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Dan Dorff

dan dorff is a drummer and composer in chicago

About Me

Dan Dorff is a drummer, percussionist and keyboardist who specializes in styles ranging from jazz, blues, gospel and folk to rock, pop, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and West African music. The depth of Dan’s musical interests has sparked a performing career that has led him to 4 continents and over 25 countries and keeps him in demand as a performer, arranger and producer.

He has toured, performed, and/or recorded with: Daniel Martin Moore, STOMP, Deal's Gone Bad, the Toasters, Haley Bonar, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Nick Lachey's Team Cincinnati on NBC, Don Rickles, Rusty Burge, Harry Pickens, Ben Sollee, Bill Cunliffe, Steve Hoskins, Tessa Souter, the Jazz Circle, Dick Sisto, Brad Goode, Mike Scharfe, Bob Bodley, Art Gore, Dave Samuels, Roy Haynes’ Fountain of Youth Band, Marcus Strickland, Bud Shank, Slide Hampton, Bill Watrous, and Dave Liebman.

As a percussionist, Dan specializes in Afro Cuban, Brazilian, and West African musics. He has employed these styles and instruments as a dance accompanist with the Hubbard Street Dance Company, Columbia College, the Merce Cunningham Company, Sean Curran, Maureen Fleming, Bill T. Jones-Arnie Zane Company, Judith Mikita, Shellie Cash, and Constance Dinapoli of the Paul Taylor Company, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, Cynthia Riesterer and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Interlochen Arts Center, The Aspen Santa-Ballet, the Interlochen Faculty Dance Ensemble, and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

In addition to his career as a performer, Dan has served as Music Director, Pianist and Choir Director for Saint Agnes Church in Cincinnati; Music Director of the Over the Rhine Steel Drum Band, and Music Director for the Portland Percussion Project.

Dan currently resides in Chicago and works from his home in Logan Square as an arranger, producer, composer, and teacher.