Carlos Vega changed my outlook on the role of the drums in music.
I first saw him by chance when I went to a Boz Scaggs gig in Sydney in the early 80's, hoping that Porcaro might be in the chair, but it was Vega, and I remember being impressed with his ease of playing. It wasn't till he started working with James Taylor that I really sat up and listened, I'm a huge admirer of Taylor, and I think his material is always ripe for inventive and clever (under) playing. Following on from Kunkel and Marotta, Vega took Taylors material and re-invented it, marking it indelibly with his unique style.
One of the finer aspects of his playing was his ability to play just about any style....with grace and ease. Watch him with Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin, have a look at this video of his solo on Oasis'... wonderful stuff. I'm not keen on drum solos, but here is a great example of 'speed isn't everything', but absolute control is. I started hunting him out and buying whatever music I could find him on..(and there was plenty..). |
