Dave Weckl recently took time out from producing videos for his online school to discuss his drum setup for shows this coming weekend in Europe that he will be playing with the Buddy Rich Big Band, featuring vocalist Cathy Rich and drummer Gregg Potter. The big band’s 2017 dates celebrate the 100th anniversary of Buddy Rich’s birth.
Weckl will join the Buddy Rich Big Band today (May 19) in Milano, Italy, at the Blue Note, followed by a Saturday, May 20 performance at Ronnie Scott’s in London.
In the video, Weckl details his setup for these Buddy Rich Big Band dates, explaining how he specifically configured his setup to best serve Rich’s music while at the same time staying true to his own identity, signature, and musicality as a drummer. After discussing his setup, Weckl plays the kit.
“Buddy was a huge, huge influence for me and probably one of the main reasons that I play the drums at all,” Weckl says in the video. “When I was a teenager my dad introduced me to Buddy through bringing some records home, and it was kind of an obsession for me when I was young. I used to set up like him. In fact, I actually had one of his kits from the mid-‘70s — one of his Slingerland kits.”
For more information about Weckl’s online school, tour schedule, and projects, visit daveweckl.com.
Find information about the Buddy Rich Big Band’s 2017 dates.