Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Episode 84: Dave Weckl
One of the most influential drummers of all time, today’s guest is the legend, Dave Weckl. From his legendary years with Chick Corea’s Elektric Band and Akoustic Band to his groundbreaking solo debut Master Plan, to his session work with Simon & Garfunkel, Nile Rodgers, George Benson, Mike Stern, Robert Plant, Madonna, and more, his drumming has defined modern fusion and inspired generations worldwide.
This is the Dave Weckl deep dive! Two and a half hours long, intimate, honest, and open. Dave shares stories about his early breaks with Nite Sprite, French Toast, and landing the Simon & Garfunkel Reunion Tour that put him on the map. We dig into his days as a first-call New York session player in the 80s, and go deep inside his years with Chick Corea, from writing records like “Got a Match?” to how the Grammy-winning Akoustic Band came together, as Dave reflects on what made Chick so special as a bandleader.
We talk about his solo career beginning with Master Plan, his longtime collaborations with Jay Oliver and Mike Stern, and studying with Freddie Gruber even at the height of his career. Dave has always pushed himself to grow as a player.
We discuss how he created his signature Dave Weckl Vic Firth drumsticks, his Sabian Evolution and Legacy cymbal lines, and what led him to being the first person to put holes in cymbals. We talk about the Dave Weckl Band, teaching through his online school, and the importance of making musical choices on the drums rather than just displaying technique.
This episode is packed with stories, insight, advice, and inspiration from one of the greatest drummers to ever sit behind the kit. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dave Weckl. Let’s go!!
‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.
Big thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year!
0:00:00 - TRAILER
0:02:23 - GUEST INTRODUCTION
0:03:46 - A SPECIAL OFFER FROM DISTROKID
0:06:09 - INTERVIEW STARTS
0:07:45 - DAVE’S DAD
0:09:27 - PLAYING GUITAR, CARS
0:10:02 - EARLY DRUMMING STORIES, GROWING UP
0:15:12 - JOIN THE GO WITH ELMO PATREON
0:16:48 - JAY OLIVER, GROWING UP WITH MUSICIANS
0:23:28 - NEW YORK, STEVE GADD
0:34:19 - PLAYING JAZZ, LARGE CROWDS
0:36:59 - NITE SPRITE
0:40:00 - PETER ERSKINE, FRENCH TOAST
0:51:21 - WHY DAVE PLAYS MUSIC, PRACTICING
1:05:49 - SIMON & GARFUNKEL AT 23
1:08:02 - GIGGING MARKET RATES
1:12:06 - DAVE’S SESSION ERA
1:13:30 - THE HONEY DRIPPERS SESSION, ROBERT PLANT
1:15:23 - GETTING THE GIG WITH CHICK COREA, ELEKTRIC BAND
1:21:03 - DAVE’S RIG FOR THE ELEKTRIC BAND
1:22:23 - CHICK COREA
1:25:02 - CHICK COREA AKOUSTIC BAND, GRAMMY WIN
1:30:12 - “GOT A MATCH?”
1:34:45 - JOHN PATITUCCI, TIME/FEEL
1:37:13 - GREATEST LESSON FROM CHICK COREA
1:38:30 - “HIGHER GROUND” CHRIS COLEMAN, JAY OLIVER
1:39:10 - WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHICK
1:44:35 - LEAVING CHICK’S BAND, STEVE SMITH, FREDDIE GRUBER
1:46:15 - MIKE STERN
1:49:45 - MASTER PLAN, STEVE GADD, PETER ERSKINE
1:55:28 - JAY OLIVER STORY
1:58:25 - DAVE’S SIGNATURE GEAR
2:00:32 - STUDYING WITH FREDDIE GRUBER
2:00:51 - SIGNATURE STICKS CONTINUED
2:05:00 - SIGNATURE CYMBALS, OZONE
2:19:08 - WHAT DAVIS MOST PROUD OF IN HIS CAREER
2:21:23 - BUILDING A TEAM, MANAGEMENT, CREATIVE OUTPUT
2:29:38 - DRUM SOLOS
2:34:02 - DRUMMING!
Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!
patreon.com/gowithelmo Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers.
Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: elmolovano.komi.io
I'm using the Zildjian ALCHEM-E Perfect Tune Headphones. They sound great! Here's the link to check them out: zildjian.com/products/zildjian-alchem-e-perfect-tune-headphones?type=micro-menu
Follow Dave:
instagram.com/officialdaveweckl
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Episode 84: Dave Weckl
One of the most influential drummers of all time, today’s guest is the legend, Dave Weckl. From his legendary years with Chick Corea’s Elektric Band and Akoustic Band to his groundbreaking solo debut Master Plan, to his session work with Simon & Garfunkel, Nile Rodgers, George Benson, Mike Stern, Robert Plant, Madonna, and more, his drumming has defined modern fusion and inspired generations worldwide.
This is the Dave Weckl deep dive! Two and a half hours long, intimate, honest, and open. Dave shares stories about his early breaks with Nite Sprite, French Toast, and landing the Simon & Garfunkel Reunion Tour that put him on the map. We dig into his days as a first-call New York session player in the 80s, and go deep inside his years with Chick Corea, from writing records like “Got a Match?” to how the Grammy-winning Akoustic Band came together, as Dave reflects on what made Chick so special as a bandleader.
We talk about his solo career beginning with Master Plan, his longtime collaborations with Jay Oliver and Mike Stern, and studying with Freddie Gruber even at the height of his career. Dave has always pushed himself to grow as a player.
We discuss how he created his signature Dave Weckl Vic Firth drumsticks, his Sabian Evolution and Legacy cymbal lines, and what led him to being the first person to put holes in cymbals. We talk about the Dave Weckl Band, teaching through his online school, and the importance of making musical choices on the drums rather than just displaying technique.
This episode is packed with stories, insight, advice, and inspiration from one of the greatest drummers to ever sit behind the kit. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dave Weckl. Let’s go!!
‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.
Big thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year!
0:00:00 - TRAILER
0:02:23 - GUEST INTRODUCTION
0:03:46 - A SPECIAL OFFER FROM DISTROKID
0:06:09 - INTERVIEW STARTS
0:07:45 - DAVE’S DAD
0:09:27 - PLAYING GUITAR, CARS
0:10:02 - EARLY DRUMMING STORIES, GROWING UP
0:15:12 - JOIN THE GO WITH ELMO PATREON
0:16:48 - JAY OLIVER, GROWING UP WITH MUSICIANS
0:23:28 - NEW YORK, STEVE GADD
0:34:19 - PLAYING JAZZ, LARGE CROWDS
0:36:59 - NITE SPRITE
0:40:00 - PETER ERSKINE, FRENCH TOAST
0:51:21 - WHY DAVE PLAYS MUSIC, PRACTICING
1:05:49 - SIMON & GARFUNKEL AT 23
1:08:02 - GIGGING MARKET RATES
1:12:06 - DAVE’S SESSION ERA
1:13:30 - THE HONEY DRIPPERS SESSION, ROBERT PLANT
1:15:23 - GETTING THE GIG WITH CHICK COREA, ELEKTRIC BAND
1:21:03 - DAVE’S RIG FOR THE ELEKTRIC BAND
1:22:23 - CHICK COREA
1:25:02 - CHICK COREA AKOUSTIC BAND, GRAMMY WIN
1:30:12 - “GOT A MATCH?”
1:34:45 - JOHN PATITUCCI, TIME/FEEL
1:37:13 - GREATEST LESSON FROM CHICK COREA
1:38:30 - “HIGHER GROUND” CHRIS COLEMAN, JAY OLIVER
1:39:10 - WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHICK
1:44:35 - LEAVING CHICK’S BAND, STEVE SMITH, FREDDIE GRUBER
1:46:15 - MIKE STERN
1:49:45 - MASTER PLAN, STEVE GADD, PETER ERSKINE
1:55:28 - JAY OLIVER STORY
1:58:25 - DAVE’S SIGNATURE GEAR
2:00:32 - STUDYING WITH FREDDIE GRUBER
2:00:51 - SIGNATURE STICKS CONTINUED
2:05:00 - SIGNATURE CYMBALS, OZONE
2:19:08 - WHAT DAVIS MOST PROUD OF IN HIS CAREER
2:21:23 - BUILDING A TEAM, MANAGEMENT, CREATIVE OUTPUT
2:29:38 - DRUM SOLOS
2:34:02 - DRUMMING!
Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!
patreon.com/gowithelmo Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers.
Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: elmolovano.komi.io
I'm using the Zildjian ALCHEM-E Perfect Tune Headphones. They sound great! Here's the link to check them out: zildjian.com/products/zildjian-alchem-e-perfect-tune-headphones?type=micro-menu
Follow Dave:
instagram.com/officialdaveweckl
Follow Go With Elmo:
instagram.com/gowithelmo
tiktok.com/@gowithelmo
https://x.com/gowithelmopod
Follow Elmo Lovano:
Instagram.com/elmolovano
https://x.com/elmolovano
Follow Jammcard:
youtube.com/@jammcard
jammcard.com
