Dave Cutler

31 August 2006

When we started these cruises we had a drummer name Chaba from Prague who left lots to be desired. More than anything the drummer can make or break a band. This drummer decided that ship life wasn’t for him and paid his own way home. So Brian in the office hustle up a new drummer, which caused gloom to descend, especially when we heard that the new guy was a 52 year old on his first Princess contract.

We needn’t have worried.

When he arrived we started swinging for the first time.

Dave had worked for the British cruise lines, mostly P&O, for twenty-odd years before he got around to us.

He had a taste of America when he went to Berklee in 1977, then came back to England to steady gigs in the West End (JC Superstar) and touring bands and a steady chat show on the BBC which gave him enough to buy a house in a lower middle class neighborhood which eventually went upscale. That’s where his daughter and grandson now live while he’s out here.
Dave can read fly shit. He swings hard enough to elevate the proceedings. He has a facile wit and a great sense of humor, which are essential when you’re doing this gig. He also is totally obsessive, which I suppose goes hand in glove. He’s the kind of guy who some people do not deal well with, because at a rehearsal he deals with minutia that most people don’t even get. There’s one guy especially who Dave gets to, but Dave has the good sense to point out that this other fellow is insane.

We are lucky to have his experience and is innate musical decision making driving the band.