The Gary Chaffee Interview 

Gary's material is the best.

So pleased to hear you mention the late great Peter Magadini. I was lucky enough to study with him for 2 years in the Bay Area. He gave me enough material for a life time of study. Peter would be delighted that he was included in this conversation. Really enjoying these podcasts Vinnie. Thanks!

A tandem instructional video with you two would be a drumming treasure for the future generations to come.

Drummers are the steelworkers that lay the groundwork for others to just drive over. I loved this incredibly thoughtful message from Gary on this episode of the show.

Hi Gary! I studied with you around 1987 at your house for a summer between semesters at Berklee.

In the 80s I took lessons with someone who had taken lessons with Gary Chaffee. I practiced a lot. To this day I can play just about any combination of single- and double strokes without getting lost.

I love Gary Chaffee!!! The greatest teacher I ever had!!!

Vital Interactions 🙏 Gary Chaffee’s books 🙌

Wow. Thank you Vinnie and Gary. I’ve been exposed to some of Gary’s things, but many years ago……I am going out to find much more. Really appreciate hearing how great minds think. Again, thank you both.

I bought Garys books in 1977 and called him a few times to go over the approach to his studies, he was such a great person giving his time to explain … He invited me to up to Boston to study with him … At the time I had a car that could just about get me to my gig’s so it never happened.. I take with me everything I learned from my Uncle Fred, Gary Jim Chapin and all the great players I’ve listened to over the decades ….. You never stop learning …. It’s Great to back to move forwards.. Thanks for putting this together Vinnie ❤😊

Ohhh the great Ed Kaspik....r.i.p and Vinnie and Gary thank you for your contributions to music! ❤❤❤❤ always grateful!!!!

What a great video! Thank you for sharing!

Looking up Ionisation and Amores right now. Be back to finish this interview in a bit....

So loved hearing two old compatriots talk about their art and craft and their development together. And Gary thank you so much for opening the doors of my ability. I feel it truly has led me to “let go of the side of the pool and swim”!

Dear Vinnie I’m a jazz drummer from Italy and I studied with Gary in the late eighties. I recently released a jazzy Big Band version of your brilliant tune I’m Tweaked, and it’s mixed by George Witthy and Dave Weckl. I would love for you to check it out, because the guitar parts played by a horn section sound pretty good. Please let me know if you’re interested in listening to it and how I can send it over. (It’s here in RU-vid anyways) Thank you for your everlasting inspiration Tony

Wow thats awesome stories and deep drumming knowledge right there! It’s funny that you guys think alike. Thanks for the podcast.

I love this so much! I spent 2 years with Gary studying at his house. Im so grateful for the knowledge he passed to me. He changed the way Ive approach playing music and the way I teach my students. I was taking lessons with Steve Smith at The Drummers Collective when I studied there and decided to email Gary. Game changer! You and Steve were a couple of my drum hero’s so I wanted to go to one of the people who I knew you studied with. I love your podcasts. Thank you so much for this one!🙏🏻🥁

I LOVE this interview! I started my drumming in the late 80's with his books and still go back to them now.

This is golden, VC you just made some g r e a t history...! *Thank you*

Frankie Dunlop ! I have that on VHS. Stunning 16 bars❤❤❤❤

Still using Those Books. Thanks both of you.

Hi Vinnie! Absolutely the best interview of my life so far!! I love his book, Freddie Gruber turned me on to it. What a giant of an influence you both are to me and many of us. I’m now a subscriber! Thanks again John

wow this couldnt have resonated more, I think I had an early print of the 3 volume patterns bookset, as am digging into the first viewing on the interview, but the odd groupings - so much to learn so little time , thanks for getting to this series Mr Vinnie , and for this interview, those books had hand written typsetting from what I recall, probably since the odd grouping phrases would cross the beat or bar...this system battled for practice session time with another system that got me hooked the gary chester new breed ostinatos 1 and 2 ps ex pete magadini student here...Vinnie thanks for giving lots of musical examples to look up much appreciated

I studied with Gary in the mid 80s for a year and a half.

I just found this and am so thankful you're doing this podcast Vinnie. I am a big fan but have always been mystified by the Chaffee stuff, and never quite got it. Hearing you guys chat has made me curious to revisit the books. Cheers guys!

Because most artists don't consider their place as a role model but just an artist because that's enough to make a living quote un quote. And if ever one demands artists to be role models not socially but musically, as what they do in their craft representing a concept, that person will be outcasted in most cases because "who are you to tell me" etc. Times have definitely changed.

Great conversation! Love the part about “product of society”. Do we want to be the product or do we want to be the producer?

10:30 Forget the Drumeo “Hears for the First Time” challenges, Gary threw down the gauntlet

13:50 I think it is SOOO critical that young people ( or any age) that are learning an instrument , that they embrace their individuality. I'm sure VInnie felt the same way when he was young and learning. He ultimately just never cared what anyone else was doing, he wasn't trying to be like anyone else.. he wanted to being himself. I'm sure he had moments where he wanted to play like Cobham, etc. but he eventually embraced his own playing style and originality. I believe that that can sometimes be VERY difficult to do. You look at certain techniques and you think.. well, it HAS to be done that way. It takes a lot of self-belief to understand that there are more than a few ways to skin a cat. Of course at the fundamental level you need the " free stroke" , and you need an open/close and/or Moller type approach, but as far as how those things are achieved.. that is open to ones own interpretation.

Thank you for doing this Vinnie !

I love listening to you both talk about music and education. Great stuff! Thanks! You are both living legends!

Wait, you didn’t talk about Gary’s bass drum muffler? Come on! Seriously, this was an awesome interview. Will rewatch.

Thank you maestros!

AMORES : John Cage (Composer) 3 Percussionists, Prep. Piano

Vinnie - You should interview Frank Bellucci from NY!

Thank you for this channel❤love from croatia

👏👏🙌🙌🎶✌️🙏☯️thank you so much!

Fantastic!

50:51 so right on.

Great interview!!!

You got it bro. Great instructor, loved this.

🎉🎉🎉

All of the greats will soon be gone, and we will left with the biggest generation of nincompoop drummers this planet has ever seen. Thanks Vinnie!!

46:27 right on.

Great stuff. Question: is Vinnie refering to the piece Ionization by Edgard Varese?

Do the duet with Chad Wackerman that Gary was talking about

Yesss!!!!

Can anyone help me the with /artist name of the tune that Vinnie referred to with Frankie Dunlap playing a 16 bar so?

Roland drums. If anyone was watching. Send Gary a new electronic kit. He’s a legend.

❤❤ Geniuses

I have all 4 of Gary's books, but they're overwhelming. It's too much material. I would need to study with him to get anything out of them.

What a fantastic, insightful and inspiring conversation between two legends. Thanks Vinnie! By the way, here is the link to the Frankie Dunlop solo on Blue Monk. Frankie Dunlop was one of the first drummers i ever heard when i was a kid on Maynard Fergusons Live at Birdland album. Highly recommended too. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h_DhUBi8DOc.html

Genius

Too bad FZ is no longer with us.

I haven’t seen any instructional materials from Vinnie , there are any ?

Gary's books on linear drumming and metric modulation really opened up my feel and soloistic creativity and phrasing. I have almost no interest in what I hear as linear shredding or gospel chops etc. After 30 sec. I'm out. It's just a bunch of noise with no proper context. Very little musical interesting happening.

If you feel it play it ,,I swing on everything,,

Two legends having a FaceTime. I hope Gary got rich off of his books, because he sure enriched so many drummers, including myself.