Working Drummer

Elton Charles is a Guyanese drummer/engineer based in Nashville. Originally from New Jersey, he started playing drums at the early age of five. Elton worked on learning the instrument over the years and, combined with a natural tenacity for playing, was accepted to study at Berklee college of music. After moving to Nashville in 2012, Elton’s experience has been a blur of touring, recording, and building his musical relationships within the music community. When not supporting up and coming artists and writers in music city, Elton is building upon studio clientele offering his talents as a drummer and producer. Elton is currently on the road with multi-award winning country duo Thompson Square. In this episode, Elton talks about: The challenges of running a home studio Studying at Berklee and creating a learning experience for himself Great drum sounds coming from the player Working with a click when performing live Translating programed drum parts to acoustic when performing live Snare tuning and playing styl

For almost 20 years, Seth Hendershot has lived in the college town of Athens, GA. He has played in a variety of original and cover bands and for eight years has owned and operated Hendershot’s. What started as a simple coffee house has since become a beloved bar, restaurant, and live music venue. For a city its size, Athens boasts a vibrant and influential music scene, with a place in the origin stories of many bands including R.E.M., The B-52’s, and Drive-By Truckers. Seth’s current playing activity is centered around two touring acts, multi-instrumentalist and singer Randall Bramblett and violinist Kishi Bashi. In addition to playing and running one of the city’s best and busiest venues, Seth is involved with The Athens Music Project in partnership with The University of Georgia to document and highlight the past, present and future of the city’s music, and is on the faculty for Camp Amped, a yearly rock camp for kids. In this podcast, Seth talks about: What brought him to Athens in the late 90’s The pros a

Matt Johnson has played on some of the most critically acclaimed records in almost everyone’s collections. He’s also performed on some of the more memorable tours from the early 90s on. From recording the seminal cult-creating album Grace with Jeff Buckley in 1993 at age 22, he’s worked with a wide spectrum of artists over the past two decades including Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Elysian Fields, Australia’s Angus and Julia Stone, Beth Orton, Keren Ann, Duncan Sheik, and the beloved St. Vincent, the avant-garde guitarist, songwriter and performer who continues to astonish listeners and concertgoers everywhere with her ever-evolving musical statements. In this episode, Matt talks about: Learning how to adapt for a live performance based on a programed or highly produced rhythm track Creating grooves that have more complexity with less density Teaching yourself to feel the space between quarter notes in unique ways Getting your brain to think differently by using a “role reversal” method with your limb

With the exception of a few high school years, Justin Boyd has spent his entire life in Chicago. From the beginning of his career, he thought it important to be open to all of Chicago’s musical scenes instead of choosing one and staying in it. As a result, his experience there has been incredibly diverse. He disregarded the invisible barrier between North Side and South Side, and has managed to float smoothly between the many different genres and circles the city has to offer. He also put himself through two different educations – one in the professional world and one in academia, capped off recently by earning his master’s degree in composition from DePaul University. In this podcast, Justin talks about: Spending his high school years in South Carolina, and the influence it had on him as a musician Returning to school to get his master’s degree Racial dynamics in Chicago Other Chicago drummers who have influenced him How going back to school for his master’s filled some gaps in his “real world” education The

Rob Hammersmith’s musical journey began at an early age in a small town outside of Buffalo, NY. After a brief detour to California, Rob settled in Atlanta, GA, where his drumming quickly gained attention in the rock underground. Rob spent many years touring and recording with Atlanta rockers “Rockets to Ruin” and toured with “Gunfire 76” featuring “Murderdolls” frontman Wednesday 13. Rob also maintains a busy schedule of recording and working with many different bands and artists throughout the country. In 2010, Rob was offered the drum position in the multi-platinum selling rock band Skid Row. When asked about working with the band Rob says “Having always been a fan, it is an honor to be asked to join the band. The band’s music and history holds a special place in both my life, and the lives of so many loyal fans. To be a part of that history is the chance of a lifetime.” In this episode, Rob talks about: Balancing family and touring Chemistry among the band members of Skid Row Staying positive and open mind

Ganesh Giri Jaya was born in New Orleans, moved to Atlanta at age 16, spent his early 20’s in L.A. and Portland, and ultimately returned to Atlanta where he has remained for the past 25 years. His career has usually found him drumming and/or singing in cover and tribute bands of various types. He was one of the original members of Yacht Rock Revue and for the past few years has been the singer, drummer, and leader of its overflow band, Yacht Rock Schooner. Those bands and a few others are under the umbrella of the entertainment company PleaseRock. In his mid 20s, he was introduced to yoga and soon delved deeper into it, beyond the physical practice most of us have done at least once, and into the spiritual, emotional and psychological lessons it has to offer. In this podcast, Ganesh talks about: How yoga has improved every aspect of his physicality, behind the drums and in daily life The hallmarks of a good yoga teacher Growing up in New Orleans How singing and playing trumpet before taking up drums made him

Luis Espaillat is a multi-faceted bassist and musician whose career has spanned many genres and taken him around the world. His unique sound can be heard in all forms of media from shows on network television such as Smallville and King Of The Hill, major motion pictures including S.W.A.T. and American Wedding and even video games including Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 and Project Gotham Racing. In the studio, Luis has recorded with country legends like Michael Martin Murphey to the Billboard Top 20 hard rock sounds of Eve To Adam. His sense and respect for the art of the song itself has made him in demand for many songwriters and producers not only in Nashville, but also Los Angeles and New York City. On the stage, Luis has performed with country stars Trace Adkins, Jamie O’Neal, Jimmy Wayne, Lindsay Ell, Jake Owen, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, James Otto, Tanya Tucker and Doc Walker, rockers such as Tantric and Bo Bice, progressive instrumentalist like Johnny Hiland, and even artists that defy normal conventio

Ganesh Giri Jaya was born in New Orleans, moved to Atlanta at age 16, spent his early 20’s in L.A. and Portland, and ultimately returned to Atlanta where he has remained for the past 25 years. His career has usually found him drumming and/or singing in cover and tribute bands of various types. He was one of the original members of Yacht Rock Revue and for the past few years has been the singer, drummer, and leader of its overflow band, Yacht Rock Schooner. Those bands and a few others are under the umbrella of the entertainment company PleaseRock. In his mid 20s, he was introduced to yoga and soon delved deeper into it, beyond the physical practice most of us have done at least once, and into the spiritual, emotional and psychological lessons it has to offer. In this podcast, Ganesh talks about: The origins of Yacht Rock Revue and Yacht Rock Schooner The popularity of cover/tribute bands, and their market value vs. original artists Social media marketing strategies How over-preparing allows you to play throug

Ray Luzier was raised in West Newton, Pennsylvania, a small town an hour outside of Pittsburgh. He began playing drums at age five, and although basically self-taught, he participated in high school jazz, concert, and marching bands. After graduating in 1988, Luzier moved to Hollywood, California to pursue an education at the renowned Musicians Institute. He graduated in 1989 with a degree from MI’s Percussion Institute of Technology. Luzier later returned as an instructor at Musicians Institute (1992–2001), where he taught rock-style drumming classes and gave private lessons. Luzier is well known for his work with David Lee Roth, whom he played drums for from 1997-2005. Luzier has also played with The Hideous Sun Demons, a progressive-rock/fusion trio formed with DLR bandmembers Toshi Hiketa (guitar) and James LoMenzo (bass). In 2004, Luzier released an instructional DVD. It features a wide variety of lessons, including double-bass technique, drum fills, motion exercises, and warm-ups. It was released throug

Jake Reed was born and raised in Kansas City and went on to study drumset under two of the great educators of our time: John Von Ohlen at University of Cincinnati and Peter Erskine at USC. While in grad school at USC, Jake gradually worked his way into the LA scene doing live dates and recording sessions with colleagues and mentors alike. He has performed or recorded with Bill Bolman, Johnny Mandel, Lisa Loeb, Bob Mintzer, and many others. His most active current project is drumming in TrioKait, led by his wife, pianist and composer Kait Dunton. The group has just recorded their second record. Jake has also just released his first book, “Jazz Drumset Etudes, Vol. I,” which takes a new approach to developing jazz vocabulary. In this podcast, Jake talks about: His early years in Kansas City The differences in the teaching styles of Von Ohlen and Erskine Learning to “pay attention” when listening and playing to absorb and convey more information quicker A couple of the more unique projects he’s been part of, inc

Evan Hutchings grew up in Ft. Smith, AR and is the son of a preacher. He started playing drums at age 2 and got his first drum set at age 8. It was through hours of watching other drummers play in church that he learned how to play for a song and try to convey a sense of emotion through the drums. After high school, Evan moved to Nashville to attend Middle Tennessee State University and studied with Lalo Davila and Tom Giampietro. Since leaving school in 2009, Evan has been touring extensively throughout the USA and abroad with various artists including Katie Herzig, Sugar and the Hi-Lows, Griffin House, Andy Gibson, Erin McCarley, and others. Evan is currently an in-demand session drummer in Nashville and has worked in the studio with Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift), Jamie Kenney (Erin McCarley, Marc Broussard), Neilson Hubbard (Kim Richey), and many others like Danielle Bradbery, Rascal Flatts and Kelsea Ballerini. In this episode, Evan talks about: Different drummers style to playing, soloing, clinics Tuning

Gerald French was born and raised in New Orleans in one of the city’s most prominent musical families. Over his career, he has played with most of New Orleans musical royalty, including Harry Connick Jr., Charmagne Neville, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Dr. John. In 2014, he became the leader of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band. He is only the fifth person to lead the group in its 107-year history, and the third member of his family to do so, preceded by his uncle Bob French and his grandfather Albert “Papa” French. In this podcast Gerald talks about: His annual tours of Japan with Tom Fischer and the New Orleans All-Stars Succeeding his uncle and grandfather as the leader of The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, and the long history of that group Drumming and singing Transitioning from sideman to leader “Being a soldier”, not a star, in the music industry His work as an educator with the Traditional New Orleans Jazz Camp Teaching young musicians how to properly play traditional New Orleans music, and preventing tha

Pat Torpey was born in Cleveland, Ohio. At age 7, he first played the drums and in high school, Torpey immersed himself in all available music programs, concert, orchestra, marching and stage bands. In 1983, Torpey moved to Los Angeles and became a regular on the American Bandstand and Solid Gold TV shows performing with artists like Ben E. King, Mike + The Mechanics, Melissa Manchester and Bob Geldof. In 1985, Torpey auditioned for the British pop–rock singer John Parr, who was riding high on his #1 hit “St. Elmo’s Fire” and had landed the opening slot for Tina Turner on her Private Dancer tour. When that tour ended he became the drummer for Belinda Carlisle on her first solo tour, opening for Robert Palmer. In 1987, Pat joined The Knack. Playing around Los Angeles with The Knack was the pathway to Mr. Big. Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert were starting a new band and were on the hunt for a drummer. They saw Pat playing with The Knack and were impressed with his energy and style. Mr. Big secured a recording co

Ian Chang was born in Hong Kong and moved to New Jersey as a teenager to attend boarding school. He had studied classical piano and percussion in Hong Kong, but quickly became interested in all the other genres New York had to offer. He had begun a pre-college classical percussion program at Julliard, and was on track to attend there after high school, but decided against it at the last minute to focus on drumset, jazz, hip hop, and beyond. He is the drummer for Son Lux, an acclaimed trio whose compositions, recordings and performances are a mix of acoustic and electronic mediums. He was one of the beta testers for Sunhouse’s Sensory Percussion, a new electronic percussion system that gives the drummer an unprecedented range of sounds, sensitivity, customization, and improvisational possibilities. In this podcast, Ian talks about: The process of creating his new solo album “Spiritual Leader” Making electronic music sound less “gridded.” The development of Sunhouse Sensory Percussion, and what sets it apart fr

For more than 24 years, Jeremy Roberson has been perfecting his precise, unpredictable, high-energy style of drumming. Using a combination of techniques, he has developed his own original style, which is as exciting to listen to as it is to watch. His ability to adapt to any genre of music while maintaining precision, timing, and his uniquely smooth style has earned him numerous accolades, and has led him to be known by musicians and fans alike as none other than “Mr. Finesse.” At the age of 3, Roberson, born in Columbia, SC, began honing his skills on the drum set, emulating the style of his older brother Tony, nine years his senior. Before long he began marching with the W.J. Keenan High School Band- at age 11. He continued marching with the band throughout his high school career, eventually gaining regional recognition and numerous awards. After high school he attended Johnson C. Smith University where he furthered his studies and marched on the University’s band. After college he rapidly began to merge in

In today’s music landscape, Kevin Kanner is a rare breed of drummer; focused intently and passionately on straight-ahead jazz. While many of his generation have looked for ways to widen the scope of the drumset and the role of the drummer, and cross breed jazz with other genres, Kevin’s musical ambition has remained simple and singular: to swing. Like his heroes, Philly Joe Jones, Mickey Roker, his fellow West Coast jazzer Shelly Manne, and his mentor Jeff Hamilton, Kevin brings a fiery but concentrated intensity to the music. This “dyed-in-the-wool” identity has become his calling card and is the reason he has been sought after by the likes of John Pizzarelli, Eric Reed, Walter Smith III, Terrell Stafford, Gerald Clayton, and many more of the best in the current jazz world. Kevin is based in his hometown of Los Angeles, which has a rich jazz history of its own. What it has historically lacked in Kevin’s estimation, is a place for the straight-ahead, take-no-prisoners, small-group, instrumental jazz to which

Finding a drummer with the chops and knowledge necessary to recapture a wide range of various styles authentically, is no small task. To make you believe you’re hearing the original recording is even more rare. Jason Harrison Smith does this and so much more. Currently playing simultaneously with Blues legend Albert Lee and guitar virtuoso Carl Verheyen, Jason’s a busy guy and likes it that way. His past credits outline his versatility, including time spent with Enrique Iglesias, Five For Fighting, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Mike Keneally (former Zappa guitarist), guitar legend John Jorgenson, Kelly Sweet, Julia Fordham, Buzz Feiten, Wings’ Denny Laine and many, many more. On his debut solo recording, “Think Like This”, he’s joined by bassist Dave Carpenter and keyboardist/drummer Gary Husband. The music showcases a precocious, updated and unconventional take on the standard Jazz trio format. In this podcast Jason talks about: The business of entertaining the masses Advice for those balancing the day job and

Doug Auwarter has spent most of his 40-year career in Kansas City and has been equally active as a performer and educator. He began his career playing across spectrum of American music – jazz, rock, funk, etc. In the 80’s he fell in love with Brazilian music and culture, and although he continues to play a wide variety of music, he is known and loved as Kansas City’s resident guru for all things Brazilian, from the proper Partido Alto feel to the proper Moqueca de Peixe (fish stew). Doug is the cofounder and co-leader of the Sons of Brasil, an instrumental Brazilian jazz group currently in its third decade, and the long-time drummer for jazz vocalist Angela Hagenbach. He has taught drumset, percussion, latin combo, world music, and jazz history, and music appreciation at numerous colleges and universities in and around KC including University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri Western State University, Northwest Missouri State University, and Johnson County Community College, and is the author of two self-publ

Based in Los Angeles but originally from Long Island, New York, Evan Stone (Drummer/Producer/Bandleader) currently fronts his original project the Translucent Ham Sandwich Band who released their debut album in 2016 entitled: ‘Music From The Future’ which has received airtime on numerous radio and cable television stations around the world.  Evan Stone has toured the United States with trumpeter/bandleader Maynard Ferguson and traveled throughout Australia and New Zealand with pop artist Toni Childs. Evan formed the Progressive/New Thing Rock band Salty The Pocketknife which released their debut recording in 2003. When not leading his own bands throughout the west coast, Evan has toured in the past with the Greg Adams Band (Tower of Power) and pop artists Aly & AJ. In addition, Evan Stone has played with Kei Akagi, John Beasley, Brian Bromberg, David Garfield, Gilbert Castellanos, Darek Oles, Bob Sheppard, Chuck Manning, Doug Webb, Steve Cardenas, Theo Saunders, Otmaro Ruiz, Luther Hughes, Bob Cooper, Dr. Art

Gintas Janusonis is the son of Lithuanian immigrants and grew up in Milwaukee. Berklee brought him to the East Coast and he soon made the jump to New York, where he has been active as a drummer and producer for most of his professional life. His list of credits ranges from jazz greats Branford Marsalis and Kurt Rosenwinkel, to hip hop royalty Wu Tang Clan and Kool G Rap, to singer/songwriter and America’s Got Talent semi-finalist Jonah Smith. At the top of his list of current projects is Bandit 65, a trio with Rosenwinkel and Tim Motzer, in which he gets to flex his producer chops, incorporating various types of electronics and sound manipulation. On the more analogue end of the musical spectrum, he has been part of countless acoustic jazz projects and leads The Revelations, a funk/soul band and production collective. In this podcast, Gintas talks about: Rockwood Music Hall, which has become a hub for live music in New York The ways he incorporates electronics and effects with Bandit 65, and that group’s impr