Bob Armstrong Presents…Chris Dagley Masterclass

Sunday 24th April. Masterclass Studios. Romford.

You may be forgiven for not being familiar with the name Chris Dagley, but it is extremely likely that you will have heard something from his extensive body of previous work. Despite his youthful appearance, Chris, as one of the UK’s premier session players, has performed in a huge variety of professional situations ranging from Fame Academy to the BBC Big Band.
If your idea of the perfect clinic involves 3 bass drums, Majorette impressions and spandex, this clinic may not have been to your taste. If you are serious about acquiring the skills necessary to be a working drummer then you should catch Chris Dagley at the earliest opportunity. As with previous Bob Armstrong clinics, the comfortable and intimate venue was perfect for generating a friendly atmosphere and the rare chance to pick the brains of a player of such high calibre.

Essentially the clinic was structured around the fundamentals of being a professional musician. Topics included practicing efficiently, developing the internal clock, the importance of different styles, recommended reading and the business side of the music business, with Chris being remarkably frank about the highs and lows of being a professional musician. This wasn’t just a talking clinic however. As Chris was keen to point out, “everything begins with your ability to consistently perform on your instrument”.

Chris launched into examples from real life pop, heavy rock and jazz sessions with alarming ease (actual scores were also provided for the curious to flick through). And at no time did he seem like a jazz player playing rock or visa versa, playing each tune with bags of taste and a real mastery of the feels and sounds associated with each style.
As well as playing session tunes, Chris played a series of serious rudimentary exercises at varied tempos and demonstrated their practical application to the kit in a musical environment. At one point he performed a disappearing trick with the click track when demonstrating how to nail a beat to a metronome. It is obvious to see why he is a player that is held in such high regard.

Rather refreshingly, each playing example was well considered, and presented on the premise that the audience wished to learn something as well as be entertained. However, despite my earlier comments, for me the highlight of the clinic was Chris’s one opportunity to really let loose on the kit, playing a funk/fusion track specially written for the clinic by Richard Cottle. There’s plenty of Gadd and Weckl type licks on show and every lightning fill landed with uncanny precision on the beat.

This was a well presented, extremely informative and thoroughly enjoyable clinic. Personally I would have like to have seen a bit more of Chris’s playing as it is such a joy to hear such a tasteful player. I am positive that anybody who was not very familiar with Chris Dagley’s playing prior to the clinic will be actively seeking out for his work in the future.
Jason Reeve.