Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dave Weckl: The Drummer Who Redefined Fusion
Born on January 8, 1960, in St. Charles, Missouri, Dave Weckl discovered his calling early. During his years at Francis Howell High School, he was already making heads turn behind the drum kit. His passion led him to the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, where he immersed himself in jazz studies and refined the technical prowess that would soon make him one of the most sought-after drummers in the world.
Conquering the Big Apple
Fresh out of college, Weckl plunged into New York City’s electric fusion scene—and the city immediately took notice. His combination of precision, power, and musicality quickly caught the attention of major artists. Before long, he was laying down grooves for an eclectic mix of superstars: Paul Simon, Madonna, George Benson, Michel Camilo, Robert Plant, and bassist Anthony Jackson. Each collaboration showcased a different facet of his versatility.
The Chick Corea Years
Weckl’s profile skyrocketed when he joined forces with keyboard legend Chick Corea in 1985. Over the next seven years, he became an integral voice in both Corea’s groundbreaking Elektric Band and the more intimate Akoustic Band. These weren’t just gigs—they were masterclasses in contemporary jazz fusion that cemented Weckl’s reputation as a drummer’s drummer.
During this prolific period, Weckl somehow found time to maintain a busy session schedule, appear with the star-studded GRP All-Star Big Band, and record four albums with the Manhattan Jazz Quintet. His calendar was a testament to both his work ethic and his universal appeal.
Finding His Own Voice
After departing from Corea’s band in the early 1990s, Weckl embarked on new adventures—recording and touring with the brilliant guitarist Mike Stern while simultaneously launching his solo career. Since 1990, he has released ten albums as a leader, seven of them featuring his own Dave Weckl Band, each one pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz and fusion.
Evolution and Education
Never content to rest on his laurels, Weckl has also shared his knowledge through a popular series of instructional videos that have influenced countless aspiring drummers. But perhaps his most dramatic transformation came around 1996, when his studies with the legendary teacher Freddie Gruber prompted a radical reimagining of both his playing style and drum setup—proof that even masters never stop learning.
Still Behind the Kit
Today, Dave Weckl continues to perform, record, and tour, bringing his distinctive blend of technical brilliance and musical sensitivity to audiences around the world. For anyone who loves the sound of perfectly executed rhythm married to genuine artistry, a Dave Weckl performance remains an essential experience.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dannie Richmond was born Charles Daniel Richmond on December 15, 1931 in New York City and grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He started playing tenor saxophone at the age of thirteen, and went on to play R&B with the Paul Williams band in 1955.
His career took off when he transferred his talents to the drums, which he had taught himself to play in his early twenties, through the formation of what was to be a 21-year friendship and an indispensable ingredient of the Mingus sound. Upon Mingus’ death Richmond became the first musical director of the group Mingus Dynasty in 1980.
Drummer Dannie Richmond, best known for his work with Charles Mingus, died of a heart attack in Harlem, New York on March 16, 1988, at the age of 56.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jimmy Lyons was born on December 1, 1931 in Jersey City, New Jersey and raised there until the age of nine, when his mother moved the family to Harlem and then the Bronx in New York City. In the mid-1940s he got his first saxophone and took lessons from Buster Bailey.
After high school he was drafted into the United States Army and spent 21 months on infantry duty in Korea before spending a year playing in army bands. Once discharged he enrolled at New York University but by the end of the Fifties, Lyons was supporting his music by working for the United States Postal Service.
1960 saw Jimmy followed Archie Shepp into the saxophone role in the Cecil Taylor Unit. His post-Parker sound and strong melodic sense became a defining part of the sound of that group, from the 1962 Cafe Montmartre sessions onwards. During the 1970s, he ran his own ensemble, with bassoonist Karen Borca and percussionist Paul Murphy and was part of the loft jazz movement.
Lyons’ group and Cecil Taylor Unit continued a parallel development throughout the 1970s and 1980s, often involving the same musicians, including trumpeter Raphe Malik, bassist William Parker and percussionist Murphy.
In 1976, Lyons performed in a production of Adrienne Kennedy’s A Rat’s Mass directed by Cecil Taylor at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan.
Alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, who recorded eight albums as a leader, twenty-nine as a sideman and performed in the free jazz genre, died from lung cancer at the age of 54.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Arild Andersen was born on October 27. 1945 at Strømmen, Norway and started his musical career as jazz guitarist in the Riverside Swing Group in Lillestrøm, Norway from 1961 to 1963, and started playing double bass in 1964. He soon became part of the core jazz bands in Oslo, Norway, such as the Roy Hellvin Trio, the backing band at Kongsberg Jazz Festival, and was named Best Bassist by Jazznytt in 1967. That same year he started as bassist in the Jan Garbarek Quartet.
In 1968 after completing his education he became a professional musician and collaborated with Karin Krog, George Russell, and Don Cherry. He performed with visiting American musicians Phil Woods, Dexter Gordon, Bill Frisell, Hampton Hawes, Johnny Griffin, Sonny Rollins, Sheila Jordan, and Chick Corea. During the same period he worked with Ferenc Snétberger and Tomasz Stańko.
The early Seventies saw Andersen collaborating with Norwegian musicians before leaving for the United States in 1973. A year later he was leading his own bands, worked with the Radka Toneff Quintet and has recorded more than a dozen albums as a leader for ECM Records. Arild founded the critically acclaimed band Masqualero, and appeared as side man on a series of recordings.
In January 2009, he was named “Musicien Europeen 2008” by the French Academie du Jazz and in 2010, Andersen received the Ella Award at the Oslo Jazzfestival. He recorded his latest trio album with American drummer Bob Moses and Slovenian guitarist Samo Salamon titled Pure and Simple.
Bassist Arild Anderson, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene, continues to perform and record at 80 years old.
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Bill Pierce, known to many as Billy Pierce, was born September 25, 1948 in Hampton, Virginia. He studied with Joe Viola and Andy McGhee at Berklee College of Music, and with Joe Allard.
In the early 1980s he was recruited by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Through the late Eighties and into the late 1990s he recorded simultaneously as a leader while also in Tony Williams’s quintet in the mid-1980s to early 1990s.
As a leader he has recorded seven albums and another 18 as a sideman with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Geoff Keezer, Kevin Eubanks, Makoto Ozone, Superblue, Tony Williams, and Lazlo Gardony.
As an educator Billy says he likes seeing music being carried on by young people developing, achieving their dreams, and being a part of history. Many of his students have made a name for themselves: Antonio Hart, Mark Gross, Javon Jackson, Walter Smith, Mark Turner, Miguel Zenon.
Saxophonist Billy Pierce, who is the former chair of the Berklee woodwind department, continues to perform, tour and educate.
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