Drummer Magazine: DVD of the Month
Groove Essentials 2.0
5 Stars
Groove Essentials 2.0 is a must have item for any drummer! Following on from Tommy Igoe’s highly authoritative and equally essentials Groove Essentials (1), 2.0 brings 53 new grooes for you to work through. Igoe covers a host of styles and gives the viewer more than 100 groove variations as he enthusiastically works his way around funk, rock, R&B, hip-hop, jazz (sticks and brushes) world/specialty, extreme tempos, hybrid, ridelss and classic grooves. Odd meters get a look in too as do multiple tempo ranges, giving you an all-encompassing dictionary of beats and grooves that will save your ass should you suddenly find yourself faced with genres that might not be so familiar to you.
Igoe has inspirational qualities that exude throughout and by the end will have you feeling confident that you can tackle just about anything thrown in your direction. Production is first class, with Tommy demonstrating the various beats and grooves on his acoustic kit and in some instances, on his Roland set-up. Tempos vary, allowing you to absorb each detail and the ace camera work permits you to see precisely how Tommy performs each groove, with cameras focused upon his kick drum work and his hands.
Another nice touch is that every groove is demonstrated alone and with music, making for easy understandingand play-along potential.I cannot recommend this package enough as the almost four-hours of viewing makes for an enthralling time that will stimulate and inspire you to become a better player. The other good news is that there is a companion book and CD set which features each groove and song contained within the DVD. Drummers of all abilities will benefit greatly from working through this fine package.