Category Archives: Percussionist interviews

Lettuce is bringinG their UNIFY tour to Madison. It’s needed everywhere!! Unify, their 8th studio album and 3rd consecutive record made at Denver’s Colorado Sound Studios, completing a loose trilogy starting with 2019’s Grammy-nominated Elevate, and continuing with 2020’s Resonate. It’s also a benchmark moment for the sextet: Adam Deitch (drums), Ryan Zoidis (saxophone), Adam Smirnoff (guitar), Erick Coomes (bass), Nigel Hall (keyboards/vocals), Eric ‘Benny’ Bloom (trumpet). Approaching 30 years since its humble Boston beginnings, the relentlessly soulful funk outfit has essentially lived on the road, embodying, night after night, the sly wink of its moniker: Let us play! And now, endorsed on Unify by none other than the legendary icon of funk, Bootsy Collins, singing & playing bass on “Keep That Funk Alive”. The roots of Unify took hold several years back, when Lettuce assembled at Colorado Sound to begin work on Elevate. Armed with dozens of songs, the band tracked enough material for that record, its successor, and then some (including a vinyl-only, 45-minute, live-in-the-studio, one-take improvisation, Vibe). A pandemic-abbreviated European tour schedule in 2021 further inspired, as the group traded ideas for more new material. A totally collaborative effort, there were exciting cuts full of brilliant lyrics & arrangements from Hall. And fiery horn parts from Bloom. Plus, the tantalizing prospect of unveiling it all on the upcoming tour. Epitomizing the funk and the fun, it’s impossible for “Keep That Funk Alive,” not to be a focus track, even on a 16-song album full of highlights. Inspired by a buoyant Bootsy Instagram post and an irrepressible groove crafted around it. The venerable Parliament-Funkadelic bassist dug the hybridized creation, laying down low end and vocals on the proper track. “It’s such a dream to have one of the inventors of funk music bless this album. We are all STILL in awe!” exclaims the band. This album is an expression that is pure Lettuce. Unify will teleport you to a funky galaxy far, far away, where all life coexists as one in peace, love, harmony, and music!

I had the pleasure of catching up with Adam Deitch ahead of the maGical night of March 23rd when Lettuce brings that thang they do to Madison at The Majestic. Adam and I get into what any newbie to their scene could expect from heading out for this Unity tour event. We spend a good amount of time discussing how the album took shape and how the stretching out of these tracks live has taken new shapes after the pandemic. I am always interested in artists that play well with others and Lettuce, Adam, these cats seem to fit that mold, so we get into a recent opportunity they had to work on a track for the upcoming album “Late Night Basie”, celebrating some of the tunes of Count Basie. That focus track from Unity featuring Bootsy is so cool, we had to talk about how that went down and the cool it has kept going. Adam and I share a mutual brother in Mister Rourke, so we take the time machine back to a group they were both in called Fatbag. Oh yes we did!! EarGrab this chat and go check out Lettuce live – its healthy for you.

Photo: Jeremy Elder

YAMATO is a Japanese Taiko drumming group based in Asuka-mura Nara Prefecture which is well known by Japanese people as the hometown of Japan. They call themselves “YAMATO, the Taiko drumming group that travels all over the world”. They have given more than 4,000 shows across 54 countries since their formation in 1993. YAMATO’s Taiko work cannot be fully described by the word “performance”. Their motto is “We go everywhere when somebody needs YAMATO! And bringing energy to the people living in the world!”. On stage, they are standing with more than 40 Taiko drums and all of them are having different characters. For example, their largest drum called “Odaiko”, produced from a huge tree over 400 years old, is approximately two meters in diameter and weighs 500 kg. All other Taiko drums are different sizes and have different sounds. The members of the group have trained their bodies to the limit to beat these massive Taiko drums. The acoustic pressure far surpasses what one could ever imagine. They do not simply make their Taiko drums explode with sound; they produce delicate music that provides the listener with a palette of meticulously crafted sound. This is why YAMATO’s original performances are known as “Physical music”, and continue to receive high acclaim globally. YAMATO is sometimes intense, sometimes sad, sometimes comforting, and in the next moment comical on stage. The audience is more than a group of bystanders, they are engulfed in the sound of the Taiko, and sweat, cry, and laugh and become one with the performers. All types of people gather around the sound of the Taiko, interweaving their lives, and feeling the power of each other’s inner passion and heart.

I had the honor of discussing the upcoming event on April 2 at the Overture Center with the founder and artistic director, Masa Ogawa, when Yamato – the Drummer of Japan come to share energy with Madison. We get into what this audience can expect when they present the World Tour 2023-2024 「火の鳥」”Hinotori” – The wings of Phoenix. Masa does a beautiful job reflecting on how the group and audience share in the created moments of energy and how the travels around the globe help to gain new energies to share with others at the next stop on the journey. We talk about the give back that YAMATO believes in, sharing knowledge that was shared with them and pass it on to the next generations as both a group and as individuals as well as what music he is currently listening to and well…baseball. There is not many “shows’ lie a Taiko drumming “show”, the formation of new lands discovered together in a moment in time is marked with a lifetime of felt emotions and new rhythms to walk the days with.

YAMATO 2019 – 2020 – Masa Ogawa (c)

After hearing a bunch of the amazing albums from Daptone & the Truth and Soul Records artists such as El Michels Affair, Menahan Street Band, Budos Band, Lee Fields, etc., Tim Felton (organ/electirc piano) was highly inspired and realized he needed to put together an ensemble to make gritty recordings & perform this music fused together by all of his eclectic influences. These influences ranged from Afrobeat, Soul-Jazz, Trip Hop, Soul/Funk, Ethio Jazz, Jazz-Funk, & psychedelic music from around the world. Tim started in a few smaller soul-jazz & instrumental funk quartets, but he was craving a bigger sound. The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble was fianlly born in 2012. Under Tim’s direction, SFSE started with some material he had been working on for a few years, and before too long, they collectively began writing new tunes. The band have also partnered with one of the top independent Funk/Soul labels in the world: Colemine Records.

I had the pleasure of catching of with Tim recently to get the low down on the brand new album from Colemine Records, ‘Step Down’. We got into the seed to flower of the album and it’s tracks, finding out a couple of ways certain songs were brought into this world. Tim also is in his element when he build a setlist out of songs off the new record and other artist’s art. Since I have shared almost all the tunes on air, this was certainly a path listeners will want to walk down. Speaking of walking down…Tim is based out of San Diego and is an avid hiker and tester of new beers, so he provides a trail recommendation to take with a certain new beverage of choice. To know him is to well, have words with him. Tim is also the editor/engineer for one of my favorite radio proGrams, ‘A Way With Words‘. [Martha & Grant are friends of the program] so we find out what a day in the life is for that Tim and I may have wondered out loud if there’s ever going to be a segment where he answers questions around the ‘music’ topic?

Thaddeus Warren Tukes is a vibraphonist/composer/arranger/pianist & bandleader. A Chicago, Illinois native, Thaddeus began playing the piano at the age of 5, & quickly began inclusive percussion instruction w/the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association’s Percussion Scholarship Program, while attending Edgar Alan Poe Classical School. Although classically trained, he was inspired to play Jazz vibraphone after hearing vibraphonists Lionel Hampton & Stefon Harris. He played percussion instruments & piano in the Jazz Combo/Band/Orchestra/the Wind & Percussion ensembles at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the school’s band, he received superior ratings in solo competitions, & recognition as the best Illinois Jazz vibraphonist among high school competitors by the Illinois Music Education Association. Mr. Tukes graduated with a combined bachelor’s degree in Jazz piano & vibraphone studies at Northwestern University, the first Jazz vibraphone degree program at a non-conservatory university, where member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Victor Goines is Director of Jazz Studies. Tukes earned the honors of being a Ravinia Jazz Scholar, Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Kewitt-Wang Scholar, Luminarts Fellow, Vivian K Harsh Society awardee & Percussive Arts Society/Yamaha Terry Gibbs Vibraphone Scholarship recipient. As a former apprentice of Chicago’s Gallery 37/After School Matters Center for the Arts Jazz Band program during high school, Mr. Tukes is currently its director. In the summer of 2020, he and a group of local musicians formed the Chicago Freedom Ensemble, a music performance & social justice advocacy organization. Through the Chicago Freedom Ensemble, he has supported led protests, provided political and financial literacy for the local music community, conducted jam sessions throughout the city, & created a citywide network of young muticulturalinstrumentalists. Thaddeus has released 3 albums under his self-owned label, Vibetown Studios. He performs as a bandleader & special guest w/the Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, South Side Jazz Coalition, Inc., & various Jazz clubs and ensembles throughout the country. He is a member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra & the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. When not performing, he can be found teaching percussion ensembles at various elementary & high schools in the Chicagoland area.

I had the complete pleasure of hanging out a bit with Thaddeus to talk about the upcoming show at Cafe Coda on June 16th, as part of the Madison Jazz Festival. We talk show expectations here in Madison, bringing that Chicago sound wherever he goes and the importance of the give-back. Thaddeus gets to go deep into what the Chicago Freedom Ensemble means to him and the opportunities for building a better community that have come from their work, as well as being a bridge to showing the youth that it IS possible to get out, survive and flourish. On May 20th, Thaddeus had a dream come true, and this serves as a reminder that, YES, YOU CAN. This Cat Right Here.

IN THE BEGINNING: The mystery of just who was behind those far-out tunes that kept the crowds groovin’ during Fare Thee Well’s intermissions has been revealed. Circles Around the Sun, a band convened by guitarist Neal Casal, formed specifically to record just for those shows and the results were so right on and the audience reaction so overwhelmingly positive, the group decided to give the music a proper release. The project began when Neal was asked by video director Justin Kreutzmann to compose and record more than 5 hours of original music to be played along with the visuals Kreutzmann was preparing for the Fare Thee Well intermissions. “The idea was to not only show reverence for the past but to in reality, move it forward. Just like the music of the Grateful Dead. Neal was originally joined in the studio by keyboardist Adam MacDougall, a fellow member of Chris Robinson’s Brotherhood and Phil Lesh’s Friends. The balance of the then CATS consists of bassist Dan Horne (Beachwood Sparks, Jonathan Wilson) and drummer Mark Levy (The Congress). Here we are in 2022 and a lot has changed for the group. We lost Neal, but not the music.

I had the chance to catch up with Mark Levy to get into the March 26th event of Circles Around The Sun w/Mikaela Davis at the High Noon Saloon in Madison. While Mark was out on a quick vacation before happily getting back out on the road – we chatted about what to expect if you don’t know this group or its music, a new live record that’s oh so hot and an even brandier newer album with Mikaela Davis. We talk about all the newness – but spend most of our time talking about our mutual pal, Neal. The legacy continues as promised – the memories strong as the real ones remain and we still get to feel ‘it’ as the circle keeps spinning.

Debut release from David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets), Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes) and multi-instrumentalist Darwin Meiners. Iconic bands in the history of alternative music certainly include Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Violent Femmes. San Francisco born artist Darwin Meiners was a fan of all three. A chance meeting 13 years ago with David J grew into a friendship, and Darwin not only became a bandmate, but David J’s manager. After reaching out to Victor DeLorenzo through e-mail, Darwin met the Violent Femmes drummer after the Femmes’ Coachella set in 2013. Soon after the 3 collaborated on Darwin’s 2014 release Souvenir. As the pandemic took hold, Darwin was looking for a new project to occupy the lock-down time and approached Victor, who was down to proceed and suggested that David join as well. The musical trust established between the 3 was immediate and Night Crickets were born. Within weeks a global process was initiated between them, the recordings eventually forming the album, A Free Society, now out on Omnivore Recordings. (The band’s name came from one of many Zoom meetings between the 3 members. After addressing a few pressing musical issues, the conversation rambled somewhat and turned to the subject of David Lynch, with David J telling an anecdote which was told to him by Lynch’s sound designer, John Neff. Lynch had asked Neff to obtain a field recording of crickets chirping at night for inclusion in Mulholland Drive. When Neff played him the tape, the director immediately recognized the sound that the insects make when it is light which is apparently a little different to their nocturnal chirp. “No! No! No! These are day crickets, John! I want my night crickets!” Victor, Darwin, and David then shared a look of mutual realization and instantly agreed that the project now had a name!)

I had the chance to find time in the field with our pal, Victor DeLorenzo to have a moment of reunite of Frail Pagans, our occasional open-minded share time. We got into the hatching of Night Crickets – and the results that proudly get to be shared into the ears of many. If this group sounds appealing to you – they are….and if they don’t…time to catch up. We also get into the creation of a new Nineteen Thirteen single, album on the way and who the alien being is that added that little something new I am hearing. As I type, we are hopeful to get Nineteen Thirteen back in Madison and maybe wherever you are, they are a welcoming certain THAT, you didn’t know you were needing.

Seattle-based soul-jazz groove-machine Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio (DLO3) are set to release their upcoming album “Cold As Weiss: on February 11th via our friends over at Colemine Records. “Cold As Weiss” is the band’s first release featuring new drummer Dan Weiss, also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones. DLO3—specializes in the lost art of something we all need always, “feel good music.” The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James, who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is the aforementioned drummer Dan Weiss, whose smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio’s explosive chemistry. Founded by Delvon’s wife and manager Amy Novo, the trio started from humble beginnings in 2015, but since then has released two Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold out venues. Now, DLO3 is proud to present “Cold As Weiss”, their third studio album to date that finds them tighter than ever, and continuing to push funky instrumental music to a new generation of fans. I will attest to this, the album is ready to keep the doors wide open for soul fans of the past and those starting with the new and working their way backwards.

I had the pleasure of catching back up with friend of the program, Mr. Delvon Lamarr to allow us the opportunity to get into the new music, how this album really seems to play the band. I do believe we even got a little taste of how the band kinda does the thing they do. If you have never seen them live, well all questions can be answered once you feel this music pump up into you from all around, in the moment. For me, I found it quite interesting how the new drummer’s pocket played in the decision to have him be that “man”. Finding out where on this upcoming World Tour, he is excited to either check out or get back to and what song(s) off the new record would Delvon choose to build a set on greenarrowradio with…. Like Delvon, it is hard to put into words just how this music makes me feel, but interacting with him and Jimmy James and Amy, I can say that these cats are all the real deal, and the music follows that lead.

Jim McCarty is the original drummer in the legendary Yardbirds, a musical force of nature since the 1960s and still active today with Jim as the sole remaining original member. Acclaimed as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, their music is rooted in the blues, but their amazing forays over the decades into jazz, folk, rock, pop, raga, improv, distortion, guitar feedback and, of course, the blues, is the stuff of legend and incredible influence…so much so that the band was deservedly inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame in 1992. The Yardbirds dazzling guitar pyrotechnics, which in the band’s earlier days featured the talents of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, are the stuff of rock legend. Jim was and is the steady anchor for this high-flying outfit…his rock-solid drumming keeping the band grounded during the band’s awe-inspiring flights of musical frenzy, both then and now. He’s the only band member to be a member of every lineup since the band was founded in 1963 up through the present day. Of course, you may remember, the last lineup of the early Yardbirds, called The New Yardbirds, which included Jim and Jimmy Page, eventually morphed in to Led Zeppelin. Jim, who is also an accomplished singer and songwriter having released numerous solo albums over the years, has just released the second installment of his memoirs, entitled “She Walks in Beauty”, which is a follow-up to his initial autobiography, “Nobody Told Me”, which was released to great acclaim in 2018. “She Walks in Beauty” continues with Jim’s life journey – inside and outside of music – expanding on his storied musical career while also giving the reader a very personal and intimate look at Jim’s personal lifelong quest to unravel the mysteries of the life that exists beyond the world in which we live. The book tells of his travels to remote areas of the world – including China, India, & the Himalayas – as his search explores the world hidden just out of reach, the shadows that are just out of sight and the certainty that there is an enduring connection between the living and the dead. It’s an intimate, honest, fascinating look inside the life of a rock legend whose boundless curiosity for a life often unseen and/or understood makes for a compelling read.

I had the honor of catching up with Mr. McCarty to discuss “She Walks In Beauty”. We got into the reasons now was the time for these stories to not only be told, but shared. We speak of things that many shake their heads about, but many others have experienced and I believe this book is a great way to think back through the nw and then but also the here and there. I can tell you about our conversation, but ultimately you either have to check it out, or better yet, find a way to get the book and find the common threads you may have neglected to remember or notice. Be open. I am thankful for Mr. McCarty sharing these stories (not a whole lot about music in this chat or in this book), they really open a window into him and beyond.

44 years ago this past October 2oth, the music world endured one of the greatest tragedies in its history when a Convair CV-240 passenger plane carrying several members of Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including founding member and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, crashed into the woods near Gillsburg, Mississippi, killing six including Van Zant. The event has been memorialized in both song as well as in the hearts and minds of music fans the world over. Most recently, this singularly devastating accident was dramatized on film in a full-length feature Street Survivors: The True Story Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash. Told from the perspective of Skynyrd drummer, Artimus Pyle, who not only survived the crash but helped rescue other members from the wreckage, the movie is a powerful testament to enduring legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd and all that the band had to overcome in its incredible career. The accompanying soundtrack to the film converts the inspiring true story into musical form, taking selections of the film’s orchestral score and blending it with original music inspired by Skynyrd with guest appearances by Pyle as well as blues rock legend Pat Travers. Artimus was the drummer in the band’s classic lineup at the height of the band’s fame in the 1970, performing in the band from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1987 to 1991. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member in 2006. Artimus is considered a hero in the sense that after the crash, although injured himself, he pulled the remaining survivors out of the wreck and somehow was able to walk to a nearby farmhouse and secure help for his injured bandmates. He currently tours with the Artimus Pyle Band, a rockin’ crew that plays both original music and note-for-note versions of Skynyrd classics in the true spirit of the classic 70s lineup.

I had the complete honor and pleasure to get together with Artimus Pyle for a chat about this tragic event that changed the landscape of rock and roll…heck, let’s not limit it….the landscape of music. We talk about the day of the events, the deep honor of the man (Ronnie Van Zant) and his ability to write hit records with songs that will withstand whatever we humans can throw at it. While talking about the music, we discuss what his band, Artimus Pyle Band does to honor the Skynyrd family while moving the music forward We got into the making of the Street Survivors movie and soundtrack and how Artimus doesn’t get a single penny from either. Cleopatra Records & Films released Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash that depicts Pyle’s memories of the before and aftermath of the crash back in October of 2020. Artimus wrote the outline of the story that was made into the film. Cleopatra Records also released a soundtrack to the film that features performances by two of his sons: Marshall & Chris. I am here to help with the “reboot” of this project as the COVID world has certainly caused many to miss the original release. After spending time with Artimus and hearing about this tale many of us think we know about, getting deeper insights shared by him into him, as a person to be in awe over and well, frankly, there so much in this chat my words cannot touch it. But, listen for the part about Dolly Parton when you get in there – there’s so much cool here for you.

You can purchase the Street Survivors: The True Story Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash film here.

One of the key figures in rock and roll history, Carmine Appice has joined forces with multi-instrumentalist and rising studio star Fernando Perdomo to form The Appice Perdomo Project (aka APP), whose debut album ENERGY OVERLOAD was released September 24, 2021 on Cleopatra Records. The album is an all-instrumental, rock-oriented tour de force with fusion influences also readily apparent. Carmine’s always-amazing drumming and Perdomo’s blazing guitar licks and riffs make Energy Overload a tour de force of sound, texture and non-stop heaviness. Carmine has pounded the skins for such iconic rockers like Ozzy Osbourne, Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart (Carmine & Rod co-wrote the hits Do Ya Think I’m Sexy and Young Turks) and he is a founding member of legendary 60s rock bands Vanilla Fudge (You Keep Me Hanging On was the band’s classic hit in 1967…it was featured prominently in Quentin Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and he’s a founding member of Cactus. Both the Fudge and Cactus still tour. His playing has also been a huge influence on drummers including Joey Kramer (Aerosmith), Neal Peart (Rush), Phil Collins (Genesis), Brian Taylor (Queen), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and countless others. He was inducted into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2014. He remains on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Drummers of All-Time list.

I had the honor to catch up with Carmine and do a little diGGin’ into this blazing new release “Energy Overload”. We dissect a few of the new tracks and learn about the entire process (at times I think we did some algebra?). We talk about the new way of working happened in his new studio with Fernando on this project- and how long it was (and how many songs in) before they actually met in person. Fascinating stuff! We also get into new Vanilla Fudge, with the oriGinal line-up and how Carmine was able to help Tim Bogert (RIP) be a part of it. This was one of thse conversations where I cannot tell you more about it than is actually in it. You have to get an earful of the whole thing to get youself in the know. Carmine is “A Piece” of rock and roll greatness. diGG

Grant Calvin Weston was born June 6, 1959 in Philadelphia, PA. He became interested in drums at the age of 6, when he (and his neighbors) discovered his talent for rhythm as he beat on every car on the block. In North Philadelphia he saw musicians like Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five and James Brown at the Uptown Theatre, which further fueled his creativity. Seeing his attention focused on the drummers, his father bought him a small set. In high school Calvin learned to read music and played second snare in the drum ensemble. He co-founded the group Bad Influence which played in cabarets and clubs around Philadelphia. At 17, along with bass player Jamalaadean Tacuma, (his close friend from Philly) Calvin joined Ornette Colemans Prime Time Band which toured extensively in North America and Europe. After recording four albums with Prime Time, Calvin went on to play and record with guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer, until 1990, when he joined John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards. During the late 90s and beyond, Calvin recorded and toured with Billy Martin (Medeski , Martin and Wood,) Tricky, Eyvind Kang, Derek Bailey, Marc Ribot, John Zorn ,James Carter, Gypsys Reloaded (with Melvin Gibbs and Jean-Paul Bourelly), Free Form Funky Freqs (with Vernon Reid and Jamaaldeen Tacuma). He has also played on several movie soundtracks including “Get Shorty”.

I had the pleasure of talking with G. Calvin Weston about one of his latest projects, “Stone Church” with Jim Kost, released today via Ropeadope Records. We get into how this album came to be. On our way in that talk, we get into a few stories about Mr. Ornette Coleman, whom he worked with for years at a very early age. Within those stories, we learn how G. Calvin did it, learned how to find himself inside the rhythms, contnuing to be an “improvizationalist”, finding how what he does know can assist in the deeper learning of finding his voice. Man, this is gold!! We circle back to how that influenced his playing on “Stone Church”. Of course, we could not be stopped from hinting about new music that is coming out soon, as you all know how much I like to be one of the first to get the newness into the universe. After talking with G. Calvin, it is so simple to me to see just why I have always leaned into the way he did what he do.

For nearly two decades, Nate Smith has been a key piece in reinvigorating the international music scene with his visceral, instinctive, & deep-rooted style of drumming. He holds a diverse & ample résumé, which includes work with esteemed jazz leading lights such as Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, José James, John Patitucci, Ravi Coltrane, and Somi among many others. His 2x GRAMMY-nominated debut album, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere, sees Nate fusing his original modern jazz compositions with R&B, pop, & hip-hop. He’s also ventured into the pop/rock world with recent collaborations with Vulfpeck spinoff band The Fearless Flyers, Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes) & performances with songwriters Emily King and Van Hunt. In recent years, through a series of viral videos, he has emerged as one of the most influential & popular drummers of his generation. His videos have been viewed millions of times and have inspired countless musicians and fans. In September of 2018, he released his first ever solo drumset album Pocket Change. As a composer and arranger, Nate received two (2) GRAMMY nominations for his composition “Home Free (for Peter Joe)” for best instrumental composition & best arrangement (instrumental or a cappella).

I had the complete pleasure to share some of the cool with Nate about his upcoming trip into Madison to play at Breese Stevens Field as part of the 2021 Madison Jazz Festival. We get into the who and what KINFOLK of this stripped down version of the band will be sharing with us (including some not yet released material), the making/feeling “it” of the music toGether. We find out how important the ears are an instrument & we get into an artists relationship w/our mutual friend Laura Hanifin as a story telling/conceptual image-taker on his projects of then now and the future. Get into this one and feel summa that cool ooze off you too.

Photo by Laura Hanifin from Pocket Change Album: Waterbaby Music: 2018