"I am a huge Dave Weckle fan, and have seen him twice live. There are two problems with this album: First, there is the band, which really hasn't sounded very good since Jay Oliver left. Also OBVIOUSLY MISSING is Buzz Feiten on guitar. The second problem is Steve Weingart. He never sounds sweet, and every solo is so "outside the box" that we wonder if Mr. Weingart can play "inside the box". While he was on acceptable "temporary replacement" for Jay Oliver, the sound of Dave's band has only eroded, and it is surprising that Dave hasn't YET brought in a better keyboardist. If you want to hear Dave Weckle at his best, buy 'Synergy' or Master Plan. Also cool, check out Dave's instructional DVDs - some of them feature wonderful Wecklisms on video."
Amazing!
Jameel Rashid | Virginia (unfortunately) | 12/28/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Whether you're new to the Dave Weckyl Band or not, you'll definately appreciate this album. It gives that good live sound and every instrument comes out clear and crisp. The talent that these guys posses is unbelievable. And you'll just love the bass and drum thing called 'Rhythm-A-Ning'.
Quit b.s.ing and go buy it!
"
You Almost Wish They'd Make a Mistake!
researcher | 02/10/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If there's anything even remotely wrong with this CD, it's that the performances are flawless to the point of sounding sterile...awesome mix, stellar musicians, wonderful intimacy ( a cell phone goes off at some point, as well as an audience member who is either too easily amused or had a few too many )...Weckl has to be a Cyborg. Human beings don't play with this precision! Even the titanic Steve Smith himself hits the occasional rim at least once per live album ( seemingly ), which comforts us mere mortal players (!) Seriously, it's hard to imagine just where Dave Weckl will go from this level of playing...how much more can a human being progress? As much as I enjoy him within this context, I can only hope the tour with Chick Corea this past Summer was recorded at some point for a future CD/DVD release!"
From the first cut...
researcher | 10/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"From the first cut, this CD grooves. So many artists have "Live" CDs and it was only a matter of time for an artist like Dave Weckl to record one. First of all, recording a live CD means you've gotta be extremely good at what you do. And the coherence of the group in this band is nothing short of amazing.Gary Meek is an incredible saxophone player. I was used to hearing Brandon Fields. Gary has filled in nicely. Tom Kennedy, is an amazing Bassist and has been playing with Dave since they were younger. Tom Kennedy has such an effortless groove and plays beautifully on this CD. Then there's my favorite, Steve Weingart, who was brought in when original keyboardist, Jay Oliver. Steve has such an amazing style of playing. Beautiful sounds. On the cut "Mesmer-Eyes", him and Gary do a duet where you hear inflections of Chick Corea's tune "Gotta Match?". It's just incredible!!!Then there's Dave Weckl. To go on about him as a drummer would be what every other person does on this planet. So, let me say that Dave Weckl provides such a great groove on all of the songs, while allowing the other members to shine. Yes, it's his band, and his music (well majority of the songs on this CD are), but he let's his members shine.This was recorded at Catalina Bar & Grill and mixed by Dave Weckl in his studio. The sound quality of this CD is great. Recorded digitally using the latest in computer technology, everything is so clean and crisp.In conclusion, this CD is a great buy, especially that it's two CDs. Anyone who is a "Dave Weckl Band" fan, this is definitely what you've been waiting for. I know I have."
Anything But Boring
AGadgeteer | NE Ohio | 02/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I follow jazz drummers and appreciate Dave as one of the best. This set illustrates how well these bands can play together live. Everyone is, indeed, well plugged in. Agree with others - Tom Kennedy plays awesomely on this set. Love to hear these musicians play live with the dynamic of the audience.Also recommend the 25th anniversary of the Drummer's Collective DVD set. Check out Steve Smith's hi-hat technique! Dave's band also plays live. It was a great show to catch live wit' good friends..."