Take Five With Jon Sheckler

Meet Jon Sheckler:

At a young age Jon Sheckler is already proving to be a well-versed musician and up-and-coming bandleader in the Seattle area. As a drummer, Jon has had the opportunity to play with some of today's leading players including trumpeter Clay Jenkins, award-winning vocalist Catherine Jensen-Hole, Chicago bluesman Al Rowe, and Seattle jazz luminaries Chad McCullough, Reuel Lubag, Mark Taylor, Jay Wienstien, Darrius Willrich, Jim Cutler, Todd DelGuidice, Ryan Keberle, Rob Tapper, Jonathan Pugh, Dan Keberle and percussionist Michael Spiro.

Instrument(s):

Drums.

Teachers and/or influences?

Jim White, Jeff Hamilton, John Riley, Elvin Jones, Billy Higgins, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade and Jeff Ballard.

Your dream band:

I would love to have had Bobby Timmons and Ray Brown in my band. Also, you can't go wrong with cats like Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Butch Warren on bass or Benny Green on piano. Those are the people on the short list for me.

Favorite venue:

Tula's in Seattle is a great venue. They have such a high reputation in the city that the walk-in crowd is always good. The bar staff are not just there to make a buck either. They really get into the music and the room is a great place in which to be. The sound is good and the stage is set up just right.

What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?

Energy and a certain amount of unpredictability are my main contributions. I always get into the music and try to do something different every performance. I want to surprise and be surprised every time I am on stage.

Desert Island picks:

The only album that is a true desert island pick I can nail down is James Taylor's One Man Band. It is a perfect recording. The songwriting is top notch and the emotion on the record gets to me every time I hear it. You can't passively listen to that record.

If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:

Writer. I almost majored in creative writing before I decided to go for jazz. It is a great way to use my mind silently. If I didn't write music, I would write anything else.