Working Drummer

Mike Malone is a performer and educator based out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He attended University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire to study classical and jazz percussion. In 2013 Mike was invited to join The Glenn Miller Orchestra's national tour. After returning to UWEC to finish his degree in 2014, Mike began touring with groups including jazz vocalist, Ray Brown Jr, and vocal jazz group, Five By Design....

World-renowned, Grammy-winning musician John "J.R." Robinson is widely considered the most recorded drummer in history, playing on albums that have sold well over 500 million copies. He is the drummer on 20 number-one pop songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Steve Winwood, and has been the drummer on more than 100 Grammy-winning tracks. Rolling Stone Magazin...

One of the most highly regarded jazz drummers on the scene today, Joe is known for his blazing speed, precision, musical, and melodic playing. Born in South Hadley, Massachusetts in 1968, Joe grew up in a musical family; his father was a music educator and he has four older brothers, two of whom became professional musicians. He studied with Alan Dawson and Arthur Taylor prior to attending and gra...

As a drummer, Mark Poiesz has performed in front of millions of people on five continents with artists including Tyler Farr, Lindsay Ell, Mitchell Tenpenny, Chuck Wicks, Jon Secada, Lita Ford and Ghost of Gloria. As an alumnus of the University of Miami's prestigious Frost School of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree in Studio Music and Jazz, Mark's career has spanned nearly every conceivable g...

George Coleman Jr. was born into a musical family. As a drummer, producer, composer, filmmaker, and son of two musical jazz greats, saxophone legend George Coleman Sr. and organist, composer and vocalist, Gloria Coleman, he was seven when master drummer Max Roach gave him his first set of drums. George studied with master teachers including Sam Ulano, Michael Carvin and Billy Higgins. In 2019, Geo...

Andy Hull is a drummer and a seasoned veteran of the Nashville music scene. He has toured and recorded with many artists including Billy Dean, Ty Herndon, Jaimie O’Neal , Collin Raye, Lee greenwood and is currently on tour with country music super star Clint Black. In this episode, Andy talks about:     Dealing with last minute gigs and sessions     The psychology of working with others     Drummi...

Nasheet Waits, drummer and music educator, is a New York native. His interest in playing the drums was encouraged by his father, legendary percussionist, Frederick Waits, who played with such legendary artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, and countless others. While attending Long Island University, Nasheet studied...

Rich Redmond is an award-winning recording and touring drummer based in Nashville and Los Angeles. As an in-demand artist, Rich has recorded/toured/performed with: Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson, Bryan Adams, Bob Seger, Joe Perry, Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Thompson Square, Eric Church, Deana Carter, Montgomery Gentry, Alabama, John...

John began playing drums at the age of 5 in Oakland California. Oakland proved to be a perfect incubator for John as he thrived playing in many of the school, community, rock, jazz, and funk bands in the area. This experience gave John a diverse background that continues to serve him well today. Early in his career, John was playing in local bands opening for such diverse acts as George Benson, Th...

Drummer, Producer, Recording Artist and Educator Bruce Becker has steadily made his mark in the world of Music. Founding member and Drummer behind the David Becker Tribune, Bruce has recorded and co-produced 10 critically acclaimed recordings. The DBT has performed at clubs and jazz festivals throughout the world for more than 3 decades. In 2015 “Message To Attila” was released on Enja records. Br...

Best known for her work with Lenny Kravitz and her husband, Carlos Santana, Cindy's career has spanned over 30 years and involved many other artists from Pharoah Sanders to Joss Stone to Buckethead. In this episode, Cindy talks about: The Vegas residency serving as a "laboratory" How she and Carlos navigate being spouses and bandmates How Tony played the function of the drums first and foremost A...

Daru Jones is known for his work with Jack White as well as his list of collaborators that include, Bootsy Collins, Kanye West, Pete Rock, Gloria Gaynor, Slum Village, Jamie Lidell, Talib Kweli, Dwight Yoakam, Nas, Pee Wee Ellis, Lorenzo Jovanotti, Queen Latifah, Black Milk, Salaam Remi, Pharoahe Monch, Rance Allen, Black Violin, Ski Beatz & The Sensei’s, and Jon B just to name a few. Throughout t...

In this episode, Craig talks about Knowing and owning your preparation process/method How being good at reading can prevent you from listening in-depth, and how reading well doesn’t automatically mean you have good time, good feel, or good ears Approaching recording with a producer’s ears, thinking about not just the nuts and bolts of the drums, but the whole sound of the whole record Why he moved...

Kyle May, is a working drummer, writer, and producer in Nashville, TN. He currently plays for Maddie & Tae and Billy Ray Cyrus. Additional touring credits include Lindsay Ell, Runaway June, Brandon Lay, and Carter Faith. He’s cut for artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimmie Allen, Matt Stell, Clay Walker, Levi Hummon, Willie Jones, Walker Hayes, to name a few. The best part about recording from his hom...

Craig McIntyre has had a long tenure as the drummer for the Goo Goo Dolls and has also performed with Josh Groban, Vertical Horizon, Idina Menzel, Deana Carter, Seal, and many others along the way. After building a very LA-centric career, Craig now lives in Portland Oregon.  In this episode, Craig talks about: The combination of festival and theatre work that comprises the Goo Goo Dolls’ yearly sc...

Bobby Sanabria is an eight time Grammy-nominee as a leader. Known as a drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, conductor, documentary film producer, educator, activist, and bandleader, his versatility as both a drummer and percussionist, from small group to big band, has become legendary. A native son of the South Bronx born to Puerto Rican parents, he has performed and recorded with every maj...

Joe LaBarbera has spent his life in jazz, first based in New York, then in LA, and has performed with Bill Evans, Tony Bennet, Chuck Mangione, and many more. He also spent 28 years on the faculty at Cal Arts teaching drumset, jazz small groups, and jazz history. His new book, Times Remembered, recounts his time with the Bill Evans Trio during the last two years of Evans' life. In this episode, Joe...

Brady L. Blade, Jr. is one of the most in-demand session drummers in the world, and has played on several critically acclaimed albums, including records by Solomon Burke, Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews, Buddy Miller, Indigo Girls, Steve Earle, and Shawn Amos. He is also an accomplished producer and composer. He enjoys working with new talent, developing their songwriting and, ultimat...

Mike Musberger has spent his life and career in Seattle, where he has played in a long list of bands and projects. In the 90s, he enjoyed some big label/world touring success as the drummer for The Posies. More recently, he was part of Paul Allen's traveling "on call" band, and is part of Ringo's live production crew. He also records in his own studio, housed in Seattle's most famous rehearsal spa...

Chris Marquart is the touring drummer with multi-platinum country superstar Cole Swindell. Originally from a small town in Illinois, Chris attended The Berkley college of music before his eventual move to Nashville, TN. Chris has created a career in the music industry on his own terms all while staying focused on the big picture and things that are most important to him. Chris navigated his way th...

Victor Indrizzo has long been one of the most in-demand drummers in LA and can be heard on countless records and movie soundtracks. He has recorded with Beck, Sheryl Crow, Queens of the Stone Age, and many, many others. He has also served as Alanis Morissette's touring drummer for over a decade. His recent work includes Lizzo's "About Damn Time," newly crowned with a grammy for record of the year,...

Dan Ainspan is the co-host of the podcast Nashville Drummers Podcast with colleague Nathan Sletner. The podcast gives a voice to Nashville’s next generation of players — the up-and-coming drummers that you may haven’t heard of yet. Dan is also currently the Jr. Marketing Manager, Band & Orchestra Products for Pearl Corporation, based in Nashville, TN. A Slingerlands, NY native, Dan attended the St...

Jay Bellerose is a Los Angeles-based touring and studio veteran with an approach and aesthetic all his own. His passion for all things old and gritty has resulted in a personality behind the drums that has become sought after by artists and producers including Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, T-Bone Burnett, Bonnie Raitt, Ray LeMontagne, In this episode, Jay talks about: The Slingerland "Rolling Bom...

Jamie Wollam has toured with some of the most talented musicians on earth including, Tears for Fears, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Tommy Shaw (Styx), Fee Waybil (The Tubes) and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello’s solo project, The Nightwatchman. He has recorded with Michael Sweet (Stryper), Guardian, Zache Brooke, The Brave, John Elefante (Kansas), Venice, Jay Nash, Mindy Gledhill, Michael J...

 Matt Starr is a 20-year veteran of the LA scene and recently landed in Sarah McLachlan's drum chair. Over his career, he has divided his time playing live and recording in the pop/rock world and has also been producing music in his own studio. Matt began formal study of drums in his hometown of Toronto with Vito Rezza, and went on to study with Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, and Bernard Purdie. In addi...