That one drummer...

[thejohnlec]

you must be a helluva drummer then ..... paul and meself at a clinic

Great pic! That must’ve been a great clinic. He’s very knowledgeable and really well-respected.

Helluva? Probably not in the popular sense of the term, but I do love pocket playing and I love the way he plays.

 

[Tornado]

What exactly do you mean by that ?

If it were me, I wouldn't want to make any claim to sounding like Vinnie, even if it was someone else that said it, because I know it's not true and so does everyone else.

 

[thejohnlec]

I admire anyone who gets inside the music, it's almost less of a specific sound/feel thing but a sort of work ethic, so they're more role models than sound models. The usual studio player suspects, but especially some who come from a jazz angle, i.e. not the hardest hitters. I might go with Jim Keltner.

Great reply and stellar choice in Keltner!

 

[Brandon Geiger]

Bryan Devendorf really blew me away the first time I heard him.

 

[Slingwig26]

If you could pinpoint only one drummer that you actually hear their influence represented in your current playing, who would it be?

I cycle around pretty regularly to listen to my regulars - Vinnie, Steve Smith, Garibaldi, Peart, Manu, especially Jeff. I obviously don’t play like them, but was inspired by their approach, musicality, and ability.

However, I was revisiting some Little Feat and realized that Richie Hayward is probably my longest lasting influence, and I hear so much of his approach in my playing, even to this day. I just loved his touch, his groove, his incorporation of toms and cymbals, etc. Such great subtleties and understated complexities. He always looked so happy to be playing as well.

Who’s your one player?

Hmmm, combo of John Bonham and Keith Moon with Stewart Copeland peppered throughout.

 

[drumreaper]

Hard to pinpoint just one drummer, especially at my age (66) and have a lifetime of influences from Hal Blaine to Bernard Purdie to Keith Carlock. I guess I identify with a mix of Blaine and Ginger Baker as my earliest and most prominent influences.

 

[icebone]

Bernard Purdie.

 

[m.clover]

For us Boomers it’s probably Hal Blaine or Ringo regardless of what we’d like to think. LOL

Oh yeah ! I'd also like to add Gary Mallaber from Van Morrison's "Moondance" . Beautiful touch and precision.

 

[Core Creek]

3) Stewart Copeland
2) John Bonham
1) Jeff Porcaro

Honorable mention:

Abe Laboriel Jr. His work on Jonatha Brook’s Plumb album blew me away:

No surprise he was mentored by Porcaro.

 

[Sammybear]

If you could pinpoint only one drummer that you actually hear their influence represented in your current playing, who would it be?

I cycle around pretty regularly to listen to my regulars - Vinnie, Steve Smith, Garibaldi, Peart, Manu, especially Jeff. I obviously don’t play like them, but was inspired by their approach, musicality, and ability.

However, I was revisiting some Little Feat and realized that Richie Hayward is probably my longest lasting influence, and I hear so much of his approach in my playing, even to this day. I just loved his touch, his groove, his incorporation of toms and cymbals, etc. Such great subtleties and understated complexities. He always looked so happy to be playing as well.

Who’s your one player?

Good question. I cannot pin point one specific drummer, more like an amalgam of influences, little bits and pieces of many. At any given moment who I am channeling often times will depend on what kind of mood I am in, what kind of music I am playing, etc. I like Joe Morello's musicality, John Bonham's power and originality, Dave Seraphine's jazz/rock chops, Jeff Hamilton's touch, Keith Carlock's intensity and touch, Buddy Rich's intensity-bravado-touch, Jeff Porcaro and Steve Gadd's groove, Steve Ferrone's pocket, David Garibaldi's and Mike Clark's funk, Ricky Lawson's soul, Ringo's originality, Peter Erkine's tastefulness and all around talent, etc. The list of influences is diverse and always growing. In the end, in my current playing I typically hear a shaded version of me playing.

 

[Paistekid]

I sing lead and play drums so a lot of the players influence me not only for their playing ability but as a key performer: Kelly Keagy, Levon, Phil, Gil Moore, Pat Torpey, Alex Van Halen, Darren Smith, Don Henley, Deen Castronovo, Karen Carpenter, Sheila E, etc...

 

[drumnhands]

I think for me, it has changed along the way over the years. During different phases as I've progressed, different drummers influenced me more. I went through my Tony Williams phase, Ian Paice, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Vinnie....so many over the years (I'm almost 63, so lots of phases). At this point it's just a big stew of influence from all of them and no one really stands out.

 

[Dshamgar]

This will sounds funny to those not familiar with early Smashing Pumpkins, but as a rock drummer, Jimmy Chamberlain really influenced me. He was a jazz oriented drummer in a pretty heavy rock band. At the time, I hadn't heard many of the things he did - on the hi-hat and snare, and I incorporated what I could. More recently I have been going back and learning from good groove guys like Clyde Stubblefield and Jeff Porcaro.

 

[sixplymaple]

Has to be Chris Adler for me.

Dave Abbruzzese is probably close 2nd.

 

[Pibroch]

Marcus Gilmore.

Studying him opens up so many interesting pathways for when I'm improvising alone at home.

(Natually getting way more joy doing this than playing simple grooves in our covers band.)

 

[JazzDoc]

The drummers whose style and groove I believe most influenced my approach when I sit down at my drums to play are Steve Gadd / Peter Erskine / Victor Lewis / Steve Ferrone / Jeff Hamilton / Ringo Starr.
I think that subconsciously I’ll try to evoke or imagine how they’d get at a tune and I start there. I’ll never reach their levels but my playing involves a melange of the way I see them playing it.

 

[MaskingApathy]

Matt Sorum and Brent Fitz, plus a bit of Chad Smith.

 

[NorthCoastDrummer]

I think one could hear a lot of lazy attempts at Tony Williams (Tony) in my playing. For me, there was a B.T (“before Tony”) an A.T (“after Tony”) in my personal development. The first time I heard him, everything changed.