Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dave Weckl Band: Synergy
Dave Weckl Band: Synergy
When Dave Weckl decided to have a “band writing day, rehearsal kind of jam session” while touring with his present ensemble, he couldn’t have made a wiser decision. That day ended up yielding the foundation for almost half of the material on
Synergy, his latest release on Stretch Records. The band, Brandon Fields on tenor sax, Jay Oliver on keyboards, Buzz Feiten on guitar,Tommy Kennedy on bass and Dave Weckl on drums, is captured having fun and being spontaneous with music that is written for both live and studio performances. As one of modern jazz fusion most rhythmically eclectic drummers, Weckl mixes everything from blues, Latin, African to soul, rock and jazz...making the synergy happen. “High Life” opens the 12-track set with a West African-influenced drum groove. His drum solo over the vamp is incredible. You can sense the fun Weckl is having on “Swunk,” as he plays with a swing/funk feel. On the beautiful ballad, “A Simple Prayer,” Weckl provides a mellow percussion groove with finger cymbals and a bell tree, adding just the right touches to the Buzz Feiten tune.
Synergy may have created an entirely new definition of jazz fusion with its title salsa/funk tune. It’s a full testament to the accord of the Weckl collaborations. The CD is cohesive and a compliment to the contemporary masters who created it and had fun doing it!
TRACKS:High Life, Panda's Dream, Swunk, A Simple Prayer, Cape Fear, Wet Skin, Synergy, Where's My Paradise?, Lucky Seven, Swamp Thing, Cultural Concurrence, Tower '99.
MUSICIANS:BRANDON FIELDS, sax; JAY OLIVER, keyboards; BUZZ FEITEN, guitar; TOMMY KENNEDY, bass; DAVE WECKL, drums.
Track Listing
High Life; Panda
Personnel
Brandon Fields- tenor sax, soprano sax, keyboard, baritone sax; Jay Oliver- keyboards; Buzz Feiten- guitars; Tommy Kennedy- electric bass; Dave Weckl- drums, percussion.
Album information
Title: Synergy
| Year Released: 1999
| Record Label: Concord Music Group
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to
future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by
making a donation today.
