Former Chicago band drummer sits in with like-minded Pop Evolution

When former Chicago band drummer Danny Seraphine told Las Vegas bandleader David Perrico that he wanted to get in on one of his Pop Evolution concerts, “I thought he was just being nice,” Perrico says.

But when Seraphine found out via email blasts that Pop Evolution was performing occasional Cabaret Jazz dates at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, he asked again: “When are we going to play together?”

The answer turned out to be Wednesday, when Seraphine sits in for a hand of Chicago classics with Perrico’s Pop Evolution, a large and versatile band directly influenced by Chicago’s horn-rocking ’70s era and tracks such as “Make Me Smile” and “25 Or 6 To 4.”

Seraphine, who left Chicago in 1990, also has been focusing on the pre-’80s catalog with his own band, for which trumpeter Perrico has contracted the horns for locals casino dates.

“He’s such an incredible drummer,” Perrico says. “He’s one of the only rock drummers that plays in what’s called traditional grip, with his left hand in the jazz setting. He’s like a rock drummer with a Buddy Rich influence.

“The first time I played with him, it’s hard to explain but you realize there’s really something special there. Nothing fancy, it’s just the way he’s playing, the way the groove is. There’s nothing extra, but every note is a gem.”

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.