First things first: download the transcription here.
Let's end 2020 on a high, and uncontroversial note.
Let's study a drummer universally acknowledged to be one of the greatest of his generation.
I'm speaking, of course, about Vinnie. This month I was thinking about Vinnie after listening to Ron Bruner's solo record, because Ron gives an overdubbed verbal nod to some of his influences, and Vinnie is front-and-center.
I've also long felt Vinnie stood out from his peers as a drummer who continued to "push his prime back", by continuing to shed and get better decade-by-decade, instead of resting on his laurels. (It's inspirational to me, because I sure hope I'm a much better drummer at 70 than I am now, though I'll have to find ways to be more minimalist and efficient.)
Today's lesson is one which, like many that require multiple transcriptions, almost didn't get done in time. We pulled it off, though, and by "we", I mean Chris, who not only helped me transcribe one of the solos but pointed out an error I'd made in the counting, and Srdjan the video editor, who stuck with me gamely across multiple revisions, until we had a coherent video. (Then roasted me with the outtakes, as usual :P)
In this video I cover 3 Vinnie moments that are underrated, but which should immediately ring familiar to any "true fans".
They span multiple eras - 80s, 90s, and 2000s - and there's a good mix of jazz, fusion, and afro-cuban.
Curious yet?
See for yourself - the 3 most underrated Vinnie licks? And see if you agree.
See you in 2021,
N