Dave Weckl Band: The Chicken (2002) 

Masters from another planet: Dave Weckl, drums Tom Kennedy, bass Gary Meek, sax Steve Weingart, keys

Tom Kennedy does not get nearly enough credit for how well his bass playing brings out the best in Weckl’s playing. And his solo here is fantastic.

Weckl's kit always sounds exactly perfect. Every drum sounds tuned to exactly the right note and every cymbal played just right for the music. It almost sounds manufactured it's all so spot on.

Nothing is better than watching world class musicians play the chicken

Its astonishingly a shame how this kind of musicianship is largely ignored.

That fucking keyboard solo....holy shit.. that was amazing, and the bass player wtf.

My father took me to see Dave Weckl at an NYC club called The Bottom Line around the time i first picked up bass guitar, it had to be 2004, i was 12 or 13 years old. All i knew of musicianship at that time was my generations music. I left that show a changed kid, my mind was completely melted. Obviously the technical and melodic side of what these gentlemen do is completely not of this earth, but what blows my mind more than ANYTHING, is how complex the rhythms are, the rhythmic displacement and their ability to always know exactly where their downbeats are, they NEVER lose the time. That is the most impressive part of all of this in my opinion. Most people can try to tap their foot or clap their hands to this, and will get lost, or not realize they've lost the tempo by slowing down or speeding up. They displace these rhythms in such a way that you'll think the down beat is in one place but it's in another. As a bass player for 20 years now, i have studied jazz music, and fusion players just like this since i was 12, and I've come to a point where the technical side of things I have a grasp on, but that sense of time is almost unachievable, it's one of those "you either have it or you don't" type things. I have studied for years these rhythms and while I've certainly improved, there is still no way in hell I could get thrown into a performance with players like this and not get completely lost as to the where the hell the down beats are 😂😂😂 Amazing, and one of my favorite performances of all time.

Dave is one of the most musical drummers to ever grace a stage.

I'm sure that everyone who attended this performance fully expected to see a wonderful show. But my god, the masterful level of skill displayed by everyone in the band is just unbelievable. I have revisited this performance many times over the years and am always just left speechless. Thank you for sharing your talents with us for all these years!

Never ever in my life i had hear any other drum sound as perfect as this dude drum..

星の数ほどあるthe chickenの中で一番好き いつまでたっても色褪せない

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know about this Bassist Tom Kennedy till last week! Gosh. I'm now listening to all Dave Weckl Band albums. He's 👌🏿👌🏿♥️

I love this band so much! Dave weckle is that dude

The Dave Weckl band with Steve Weingart, Tom Kennedy and Gary Meek is the best incarnation ever, these guys sound absolutely on fire and very tight as a unit. Fantastic performance

I brought this exact line up to our high school many years ago. The talent level of each player is so incredible that its hard to focus on one person. People bought tickets to see Weckl, but they didnt realize the entire package of this band. The communication between them was amazing and it became almost a job to watch all of them. Truly a fantastic group

i got to meet Dave Weckl 2 days ago for the first time because he played in my area. HOLY CRAP. how did he get SO GOOD!!?!?!?

In the quest for the masses to crown their favorite drummer I’ve read some that give negative praise of Dave’s playing. I never could understand that. This guy is top in the field. So beautifully precise. There is NO best greatest. But he sure is in the top hundred thousand. 😏

Love the "Take the A-train" quotation at the end of the keyboard solo!

My first introduction to Mr. Weckl, and a large amount of other amazing jazz musicians, was their sessions with the "GRP All-Star Big Band". Those albums came out at the perfect time for me. The first one was when I was in grade school and had just started playing saxophone for the first time, and then "All Blues" came out when I was a freshman in high school. Jazz was the only genre I cared about. I was forced to sit in with the concert bands, but I devoted all my practice time to jazz. I had those GRP albums on repeat pretty much every day. I got addicted to Dave's drumming and I had always fancied playing myself, but I wasn't allowed to play in the house due to a mother who considered the drums "noise" and nothing else. Anyway, I started playing on practice pads trying to get my rudiments down, and when I graduated from high school and moved out on my own for college, I was able to actually start playing real drums. Speaking of going off to college, that happened to be the same year the "Synergy" came out and it just so happened that Dave and his band came to play in the jazz club in my city later that year! I made sure to position myself to where I could see Dave's kit so I could watch him play. My God, that was an experience! As I write all of this, I've just realized that I haven't listened to any of the above mentioned albums in such a long time. My favorite was "All Blues" from the GRP All-Star Big Band, and my favorite track was "Senor Blues". I just love the way it builds, and builds, and then you eventually get your head ripped off by Arturo Sandoval. Now I'm just rambling. Dave, if you ever happen to read this, I just want you to know that you helped inspire a young lad to develop his playing skills. Watching you play live when I saw you way back when, was an experience I'll never forget. Thank you for uploading this video. I brought back so many great memories. Now, where did I put my GRP CDs??

The best musicians on earth..👍👍👍

This is the greatest ever drum performance i have heard. My father bought this DVD for me at 2003, when i was 16 years old. It melted my face then and my face continues to be melted as we speak.

The keyboard solo is amazing.

Tom is one of my favorite bass players alive. When I saw the D.W.B back in 2004 or so I enjoyed Tom's playing as much I did with Dave's playing, one of the best drummers alive too!!!

Great, very beautiful. This video was deleted a couple of years ago, which I'm glad it's back on top. Many greetings from Santiago de Chile.

My favorite rendition of this tune!

Today i remember this dvd. Man, how many times i watched it.. Soo good!!¡

We will never forget Jaco. He was extraordinary. Dave and his people appreciate him perfectly. Thx

Stunning - fantastic - awesome!!!

My favorite Dave Weckl performance ever

Professionals with a capital letter!!! I got real pleasure and enjoyment from music! It's nice to listen!Thanks!

Disgustingly good. World-class interpretation and execution of The Chicken.

I can't stop watching it and listening to it everyday, I mean there is a reason. That hi-hats sound so ''crystal sharp clear'', the part on the keyboard where everything goes in another dimension at 3:26, the damn bassist lol ridiculous playing and chops, the sax sound so great, amazing! The switch to a Jazz part at 5:12 incredible, and that part 7:51 is unbelievable + the bassist going nuts, him and Weckl is just something you won't find anywhere else. Thank you for sharing this again on RU-vid!

sensational, this dvd changed my life, thanks a lot Dave Weckl.🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

What a magical combination: Weckl, Kennedy and the rest of musicians. Just impossible doing better.

Always great to hear Dave make music

Brilliant !!! Such a wonderful version !

This is so good! I have to come back every couple of months for another hit of such awesome playing, creativity and general all-round brilliance. Wow - thanks guys!

Dave Weckl. The holy sensei of drumming!

Best drummer ever! (for me)

AHH I'm somewhere in that crowd! What a legendary show and what a performance right here =)

1:51 Absolutely love that ride cymbal work. What a treat for ears.

Tom Kennedy gets me crying after 2 minutes ... damn!!!!! i just love it this is to good …

Glorioso! Love it! Shout out to my nephew for making this video known to me. Saw Dave with the Chick Electrik Band in LA, May 1986 at the Universal A theatre

Master piece... Played by masters. Thanks 👌👌👌👌👌👌🙏🙏

This DVD is epic. I watched It when was released. 🎶

Right On Brother....🥁😎🥁

God I wish I could play like Dave Weckl.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give that bass player a medal!

First Dave Weckl video I’ve ever seen awhile back, been following his playing ever since.

Amazing.... the music brings me to the stories that I look at the happy chicken in the morning enjoy his breakfast

Legendary drummer,legendary song,and legendary performance❤️

Truly amazing drummer & band🥁🇳🇿

Nine minutes and 22 seconds has never gone by so fast!

I saw Tom Kennedy and Dave Weckl at Ronnie Scott’s just 2 nights ago with Bob Franchesini on saxes and wind synth, and Stu Mindeman on keyboards,it was just awesome 😁👍

that reference to "Take the A train" at 3:52 was so good that made Dave Weckl smile!

90% of people are talking about how amazing Dave is as a drummer and I couldn’t agree more...he is masterful! But can we talk about how amazing The rest of the band is? Tom Kennedy Has to be one of the best bassist on this earth. His solo was absolutely phenomenal. The key board player was incredible...Talk about top tier musicians!

IMO Perhaps this is Weckl's best performance, all members totally on fire. But every time i watch this video theres one thing that never seize to amaze me: 3:10 pretty sums up the style of Dave Weckl, totally relaxed, deep inside his playing practically in trance. He's always been my reference drummer, unique in his style, musicality and above all his technical complexity, Master Plan is my Bible!

2:30 that transition from dave weckl was top notch

What a surreal level understanding of 'feel' on display here.

I just wanted to watch it again!!!!

Love the snare drum sound, it's soooo Crunchy

The best...great sound,great Drummer!

One of my all time favorite drummers ! Love his grooves :-) Band is awesome...

I love the way these guys communicate with each other...and that's exactly what music is...let your instrument do the talking!

I admire this concert! Dave, you have a wonderful sound!

I was looking for this song for years played by you Dave. You finally posted it after all these years

Wow... amazing talent al across the board!

Rock on Dave 🐸🍺🔪🔥

Like said here below, Tom Kennedy does an outsanding amazing solo!!! Wooow I mean goin from regular 16'th to 32's ..so on ...GREAT JOB TOM❤💥👌👌👌

Just.... beautiful !!

This was my firts The chicken 15 years ago…❤️

I love the interpretation of this tune that you guys did, just amazing.

Those who gave a standing ovation knew what they were doing.

My goodness! This is insane! Makes me miss live shows!

That secondary snare is the real deal! :-) Glad to see this here, Dave. Cheers!

holy fucking shit that guy can play drums ! insane.

Thanks so much for bringing back this classic piece. Used to love watching this when I was at school as a teenager. This is one of reasons why I've worked so hard to be a musician. God bless you guys.

What a band man DOPE solos of all of them!! The bass backing right on time after his ridiculous epic solo kill me man LOL I'M DONE🔥🔥🔥🎶🎶🎶

Dude that bass solo!

Great show

That bass solo 🔥

Sensacional! Grande Dave 🥺🙏🏻👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Thanks! Haven't seen this is years and it's one of the videos that got me hooked on Dave.

This is the GOAT performance of “the chicken”!

Há 18 anos atrás assisti esse video pela primeira vez em dvd, hoje esse tempo todo depois, revendo aqui e vejo a mesma magia! Show demais!

Me and my friend good friend had a consensus going in years ago of the top 5 drummers, Dave weckel was in there

That groove is so syncopated, I can't find the beginning of the form much less the downbeat. It blows my mind how the rest of the group kept up with Weckl in the changes.

The bassist amazing solo ❤️❤️❤️

Tom Kennedy really nails it! Great Bassplayer!

That was outstanding!

I came here to watch Weckl - I was blown away by the bass player….

still love this version of chicken 😍

'Take the A Train' lick to close out the keyboard solo

Probably my favorite version of The Chicken. I try channel my inner Dave when I play this, with a major emphasis on try lol

Oh my gosh! This is gold! ❤️

Mind blowingly awesome 🎼🎶♥️

This is old, I've seen this years ago. The interesting thing is that Dave plays less animated nowadays but his finesse game is light years better. He's one of the few guys who I've seen that just gets better. It's like he's finding a way to do just as much or more with less effort and ultimately that's really what it's about.

You know a song is special when it comes on in the background while working and you get lost in the song and forget about work.

A long time ago dave Weckl himself gave me a couple of sticks!! after a gig in France during a jazz festival ( I am french)