Dave Weckl

For more than 25 years, Dave Weckl

has developed and maintained a reputation among fans, peers, and

the international music community as one of the great living

drummers. For this, he has received numerous accolades and

honors; Modern Drummer inducted Dave into their Hall of Fame and

named him "one of the 25 best drummers of all time."



But these honors, in addition to many more bestowed by the music

community, are the product of Dave's undying commitment to

making great compositions. Dave's incredibly dynamic and diverse

drumming, which has inspired musicians worldwide, is built on a

solid foundation of knowledge and respect for music.



Born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960, to a mother who

loved music and a father who played the piano as a hobby, Dave

started playing drums around the age of 8.



During his high school years, Dave received many awards from the

NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators) for outstanding

performances in his high school's competition-winning jazz band.

He was involved with numerous local groups from a very young age

while studying with St. Louis-area teachers Bob Matheny and Joe

Buerger.



At age 16, Dave began to work professionally with local pop and

jazz groups. In 1979, he moved to the East coast to study music

at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. At just 19 years

of age, Dave was getting recognized.



While playing the club scene in New York City with a band called

Nite Sprite, Dave started to receive accolades from established

studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and

especially drumming great Peter Erskine. It was Peter who

recommended Dave for his first 'big gig' in town with a group

called French Toast, forerunner to the Michel Camilo band, which

has been recorded quite extensively over the years.



From this group, legendary bassist Anthony Jackson recommended

Dave for the prestigious Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour in

1983. After this tour, it was not long before Dave was regularly

being called for radio and TV jingles, sound track sessions, and

top recording dates with such artists as George Benson, Peabo

Bryson, Diana Ross, and Robert Plant, to name a few.



In 1985, Michael Brecker suggested to Chick Corea that he look

into Dave's services 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, including a Grammy for the first Akoustic Band

release.



The Elektric Band showcased Dave's cutting-edge drumming and

innovative use of electronic and acoustic drums, bringing him

world-wide recognition. Though the Elektric Band went on a

10-year hiatus in the early '90s, the band is once again touring

from time to time. It also released a 17-part conceptual album

entitled "To The Stars" in mid-2004.



As a solo artist, Dave has recorded and produced nine recordings

to date, including GRP/MCA solo releases Masterplan, Heads Up,

and Hardwired. In 1998, Dave 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) and a compilation of DWB and instructional videos entitled

The Zone.



More recently, Dave has enjoyed taking on more sideman work. He regularly joins

guitarist Mike Stern, Chuck Loeb, and Oz Noy, among others. When

off the road, Dave keeps busy with session and production work

at his home studio in Los Angeles. He also

teaches at the annual

Drum

Fantasy Camp. Additionally, Dave has many instructional

video/DVDs and

play-along packages on the market.



A constant student of the art of drumming and music, Dave gives

back every chance he gets through clinics and classes all over

the world. Of teaching, Dave 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!"



Of course, a guy this busy does need to get around town

efficiently. A fan of automobiles, Dave stays on schedule by

driving a 335 horsepower Audi S4. And, he's

always on the lookout for something faster!



But beyond all the recording, producing, touring, teaching,

working with companies he endorses to build better products, and

tearing up the highway every now and then, Dave's passion is

spending quality time with his daughter, Claire, Sophia (his

Golden Retriever), and friends.



This is what all the hard work is for - the inspiration to keep

doing it - and that perspective is probably Dave's biggest

asset.