Viewing: Drummers - View all posts

February 19, 2024 Drummer, teacher and entrepreneur Trey O'Toole is the next guest on Backstage at the Enharmonic!

Trey is a professional percussionist and instructor with over 30 years of experience and is co-owner of Pulse Drumming MusicWorks in Ventura, CA. 

He holds Bachelor of Music with emphasis on orchestral percussion and has a strong understanding of western harmonic theory, ethnic studies, world music, and jazz. He is passionate about teaching and serving his community in California and beyond…

April 7, 2023 Busy Nashville drummer, Jim Riley is the next guest on Backstage at the Enharmonic!

Jim is the drummer and bandleader for multi-platinum group, Rascal Flatts as well as being an Adjunct Professor of Drumset Studies at Belmont University Since moving to Nashville in 1997, Jim he has played over a thousand of sold out shows for millions of fans. His television credits include The Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show, The American Music Awards, The Voice, American Idol, Dancing with the stars, Oprah…

October 28, 2022 This episode is about two years overdue!  It is a tribute to my late undergrad percussion professor, Joseph Goebel (11/8/39-10/26/20) who passed away on October 26, 2020.  He was truly, one-of-a-kind!  This episode features me and my memories of The Chief.  It begins with the first time that I met him, at my undergrad percussion audition.  Through a series of vignettes I attempt to paint the picture of studying with and observing Joe.  I talk about his studio, what was meaningful to him…

May 29, 2022 I'm very happy to welcome my good friend, drummer, author, educator and historian, Daniel Glass back to the podcast!  Today we do a deep-dive into his brand new burnin' album, The Daniel Glass Trio: BAM!

For more about Daniel, the trio, the album, etc.. please visit him at https://danielglass.com/

March 25, 2022  This short edition of Backstage at The Enharmonic features a recorded phone conversation that I had with the legendary big band drummer, Harold Jones.  He was helping me prepare for a university-level master class.  We dicusss: learning brushes, warming-up, plastic brushes, preparing to play new material with a big band, and more!

[This phone conversation was placed on February 7, 2020, exactly one month before the world shut-down.  Just something to keep in mind as we are referencing his…

Wednesday, September 30, 2021, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia: I had the privilege to sit down and chat with drum legend, Mr. Jimmy Wormworth!  Jimmy is best known for playing drums with the groundbreaking vocal jazz ensemble, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, plus his work with Al Haig, Lou Donaldson and for being house drummer at the Five Spot in 1959.

This edition of Backstage at The Enharmonic is very special, it’s the first interview that I’ve conducted live and in person, and would like to thank bassist Mike…

Friday, June 18, 2021 My next guest is certified super-star, Dame Evelyn Glennie!  I've been following and admiring her career for 20+ years now.  Through video conferencing technology I was able to chat with Evelyn based in London, from my home studio in Philadelphia. In today's segment, Dame Evelyn discusses her earliest music lessons in school, learning percussion with none of the traditional method books, the most important lessons that she learned from her two most influential teachers (Ron Forbes and…

June 13, 2021

THE DRUM RUDIMENT EDITION

Ten of my favorite drummers tell us about their favorite Drum Rudiment!

The panel includes:

• TOMMY CAMPBELL
• CLAYTON CAMERON
• LIBERTY DEVITTO
• MATTHEW HOWARD
• DAVID LU
• SHERRIE MARICLE
• JON BERMUDA SCHWARTZ
• CHIHIRO SHIBAYAMA
• MICHAEL VOSBEIN
• JOHN "DR. THROWDOWN" WOOTON

Please consider checking out all of these great artists online to see/hear/learn more about their percussive artistry.

Thanks for listening!

March 5, 2021, I'm very happy that one of my longtime inspirations in the field of percussion agreed to chat, Mr. Anthony J. Cirone.  Anyone who has ever studied percussion has said the name, 'Cirone!', countless times, due to his groundbreaking snare drum solo book, Portraits in Rhythm.  The book is used at every high school, college, and percussion studio in the world as a barometer of a student's reading ability and musicality on the snare drum.  I've been using this book since the mid-1980s and still…

October 3, 2020 I am excited to welcome drummer, composer and band leader Sherrie Maricle to the podcast! I've long been a fan of her drumming, music and music-business acumen.  Today's chat begins with her early years begrudgingly playing a metal clarinet in the school band and comes full circle when we discuss the jazz institution that she's captained for nearly three swingin' decades, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra! 

From the drum set Sherrie leads The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, her quintet FIVE PLAY and co-leads…

May 16, 2020 (originally released as a video interview on YouTube) This interview is with Count Basie's favorite drummer, Harold Jones.

American pop and jazz drummer Harold Jones is best known for his tours and recordings with Tony Bennett and for his five years with the Count Basie Orchestra.

In a career spanning six decades, Jones has toured and recorded with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, and Ray Charles. He has also played with major symphony orchestras…

August 28, 2016: In this episode I get to talk with one of my all-time favorite drummers, Jeff Sipe.  I've been a fan of Jeff's since 1994, when I first heard him with Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit.  Since then I've been able to see his trio live, have seen him perform with Jeff Coffin's Mu'tet on numerous occasions and have even been able to perform with Jeff Sipe for the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration featuring Warren Haynes.

In this episode Jeff talks about his early drum lessons in…

August 13, 2016:  In this episode we chat with percussion and publishing powerhouse Dave Black.  Dave reminisces about first hearing the power of a drumline at a parade when he was 7 years old, purchasing and learning to play guitar before becoming a percussionist, his fortuitous meeting in high school and lasting friendship with legendary drummer Louie Bellson, the importance of having a strong foundation in music theory for all drummers, and 'paying it forward' in the music industry.

Award-winning…

July 20, 2016: I  am happy to welcome a true drumming legend and personal hero of mine, The Brush Master: Clayton Cameron.  In this episode we learn about Big C's (that's what Sammy Davis, Jr. called him) time in the Los Angeles All-City High School Marching Band, his 'terrible' audition with Mr. D, the two most important weeks of his life and tap dancers, not winning the audition for the college jazz band, his new course at UCLA, and how he ended up taking tennis lessons from Mike Agassi (yes! Andre's…

April 12, 2016 In this episode Sean spends time talking with the legendary drummer, Hal Blaine.  Hal goes way back and reminisces about taking his mother's rocking chair apart and using the dowelings as drumsticks, talks about his three years in Chicago studying with Roy Knapp (Gene Krupa's teacher) after serving in the Korean War, discusses his work with the Wrecking Crew, tells about his amazing compliment from Buddy Rich, evaluates his role as an accompanist on the drums, hints at an exciting upcoming…