A question about Freddie Gruber

[Gaddabout]

I think there's a perception that if you get way into Gruberism you will end up with a certain kind of old-school swing/big band approach to phrasing and sound that may not be real hip today.

I'm not in a position to confirm or deny that, but there have been Weckl and Smith moments early on their transition that made me wonder if that was true. Both of them are workhorses in the shed so they've ironed out a lot of things and made transitions into some real beautiful personal statements.

*shrug*

[YamahaPlayer]

Definitely Gaddabout. Look what happened to Peart...

[Clint Hopkins]

I saw Gruber do a clinic in Nashville with Ian Wallace and he talked A LOT more than he played but what he played certainly wasn't bad.

[Andrew<3'sVinnie]

Definitely Gaddabout. Look what happened to Peart...

I don't think anything much happened to Peart. His playing was already drastically different and much stiffer from his heyday before he studied with Gruber.

[sevenoverthree]

I've been contemplating the old do/teach adage, and was thinking, 'boy, for a guy who is such a pervasive name in drumming as an educator, and as a guy who gets so Zen about our connections to the instrument, you think there would be tons of footage of him embracing all those ideas and philosophies'.

And to those folks on the board who are big followers of Gruber, don't misconstrue that as some kind of back-handed remark about the authenticity of his teaching. It's really just more a disappointment in the fact that we just can't really get to see that part of him. I compare it to studying with Chaffee; while he doesn't have a HUGE discography, if you want to see him practicing his ideas, you don't have to look very far.

To mirror gaddabout- *shrug*

[Kurtis]

i was shocked when weckl applied freddy's teachings and changed his grip and set up. he just chokes up a bit more on the stick to get more bang for his buck. when he moved his toms and cymbals i was like oh no. it was for the best. i can't play a 10 inch tom tom where dave puts it. his kit doesn't look that ergonomic. works for him though.

[YamahaPlayer]

i was shocked when weckl applied freddy's teachings and changed his grip and set up. he just chokes up a bit more on the stick to get more bang for his buck. when he moved his toms and cymbals i was like oh no. it was for the best. i can't play a 10 inch tom tom where dave puts it. his kit doesn't look that ergonomic. works for him though.

Virgil has a super tight, super high, very "muscling" grip.

Vinnie is very open, back sided, very relaxed.

Weckl is different.

JoJo different from that.

Lang different from that.

Should I mention DCI Snare Drummers?


All different players, all amazing, all insane chops. Very obviously, the "technique" doesn't matter to the extent of not hurting yourself. Not even touching on Matched grip players.....

[Andrew<3'sVinnie]

i was shocked when weckl applied freddy's teachings and changed his grip and set up. he just chokes up a bit more on the stick to get more bang for his buck. when he moved his toms and cymbals i was like oh no. it was for the best. i can't play a 10 inch tom tom where dave puts it. his kit doesn't look that ergonomic. works for him though.

Virgil has a super tight, super high, very "muscling" grip.

Vinnie is very open, back sided, very relaxed.

Weckl is different.

JoJo different from that.

Lang different from that.

Should I mention DCI Snare Drummers?


All different players, all amazing, all insane chops. Very obviously, the "technique" doesn't matter to the extent of not hurting yourself. Not even touching on Matched grip players.....

Yeah- and check out Ari. Stiffest looking technique I've ever seen, but the most sensitive, dynamic, dexterous playing I have ever heard. And make no mistake, he has chops to boot.

[Gaddabout]

Yeah- and check out Ari. Stiffest looking technique I've ever seen, but the most sensitive, dynamic, dexterous playing I have ever heard. And make no mistake, he has chops to boot.

Right, but I wouldn't advise IMITATING Ari.

[Joesmechanic]

I took a few lessons with Gruber way back when he still had a drum set out and would (sometimes) play for you. Most people are right. He's more of a teacher than he is a drummer. Being around Buddy as much as he was, he got to see how a lot of what & how Buddy could execute 1st hand. If you want to see what kind of drummers Freddy spawned, check out a guy named Nick Vincent. Wish you could have seen Roger Burns play, but he's dead now. Another killer Gruber student.

But as far as teachers go in this valley, there was a guy named Dick Wilson. I remember mentioning his name to Vinnie once. Vince was surprised I knew who he was. I was told by someone that thats where Vince got his hands working. I could only find an LP with his playing on it, but I know he was an amazing teacher.
www.audiophileusa.com/item.cfm?record=68010&c=1&kw=Jazz