I can't say enough about this video! Wes and his crew have done an extremely fine job of creating a practical, real-life setting where a musician can learn what's in store for him as the new drummer in a professional working band.

The DVD starts with an audition with the band "Pop Styles". You're sitting behind the drums (the way they have it set up, it feels like you're really there!) and you're playing through a basic song while dozens of other aspiring drummers are looking at you waiting for their turn to blow you out of the water.

Well.. "you" got the gig! Track 2 introduces you to a new style with a different beat. (Every track on the DVD has a different backdrop including audition hall, nightclubs, the beach, cruise ship, recording studio and coliseum) You play along through various songs with a real band. The bass player's contagious smile (he seems to like your playing) keeps you into it. I can say from my own personal experience that having a supportive bass player that's "on your side" is priceless and can often calm an otherwise stressful experience.

This video is just plain fun! One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much is that it depicts real-life situations. There was the dreaded wedding gig (we've all played a million of 'em). Then there's a song where you get to do a drum solo. There's a song where it's hard to concentrate on the music because the chick singer is so hot. And then there's a hilarious scene where an eccentric producer is just going off, pacing the floor and flailing his arms, pretty much driving everybody nuts. Whoever this guy is, he could win an academy award for that comedic performance. I was dying! I must of laughed for 5 minutes straight!

One of the most impressive things about this video is the level of musicianship in it. I grew up listening to Gary Grainger (bass) with John Scofield's band (a famous jazz guitarist for those of you that don't know). He's solid as a rock and never seems to miss a line. The other musicians were equally as impressive. Some of the tunes are quite challenging and Wes needed players that could pull it off. He spared no expense and hired the best musicians in the business for this endeavor.

				SAMPLES Requires "Real One Player"
				1. Audition Tune - Simple Groove 2. At the Beach - Shuffle Beat 3. Nightclub - Syncopated Rhythms 4. Coliseum - Odd Phrasing

As if all of this wasn't enough to give you your money's worth, Wes created 3 different approaches to working with this DVD. You can play along with the drums (Wes himself playing), without the drums or without the drums using a click track and Wes talking over top of it, helping you along. This is especially useful as it's like having your drum teacher right there on the gig coaching you through the songs. He also included a CD in the package for those that don't have the luxury of having a DVD player near their drumset. And as an added bonus (drum roll please) ...he created printable drum charts for every song and made them available online.

Folks, this DVD is long overdue and well worth the 30 bucks! Once teachers see this, they're sure to be recommending it to all of their students. A final congrats to Wes, the band, Gary Rosensweig (writer of all the tunes) and production crew for such a fine job. Thanks for a groundbreaking DVD guys!