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Karl Latham

"Karl Latham is an inventive powerhouse whose influences are many but whose ideas are his own." Jeff Tamarkin Allmusic.com

About Me

Karl’s career has spanned the globe performing, recording with and producing with Grammy Award winning artists, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members and multitude of internationally acclaimed musicians. Karl is known for his exceptional ability to dig into a variety of musical styles, playing funk, rock, Latin, modern jazz, straight-ahead jazz, and avant-garde. Karl is included in the Drummerworld Top Drummers list and was nominated with Mark Egan and Ryan Carniaux for the BMW 2016 Welt Jazz Award.

As a freelance drummer Karl has performed Ali Ryerson; The Bernie Worrell Orchestra; Michal Urbaniak; Jerry Vivino; Andy Snitzer; Edgar Winter; Johnny Winter; The Shirelles; The Real Deal Big Band; John Lee (Executive Director Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra); The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars; The Fantasy Band (Dave Valentine; Dave Samuels; Chuck Loeb, Noel Pointer, Victor Bailey, Cornell Dupree, Roy Ayers, Larry Coryell); Claudio Roditi; Slide Hampton; Clark Terry; Tomoko Ohno; Michael Dease; Sharrel Cassidy; Yotam Silberstein; Jon Faddis; Ed Cherry; Howard Paul, President Benedetto Guitars (with guests Tom Scott, Laurence Hobgood, Anat Cohen and Jody Espina); Johannes Mossinger Quartet (with guests Joel Frahm, Don Braden, Seamus Blake, Johannes Enders and Joe Lovano);; Pete Levin; Dave Stryker; Atilla Zoller; Oz Noy; Charlie Elgart Andy Hunter; Stefanie Schlesinger; Wolfgang Lackerschmid and subbed on the Broadway productions of “Bring It On” , “Hamilton”, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, and “Ain’t Too Proud”. Additionally, Karl contributed for scores of karaoke tracks and current National television/radio advertising campaigns (2021).

Karl is co-leader of Alex Collins/Ryan Berg Karl Latham with a July 2021 release slated. Karl also co leads Big Fun(K) with saxophonist/composer Don Braden and co leader with Ryan Carniaux and Mark Egan of the “2016 BMW Welt Jazz Award” nominated group “Constellations”. Karl was a member of the electric jazz jam group, Unit1, with Mark Egan and guitarist John Hart.

As a sideman, Karl has appeared on countless recordings. To date Karl has released three CD’s as a leader: “Dancing Spirits” (1999) and “Resonance” (2007). As co leader Karl has released Don Braden/Karl Latham “Big Fun(K) Live” (2012) and Karl Latham/Ryan Carniaux/Mark Egan “Constellations” (2014) and his latest release Karl Latham “Living Standards” with Mark Egan and Vic Juris.

Karl is an endorsing artist for Paiste Cymbals, Yamaha Drums, Innovative Percussion, Evans Drumheads, Big Fat Snare, AEA Microphones and RME. Karl is currently an adjunct percussion instructor at Drew University, County College of Morris and Passaic County Community College. Karl received a B.S.S. from Ohio University and studied music performance at Rutgers University, Ohio University and Berklee College of Music, including private studies with drumming greats Gary Chester, Michael Carvin and Joe Morello.

“Karl Latham is an inventive powerhouse whose influences are many but whose ideas are his own.” - Jeff Tamarkin Allmusic.com

“Latham is an unshakable catalyst.” - JazzTimes Magazine

“Latham/Carniaux/Egan Constellations is part of the new jazz movement that is shaping how we listen and evolve our music sensibilities in the 21st century and beyond. - The Spill Magazine Jazz drummer Latham, inspired by Bjork’s 2007 side Volta, brilliantly reinterprets the Nordic chanteuse’s sound, style, and sensibility.” - Bass Player Magazine

Karl is listed in DrummerWorld “Top” Drummers Lists; Latham/Carniaux/Egan “Constellations” 2016 BMW Welt Jazz Award selection; The Best Jazz of 2013/2015 35th/37th Annual Jazz Station Polls: 2013 Drums: #7 Karl Latham; 2015 Drums: #5 Karl Latham.

My Jazz Story

I met John Lee (Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Group Executive Director) on a CD101.9 New Years Eve Fantasy Band concert, we had lunch together the next day and became friends for life. Two years later he recommended me for my first European Tour with Michael Urbaniak, Jasper Van't Hof and Bobby Malach. This one night led to a lifelong friendship, many gigs together in his various groups, meeting and playing with rising stars and giants of jazz: Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove, Jon Faddis, Claudio Roditi, Don Braden, Tomoko Ohno, Ed Cherry, Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Stefanie Schlesinger, Atilla Zoller, Randy Brecker, Bob Malach, Michael Urbaniak, Larry Coryell, Noel Pointer, Roy Ayers, Dave Valetine, Yotam Silbserstein, Mark Gross and so many others. I became life long friends with many of the folks I met by this chance meeting with John Lee and a 25 year span of being on the road many months of the year in my new home away from home: Northern Europe. The first jazz record I bought was Miles Davis "Big Fun". The name of the group I co-lead with master jazz musician Don Braden, Don Braden/Karl Latham Big Fun(K) is a pun on that seminal Miles recording. I wish all of my jazz family and friends peace love and happiness and a renewed state of joy in the rest of 2021.

My House Concert Story

I have been hosting a series I called "Concerts from the Cabin" https://www.facebook.com/ConcertsfromtheCabin at my studio in upstate New York since last May. I run my entire studio into ProTools and then send the feed to the video mix. That is combined with a 4 or 5 webcam camera shoot and broadcast through OBS. Often times we stream through eMusic Live. Concert participants have included The John Lee Trio, Tomoko Ohno, Freddie Hendryx, Abelita Matius, Mitch Stein, Gary Foote, Steve Myerson, George Farmer, Roger Squitero, Mark Sganga, Martin Pizzarelli Hyuna Park, Linus Wyrsch, Calvin Jones, Laurence Hobgood, Howard Paul and James Robbins.