Working Drummer

Ben Jackson is a Nashville based drummer/producer, primarily working in Nashville’s top studios, as well as touring with a wide variety of artists and songwriters in the country, pop and indie genres.

A versatile musician, producer and engineer, Ben maintains a busy recording schedule, playing sessions in the studios of Music Row, as well as his own East End Studio.

As a producer, Ben can be found working with singer/songwriters, indie artist, and up and coming country acts, as well as producing a wide variety of music for television/film sync placement.

Ben has recorded/toured with many of Nashville’s top recording artists. Some of his past credits include: Sister Hazel, Joe Nichols, Frankie Ballard, Greg Bates, Aaron Tippon, Ty Herndon, Jana Kramer, Jimmy Wayne, Jon Pardi and Steve Azar

In this podcast, Ben talks about:

Knowing recording gear the way we know drum gear

Taking the time to experiment with your recording gear

Understanding touch and tone when recording drums

Blogging, sharing information, building trust and community

Using Ableton Live, creating backing tracks, building rigs for other drummers/artists

Make genuine friends, don’t “network”

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Dan Schnelle was born and raised in New York and came to LA to attend college at USC. While in school, he studied with an impressive succession of teachers; Ndugu Chancler, Aaron Serfaty, Peter Erskine and Terri Lyne Carrington, each of whom presented him with a boot camp of different concepts. After graduating, Dan stayed in LA where he has been one of the busiest drummers in town for over a decade. He has played with a host of world-renowned jazz artists, including Josh Nelson, Ambrose Akinmusire, Daniel Rosenboom, and Sara Gazarek. In this podcast, Dan talks about:

Growing up on Long Island and being into everything but jazz as a teenager

What each of his legendary college mentors brought out in his playing

Learning the language of jazz through transcribing the great drummers, but also through transcribing solos by the great horn players and pianists and playing them on the drums

Absorbing the more improvisational styles of drummers like Tony and Elvin, and the more groove-oriented jazz drummers like Al Foster and Billy Higgins.

How the LA jazz scene compares to the New York jazz scene

Playing instrumental jazz vs. vocal jazz

His long-running musical partnership with pianist/composer Josh Nelson, and the unique recording process of Nelson’s last album

His process of preparation for the wide array of gigs he plays

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John defines what it means to be a working drummer in Nashville Tennessee. Since his move to Nashville in 1993 from Connecticut, John has covered it all from international touring to studio work to maintaining a steady stream of work in Nashville’s lower broadway district.

John’s early influences include Neil Smith, Nigel Ollsen, Jim Keltner, Hal Blaine, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford and all the Motown drummers.

Shortly after high school, John worked with a ten-piece band that played international dance music that covered every imaginable style and shared a bill with “Sun Ra and his Omniverse Arkestra”.

Within the first week of moving to Nashville in 1993, John got the gig as the Grand Ole Gospel Time staff drummer, which continued for three years of weekly Friday night live radio gigs at the Grand Ole Opry House. In the proceeding years, John’s experienced a range of international touring with artists that include Becky Hobbs, The Forrester Sisters, Rhonda Vincent and Hank Williams III, Highway 101, and Tammy Cochran. These tours at times coincided with national gigs with the Dukes of Hazard Reunion Tour, backing up Tom Wopat and John Schneider.

John’s studio work has covered many styles including Christian, Country, Gospel, Bluegrass, Rock and Peruvian Pan Flute.

Many of John’s live gigs are on “Lower Broadway” (the heart and soul of Nashville’s live music scene), which bring in an estimated 100,000 patrons monthly.

John pulls from his years of experience in creating full time work for himself as well as defining success on his own terms.

In this podcast, John talks about:

Diversifying your work load

Having a “conversation” in the studio

Playing on lower Broadway in Nashville

Getting paid as a tech in maintaining kits in 8 different clubs

Overcoming classic pitfalls

Getting used to house kits in the studio

Keeping your commitments – “sub-etiquette”

Understanding styles

Meeting Steve Gadd in a Mapco

John endorses Sonor drums, Paiste cymbals, Regal Tip sticks and Montineri drums

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“My father’s side was musicians, my mother’s side was singers and preachers.” This sums up Charles LaMont Garner’s musical pedigree. The Charleston, SC native lives in Atlanta where he works as a drummer and producer when he’s not on tour with India Arie. Gospel music was his gateway to drums, and presented him with his first opportunity to play professionally at age 15. Since then, he has played with a wide swath of bands and artists, picking up life lessons from each colleague and experience along the way.

In this podcast, Charles talks about:

Growing up and playing in church in Charleston, SC

His mentor, Quentin Baxter, and the many lessons Charles learned from him, musical and otherwise.

A trip to Switzerland at age 16 which cemented his desire to be a pro musician

How he learned different styles by playing each one exclusively, one at a time

His mixed feelings about gospel chops

His stint with a corporate band in Ethiopia (yes, Ethiopia).

How good character creates good relationships, and good relationships create a good career

The life he almost had as a singer in an R&B group, and how losing it was the best thing that could have happened.

Charles Lamont Garner endorses Pearl Drums, Vater Sticks and TRX Cymbals.

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Based in Columbus Ohio, drummer Reggie Jackson built a reputation from an early age as a powerful drummer who could cover many styles such as be-bop, latin, big band, fusion, pop and gospel.

Over the last two decades Reggie expanded his reach beyond the Columbus scene through world wide tours with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dr John as well as the Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur.

Throughout these tours, Reggie has performed in many legendary jazz clubs such as The Blue Note and can be heard on Diane Schuur’s CD “Live in London” which was recorded at the famous Ronnie Scott’s jazz club.

Reggie continues to stay busy in Columbus balancing work in music and family. In Columbus alone, Reggie can be found working with many great players like Bobby Floyd and Derek DeCenzo. His work covers a wide variety of situations such as educational workshops, church gigs and weekly jazz jam sessions.

In this podcast, Reggie talks about:

Drumming is like being a “relationship counselor” in the band

Picking your battles in the studio

Playing and recording at legendary venues like Ronnie Scott’s and The Blue Note

Transmitting joy to the audience when performing

Working with a legend like Dr John

Supporting the music and fellow musicians on stage

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As a freshman in high school, Kassandra Kocoshis was studying classical percussion in a collegiate program, and went on to DePaul University in Chicago to study with members of the Chicago Lyric Opera and Chicago Symphony. But while there, she got turned on to Chicago’s Flamenco scene, and became obsessed with hand percussion and world music. She pursued them further in graduate school at The California Arts Institute, and made a quick and smooth transition into a busy schedule of live and studio work in and around Los Angeles. Her performance credits range from guitarist Vahagni, who fuses Flamenco music with Armenian folk music, to L.A.-based soul band Beat Mosaic, to pop acts like Young the Giant and Kanye West.

In this podcast, Kassandra talks about:

The universal musical concepts she learned as a high school student studying classical percussion

How Flamenco was her gateway to other types of world music

Studying percussion traditions from around the world at Cal Arts

Her connection with hand percussion vs. sticks or mallets

Making connections in LA through school

The relationship between the drummer and the percussionist

The pros and cons of living and working in LA

Seeking out the music and musicians that inspire you, and letting that passion guide your career path.

This episode is sponsored by OnlineDrummer.com

Kassandra Kocoshis endorses Latin Percussion and Amplified Timber.

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Originally from Detroit, Jack White is best known for his work world wide with singer/songwriter Rick Springfield in 1976, 1980-84, and 1990-2002. In the 40 plus years that Jack has been playing drums, he has worked with many other artists including Mitch Ryder, Ike and Tina Turner, Sam The Sham, Rare Earth, Redbone, The Knack, Steppenwolf and Roger Miller just to name a few.

At the age of sixteen, a few events would help Jack set a standard for how he would live his life and find success in music. These include cold calling Mitch Ryder and demanding to be his drummer as well as hitch hiking to L.A. in 1971.

He is also known as an actor in several Disney movies and several tv shows including the last 2 episodes of the series “Sons of Anarchy” and the TV series “Nashville”. Jack is currently announcing for iheart radio.

In this podcast, Jack talks about:

Perseverance and determination

Cold calling Bob Seger Mitch Ryder when he was 16

Never taking “no” for an answer

Auditioning for Ike and Tina Turner

Drumming for Rick Springfield from the beginning

Taking on new challenges like acting and voice overs

Facing your fears

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Willie McNeil came to LA barely out of high school in the early 1980s. He got busy quickly and hasn’t stopped since, playing with bands across the musical spectrum, sometimes as a sideman but more often as a leader. These days, he’s most widely known as the drummer and frontman for Big Willie’s Burlesque, a troupe of musicians and dancers that appears weekly at LA’s hottest clubs including No Vacancy and The Edison. In this podcast, Willie talks about:

How working in a clothing store kickstarted his music career in LA

His experience coming to LA in the 80s vs. a young drummer’s experience today

His gig in the house band at The Forty Deuce, where the LA Burlesque scene was born

Tricks of the Burlesque drumming trade, and incorporating different styles into the Burlesque genre

Some common mistakes American musicians make when playing Afro-Cuban styles

His “whatever works” approach to gear

The advantages of smaller cities over LA and New York, particularly in terms of live music scenes

This episode of Working Drummer Podcast is sponsored by OnlineDrummer.com

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Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Marshall Richardson moved to Nashville in 2000 after graduating from the University of North Texas with a BA in Music.

As a sideman, Marshall has worked with a diverse list of artists, ranging from country legends to roots rockers, including Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan, Webb Wilder, Bernie Leadon, Joe Nichols, and Johnny Reid. His career in Nashville is a balance of recording sessions and live local, national, and international touring performances.

Marshall endorses Paiste cymbals, Vater percussion, Gretsch drums, and Gibraltar hardware.

In this podcast, Marshall talks about:

Delivering a great performance when recommended for gigs

Being comfortable playing with or without a click

Touring with a “Legacy Artist”

Getting advice from engineers about home recording

Explaining phase and polarity when recording

Balancing your kit

Considering note length when drumming

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The Los Angeles jazz scene has been coming on strong in recent years and Tina Raymond is right in the middle of it. She performs regularly in the city’s top jazz clubs as well as internationally, with artists ranging from relative newcomers like Cathlene Pineda and Jon Armstrong to long-established greats like Bobby Bradford and Vinnie Golia. She is a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, better known as Cal Arts, where she studied with legendary jazz drummer and master teacher Joe LaBarbara. She teaches at several high schools and colleges in the LA area and is also a certified yoga instructor.

In this podcast, Tina talks about:

Two very different college experiences at two very different schools

How studying with Joe LaBarbara helped her use her intuition and develop her own voice

Being a woman in the male-dominated worlds of drumming and jazz

How yoga has affected her mentally and physically as a musician

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