Whats on your turntable tonight?

@spiritorradio- being a drummer, I’ve got a thing for bands with great drummers... as do you! ;-)

@geof3, yeah.   

A couple of years ago now I learned about a drummer that has the most amazing rapport with his piano player, their work together is really extraordinary in that aspect.  His name is Ofri Nehemya and he plays with the Contemporary Jazz pianist Shai Maestro.  Try the album The Dream Thief if you’re interested.  


Another drummer that when listening back has really just amazed me lately is Danny Carey.  You undoubtedly know his work with Tool but have you ever heard him play with Volto!?   I think they felt they could just let go and show their stuff and really experiment on that one amazing jazz-rock/experimental record they made.  It’s jaw dropping stuff for me.  

Neil Pert was my favorite drummer but with him gone I think I’d probably pick Gavin Harrison as my favorite these days.  I especially like his work with The Pineapple Thief but he makes everything he’s recorded on better.  

There are many others that could be discussed.  Who are some of your favorites?

@geof3 & @nkphoto,  how about the young Mr. Sanchez in that video you posted NK!   Now, he is one great drummer.  He’s so good he’s like two drummers (at once).  

Great drummers aren’t necessarily in bands, they are also in recording studios. Some studio drummers have temporarily been in a band: Jim Gordon in Mad Dogs & Englishmen and Derek & The Dominoes, Roger Hawkins in Traffic, Jim Keltner in Little Village, Russ Kunkel in The Immediate Family (with bassist Leland Sklar, and guitarists Waddy Watchel and Danny Kortchmar), Jeff Porcaro in Toto, Earl Palmer in his own jazz trio (I went and saw him play in the bar at Chadney’s Steak House in Burbank, directly across the street from the NBC Studios where The Tonight Show is taped), Hal Blaine (the most-recorded drummer in history) in John Denver’s road band, Harry Stinson in The Fabulous Superlatives (Marty Stuart’s band). Harry is an incredibly musical drummer, something highly valued by the best songwriters and singers. A lot of drummers play as if music is an athletic activity, not an artistic one.

You know @bdp24 , the drummer on the Weather Report album that @geof3 posted to begin this sub-thread is another that we could include on the list you began.    Acuña was both a tremendously prolific studio (Records and Movies) musician and toured as a member of WR for awhile.  I think he’s only on a couple or maybe three of those mid 70s WR albums (their best by far).  IMHO that band went way downhill after he left. Probably not just because he left....  
So many great drummers to admire.  What do you think, can we generalize differences between drummers who were/are primarily touring band members and those that were/are primarily session musicians?   Is it more than just athletics vs. artistry?   Or is it less about style and more about temperament?