6305869049]CHAKA KHAN: BET ON JAZZ

A little more playing, but still plenty of meat and potatoes.

All titles are currently in stock from various e-sellers.

Cheers

Doug

[Matt Self (Gaddabout)]

Dave Weckl is on a par with Vinnie imho. It wouldn't surprise me that they could mimic each other.

Without a doubt, and we could have another thread on Weckl just like this one. The difference to me is Weckl always has A+ facility on display, whereas Vinnie is more about the surprise at the turn and going way out there on a limb without a rope or a seat belt or a safety net. Vinnie does improv live I would be terrified of attempting privately in my practice room. Or even think about doing privately in my practice room.

What I was pointing out was how both Vinnie and Weckl are distinctive in their approaches, but their playing on the Beal disc was so sparse but intense and technical at the same time, I couldn't tell the difference between the two. If you listen to the Patitucci CDs recorded several years earlier, even a newbie could pick those guys out song-by-song. Part of it, I believe, was Weckl's new approach, and that whole thing has unfolded into a much bigger transition than I think any of us predicted. Weckl is almost an entirely different drummer these days. But you pick that CD up and you can hear the nuanced thinking, and maybe he was listening a lot to Vinnie back then, because he's using a lot of nested phrasings and meter modulations that we more commonly associate with Vinnie.

Anyway, they're both monsters, and I'm so happy to grow up in an age when these guys have done their best work. Before I'm gone, I'll be able to tell the next four or five generations of drummers how I witnessed the art of drumming being advanced to unbelievable levels.

[Steve "Smitty" Smith]

Speaking only for myself....and with humble respect..I prefer blowing, crazy, on the edge, seat of your pants, hold your breath, is he really going for that and is he gonna make it out alive Vinnie.

That Vinnie is certainly is something to behold.  :)

I agree that Weckl appears to be on the Vinnie level of amazing technique and artistry.  I also think Steve Smith is on that level. I can't recommend his latest DVD enough.  In terms of sheer technical mastery, the DVD is jaw-dropping.  Don't let this one pass you by.

[Zappa-fan]

Discussed Vinnie's playing with FZ with my drum teacher very recently. (As a matter of fact we do that every lesson  :-\. ) I made an assertion which he agreed upon. Bozzio and Wackerman were from a rhythmical and technical point (more than) capable of playing his music. But Vinnie went beyond that. A prime example is the shut up 'n play your guitar album. A lot of the song are polyrhythmic and polymeter explorations between FZ and VC. I haven't heard that kind of interaction (yet) between FZ with Bozzio or Wackerman. Steve Vai made transcriptions of their playing from that record.

Don't get me wrong here, that I think the one is better than the other. I think FZ and VC were a match made in heaven. ;D Also consider Weckl as the "perfect" C. Corea drummer.  


What do you think? Any comments?