Working Drummer

Dean is the drummer for the Chicago-based bands Worry Club and Capital Soiree. He’s a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, very much a part and a product of the Chicago scene, and has done and continues to do a lot of what it has to offer in addition to his two steady bands. In this episode, Dean talks about: Starting out in the ‘burbs of Chicago and the surrounding area Initially pursuing a his...

Rich Malloy is a jazz drummer whose career has been built through consistent work in clubs, listening rooms, studios, and festivals. He has worked across New York, New Jersey, Dallas, Nashville, Fort Worth, and New Mexico, performing straight-ahead, groove-based, and improvised jazz. His work includes performances with Carmen Bradford of the Count Basie Orchestra, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee...

Award winning drummer, composer & bandleader Jared Schonig has toured and/or recorded internationally with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Donny McCaslin, Darcy James Argue & Secret Society, The 8-Bit Big Band, Miho Hazama & m_Unit, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Laurence Hobgood, Tim Hagans, Fred Hersch, Wycliffe Gordon, Tom Harrell, Joe Locke, and Ernie Watts among o...

Antonio Sanchez has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the international jazz scene. Following 18 years and 9 albums as one of the most revered collaborators with guitarist/composer Pat Metheny, he also has recorded and performed with many other most prominent artists like Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden and Toots Thielemans. In 2014 Sanchez popularity soared...

Bryan Carter is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and bandleader. After completing his training at The Juilliard School, Carter played with legendary artists including McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, and Kurt Elling. In addition to working in the worlds of film, television, and Broadway, Bryan founded "Jazz at Pride," a non-profit orga...

Born in Mississippi, Bryan Owings moved to Nashville in the late 1980's to pursue his career as a session drummer. His discography is vast, spanning decades and boasting credits with artists like Buddy Miller, Iris Dement, Tony Joe White, Wanda Jackson, Sue Foley, Delbert McClinton, Lucinda Williams and Emmy Lou Harris Bryan, was also included in the 2013 Muscle Shoals documentary soundtrack, play...

Jano Rix is best known as one third of The Wood Brothers. His dad Luther's drumming career spans half a century and ranges from Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder" tour to Rent and Tommy on Broadway. Their new album, Legacy Vol. 1 is an exploration of their shared history and musical connection. In this episode, Luther and Jano talk about: Luther’s start at Indiana University and on the Indianapolis sce...

Scott Williamson has been leaving his creative footprint on the Nashville musical landscape since 1990. He has drummed and/or produced for numerous artists including Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Kip Moore, Lady Antebellum, Franchesca Battistelli, Natalie Grant, Lincoln Brewster, Alice Cooper, Danny Gokey, Casting Crowns, DC Talk, Bob James, The Gaither Vocal Band & Michael W. Smith...

Jordan Rose is a New York drummer whose most recent activity includes a tour with Maggie Rogers, multiple Broadway shows including the run of "Boop", Theo Katzman, and countless recording projects. What went into his decision to accept the Maggie Rogers gig Being open to an opportunity that doesn’t necessarily align with your stated goals What he learned from the large scale of the Maggie Rogers t...

Tim Buell is a Nashville-based drummer who has toured with several artists like Michael W. Smith (three time Grammy winner, 45 Dove awards), Cody Fry (two time Grammy nominated), Gloriana, Jana Kramer, Jerrod Niemann, Remedy Drive, and many others. He also records drums for clients all over the world from his home studio and other Nashville-based studios. In 2022, Tim received his first Latin Gram...

Sam Webster is a drummer and percussionist based in his hometown of LA. Floating between a wide variety of disciplines and genres, he has amassed an impressive list of credits both live and in the studio. His mentors include Mike Englander and Jeff Hamilton, and he is active with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, several groups at Disneyland, and many other projects around town. In this episode, Sam t...

⁠Narada Michael Walden ⁠is an EMMY and multi-GRAMMY winner who has produced hits for artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, Wynonna Judd, Whitney Houston, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Lionel Ritchie, Lisa Fischer, Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, The Temptations, and many others.  His music flows freely from pop, rock and soul, to the rarified re...

Dave Elitch has been teaching privately for over 20 years and has developed a reputation as the technique/body mechanic specialist for drum set. He has helped many of the world's best players as well as top educators "get out of their own way" by being as efficient as possible in regards to conservation of motion and energy. The more we’re able to remove our bodies from the equation and let the in...

Eric Somers-Urrea. Eric is a Chicago based drummer but also gets around to Nashville and LA, founding member of the band Marina City, and also plays with other touring acts including La Armada and Makeout. He was born and raised in the Chicago area and studied at the University of Illinois. In this episode, Eric talks about: The evolution of his band Marina City Getting a classical degree and expl...

Rob Walbourne grew up in North London and started playing drums at the age of 10 before working professionally at the age of 15. After his move to the U.S., he lived briefly in New York City before eventually settling down in Simsbury, CT where he found work at the Noble and Cooley drum company. He’s had the opportunity to have played with such luminaries as Shane MacGowan, Jason Isbell, St Etienn...

Jeff Kerestes is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and educator who spent most of his career in New York doing touring and session work and a handful of Broadway shows. During Covid, he left New York and stepped away from music entirely. He and his family eventually settled in Portland Oregon, where he rediscovered his love of music through the drums and the community there. He is a freelance dru...

Tom Hambridge is a Four-time Grammy™- winning producer, songwriter, & drummer for his production work on three of blues legend Buddy Guy’s most critically acclaimed albums: ‘Living Proof’ (2011) , “Born to Play Guitar’ (2016), ‘The Blues is Alive and Well’ (2018), and for his work on Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s Album ‘662’ (2022). Tom has also produced 9 other Grammy nominated albums. He has won...

Andrew Gilmore Barr is a drummer, composer, and producer based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada who is best known for his work with Mumford & Sons, The Barr Brothers, Feist, and The Slip. Barr is a founding member of the experimental rock band The Slip and indie folk group The Barr Brothers along with his brother Brad Barr. In this episode, Andrew talks about: How he now views touring as down time, awa...

Jared Shavelson was raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. His drumming journey stated early in life and got his first drumset at age seven. While playing in all of the local orchestras, marching bands, jazz bands, and theaters in southern New Jersey, he was taking weekly private lessons. During this time he was also starting to play out with his own bands, getting him he...

Eric Gardner has been on the LA scene for 25 years touring and recording with a wide variety of bands and artists over that time. These days, two in particular represent most of his activity - Melissa Etheridge and Tom Morello. He is a graduate of Steve Rucker's program at the University of Miami and has performed with Garbage, Iggy Pop,  Cypress Hill, Iggy Pop, Morrisey, Steve Vai, MC5, Slash, Be...

Colorado native, Taylor Friesth, is a drummer, producer, author, and educator who has delved deeply into drumming since the age of 6. He has performed on stages such as Red Rocks and Folsom Field and his drumming has led him to perform with various groups from GRiZ to New Orleans style brass band Guerrilla Fanfare. His versatility has given him a wide range of musical abilities that has resulted i...

Russ Gold has toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, and Asia., performing with jazz, rock, fusion, and theater groups. Russ’ performing experience includes work with musicians as diverse as Gary Lyons (producer of Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead) Johnny Colla of Huey Lewis and the News, Seth Justman of the J. Giles Band, CBS Fusion artists Full Circle, and jazz greats Tom Scott, Sam Rivers,...

British-born and now Los Angeles-based drummer, Louie Palmer, has recorded and performed with some of the world’s best musicians including Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Tom Scott, Luis Conte, Tim Lefebvre, Mitch Forman, Gary Husband, Jason Rebello and many more. In addition to performing, Louie also runs an online drum school (playbetterdrums.com) which has become a huge online resource for drummers...

John Doing is based in San Francisco and has compiled a deep resume of musical theatre experience, most notably being involved in the Hamilton world for many years. He has been a chairholder and sub on multiple tours, he did the show’s San Francisco residency, he’s done the drumset chair, he’s done the percussion chair. In addition to Hamilton and a lot of other musical theatre work, he has played...

Jay Weinberg is best-known as the former drummer of the band Slipknot as well as the son of Bruce Springsteen's longtime drummer Max Weinberg. But from an early age, Jay proved to all that he was his own drummer and artist who could create a career of his own. Along with subbing for his father on in 2009 with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band, Jay stayed busy in many other projects that incl...