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Jeremy Steinkoler

About Me

”A very swinging drummer who's mastered the art of coordinated independence” (East Bay Express), Jeremy has been playing drums professionally for over 25 years. His diverse musical experiences have led him to craft a fresh and unmistakable style from an expansive range of influences, from classic New Orleans second-line street beats to Elvin Jones' “circle of sound,” as well as the sensitive musical stylings of drummers like Steve Gadd and Jim Keltner. He performs regularly with a wide array of musical projects, including his award-winning saxes-and-drums funk trio Mo’Fone, pop-jazz supergroup Jenna & the Charmers, the Bait & Switch Blues Band, his own J. Steinkoler Quartet, and various other jazz players and singer/songwriters.

His creative, feel-based approach to the drums has earned him prodigious credits as a sideman, including performances and recordings with members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dave Ellis, Kirk Joseph, Clarence Bucaro, Jenna Mammina, Chelle & Friends, Guru Garage, Valerie Orth, Rachel Efron, Christie McCarthy, Eda Maxym, Paula Harris, the Kevin Beadles Band, Hot Links, Phatlip, Mamadou Sidibe, and many dozens of top musicians around the Bay Area. He leads and composes for Mo’Fone, which has been featured repeatedly at the Monterey, San Francisco and Sonoma Jazz Festivals, and charted to #3 with their most recent album, ‘Fonology, on the Roots Music Charts.

In addition to his busy career as a performer, Jeremy has been teaching private drum lessons since 1991, and has become one of the most respected educators in the Bay Area. Along with Steve Gibson, He is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of BandWorks, a school of rock for musicians of all ages with multiple locations around the Bay Area. He is also the Founder and Director of the East Bay Drum School, and has been on the faculty of Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp for the past 22 years, where he was the Co-Director from 1999-2001 and served on the Board of Directors from 2010-2013. He has taught workshops and master classes in Dublin, Ireland; Ann Arbor, MI; and in Northern California for the past 20 years.

Jeremy has authored a book on drumming titled Finding the Groove, a collection of essays on music, drumming, performing and teaching, and has published educational articles on vicfirth.com.

Jeremy is proud to be endorsed by Brooks Drums, Vic Firth Drum Sticks, Protection Racket Cases, and Aquarian Drumheads.

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