I saw dennis do a clinic in Doncaster 4 or 5 years ago. I ve been lucky enough to see some of the great players in the world today, but chambers was the most unbelievably, astoundingly mindbendingly amazingly brilliant thing I ve ever seen in my life. I remember he was so loud that he was blowing dust off the rafters 20 feet above him. He was stunning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After this performance, Dennis was taken to the hospital. Apparently, what he played at 2:52 gave him what doctors call "groovatitus". Groovatitus is a rare muscle memory related disease in which you groove so tight in the fucking pocket that you cannot get out of it. Lets hope he recovered from it.
Love the look on Mclaughin's face as Chambers solos. He's like.....WOW.....this guy is amazing. Pretty high praise from one of the world's greatest guitarists.
The power of a confident drummer, holding the audience attention until THEY decide to let rip. This is why Dennis is one of the greatest. Superb confidence in his own amazing playing...bravo.
I never thought a drum solo could move me emotionally. This is a truly valid and trancendendt, musical, artistic statement. Just close your eyes and lose yourslef in it. Oh, yeah, and he plays his ass off!
I love it when you see Mclaughlin listening to Chambers and just grinning at how awesome he is. All the amazing players these guys have played with over the years and they still listen to each other with fresh, new excitement. You'd think J Mc would be jaded by now all the incredible drum solos he stood on stage with from Cobham, to Walden and so on....
god this guy is amazing. i just love him. his patterns and rhythm, his snare in all of it. wow. the more you listen to it the more beautiful it becomes. Dennis Chambers u rule! x
he's like a human locomotive; if there's someone else who plays with the power, funk, groove, precision, balls and stamina like him, please let me know
Man, he can do ANYTHING and still be in the pocket. It's crazy to watch. My other list of drummers you HAVE to watch are Virgil Donati, Bill Bruford, Neil Peart, Buddy Rich (see an old video) Billy Cobham, and Dave Weckl
I've been a huge Cobham fan for years but that doesn't diminish my appreciation for Dennis Chambers. They have completely different styles and both are amazing to see live. Chambers tore my head off at a Santana concert a few years back. Then again I heard Herbie Hancock and Cobham live and was stunned into submission at that too. Bottom line: two different drummers. Chambers is the master of funk. Cobham the master of jazz fusion.
John has always said he absolutley loves the drums and the violin... His favorite instruments other than the guitar....This is just a terrific drum show. and he got to watch it 5 ft away
I've always loved the way Chambers manages to keep the groove no matter what he's doing. There are drummers who are more technical and robust, but lack groove. Chambers always seems to have this totally insane energetic undercurrent in his playing. In addition to the break trick he does here, one exceptional moment that comes to my mind is the syncopation trick he does on Brecker Brothers Barcelona gig (opening tune Above&Below). I recommend checking it out!
haha. I've seen Chambers from 5 feet behind his drum kit, during a clinic. It was freaky. One of the best drummers ever. Pure power, groove, and style. Just amazing playing.
Wow,when I was a kid,I watched this video and remembered the name McLaughlin only. The drummer had small chain on his ride cymbal and was the greatest drummer I had ever seen in my life. Now i understand it was Chambers...huh...10x for posting this video...10q
Chambers is a monster. I was at this same concert series in Ann Arbor Michigan. He blew us all away. FYI, check out Dennis on the Birelli Lagrene "foreign Affairs" CD. Probably the his best work that I can recall.
i saw that show in quebec city, i think in 1995. with joey defrancesco on b3 organ. wow! that was amazingly good. dennis chamber is one of a kind. the best drummer in my opinion
Dennis Chambers is the best drummer alive right now, IMO. I realize this is quite subjective, but many would agree with me. He transcends genre and style to incorporate his incredible talent into everything he is involved with.
... around 4 mins 50 there's some extra fireworks - BUT THIS HAS TO BE THE MOST POWERFUL RAW DRUMMER out there... of course drummers often acknowledge him as such - but here to see him in full flight - maybe not the most subtle - but the sheer power!!!! WOW
Damn! Why is he playing with one of those chains you put on your ride to make it sizzle? Why doesn't he just get a ride with rivets in it? This guy is bad ass, tight, groovy. His work with Steely Dan says enough. Love the way he drags this solo out. Never a dull moment.
Thanks for having uploaded this video! I used to recorded when it was broadcasted on M6 (french TV), and I've seen it douzains of times! But since it was on VHS, I did not see it again for ages. thanks again...great solo, great dummer!
I couldn't agree more! I don't know how many books and videos I have used to better my performance and technique. However, none of that improvement is possible without the hours of practice and dedication required to hear, play and understand the instrument and music. DC didn't have RU-vid did he?
This guy is a great, great drummer! Amazing stuff, as always! There are only two drummers I love more, Vinnie Colaiuta and Steve Gadd... I know there are a lot of other greats out there, but for me this is the top three! Vinnie is the genius, Steve the master, and Dennis the thunder! Peace, and enjoy !
