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John Hadfield

As a composer, drummer and percussionist, John Hadfield’s dedication to music has taken him from his native Missouri to concert halls and clubs across the world. He has released four albums of his own compositions and has composed for many projects, including Heard By Others, a duo project with Lenny Pickett, Believers a trio with Brad Shepik and Sam Minaie, and For James a duo with Ron Blake. Hadfield also composed and performed in Apologue 2047, a multimedia performance art piece directed by Zhang Yimou which explored themes of the relationships of humans and technology. 

John’s diverse abelites have allowed him to perform with the Saturday Night Live Band, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Silk Road Ensemble. He has collaborated on more than 100 recordings, including GRAMMY award winning and nominated albums.


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11
Album Review

Ron Blake, feat. Reuben Rogers & John Hadfield: SCRATCH Band

Read "SCRATCH Band" reviewed by Jack Bowers


There several interesting features that single out saxophonist Ron Blake's new recording with what he refers to as his SCRATCH Band. First, the Puerto Rican-born Blake, best known for his work on tenor saxophone, plays baritone sax on five of the album's nine numbers, tenor sax on only three, tenor and soprano (separately) on one of his four original compositions, “Appointment." Second, the SCRATCH Band is actually a duo with bassist Reuben Rogers on four tracks, a trio with drummer ...

1
Album Review

Believers: Hard Believer

Read "Hard Believer" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero


Veterano della scena downtown newyorchese (da ricordare almeno il Dave Douglas Tiny Bell Trio, il quartetto Pachora con Jim Black, Chris Speed e Skuli Sverrisson, le collaborazioni con Carla Bley's Escalator Over the Hill, Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra, le registrazioni con Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band o il Paradox Trio con Matt Darriau, Rufus Cappadocia e Seido Salifoski) il chitarrista Brad Shepik si è nel corso degli anni sempre più avvicinato alle musiche del mondo. Tutto ciò senza rinnegare la ...

8
Album Review

Rachel Eckroth & John Hadfield: Speaking In Tongues

Read "Speaking In Tongues" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


John Hadfield wrote “Blood Moon" in shocked response to learning that, in 1504, during his fourth transatlantic voyage, Christopher Columbus had used his knowledge of an upcoming Blood Moon eclipse to manipulate reluctant indigenous Jamaicans into granting him food and supplies. The Jamaicans had been fooled before by Columbus' unfair trade practices and wanted no part of him, that is until he made them believe that it was his magic that had turned the moon a fiery red-orange and caused ...

8
Album Review

Kinan Azmeh: Live in Berlin

Read "Live in Berlin" reviewed by Frank Housh


Clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh occupies a unique space in the musical world. He is grew up with Western classical music and trained at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus as well as Juilliard, where he began his studies one week before the 9/11 attacks. His expansive and eclectic body of work includes compositions for orchestra, chamber music, opera, theater, dance, film, and most recently, scoring 30 episodes of the Syrian-Lebanese TV series, “Nazret Hob" ("Look of ...

14
Album Review

Brad Shepik: Hard Believer

Read "Hard Believer" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The first burst of noise from a recording can be telling, predictive of what will come. The Believers' Hard Believer title tune says as much. A guitar, bass and drums group, the music comes to life with some resonant metallic chords. The drums and bass push their weight around. It is assertive music laid down with a gentle and intricate touch. This “Hard Believer" is an introspective entity. Guitarist Brad Shepik, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer John Hadfield ...

15
Album Review

Believers: Hard Believer

Read "Hard Believer" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Belief--the cornerstone of conceptual development and the impetus for any pursuit, artistic or otherwise--is central to the shared mission binding guitarist Brad Shepik, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer/percussionist John Hadfield in this aptly titled trio. Through their eponymous 2020 debut--a strong album that flew under the radar due to its pandemic-era release timing--these three established an aesthetic reflective of global influences and wide-ranging interests. And with this sophomore date, they further that outlook by branching out in numerous directions and ...

12
Album Review

Rachel Eckroth & John Hadfield: Speaking In Tongues

Read "Speaking In Tongues" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


There is something wistful and empowering about wanderlust pianist/composer/electronics Rachel Eckroth's acoustic sensibility that holds a lot of sway with many of her listeners. This falls into direct opposition to her electronic side which, as cool as it sounds, can lean a tad too easily into the blurry, pop-oriented tendencies of Vangelis, Kraftwerk, or Gary Newman. Sure Eckroth makes these endearing old genres sound exciting now, but it is her pure piano playing that truly does the trick.

Read more articles

TIME OUT NEW YORK has noted, “John Hadfield's percussion is so impeccable" and   MODERN DRUMMER featured him in an article stating, "Hadfield delivers a fluid groove, strong yet never intrusize, punctuated by adroitly chosen accents. His skillful sound-weaving choices create the illusion of a seamless multi-percussion section." 

 

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Speaking In Tongues

Adhyâropa Records
2025

buy

Live in Berlin

Dreyer Gaido
2025

buy

Hard Believer

Shifting Paradigm Records
2025

buy

SCRATCH Band

7tēn33 Productions
2025

buy

Ron Blake SCRATCH...

7tēn33 Productions
2025

buy

Please Rate Your...

Palindrome 76 Records
2024

buy

Wedding

From: Live in Berlin
By John Hadfield

Saturn

From: Saturn
By John Hadfield

Dream of the Possible

From: Human Activity: Dream of the...
By John Hadfield

Americannia

From: Strum
By John Hadfield

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