Born in Chicago, Chris was playing drums at age three and began performing his first professional gigs at eleven. At nineteen, Parker began recording and touring with blues great Paul Butterfield and then broke into the New York studio scene in 1970,doing records, movie scores and filling the drum chair at Saturday Night Live. Toph, as friends know him, recorded platinum, gold and Grammy winning albums and CDs with many artists, including, Bob Dylan, Cher, Natalie Cole, Donald Fagen, Ashford and...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep 388•Transcript available on Metacast Steven Wolf (also known simply as Wolf) is one of the world’s most in-demand studio musicians. His discography includes numerous #1, Gold, Platinum, and Grammy winning records. A virtuoso drummer and world class programmer, with an encyclopedic musical vocabulary spanning every musical genre, his distinctive skill-set and versatility have made him the "go-to" rhythmic solution for a long list of the world's top recording artists and producers. In addition to drumming and programming, he's also a...
Sep 22, 2022•2 hr 47 min•Ep 387•Transcript available on Metacast Acclaimed by Downbeat as “one of the hippest bandleaders now at work,” Billy Drummond’s thrilling, powerful and highly musical playing has also made him one of the most called-for sidemen of his generation. Mentored in the bands of jazz legends Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, J J Johnson and Sonny Rollins, Drummond is now widely acknowledged as one of today’s most versatile drummers, making sideman appearances with a veritable who’s who of jazz greats on over 350 albums. He has m...
Sep 15, 2022•2 hr 30 min•Ep 386•Transcript available on Metacast Desmond Davis the “BlackDrumHippie”, is a Dove Award, Stellar Award & Ascap Rhythm & Soul Award winning, Grammy nominated musician, producer and writer hailing from the west side of Chicago where he honed his skills in the Baptist church playing gospel music however; he is well-rounded with the ability to play various genres including but not limited to; rock, pop, country, hip-hop, jazz, R&B, reggae, funk, and blues . The BlackDrumHippie’s talent and tenacity has afforded him various endorsemen...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep 385•Transcript available on Metacast Larry Florman is a drummer, percussionist, vocalist, and front man for the Nashville-based band Them Vibes. Also known as Brother Love, he fronted numerous bands in New York before relocating to Nashville. Them Vibes has put out numerous singles and EPs since 2013, and became the opener and backing band for Maggie Rose, with whom they co-wrote and toured. Larry is also married to Nashville drummer Sarah Tomek. In this episode, Larry Talks about: Joining forces and later parting ways with Maggie ...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep 384•Transcript available on Metacast Nick Raskulinecz is a record producer who has produced a Grammy-winning album for Foo Fighters, a #1 rock album for Alice In Chains, a #1 rock album for Rush, a #1 Billboard album for Evanescence, a #1 UK album for Stone Sour, and many more. Neil Peart writes: "Nick was best known for his highly successful work with the Foo Fighters, but before that he had a long history as a musician, engineer and producer. He had started out in Knoxville, Tennessee, and more-or-less worked his way west, studio...
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep 383•Transcript available on Metacast Tommy Crane is a NYC and Montreal based musician. Crane has recorded and performed with Ambrose Akinmusire, Melissa Aldana, Briars of North America, The Mingus Big Band, Linda Oh, Thus Owls, Aaron Parks, Richard Reed Parry, Logan Richardson, Bing and Ruth, Becca Stevens, Half Waif, Port St Willow, and Wood River. In 2017 Crane was commissioned by the Lincoln Center, NY, to create a multimedia piece titled "Preservation" in collaboration with filmmaker Tracy Maurice. Crane's composition was perfo...
Aug 18, 2022•2 hr 34 min•Ep 382•Transcript available on Metacast Adam Box is the touring and recording drummer with the country duo, Brothers Osborne. Adam grew up in Mississippi where with the support of family, friends and his church community, helped to develop the skills he needed to be a world class musician and drummer. This community and environment lead to Adam meeting legendary bass player Chris Ethridge, member of the Flying Burrito Brothers. Chris became a mentor to Adam and was an important figure in the early days of Adam’s career. Shortly after ...
Aug 11, 2022•2 hr 33 min•Ep 381•Transcript available on Metacast Will Kennedy's musicality and finesse are legendary in the jazz world and beyond, performing with luminaries such as Yellowjackets, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Snarky Puppy, Bobby McFerrin, Esperanza Spalding, George Benson, and Lee Ritenour. His career is marked by pushing musical boundaries and a desire to be inspired yet be an inspiration. As a longstanding member of the Yellowjackets, the celebrated jazz quartet that includes fellow USC Thornton faculty members Bob Mintzer and Russell Ferran...
Aug 04, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 380•Transcript available on Metacast Ryan Brown is a professional drummer and percussionist in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his gig as the drummer for Dweezil Zappa, he plays with Los Angeles-based bands The Young Royals, Black Belt Karate, SexTapes, AM/FM, The Fuxedos and Madras, and in the bands of artists Arrica Rose, Karem Malicki-Sanchez, Colin Armstrong, Josh Canova, Space Oddity and rapper J Naugh-T. He has toured with Taiwanese pop star Chyi-Chin and L.A. bands OWL and Ultraviolet, performed on “Last Call with Ca...
Jul 28, 2022•2 hr 47 min•Ep 379•Transcript available on Metacast Brandon Draper has enjoyed a celebrated career as drummer, percussionist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and educator. He has been based in Kansas City for the last 15 years where he has led and played in an eclectic mix of projects from jazz to Turkish to electronic music, and runs the acclaimed children's interactive music program Drum Safari with his wife of 14 years Teryn. His extensive resume also includes performances with both the New Mexico and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras and the Kansa...
Jul 21, 2022•2 hr 43 min•Ep 378•Transcript available on Metacast Mason Ingram is a composer, session drummer, and Ableton programmer, living in Nashville. He is one-half of ambient music group slowave, acting as writer and producer. He has been the drummer on Broadway's Kinky Boots, The Prom, and RENT (Off-Broadway). He has had the privilege of working with Bibi Bourelly, Angus & Julia Stone, Paul Baloche, The Discovery Channel, 070 Shake, Lewis Capaldi, NOTD, All These Small Moments, The Lone Bellow, Walking Shapes, Annaleigh Ashford, Shacks and Palaces, and...
Jul 14, 2022•2 hr 45 min•Ep 377•Transcript available on Metacast Kris Myers began playing drums for progressive-rock band Umphrey’s McGee in 2003. Since then, the band has released eleven albums and maintains a rigorous touring schedule of over 100 live shows per year. Umphrey’s has performed at legendary festivals and venues such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Fuji Rock Festival, South by Southwest, Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Ryman Theatre, The Beacon Theatre and more. Myers attended Elmhurst College from 1995 – 1999 where he was a music maj...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep 376•Transcript available on Metacast Aaron Apter is a corrective exercise specialist and professional drummer based out of Nashville, TN. Having a uniquely specific education and professional credentials in both music performance and pain management, Aaron combines both practices in a way that directly addresses the needs of musicians who want to correct nagging injuries without impacting their career. He has worked with a wide variety of acts ranging from Cirque Du Soleil to the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra to War. In 2022, Aaron...
Jun 30, 2022•2 hr 34 min•Ep 375•Transcript available on Metacast Joy Lapps is a bandleader, composer, and educator based in Toronto. She was introduced to the steel pan through her church music program as a teenager, and soon started playing community and church events. This soon led to composing her own music and leading her own bands. Her latest release is Girl in the Yard, featuring her own compositions and arrangements, and her husband, Larnell Lewis on drums. The album reflects her exploration of the steel pan as a traditional folk instrument of resistan...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep 374•Transcript available on Metacast Hubert Payne is one of the most sought after musicians in the Nashville music scene with a Performance Coaching skill set that’s a cross between ministry, life coaching, therapy and motivation. With over 20 years of performance experience in athletics and music, Hubert is widely recognized for his ability to ‘Unblock’ his clients so they are fully equipped to live from the best of themselves in every area of their lives. Hubert is a certified life coach, practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic-Programm...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep 373•Transcript available on Metacast Erik Aylesworth is an Atlanta-based drummer who joined Jet Black Roses through remote recording during the pandemic. He attended Atlanta Institute of Music but cut his gigging teeth on the funk/R&B scene in Dayton Ohio. He returned to Atlanta in 2016 and got himself busy playing the usual combo of corporate, bar/restaurant, and church gigs. Jet Black Roses signed with N-Ovation Music Group in Nashville and just finished recording their debut album, with songs set to be release starting in late s...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 372•Transcript available on Metacast Drummer and Nashville native, Jerry Pentecost has played with John Prine, Brent Cobb, Amanda Shires, Caitlin Rose, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and many others. In 2018 he became only the second drummer ever nominated for the Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year award. Since around 2019, Jerry has been the drummer for the Grammy award winning group, Old crow Medicine Show. In this episode, Jerry talks about: Loyalty over pay when juggling multiple gigs Playing the Medallion Ceremony at...
Jun 02, 2022•2 hr 39 min•Ep 371•Transcript available on Metacast Eric Slick is a product of the Philly area where he began touring with Dr. Dog. After relocating to Nashville in 2018, he continued that gig until the band’s recent hiatus, and has gone on to perform with Waxahatchee and The Crooked Rhythm Band among others. He is also a singer, songwriter, and producer in his own right, his latest release as a solo artist is an album of ten original songs called Wiseacre. In this episode, Eric talks about His ongoing studio learning process The power of "no" - ...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep 370•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of the British Drum Company He is also one of the UK’s most recognizable comedians! In his guise as the Pub Landlord he has played drums with the likes of Phil Collins and Queen as well as touring the world appearing on TV and radio. Al has published books and is planning a movie, but his first love is drums. A keen and enthusiastic drummer, Al has played since he was a kid, and is currently active in the band 'Fat Cops'. Lastly, Al and historian J...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep 369•Transcript available on Metacast Danny Pachall has been active on the Atlanta scene for nearly 20 years with gigs ranging from the most precise metal to the most experimental improvisation. He toured with "blues surrealist" Col. Bruce Hampton and was part of the long-standing jam session hosted by bassist Kevin Scott. He has also toured and recorded with metal guitar heavyweight Emil Werstler, Zappa alum Ike Willis, tribute outfit Georgia Players Guild, and many others. He is currently in the house band for "Metalsome Mondays,"...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 368•Transcript available on Metacast Jim Brock has proven to be an innovator in the world of drums and percussion. Within his forty five year career he has appeared on literally hundreds of recordings with artists such as Joe Walsh, Joan Baez, Kathy Mattea, Joe Cocker, Janis Ian, River Phoenix, and James McMurtry. With five solo recordings and a DVD entitled The Nature Of Drumming, Jim Has traveled the world extensively with performances on The Tonight Show, A Prairie Home Companion, Good Morning America, MTV, and multiple appearan...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep 367•Transcript available on Metacast Brian Steever is a drummer on a mission to inject joy into every musical situation that he finds himself. One of the most in-demand drummers on the Kansas City scene, the drums have been his passion since he was born. He began his studies with Loyd Warden in Columbia Missouri and is an alumnus of UMKC where he studied with Doug Auwarter, Brandon Draper, Curtis Lundy, Michael Carvin and Bobby Watson. Brian enjoys many performance opportunities in the Kansas City area and beyond. He can be seen ar...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 366•Transcript available on Metacast As a session drummer, Shannon Forrest has contributed to the work of many well-known artists, including Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Chieftains, Willie Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack, Jerry Douglas, Merle Haggard, and many others. Shannon is also a producer and engineer. Born in Easley, South Carolina and now living in the countryside just outside of Nashville, Shannon's recording career is unparalleled. In his tw...
Apr 21, 2022•2 hr 45 min•Ep 365•Transcript available on Metacast After spending the first part of his career in the New York-based jazz world, Corey Fonville has evolved into playing and producing more groove-based music. With his band Butcher Brown and most recently with Charlie Hunter and Kurt Elling on new album SuperBlue, Corey is exploring playing and tones that are firmly in the supporting role rather than the more explosive/interactive jazz role. Corey is the product of a couple of non-traditional educational environments; The New School in New York an...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 364•Transcript available on Metacast Originally from Syracuse, New York, Nate Felty is an experienced live/session drummer and educator who enjoys performing a wide range of musical styles. Nate has been living and working in Nashville, Tennessee since 2012 and earned his Masters in Commercial Music at Belmont University in 2014. Nate is the drummer for Nashville-based, nationally touring country/roots artist, Kelsey Waldon. With Waldon, he has shared the stage on tour with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Ricky Skaggs & Kentuc...
Apr 07, 2022•2 hr 35 min•Ep 363•Transcript available on Metacast Jordan Perlson has spanned about as wide a stylistic reach as one can imagine. Be it with jazz legends Seamus Blake and Gary Burton, folk heroes Alison Brown and Missy Raines, reggae giants Matisyahu and Trevor Hall, cutting edge music innovators like Becca Stevens, Snarky Puppy, and Jeff Coffin, progressive innovators Adrian Belew or Kaki King, or fusion megastar Hiromi, Jordan has become a known force in these many circles. With credits on 100+ recordings, including national and international ...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep 362•Transcript available on Metacast At age sixteen, Michael Bland won the "twin cities' best drummer" contest and was the beginning of a rewarding career. With his recognition as a prodigy, Michael was actively sought by many local acts. At seventeen, Hiram Bullock snagged him up, and took him to Pittsburgh and New York to do some one-nighters. That same year, he joined Dr. Mambo's Combo, a house band at Bunker's Music Bar and Grill, a local club where many Minneapolis musicians cut their teeth. Bunker's is where Prince first spot...
Mar 24, 2022•2 hr 48 min•Ep 361•Transcript available on Metacast Over the last decade plus, Quinton "Q" Robinson developed a busy and sustainable career drumming with Gospel and R&B acts such as Avery Sunshine, Peebo Bryson, and Anthony David, and recording in his home studio. But he got interested in musical theatre and started spending time in New York meeting Broadway drummers, musical directors, and contractors, and playing readings and off-Broadway productions. He also got in with the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta played a litany of shows there. That legwo...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep 360•Transcript available on Metacast Clifford Koufman is a Nashville-based, award-winning drummer who founded Sound & Rhythm Drumming School in 2000. With over 20 years of experience, Clifford carries a world of experience to every scenario, whether creating music, performing or teaching. He's honored to be the recipient of multiple grants, the Thrive award to build community through community drumming classes, performances, and drum circles, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council professional development grant to study music in G...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep 359•Transcript available on Metacast 
