Mike Stern Band with Dave Weckl
This past Saturday, my wife and I went to see a show at the infamous Blues Alley in Washington DC.
I’ve had a few people email me and ask about how it went, so I thought I’d share a brief post about the show. Before I do, let me set the stage a little bit. Those of you that know me well know that I’ve studied other drummers and listened to a LOT of music over the years. I have my favorite musicians and bands but have always really paid attention to drummers that portray something different… something that stands out. Dave Weckl is one of those drummers. I picked up my first album of his - “Master Plan” when I was 13. And for the last 20 years, Dave has been a huge inspiration of mine. When I saw that he was playing with Mike Stern in DC, I jumped on the opportunity straight away.
The Venue: Founded in 1965, Blues Alley is the nation’s oldest continuing jazz supper club, having showcased internationally renowned artists over the years. As soon as we stepped inside, we noticed that the place was packed - shocker! The host only had a few tables left in the back. Gasp! Intimate setting + Dave Weckl on drums = Must. Get. Close. I immediately expressed my love of the bands drummer to the host. Without a bit of hesitancy, he said, “Follow me, I have an idea.” And off we went to the front of the stage, directly beside the drum kit. Perfect. (View from our table)
The Show: Along with the Grammy nomination of Mike’s new album “Big Neighborhood” and the Hall of Fame stature of Dave Weckl’s drumming, other world-renown players included Tom Kennedy on bass and Bob Franceschini on sax. And to watch these amazing players this close is something that’s hard to explain. In three words, however: Dynamics, Communication, Musical. It was so refreshing to watch and listen to this high caliber of musicianship. It’s something that ALL musicians can learn from. In my opinion, the musicality, communication between band members and the dynamics is somewhat lost in today’s music. These guys knew where the song was headed, played when they were supposed to play and backed off when they weren’t. They made eye contact the entire time and just let the songs go where they were intended to go.
Last but not least, when the band ended the show, Dave himself had to squeeze by our table. After 20 years, I finally had the opportunity to shake his hand and chat briefly. Inspirational to say the least. And seriously, what drummers do you know get their name on the billboard when they play out too? Awesome.
If you ever get a chance to see a show at Blues Alley, do it. The staff were great, food was amazing and there’s some great lineups coming down the pike.
