"Drum Master" Vito Luizzi Interview
www.Facebook.com/Vito.Luizzi
Interview by Roger Zee (07/07/21)
Roger Zee: Who inspired you to play drums? Do you sing or play any other instruments?
Vito Luizzi: My first inspiration to play drums came from seeing Ringo with The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. At that moment Ringo became the coolest guy in the world! He used a matched grip which seemed to make it easier to start playing. I finally met him and thanked him for his inspiration. He came over and hugged me. Wow!
I practiced to every record I could get my hands on. Never realizing that so many other beginners and I learned how to play from the greatest session musicians ever! Influences came from Charlie Watts, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Gene Krupa, Philly Joe, John Bonham, Carmine Appice, Hal Blaine, Tony Williams, Jim Gordon, and the list went on and on. I started singing lead when I first started playing drums and still do.
My biggest inspiration came from my mom who bought me my first kit! She always supported my desire to play music and never told me it was too loud when I really shook the whole house! She said it helped her clean the house faster! Amazing woman, loved Hendrix! I also play some piano and worked as a recording engineer for 35 years.
RZ: Tell me about some of the musicians and groups you've gigged and recorded with.
VL: I played with some of the world's greatest musicians and feel eternally grateful to them all for the knowledge they gave me. Johnny Winter tops this list! I toured all over the world alongside him for many years with some of the world’s greatest musicians and in the most iconic music venues. Recorded a Grammy nominated record and a Grammy winning album along with live DVD’s. Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame with him.
He never told me what to play. But when we listened to music on the bus, he’d say, "That’s a great beat!" And I would go and learn it. An icon to the world -- but to me, a bandmate, teacher, but most of all, my friend!
Here's some others I worked or sat in with during this 50+ year career: Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, Susan Tedeschi, Sonny Landreth, James Cotton, Gene Cornish(Rascals), Kim Simmonds, Leslie West, Papa John Creach, Les Dudek, Earl Slick, Davey Jones andMickey Dolenz of The Monkees, Latoya Jackson, and many more. Also did a lot of jingle work and background music for TV.
RZ: What drums do you currently play?
VL: When on tour, I mainly choose Pearl Masterworks or Yamaha Stage drums. They're usually provided as backline since flying any kind of gear nowadays costs way too much! Most of the time, they provide it all. But sometimes you just have to use what's there. If you want to travel the world with just a stick bag, you learn to play on anything and make it sound like you. Besides, it’s you they came to see, not the drums!
On local gigs, I bring a set of 1970 Gretsch drums which I love. My drum sizes -- a 12", 13", 16," 22," and a 14" snare with a 50's wood shell that belonged to Jazz drummer Jake Hanna. I used that drum for years, both live and in the studio. Also own way too many other snare drums!
RZ: Talk about what and how you practice.
VL: Practice for me means a lot of listening. Since I’m always in the car, I tune in to all genres of music, making mental notes of ideas to try. Always listening to the master drummers and their approaches to groove. When I do sit on my kit, I play to a click to keep my timing solid. I'll warm up before a gig with what I consider the most essential rudiments -- paradiddle, flams, double and single stroke rolls. Banging them out on my right leg which has calluses from years of doing this!
RZ: Do you teach music privately?
VL: I teach a small number of drum students. Since I've also worked as a recording engineer for many years, I give lessons on studio techniques to another set of students.
RZ: How has the Pandemic affected you? What's on the horizon?
VL: Man, what a strange time! I feel so fortunate to tour and work non-stop as a musician all my life. The Pandemic gave me time to catch up on home things and write a bio of my life. For a younger person yearning to perform, what an awful time. Hang in there! We’re almost through it. We need you to rock! I look forward to touring again soon -- seeing people out there lovin’ life, music, and playin’ with my friends. One of my latest projects with Jay Stollman, "Groovin’ on Tour," should hopefully go out this year!
RZ: Describe your most special and/or unusual gig.
VL: A very special moment happened in 2012 when I played the David Letterman show with Johnny Winter to promote our latest record, "Roots." Johnny didn't feel well that day and said he couldn’t sing. We get to the dressing rooms and Johnny calls me down to his. Says, "I can’t sing tonight. You have to do it!" I did sing a few songs in our show, but today would just do one song, "Dust my Broom."
I said, "Johnny this is your show. The camera's on you. You have to do this!" After more discussion, he agreed. We went on, played, and he killed it! One of the best performances in his later years. We're all so proud of that performance. And the spot where they set up my drums -- that's where Ringo sat with The Beatles on their first Ed Sullivan Show! So double special.
Unusual gigs? Too many to list here! Amazing some of the gigs one will take just to make a living...
RZ: How do you see the future of the music business?
VL: It seems that now it's up to each artist to create their own career. Record labels used to give a promising musician a large monetary advance to record a record and for tour support. Not so anymore. You need to practically give them a finished product just so they can put their label on it!
So now, it’s up to the artist to start his own small business. Booking, recording, promotion, distribution and such until you get noticed. The "recording engineer" title has now changed to "audio manipulator." I hear so many records today that they worked on for months and months, just sucking the life out of any possible emotion. Sliding drums around, the bad notes, and of course going to "Auto Tune!" And why does it take five producers and six writers to come up with a four minute song?
Once, a tune came out called "My Girl." They recorded it on a Monday and put it in stores by the following Monday. And we still hear it! So let’s get back to recording with real musicians and make music, not technology!
RZ: What advice do you give up-and-coming musicians?
VL: The landscape for a musician appears much smaller than it used to. Bands would play six nights a week everywhere. Many made a good living just from working in clubs. Songwriters with a few hits generated a steady income stream from royalties. Some grew rich for life! Studio musicians played three or more sessions a day making hit records and jingles!
Currently, bands feel lucky to even get weekend gigs. Songwriter royalties will not really make you rich. So what can we do? If music's your passion, go for it! I’ve done it all my life. So many great times and also not so good times. But in the end I wouldn’t change anything because I learned so much about life, human nature. I traveled all over the world and saw so many different cultures that most people only dream about. And got paid for it!
Study music from the masters of all genres. You need to go back 50+ years for this. Learn music and theory from all forms. "The more you know the further you go!" if you want to make a living at this, go to jams to watch and learn. Even if you don’t get to play, you can still get something new from anyone! Never stop learning.
Some view playing in a wedding band as not cool. Well, I've done that for many years and still do. In order to join one, you need a working knowledge of almost the past 100 years of recorded music. You must read music, show up on time, and develop great ears. Learning the vast array of music made me a much better musician. And it pays pretty good too!
Study business and marketing. That's vital! Lastly and most important, "Play from the Heart!" One more thing. When you play a fill, try not to sound like a raccoon in a garbage pail!
RZ: Do you live with any animals?
VL: Yes, with our two dogs -- Capri, a Great Pyrenees, and Hachi, an Anatolian Shepherd. Also with our cat Percy.
RZ: By the way, I must thank you, Vito, for all the times you showed up at the pre-Pandemic jam I ran for eight years -- mostly at Victors in Hawthorne, NY. Always love playing the bass to the powerful beats you generate. So intoxicating to surf and cut those surging waves! Long may we ride... One <3
YouTube - Dust My Broom - Johnny Winter Live 2012 on Letterman
YouTube - I Don't Want Nobody - Popa Chubby Live 12/08/17 at Sellersville Theatre, PA
©2021 Roger Zee
