From DW DVD's release of "The Marco Show". Here master technician on the drums Marco Minnemann plays with a big band. Director | Producer | Geoffrey S. McNeil Production Company | GSM Entertainment www.gsmentertainment.com
This is a great performance. At first it seems slow, but then the whole thing starts to breathe and 'lifts of' as it were. The same thing with the tenor solist, starting a bit cliche and not comfortable, but then.... the man gets off like a rocket, with genuine ideas in his pocket. GREAT!
I think Marco proves in these big band vidios he can play with good swing and feel much less lead the time with a virtuoso big band without letting the time drag. That's a skill that takes work. Also, again it brings up the accepted perception that if your a technician you can't grove or vice versa. That can happen if your classically trained from a young age, but it can be a generalization or a label as it has become with techinical guys like Marco, Thomas Lang, Mike Mangini etc....
I have wondered how marco would do on big band jazz and I have to say I love his drumming in most context but he can not swing well. Gavin Harrison however can swing with the best of them. I would love to hear Gavin on this stuff.
Some really bizarre comments here…. I wonder if this video were posted under a different name, so those commenting didn’t know this was one of the World’s most technically proficient players, whether they would be so quick to claim “he can’t swing” ? I kind of get the impression that their assessment is based more on who he is than how he plays… and there are a lot of very talented people on that stage apart from the drummer - those commenting that this band can’t play jazz and suchlike need to give their head a wobble.
Look, Marco is a talented drummer, I like him but swing is another thing so I not agree with what you wrote. I suggest you to watch some peter erskine swing watch?v=IcoCZDvyIyk
