Working Drummer

Drummer/percussionist Adam Bowman has been a mainstay in both the Canadian and international music scenes for nearly two decades. As a touring musician, Adam has been heard on stages across five continents with artists such as Juno-award winners Kellylee Evans and Carlos Morgan, Canadian independent music trail blazer Ember Swift, improvising guru VINX and country-folk songstress Dawn Langstroth, among many others.

In the studio, Adam has become the drummer of choice for producers and songwriters on dozens of recordings. 2015 saw Juno-nominations for Eccodek’s Singing in Tongues and Alysha Brilla’s Womyn albums. In 2018 Alysha’s Rooted album received another nod.

Currently, Adam can be heard playing with Elise LeGrow, Alysha Brilla, Jeff Eager and Jason Raso as well as providing accompaniment for modern and contemporary dance classes with IMAGEO artworks, Dancetheatre David Earle and Guelph Dance.

In this podcast, Adam talks about:

How saying yes to a seemingly insignificant offer determined the course of his professional and personal life

Dance concepts that translate to other art forms, and how modern dance principles have made him rethink his drumming approach

Cultivating long musical relationships with the same people and the same songs, and going deeper into each

Using the feeling of making music you believe in with people you love as a reference to recreate that emotion in situations where everything is less familiar

Accessing emotions in music, and letting them inform your musical decisions

The Toronto scene, and why he lives just outside the city

How easy it is to get “too comfortable” on a scene

Adam Bowman endorses Headhunters sticks and Murat Diril cymbals.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

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Billy Ward is a Grammy awarded drummer, music educator, recording engineer and producer. Just a few of the people Billy’s Recorded and/or toured with include B. B. King, Robbie Robertson, Carly Simon, Richard Marx, The Knack, Yoko Ono, Joan Osborne, Ace Frehley, Glen Cambell, Art Garfunkel, David Crosby & Jimmy Webb just to name a few.                                                                                 Billy has recorded on more than 50 sound tracks for feature films including a musician’s favorite – That Thing You Do! , where Billy taught actor Tom Everett Scott to play the drums and was on the set as a consultant.

Two records have been released under Billy’s name. Two Hands Clapping, and The Billy Ward Trio – Out The Door. Billy has been engineering in his private studio, DrumPike, since 1990. Billy has produced numerous drum tracks for famous and not yet famous artists out of DrumPike.

As an educator, his two instructional DVDs, Big Time ( a Modern Drummers Readers Poll Award winner) and Voices In My Head have won raves from critics as well as fellow drummers. Billy occasionally travels anywhere in the world to play but he LOVES the close contact with students when performing Drum Clinics and Master Classes.                                                                                                             His book, “Inside Out – The Mental Aspects of Drumming”, further demonstrates Billy’s ability to clearly explain the difficult challenges that working musicians face. 

In this episode, Billy talks about: 

Money, the arts, and the divide 

The state of the music industry 

His short time and experience in Nashville 

Creating and nurturing your own voice 

Billy’s book: Inside Out

His lesson with Elvin Jones at 17

Being concerned with how you are at your worst 

“Practice Playing”

Giving back to the drumming community 

His DVD’s: Big Time, Voices in My Head & Modern Drummer fest – 2000 & 2008

Learning to judge yourself harshly 

Recording drums for movie sound tracks

Billy endorses: Zildjian Cymbals, DW Drums, ProMark sticks, Gator cases

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace

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Brandon Goodwin has lived and worked in Montreal for 12 years. His group, B’s Bees, for which he serves triple duty as drummer, bandleader, and composer, recently released two albums: Dear Charlie, a tribute to the great jazz bassist Charlie Haden, and Kanata, a musical exploration of the history and identity of their home country of Canada. The group is currently touring Canada and the U.S. on the back of these releases.

Brandon grew up in Armstrong, CA, and chose Montreal as the base of operations for his music career because of its vibrant, art-loving culture, and because its cost of living is actually lower than Vancouver, Toronto, and many comparable American cities. From early in his career, he had a drive to write, perform, and record original music. Drumming is just one aspect of his musical life, as he is usually spending as much if not more time developing himself as a composer and doing the administrative legwork it takes to get an original jazz group in the studio and on the road.

In this podcast, Brandon talks about:

What Charlie Haden means to him and the jazz world in general

The drummers Haden was most associated with, especially Paul Motian, and the influence they had on Brandon

The subject matter of Kanata

Traveling to New Orleans to meet with Delfeayo Marsalis and workshop the compositions and recording/producing techniques for the record

Montreal culture

His early drumming influences, from Grohl to Bonham to Blakey

His experience at Concordia University in Montreal

His thoughts on accessibility vs. expression, as a drummer and composer

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

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Originally from Dallas, Texas, Aaron Comess is an extremely versatile drummer with a wide range of influences and playing experiences including his ongoing work as a founding member of the Grammy-nominated funk-rock band Spin Doctors with a total of 10 million albums sold and over 1500 live shows under their belt and all four original members intact. 2018 marked their 30th year. Aaron has also spent a decade-plus in the touring band of Joan Osborne. In 2017, Aaron appeared on new releases by Joan Osborne, Rachael Yamagata, James Maddock, Willie Nile, Garland Jeffreys, Chris Bergson and German platinum-selling artist Marius Westerhagen to name a few. He has also worked with Bilal, Edie Bickell, Chris Whitley, Mark Cohen, Roswell Rudd, Ivan Nevil and a host of others.

Aaron has been active as a band leader since his 2006 debut recording “Catskills Cry”. This was followed up with “Beautiful Mistake”, “Blues for Use”, “Aaron Comess Quintet”, “Live 2016” and most recently “Sculptures”.

In this episode, Aaron talks about: 

The current nature of touring and recording

The power of positive attitudes 

Curating a career that fits your vision

Drumming for Joan Osborne

Learning through experience how to create a sonic landscape in the studio

His solo projects as well as his new record, “Sculptures” 

The Spin Doctors

Learning to say “no” to some gigs

What to practice 

Staying relaxed 

Aaron endorses: Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Remo Drumheads 

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace

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From Santa Clara, Cuba, Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the Latin and Jazz music scene, nationally and internationally. He is the leader of several groups including the Dafnis Prieto Sextet, The Proverb Trio, Si O Si Quartet, and the Dafnis Prieto Big Band, which just released an album of Prieto’s compositions entitled Back to the Sunset. He is also the author of the book A World of Rhythmic Possibilities.

Various awards include a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship, Up & Coming Musician of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006, a GRAMMY nomination for Absolute Quintet as Best Latin Jazz Album, and a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist in 2007. Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops throughout the world. He was a faculty member of Jazz Studies at NYU from 2005 to 2014, and in 2015 became a faculty member at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

In this podcast, Dafnis talks about:

The courses he teaches at The University of Miami Frost School of Music

Letting rhyhmic content and interpretation dictate pulse, not the other way around like we usually do

Fully exploring and exploiting your existing skills and knowledge to develop musical vocabulary

His upbringing and early musical education in Cuba

His experience working his way into the New York scene as a 25-year-old in the 1999

The gradual switch from gigs he had to play to gigs he wanted to play

Figuring out your “why”

Dafnis Prieto endorses Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Latin Percussion, Evans Drumheads, and Vic Firth Sticks.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

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Christian Paschall is a drummer, producer, engineer and mixer originally from Atlanta, GA, now based in Nashville, TN. With over 14 years of professional experience Christian has shared the stage and studio with such artists as Maren Morris, Kristian Bush (of Sugarland), Kelsea Ballerini, Alicia Keys, Amos Lee and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chris Tomlin, and David Crowder among many others. Today Christian tours full time with Maren Morris as her drummer and musical director in addition to playing on sessions both locally and remotely.

Be it on stage in front of thousands of people, television, or an intimate recording session, Christian strives to bring fresh creativity and feel into everything he does.

In this episode, Christian talks about: 

His shared studio

Playing what fits the song and not just doing what’s trendy 

Moving from Crowder to Maren Morris

Honoring the original tracks of the artist your working for 

Playing a one off with Amos Lee

Following your own path

Christian’s history with drums

Breaking down the wall between your creativity and your hands

Christian’s other skill of mixing 

Taking calculated risks 

Christian endorses Tama Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, and Vater Drumsticks

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace

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Bob Knight lives in London where he commands somewhat of a dual career, both as an in-demand drummer and a music agent or “fixer,” matching musicians with bands or artists who need backing. He graduated from the jazz program at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and has gone on to work with some of the biggest names in pop music including Sting, Cee-Lo Green, Charlotte Church, and Jennifer Hudson. His company, BEK Music, has provided musicians for a huge variety of acts from Andrea Bocelli to Eminem.

In this podcast, Bob talks about:

How to tailor your sound to different types of performance spaces using instrumentation and amplification.

The difference between a beat and a groove

What he’s practicing, now that he has the time and space

His experience at the Royal Academy of Music, and its unique audition process

What jazz training taught him that translates to any other genre, and the one skill it all comes down to

How his early ambition was based on simply being able to support himself

Why he started his own booking agency

What he values in musicians as a fixer

Bob Knight endorses Yamaha drums, Vic Firth sticks, Remo heads, Zildjian cymbals, Protection Racket cases, and Porter & Davies thrones.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

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Born in South Louisiana, Tracy was influenced by a musical “jambalaya” of Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Funk and Country. His whole family played music and at an early age, Tracy was sneaking into his brothers’ rehearsals and gigs. At the age of ten, he was sitting in with local bands.

Tracy was a member of the marching, symphonic and concert bands at Acadiana High School in Scott, Louisiana, and was also a District Honor Band member. In his sophomore year at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, he joined a local band, City Limits. He earned his Liberal Arts degree in Public Relations and began touring regionally. The band was a national finalist in the True Value/Jimmy Dean Country Showdown in 1994. The finals took place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and that’s when Tracy realized Nashville was the place to be. After a European tour with Grammy-nominated band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and a brief tour with the late Amie Comeaux, he took the next step in his career and moved to Nashville in August 1996. He was a member of the R&B Funk Dance band, The Groove Addiction, which was the house band for the Nashville Predators’ inaugural season in 1998-99.

Since then, Tracy has toured with Mila Mason, Shane Minor (opening for Shania Twain), Craig Morgan, Rebecca Lynn Howard and Doug Stone. His first Tonight Show appearance was with Cyndi Thomson in October 2001, and within four months, appeared again with Grammy-nominated artist, Jamie O’Neal. Tracy toured the rest of 2002 with Jamie O’Neal. That year also included a USO tour of Europe and the Mediterranean. Another highlight was a CMT appearance with Jamie O’Neal and Michael McDonald, performing a song from the Mel Gibson movie, “We Were Soldiers”.

Since 2003, Tracy has been touring with reigning CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the year, Blake Shelton. Tracy’s television appearances with Blake include the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, “Blake Shelton Live: It’s All About Tonight” DVD and GAC Special, Dancing with The Stars, CMT’s Invitation Only Special, DirecTV’s The 101 Concert Special, CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Fox and Friends, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Grand Ole Opry Live.

One of Tracy’s side-projects is Trypta-Phunk, a funk/fusion group that blends odd-time signatures with funky grooves. When not backing up Shelton, he is performing and recording with the group.

Tracy manages RoadDawg Online, a website all about touring drummers. RoadDawg Online is your all-access pass with interviews, roundtable discussions, product reviews, set-ups and columns from the pros.

In 2009, Tracy placed fifth in Modern Drummers’ Readers Poll in the Country category.

In his episode, Tracy talks about:

His website “Road Dawg Online”

How his role and responsibilities as drummer for Blake Shelton evolved or changed over time 

Revelations in striking the family/work balance

Learning to keep a cool head on the road

Making yourself indispensable 

How Tracy builds tracks for Blake’s show

Reading the artist 

Being consistent from night to night 

Not allowing one mistake to ruin your whole gig

Tracy’s original projet “Trypta-Funk”

Experiences performing on TV compared to a normal live shows

Tracy endorses: Aquarian drumheads, Pearl drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Promark sticks, Sennheiser, 

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Kevin Winard has toured and recorded with singer Steve Tyrell for 12 years. Over his career, he’s gained a wealth of experience with a wide variety of gigs including Debbie Boone, Paul Anka, and Doc Severinsen. When he was just twenty years old he began backing up one of the most successful pop duos in musical history—The Captain & Tennille, touring and recording with them for over ten years. In the summer of 1988, Kevin traveled the United States with the pop group Times Two opening for Debbie Gibson on her Out Of The Blue tour. In 1991 Kevin was requested by French rock star David Hallyday for his European tour and live album. That same year he traveled the world playing with pop icon Paul Anka.

His latest endeavor is a project that features him singing jazz standards and is aptly named Kevin Winard Sings, produced by pianist, composer and arranger Peter Clark.

In this podcast, Kevin talks about:

Playing a “pop jazz” gig vs. hard-core bop

Playing drumset with a symphony orchestra

Lyman Medeiros, the bassist in the Tyrell band

His thoughts on singing and singers

Simplicity in big band drumming

What Steve Gadd had to say after seeing Kevin perform

How intent and joy on the bandstand translate to the audience

How to physically and mentally relax while playing

Why being in the music business is like being in a marriage

Kevin Winard endorses products by DW, LP, Zildjian, Remo, and Innovative Percussion.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

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Richard Scott approaches drumming with intentionality; always conscious of how his sound fits into the big picture and filling space in ways that help make every song the fullest realization of itself. He has spent over a decade on the Nashville scene touring and recording with Matt Maher, Francesca Battistelli, Brandon Heath, Mac Powell, and many others. Richard has recorded in many of Nashville’s most well known rooms, and has more recently been tracking in his own home studio. For countless happy clients, Richard has used his unique curation of gear and techniques to build out the character of a song, add sometimes unexpected but always interesting components to the musical design, and help bring songwriters’ visions to life. 

Richard graduated in 2008 from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee with bachelor in commercial music percussion with emphasis in music technology. While at Belmont, Richard Studied with Chester Thompson.

In this episode, Richard talks about: 

Starting drums later in life and the lessons he’s learned

Working with CCM artist Matt Maher 

The evolution of his set up – gong drums to samplers

From industrial design to drums

Working in the CCM industry

Chester Thompson teaching him to use your ear and your heart instead of your brain

What to play and what not to play

The importance of great communication when tracking drums online 

Tracking at home and building up your set up over time 

Creative ways to learn new grooves and parts with other players 

Richard endorses: A&F Drums and Aquarian Drumheads

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace

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