Results for "percussion"

Kahil El'Zabar

Born: November 11, 1953

Internationally renowned percussionist and composer Kahil El'Zabar is considered one of the most prolific jazz innovators of his generation. Indeed El'Zabar is a true "Renaissance Man," with a musical style and content that flows from ancient Africa to the modern world. In his own words, "The spirit of one's approach comes first before the technical. All the facility in the world with nothing that comes from the heart doesn't make good music. The basis of the strength of any artistic evolution has come from ethnicity."

Even though he is fully grounded in the history and music of his African American community, he has taken his studies deeper, ingeniously incorporating African music and instrumentation, producing a unique and wonderfully engaging sound. He credits his community with providing some direction towards African sensibility. "I grew up in a period when African Americans, as a large body, finally started addressing our roots. With African drums there was such an appeal in the way of playing with the hands and the sense of the entire body being involved in the playing of the instrument." El'Zabar is an accomplished musician with mastery of a variety of instruments, from the elementary - congas, bongos, African drums, shekere, gongs, and trap drums - to the esoteric - balaphon, marimba, sanza, kalimba and berimbau.

Hamid Drake

Born: August 3, 1955

b. 3 August 1955, Monroe, Louisiana, USA. Hamid Drake studied drums extensively, including eastern and Caribbean styles. In 1974 he began what was to be a long-term musical relationship with Fred Anderson. In the late 70s, Anderson introduced him to George Lewis and Douglas Ewart. His most significant percussion influences, Ed Blackwell and Adam Rudolph, date from this period. The latter, who was a childhood friend, became another continuing collaborator and they appeared together in numerous contexts, including Anderson's 1979 The Missing Link. Don Cherry, who Drake first met in 1978, was another continuing collaborator

Ian Dogole

Born: 1955

Born in Philadelphia, PA, Ian Dogole began his musical journey at age four, studying piano and then switched to guitar at age seven. After growing up on soul and rock music, Ian discovered Jazz, especially Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef and Sun Ra (among many), and their influences remain strong to this date. In high school outside of Philadelphia, Ian was exposed to Chinese and Indian classical music by his instructor, Roman Pawlowski. This was the point in which Ian's passion for Jazz and his newfound love of "World" music intersected. As a major in Ethnomusicology (and Classics) at Brown University, Ian delved more deeply into the indigenous music cultures of the planet, while maintaining his fascination with the evolution of Jazz

Tom Teasley

Born: December 2

Tom Teasley, described in the Washington Post as “a multi-instrumental genius,” maintains a unique career as a solo percussionist, composer, and collaborator. He is a Drummie Award winner for “World Percussionist of the Year by Drum! Magazine. Tom is a multi Helen Hayes Theatre Award recipient for outstanding sound design (nominations in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2019). Tom tours frequently worldwide, performing and presenting clinics for the instrument companies he endorses, including Yamaha, Vic Firth, Sabian, Remo, and Gon Bops. His educational book /DVD, An American Approach to World Percussion, is published by Alfred Publishing.

Harold E. Smith

As a multitalented musician, Harold E. Smith makes music out of anything he picks up. He plays drums, wind and percussion instruments from every continent, gongs, whistles, flutes and the traditional Australian Didjeridoo. In the jazz domain, Harold is noted for his highly energized, emotional, and innovative style of drumming, both as a leader and sideman. In all domains, Harold Smith is a person deeply in touch with the spirit of nature and the nature of our spirit. The first time he picked up the didjeridoo, he could play it. When he plays, he is always in conversation with the Great Spirit

Mongo Santamaria

Born: April 7, 1917

Mongo Santamaria enjoyed a long and successful career in Latin music. His recordings and concert performances ranged from the authentic percussion music of Afro-Cuban religious rituals through to Latin-jazz reworkings of American jazz and pop hits. His song Afro-Blue became a contemporary jazz standard, best-known in the coruscating version by saxophonist John Coltrane. His own adaptation of Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man provided the biggest hit of his career in 1963, and is regarded as a classic artefact on the Lounge Music scene. He was born Ramon Santamaria in Cuba, and nicknamed Mongo by his father (the word denotes a tribal chief in Senegal)

Adam Rudolph

Born: September 12, 1955

For the past four decades composer, improviser and percussionist Adam Rudolph has performed extensively in concert throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Rudolph has been hailed as "a pioneer in world music" by the NY Times and "a master percussionist" by Musician magazine. He has released over 25 recordings under his own name, featuring his compositions and percussion work. Rudolph composes for his ensembles Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures, Hu: Vibrational percussion group, and Go: Organic Orchestra, an 18 to 54 piece group for which he has developed an original music notation and conducting system

Don Alias

Born: December 25, 1939

Charles Donald Alias, Sr., son of Eugene Alias and Violet Richardson, was born on December 25, 1939 in Harlem, New York. Don received his education in Boston where he met and wedded Paulette Wilson. From this union two beautiful children were born - Charles Donald Alias, Jr. and Kimberlee Marisa Alias. The family has grown to include four wonderful grandchildren - Franklin, Avante, Devin and Chloe Alias. While in Boston he spent many nights at the Berklee School dorms. It was there that he jammed with drummer Tony Williams and pianist Chick Corea and became part of a band called Los Muchachos, along with bassist Gene Perla who became his life long partner

Rogerio Boccato

Born: November 22, 1967

Brazilian percussionist and educator Rogério Boccato plays in projects led by some of today’s leading jazz players, among them Maria Schneider, John Patitucci, Fred Hersch, Danilo Perez, Ben Allison, Kevin Hays, among many others. He has also collaborated with top-ranking Brazilian artists, such as Toninho Horta, Dori Caymmi, Moacir Santos, and Vinicius Cantuária.

He is featured on Grammy-award winning album “The Thompson Fields“, with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and also on two Grammy-nominated ones: Kenny Garrett’s “Beyond The Wall” and John Patitucci‘s release “Remembrance“, alongside Joe Lovano and Brian Blade.

Chino Nunez

Born: June 25, 1961

PONME A GOZAR! Put me to swing is the welcome tune on his website www.chinonunez.com. Most appropriate, considering his insatiable appetite and passion for music as a gifted veteran of the industry. There are too many adjectives to describe Chino's acquired professional credentials...percussionist extraordinarie, pianist, arranger, conductor, composer, producer, engineer, and educator. Chino candidly acknowledges every experience, everyone, everything, as influential to his success. His well-known reflection of being blessed is found in nearly every interview, print or otherwise. As one of the most respected and sought freelance producer and percussionist on the East Coast and beyond, Chino has performed in a broad arena of venues worldwide including the increasingly popular Salsa Congresses, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Northsea Jazz Festival in Amsterdam, Montreal Jazz Festival, Tito Puente Amphitheatre and the Bellas Arte Performing Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Newport Jazz Festival, Newport News, RI, Trump Plaza Casino in Atlantic City and many other locations. He wears many hats! Chino is the timbalero for Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), whose classic old school style of music has earned them worldwide recognition in less than 3 years