Chameleon by Herbie Hancock (live at The Ark Berklee Studio, Boston) by Zak Icaza Boston Quintet

Zak Icaza Quintet live session recorded on September 2016.
Zak Icaza - Drums (Ecuador)
Patrick Norris - Bass (Arizona)
Andreas Epaminonda - Guitar (Cyprus)
Kyle Sheldon - Sax (Washington)
Simon Ng - Keys (Singapore)
Produced and mixed by Juan Hernandez.

[@rafiquezarim5393]

Take a bow, gentlemen! Certainly one of the more inspired cover of Herbie’s classic that I have come across. Each one of you are on point - bravo!

[@udayatenneti9164]

I watch this so often. One of the greatest drum sessions of chameleon online!

[@sixstarhorizon295]

Awesome drumming dude. I remember jamming this song out with friends once, and finding that the Rosanna half time shuffle goes perfectly over the A section. One of the best songs to jam with people.

[@Vikke95]

Dude that drummer is on point. Good job!

[@zakicazadrummer3678]

Thanks!!

[@metteseveljohnsen8341]

@@zakicazadrummer3678 mm

[@jonah_a28]

Yeah man

[@flavioangelini861]

@@zakicazadrummer3678 why did you change the first snare in the A section... the original one is killer

[@mcbill7352]

They changed the syncopated snare approaching beat 2. It doesn't have the same groove

[@DihelsonMendonca]

This is one of the most difficult pieces of music EVER to improvise well. Herbie Hancock keeps the groove flowing while he has excellent ideas without losing the feeling. It´s not like a normal improvisation, you can´t think about it using long phrases. It´s very difficult to have the right swing.

[@italalamsberg5424]

Agree

[@robertbriquet]

I agree. The guitarist is playing too many notes, kind of running out of ideas, in short the way i play myself guitar.

[@DihelsonMendonca]

@@robertbriquet It´s terrible when we run out of good ideas ( melodic ideas ). We need to be in a state of mental and spiritual purity to be on the highest level. When you reach this level, when you are on those days, have you noticed that everything you play, even some wrong notes come out well and musical ? On the other hand, when we are worried trying to make our best, most times, we become mechanical, and although the improvisation is correct, no wrong notes, it´s not musical, not melodic, no remarkable. That´s why currently I try to follow Bill Evans advice. He said something like: "Just relax and everything will go the right way". We simply need to relax and ENJOY what we´re doing. If we try to be perfect, we´ll miss the point. All the best.

[@DihelsonMendonca]

@@robertbriquet BTW, I have no doubt the guitarrist is an excellent one. There´s a difference between being an excellent instrumentist and playing musical solos. Unfortunately, that "state of grace" doesn´t come always when most of us want, like Keith Jarret, Peterson, Bill Evans, Corea, Hancock make it look so easy...

[@amandajackson.83]

​@@robertbriquet Absolutely agree. I needed to look it up, and he apparently studied Jazz guitar later in life at Berklee, but I can tell he doesn't have his *roots* in jazz. He also needs to remember and utilize one of the best pieces of advice you can give to a soloist: Don't just play notes; play silence, too. As a drummer, it goes for us, too. I rarely play straight through an entire solo - it just makes you sound like you're either trying to show off or don't really know what you're doing instead of communicating a journey via dynamics, rhythm, notes, and tone. It's an easy way to spot people either new to jazz or coming over from another genre.

[@jonah_a28]

That drummer is amazing

[@marquinhus]

Awesome! Hugs from Brazil!

[@mitchrogerstudios]

That was what I call a funky, juicy, groovy jam! 😎

[@robinsss]

start with bas by itself

[@SouthWell1122]

That’s fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@sonorstudio1]

Fresh & Creative !

[@zakicazadrummer3678]

Thank you!!

[@cobra1010]

Fanatastic!

[@ctraltu]

fantastic video

[@vincentatwood234]

Nice rendition of Chameleon.

[@hunterfagan6272]

Cool! I live near Boston

[@CastleCritters]

Not to Bad , Good Vibe , with Heart , RESPECT

[@davidbaudouin8073]

This is an amazing cover. my only criticism is the lack of the misplaced snare inbetween beats one and two

[@dakotarice2535]

A Jazz judge once told me, some songs you just gotta play the shit as recorded when it’s that iconic.

[@jongallardo8006]

So True

[@jas-n-dad]

Agree. That beat was ground-breaking and is as important to the identity of the song as the bass line and melody

[@pedronascimento5907]

That was sick

[@abdelmalikmezouar2485]

Good groove basse

[@raynardarisgraha4688]

what a run at 5:24

[@RiDiSka777]

я это на выступление готовить буду😨

[@neodental7312]

F*ing great!! Nice job.

[@kingstars7589]

Nice drumming dude, keep it groovin! It’s just that the instrument formation is a little of. Nice jam!

[@MarkTasker-bn4kk]

Nice stuff, gentlemen! This long B-flat vamp can be tough to blow over but I really enjoyed the varied ideas and how each solo built up in intensity. I went to Berklee a million years ago- is this studio in the Boylston building or over on Mass Ave? Anyway, dug this and will be looking for more. Thank you!

[@CristJianZild]

genial!!!

[@zakicazadrummer3678]

Gracias!!

[@isaacfenison6845]

What cymbal is that to the right?

[@mcbill7352]

Not the same without the snare playing slightly before beat 2

[@aryopratama4622]

Wow are you guys berklee student? Just wondering

[@TEH47]

That isn’t the same band I seen back in the ‘70s on the Eastside of St.Paul

[@LeoH.C.]

The lick 2:50

[@marcosmorales545]

Mmmmm, the Guitar player needs to smoke some of the calming plants.

[@dio7618]

Not quite my tempo :) Nice work dudes!

[@zakicazadrummer3678]

Thank you!

[@javier123454321]

Its crazy how all the comments are complaining. Well guys, looks like everyone in the internet can do this better than you. I'm just here to say good job.

[@ikaka1659]

scofield

[@greer2402]

wrong drumming, its a jazz funk song not a r & b song

[@williorio8733]

It doesn’t matter. It’s jazz. The chart is the least important part. Does the drumming sound good? Yes. Does anything else matter? Nope.

[@toloramanjakaandria3736]

naaaah, too noisy. Why you don't play rock? Leave and forget jazz and funk

[@moritzwerner-qg4zl]

Cool Sound, but all of the Solos where kind of sloppy and directionless. Poor phrasing and too less rhythmic Ideas, if you ask me ( a graduate student from a conservatory). alltough the sax player does a better job than guitar and piano (of course he is the sax player), sometimes even he is lacking the right articulation, to really give his lines some stronger purpose... It's okay, they probably where still learning at that time. Nevertheless it's a nice, enjoyable performance.