Working Drummer

At the helm of The Equinox Orchestra are tenor saxophonist and bandleader Jeremy Davis, lead vocalist Clay Johnson, and trumpet player, musical director and tour manager Tommy Brinson. Their combined efforts have gotten the 11-piece group on the road for a 2 month, 18,000 mile U.S. tour, the most ambitious undertaking in the band’s 15-year history. The three talked with their drummer and Working Drummer Podcast co-host Zack Albetta about their individual roles, the drummer’s role, their perspective as leaders of a group and owners of an enterprise. Equinox began as a traditional 18-piece instrumental big band playing performing whenever and wherever they could, but has evolved into a multi-faceted group with line-ups ranging from three to 25 playing everything from restaurants and bars to theatre shows and private events. Jeremy and Clay have recently sought to use Equinox for philanthropic causes in addition to their regular for-profit gigs. In this podcast, the guys talk about The types of gigs Equinox has

Angie Lese always wanted to be a drummer since she could remember. Growing up in Fort Wayne Indiana, she took to music early and studied flute throughout high school. It wasn’t until her college years that Angie decided to follow her drumming passion, bought a kit and taught herself how to play. After graduating and starting a career in meteorology, Angie moved to Louisville Kentucky and heavily pursued music. She played for a Sony recording artist, several cover bands, and was a session drummer as well. Her main band, CatFight (original pop/punk rock), received a strong local and regional following along with the support from Little Heart Records of Louisville, KY. In 2013 they released a self titles EP – CatFight. While that was taking off, Angie was offered a promotion in her meteorology career that prompted a move to Nashville Tennessee in 2012. After immersing herself in the Nashville music scene, Angie joined forces with artist Leticia Wolf, fellow Catfight member Erica Sellers, and two other musicians

Jermal Watson is a native of New Orleans and like so many musicians there, got his musical start playing in church. Growing up in New Orleans, he explains, young musicians learn songs and styles by ear and by the time you’re grown, all of the city’s musical languages – the swing feel of Preservation Hall, the street beats of the brass bands, the funk of The Meters and The Neville Brothers – are languages you just know. As a young drummer, Jermal was brought along on the scene by two of its elder statesmen, Russell Batiste and Gerald French and for decades now, he has been among The Crescent City’s first-call drummers. His resume includes The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Eddie Roberts, and many more. For the past two years, he has also headed a percussion program at Encore Academy, in which almost 90 elementary school students participate. In this podcast, Jermal talks about: His elementary school percussion program Playing with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band Why learning songs by ear on the fly

Around The Kit with Joe Gansas For close to a year and a half, Joe Gansas has been hosting an online radio show focused on drummers and all things drums. This show is called Around The Kit. Joe digs deep into the life, career and background of each guest whether it’s a well known drummer like Kenny Aronoff or a lesser known drummer with important and relatable storys to tell. Joe has surrounded himself with a strong team that helps Joe create a thoughtful and consistent show week by week. A few highlights of Around The Kit include multiple guests every episode as well as tribute shows. Some of Joe’s guests include Simon Phillips, Dave Weckl and Cathy Rich. This show can be found www.aroundthekit.net. It airs 8-11:00pm eastern time every Sunday night In this episode, Joe talks about: His internet radio show – “Around The Kit” Drug addiction in our community Joe’s performance background and his influences The importance of listening The future of Around The Kit Asking important questions This episode is sponsor

Carter McLean has been a New Yorker for most of his adult life. From his home base in Brooklyn, he commands a multi-pronged career as the drummer for The Lion King on Broadway, playing regularly with 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, and running his own educational website, Four Hands Drumming. In this podcast, Carter talks about: His first experiences in NYC – working at Manny’s Music, driving 12 hours for a $100 gig, going to Jeff “Tain” Watts’ jam session. His typical day, which almost always includes one or two Lion King shows Fighting the complacency that comes from a steady paycheck His educational website, Four Hands Drumming, and how the focus is practical musical concepts that everyone can apply Basic gear and techniques drummers can use to improve the quality of their videos His approach to micing drums and how using fewer mics gives the drummer more control and more responsibility to self-mix Playing with Charlie Hunter Carter McLean endorses Dunnett/George H. Way drums, Istanbul Agop Cymbals, Vic

Russ Miller is internationally known as one of the top drummers of today. As a Multi-Platinum recording artist, he has played on multiple Grammy award winning recordings with combined sales of over 26 million copies. His musical versatility has led him to work with an incredible list of over 50 international artists from legends like Ray Charles, The Fifth Dimension, Natalie Cole, Tina Turner & Bobby Caldwell through modern stars, Nelly Furtado, The Psychedelic Furs, Hilary Duff, Steve Perry, Andrea Bocelli, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Daniel Bedingfield and Meredith Brooks. As a star of the Los Angeles studio scene, the Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll has repeatedly voted Russ in the top 5 Studio Drummers in the world, including the 2015 Poll, where he was voted the #3 Session drummer. He has performed on more than 300 albums (including many #1 Billboard hits like Nelly Furtado’s “Whoa Nelly” and Hilary Duff’s “Metamorphosis”). Russ has also recorded for many T.V. shows and over 60 international movies (such

Yonrico Scott has been a fixture on the Atlanta scene and in Southern music in general for decades. He was born and raised in Detroit, where he began touring and recording as a teenager. His interest in percussion brought him to The University of Kentucky where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in classical music. After college, he moved to Atlanta and quickly felt like he was home. In the late 90’s he joined the band led by guitar prodigy Derek Trucks with whom he recorded several albums and toured extensively for a decade. He was also a member of Southern super group The Royal Southern Brotherhood, co-led by Devon Allman, Mike Zito and Cyril Neville. YonRico has just released Life of a Dreamer, his fifth album as a leader. In this Podcast, Yonrico talks about Recording “Life of a Dreamer” at ZAC Recording Studios in Atlanta with engineer Tony Terrabone Recognizing when a unique drum part is called for vs. something more obvious Playing congas and percussion in funk, R&B, and pop settings as opposed to Salsa, an

Rob Mitchell has built an impressive resume list of gigs throughout his decades in Nashville, Tennessee. Currently, Rob continues to hold down the drummers chair with the band, Sixpence None the Richer. Due to their light touring schedule, Rob finds time to work with singers like at James Otto, Chuck Wicks, Wes Cunningham and Chris Carmack from the TV show “Nashville”. Rob stays busy in Nashville’s vibrant studio scene recording everything from demos to independent projects. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rob moved to Nashville in the mid 80’s to study music at Belmont University. During his time at the Belmont, Rob received the type of professional experience he needed to maintain steady work as a professional musician. In this episode, Rob talks about: Working with Sixpence None the Richer World travel and playing shows around the world in places like Japan, Buenos Aires, and Jacarta, Indonesia Receiving “real world experience” in college Taking charge from the drum chair when needed The challenges

Wayne Salzmann has been at the top of the Austin scene for nearly a decade. Even before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master’s degree in jazz performance, he was working his way into the many musical circles Austin has to offer. He has since compiled a long list of performance credits including Steve Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Satriani, Mike Stern, Joe Bonamassa, Bobby Mcferrin, Jeff Coffin, and Oz Noy. He also holds down regular gigs with his own trio and with Austin favorites Bob Schneider and Eric Johnson, and is a member of the adjunct jazz faculty at UT Austin. In this episode, Wayne talks about: Why Austin is the self-proclaimed “live music capital of the world,” and why it’s a destination for musicians from all regions and backgrounds The small but mighty jazz program at UT Austin, and how he uses the Austin scene as a training ground for his students. His early musical life in Stevens Point, WI, the town that was the basis for That 70’s Show Creating a live music scene

In this episode Working Drummer hosts Zack Albetta and Matthew Crouse have a unique opportunity to join forces with Nick Ruffini from Drummer’s Resource to have a “host-full” conversation. We take a break from our normal interviews and spend some time to talk about ourselves and some major transitions all three of us are going through. In this podcast, Nick, Zack and Matt talk about: Adapting to major life changes and transitions Changing the Narrative of what its like to be a working musician Finding non-playing gigs in the music business “Shedding the ego related badge of only playing for a living'” Nick Ruffini’s anticipated transition to San Francisco Zack Albetta’s transition to Atlanta after a year Matt’s transition from life as a touring drummer to finding work closer to home in Nashville Being selective about work The pitfalls of comparing ourselves with other people This episode is sponsored by Mapex Drums

Tony Austin was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is one of two drummers (the other being Ronald Bruner Jr.) who are part of The West Coast Get Down, a collective of LA musicians making their mark on the modern jazz scene. The collective’s flagship is saxophonist Kamasi Washington’s recent release, “The Epic,” a three disc set of compositions involving dozens of musicians and ranging from free jazz to soul to electronica, on which Tony played multiple roles as drummer, engineer and producer. As a kid, Tony was part of the Big Brothers program and was mentored by Roger Linn, a pioneer inventor of electronic musical instruments including the MPC60 drum machine. He credits Roger with nurturing his interest in music and re e maintains that relationship to this day. In this episode, Tony talks about: Growing up in North Hollywood and learning about music, electronics, and recording from Roger Linn The origins and mission of The West Coast Get Down The unique, “co-op” approach to recording Kamasi Washington’s “The

In this episode we have the opportunity to share the unique perspective of a group of talented black musicians who make their living in Nashville, Tennessee. They share stories of resilience and realism in an unpredictable work environment. Our guests include Keio Stroud, Derek Phillips, Jeremy Roberson, Marcus Finnie and Hubert Payne. Their respective artist gigs include Big and Rich, Chase Rice, Hank Williams Jr., Kirk Whalum, Little Big Town as well as other live and studio work that keeps these drummers busy. In this podcast, this round table discusses: Building relationships upon the common ground of music Being the only black person at an arena gig Influencing the culture on and off the kit Learning how to develop thick skin Being mistaken as the band’s security The influence of urban music in country music “Kanye Twitty” “Don’t step on the money” – AKA the melody – Keb Mo Hands = knowledge / Ears = wisdom Driving the band Creating a support system This episode is sponsored by Sonor drums  

Andy Sanesi is a New York native who has spent the last decade in L.A. His time in New York was highlighted by playing with saxophonist John Zorn but the quality of life in L.A. and the opportunity to do better than just scrape by drew him west. He got busy soon after moving, thanks to a few friends in L.A.’s latin, jazz, fusion and rock scenes, and eventually landed the gig with Missing Persons, a drum chair originally occupied by Terry Bozzio. In this podcast, Andy talks about: Growing up with the jazz influence of his dad and the pop/rock influence of his older sisters How a John Zorn tribute show in college led to actually playing with Zorn Not being the best at any one thing, but really good at many things How working his way onto the LA scene hinged on just a few key contacts Playing in Missing Persons, and making that drum chair his own The difference between being told what to play and told how to play The tools and techniques he uses to alter the sound of his cymbals His long-standing weekly steady w

When not out touring with country duo Trick Pony, Wil Easterwood spends his time as a freelance drummer and vocalist for live performances and studio sessions in Nashville, Tennessee. He also has several years of experience as an audio engineer live/studio. Originally from Cedartown, GA, Wil moved to Nashville in 2008 and quickly began working steadily as a drummer on lower Broadway. The exposure and experience on lower Broadway lead to many performance opportunities for Wil including his work with Trick Pony. At the age of 29, his musicality and approach to the instrument has a maturity that has been well-recognized by his peers of all ages and experience.  Before moving to Nashville, Wil played with Georgia based groups in both indie rock and country genres. While in Georgia, Wil worked for several Atlanta market FM and smaller “hometown” AM radio stations as an On-Air Personality. And, from 2005 to 2007, Wil served as the house engineer and assistant technical director for his hometown one thousand seat a

Gary Hobbs resides just outside Portland, OR, literally steps from the house he grew up in. His father and grandfather were both semi-pro drummers, but the drum bug didn’t bite Gary until his senior year in high school. He attended a Stan Kenton Jazz Camp where he studied with legendary jazz drummer and educator John Von Ohlen, who convinced him to pursue drumming professionally. After a stint in the army, Gary was invited to join the Kenton Band and toured with them almost non-stop for two and a half years. Since then, his hometown has been his home base from which he has commanded a successful career as a drummer and educator. In addition to playing all over the Pacific Northwest, Gary teaches at The University of Oregon. He has traveled the world as a sideman with jazz greats such as Randy Brecker, Anita O’Day, and Eddie Harris, and in his own right as an educator and clinician. In this podcast, Gary talks about: The influence of his mentor, John Von Ohlen Having to turn down the first call he got from Sta

We are excited to share a special edition of our 100th episode by bringing you a fun round table discussion among a group of Nashville drummers, AKA “The Cocksmiths”. This round table should have some familiar names as many have been guests on this podcast. It includes: Kevin Murphy, Ben Sesar, Billy Freeman, Tucker Wilson, Kyle Wilkerson, Keio Stroud, Wil Easterwood, Rob Mitchell and Jeff Brown. Missing from the discussion were Russ Whitman & Zack Stewart. Covering a wide range of ages and music career experiences, this group of friends has evolved into a “support group” of drummers that utilizes its collective experiences as well as sick sense of humor to create a safe space for the members to hang, have fun and be there for each other. In this podcast, the group talks about: Playing Cards Against Humanity for drummers The “origin story” of this group and why it exists The intentional safe space they’ve created for each other to show support as well as give each other total shit A group of honest friends, n

London-based drummer and bandleader Pete Cater has built on the traditions of Buddy Rich, Joe Morello, and many others to carve a niche for himself as the U.K.’s keeper of the big band flame. The son of a semi-pro drummer in Birmingham, Pete was gigging with his dad’s colleagues by the time he was in his early teens. Throughout his 20s, he had plenty of work locally in Birmingham and on resorts and cruise ships, but after awhile he felt the need to see what he could do in London. He moved there at age 30 In this podcast, Pete talks about: His “apprenticeship” – sitting in with and eventually working with the bands his dad played in How moving to London at the relatively late age of 30 was actually an asset, in that he went there with a lot of seasoning and experience that younger drummers there didn’t have The integral role that arts funding from the British government played in getting his band going Concepts of big band drumming, and how they translate to other styles Playing with authority to gain the band

Hubert Payne was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Although, he was heavily influenced by his father who was a professional drummer, he was encouraged to focus on sports and higher education. During high school Hubert excelled at football and won two State Championships. His athletic skill landed him with a scholarship to play college football. While at Maryville College in Tennessee, he was voted captain by his teammates, and received All Conference honors. Throughout his youth and into college, Hubert had always retained his love and interest in drumming. But it wasn’t until 2006 that he began working as a professional musician in Nashville. From 2006-2009, he was a member of the Tyrone Smith Revue Funk Band, and decided in ’09 to move to Los Angeles to hone his craft at the LA Music Academy. In January of 2010, Hubert was tragically attacked by a stranger at a Nashville concert venue. He was stabbed multiple times in the hand and leg. Hubert underwent surgery on a severed hand tendon, and required a ye

A Native of Garland Texas, Billy Freeman grew up around local Opry houses and by the age of 12 took over the job as house drummer for the Garland Opry and performed every Saturday night till the age of 18. In addition to the Opry gig, Billy stayed involved in every music activity he could throughout high school. Beyond high school, his passion for drumming continued.  (From the on-line publication – Nashville Three-Sixty) – By age 20, he was a proven player attracting attention. He did session work and played some gigs with LeAnn’s (Rimes) band members and spent a decade in the Dallas music scene networking and freelancing a burgeoning career. At one time, he was juggling playing with ten different artists. He met a lot of players during his years playing the club circuit and focused on building real relationships from his associations. Billy wasn’t content to be a casual bystander in the Dallas music scene. His intent was to be as present and vital as a pulse in his community, creating a body of work to furt

Herman Matthews has been an L.A. fixture for almost three decades and his resume includes names such as Tom Jones, Kirk Whalum, Tower of Power, and Hugh Laurie. Between the big gigs, his “have drums, will travel” attitude has always kept him working with other acts, either on smaller tours or playing locally in L.A. He is currently the touring drummer for Timothy B. Schmidt of The Eagles. Herman grew up in Houston, TX, and began playing drums in his uncle’s blues organ trio at age 11. He moved to L.A. in 1987, when he was offered the drum chair in saxophonist Kirk Whalum’s band. In this podcast, Herman talks about: The challenge of diversifying your playing in a market full of specialists, and avoiding being seen as a one-trick pony The experience of getting fired, along with the rest of the band, from the Tom Jones gig His approach to navigating songs and the group dynamic when taking over for another drummer Trends in drumming, and incorporating only the ones that fit his character Why he prefers bigger dru