Jeff Sipe

Jeff Sipe is a drummer based in Asheville, North Carolina, and is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music.  For decades he has been a conspicuous presence on the Southern music scene. He was an original member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and the phenomenal trio Hellborg, Lane, Sipe. He's known as Jimmy Herring's go-to drummer, and he can be found in all kinds of fluid combinations with numerous artists.

The unique sound on his recent cross-generational release, Jeff Sipe Trio (Abstract Logix, 2014) caught my attention. Sipe enlisted the aid of two remarkably talented musicians still in their twenties, Mike Seal on guitar and Taylor Lee on bass. Taylor Lee is also a graduate of Berklee and while there was honored with the Most Outstanding Soloist award. Guitarist Mike Seal studied jazz at the University of Tennessee, but that doesn't begin to explain his incredible playing. Each is a musician who remains true to his own artistic vision, and it's clear they are in sync about where they want to go musically. That's the foundation of this album.

During the interview we preview four tracks from the album, and Jeff also shares some stories about Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, Kevin Eubanks, Bill Frisell, Jimmy Herring, teenage Derek Trucks, and explains from a drummer's perspective what makes Oteil Burbridge such a remarkable bassist.