Working Drummer

Latest Episodes:

357 - Noah Levy: Working with Brian Setzer, Building and Growing His Home Studio, The Power of 2 and 4 Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Noah Levy is an in demand drummer that lives in the Minneapolis / St Paul area of Minnesota. He has toured and recorded with a long list of international artists including Five For Fighting, The Honeydogs, Peter Frampton, Nelson, The Bodeans, and Golden Smog.

Noah spends a lot of time as a session player working in studios around town as well as his own home studio. He currently plays with Brian Setzer in his Rockabilly Riot, and Orchestra.

In this episode, Noah talks about:

Building his home studio
Self discovery
Time management in the home studio
The power of 2 and 4
The talent in Minneapolis / St Paul
Working with Brian Setzer
Studio etiquette

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356 - Matt & Zack: Our Relationship with the Click, Our Interview Style, What's Coming up for WDP and The Drum Click Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

Zack was recently in Nashville for a gig, so he and Matt took the opportunity to sit down and chop it up.

In this episode, Matt and Zack talk about:

What "burying the click" really means and how it fits into the greater goal of sounding and feeling good
The phenomenon and business model of the social media drummer
An interaction we had with a listener regarding our interview style
What's coming up with The Drum Click Network from discounts to a Nashville Drum Camp

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355 - Rob Rufus: Drummer, Published Author, Cancer Survivor and Advocate, The “Band Drummer” vs the “Working Drummer” Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Rob Rufus is an author, musician, screenwriter, and advocate. He is the recipient of the American Library Association’s prestigious ALEX Award. His literary debut, Die Young With Me, was named one of the Best Books of the Year by Hudson Booksellers and is currently being developed as a major motion picture. His follow-up, The Vinyl Underground, was named one of the Junior Library Guild’s Gold Standard Selections. He lives with his dog in East Nashville, Tennessee. Catch him on the road with his bands The Bad Signs or Blacklist Royals, and learn more at www.robrufus.net

In this episode, Rob talks about:

His first book - Die Young With Me
The power of artistic expression
His 2nd and 3rd book: The Vinyl Underground and Paradise, WV
Touring with his band The Blacklist Royals
The “Band Drummer” vs the “Working Drummer”
Realities of being a working creative
Facing down cancer that gave him a new outlook on life

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354 - George Fludas: A Lifetime of Chicago Jazz, Playing in The Ray Brown Trio, The Alchemy of Sound and Feel from Bonham to Blakey Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

Chicago drummer George Fludas was born in Chicago on October 10, 1966. He was inspired to play drums by his father, who was also a drummer, and who exposed him to great jazz drummers such as Art Blakey, Max Roach, and "Philly" Joe Jones.

He has played with many stellar musicians such as Lou Donaldson, Kenny Burrell, Betty Carter, Benny Green, Roy Hargrove, Hank Jones, Cedar Walton, Diana Krall, Benny Carter, Phil Woods, and Bobby Hutcherson. George has performed at numerous jazz venues in the U.S. such as the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Yoshi’s in Oakland, the Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Smoke and the Jazz Standard in New York and Catalina's in Hollywood, as well as many international Jazz Festivals, including Montreal Festival du Jazz, Bern Jazz Fest in Switzerland, and Glasgow and Edinburgh Jazz Fests. He toured Europe and Japan extensively as a member of Ray Brown's Trio, and with groups led by Hank Jones, Diana Krall, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton and Joey Defrancesco. He can be heard on numerous recordings as a sideman with Ray Brown, Eric Alexander, Monty Alexander, Bobby Broom, Lin Halliday and The Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

In this episode, George talks about:

What makes a successful jazz club
His experience playing with the iconic Ray Brown trio
How Bonham influenced him, and what Bonham had in common with some jazz drumming icons
How the synthesis of sound and feel should be included in the definition of "technique"
How the Chicago scene shaped him as a player and the musical element that is prevalent in Chicago jazz
How the trends of remote recording and sample packs are working their way into jazz

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353 - Simon Phillips: Protocol 5, Signature Drum Sound and Tone, Composer, Engineer, Producer Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

Simon Phillips, multifaceted drummer and composer, producer and engineer, is renowned for his historic stints with Jeff Beck, The Who, Toto, Jack Bruce, Mike Oldfield, Joe Satriani, Judas Priest and countless others. His life of top-tier session work has fostered an extraordinary versatility and boundless artistic curiosity, something he’s long carried into his work as a leader, mainly under the banner of Protocol.

An entirely self-taught composer, Phillips debuted the solo Protocol project eponymously in 1989, then revived it in quartet form on Protocol II (2013), Protocol III (2015) and Protocol IV (2017). Throughout, Phillips has grown his vision for an instrumental music with pop sensibility and lyrical, almost singable melody, all over a complex and elusive harmonic foundation. Of the original members (guitarist Andy Timmons, keyboardist Steve Weingart, bassist Ernest Tibbs), Tibbs remains in the fold; he joined keyboardist Dennis Hamm (Thundercat) and guitar virtuoso Greg Howe for Protocol IV. He is gamely on board again for Protocol V, partnering with the group’s newest members: veteran keyboard magician Otmaro Ruiz and two prodigiously gifted young players that Tibbs himself recommended, guitarist Alex Sill and saxophonist Jacob Scesney.

In this episode, Simon talks about:

His interest composing
Working in his dad's band when he was very young
The origin of his set up
Simon’s signature drum sound and tone
Early exposure to the studio environment
The recording of Protocol 5
The value of understanding multiple styles

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352 - Ash Soan: Learning How to Track and Mix Simultaneously, Letting Who You Are Determine How You Sound Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

Ash Soan is one of the most in-demand drummers in the world, with a long list of live and studio credits that includes many of the biggest names in pop music over the last few decades. In addition to his studio and touring work, he is also well-known for his seven-year stint as the house drummer on The Voice UK. He is the creator of a series of video lessons available on his website and commands a wide social media influence from the confines of his small home studio, a converted 18th century windmill base that resides on his property outside London and has become synonymous with his drumming.

In this episode, Ash talks about:

His approach to mixing drums after he's tracked raw sounds
Finding sounds through science and manuals vs. intuition, experimentation, and trial and error
Knowing your sound and yourself well enough to be not just capable, but confident in any situation
Following iconic drummers on a gig without trying to be them
How he's avoided any major physical issues through a relaxed approach
How the greatest drummers' playing reflects their personalities, from Gadd to Guiliana to Ferrone to Copeland to Ringo

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351 - Kenny Aronoff: Eight Steps to a Healthy Life, Early days with John Mellencamp, Staying Focused on 1 or 2 Things Until Perfected Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Kenny has entertained millions of people with his drumming all across the world, played on thousands of records, provided the beat of America’s culture for four decades, and has been the “go to” drummer for the biggest stars in music, ranging from John Mellencamp to Lady Gaga, Bob Dylan to The Smashing Pumpkins, and everyone in between!

In this episode, Kenny talks about:

Learning to focus on 1 or 2 things and making them perfect
Questions from a few of our Patreon members

James Osborne, Jimi Allison & Isaac Sanchez

Preparing every detail for TV performances
Work / Life balance
Eight Steps to a Healthy Life
His book “Sex, Drums, Rock n’ Roll”
Early days with John Mellencamp
Charlie Watts

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350 - Brandon Bush: Drumming with Dark Water, MD'ing Musicals, "Make it Great...You Will Win" Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

As a studio musician, Brandon has performed on over 100 recordings including Grammy nominated and winning releases by John Mayer, Sugarland and Shawn Mullins. As a member of the multi-platinum-selling rock band Train, Brandon toured the world, indulging in his life-long rock and roll fantasy of performing a keyboard solo on a smoke-emitting Moog synthesizer.

These days, in addition to touring with country music mega stars Sugarland, Brandon is a member of the music collective Songs of the Architect where he works as a songwriter, composer and producer on a wide variety of projects including film, TV, gaming and media formats. In recent years, he and his brother Kristian have been collaborators in the original project Dark Water, as well as numerous musical theatre productions with Kristian as composer and Brandon as musical director.

In this episode, Brandon talks about:

The many responsibilities of being MD for a musical, from the micro (drum notation) to the macro (room tuning)
Being self-critical without being self-defeating
How taking 16th note interpretation out of the drummer's hands can strengthen a song/groove
Defining the word "swing," in conversation and within a song
Turning negative feelings (envy, bitterness, regret, etc.) into positive ones (gratitude, admiration, etc.)
"Correctness" vs. human-ness in music production

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349 - Nick Buda: Nashville Session Powerhouse, Returning Guest After 7 Years, Bringing the Best Out of Every Song Dec 24, 2021

Show notes

Nick Buda was the featured artist on just the second ever Working Drummer podcast back in January 2015 and we are happy to have him back to talk about what he’s been up to and see what more we can learn from this super pro player.

Early in his career, Nick toured with such diverse artists as Edwin McCain, Hank Williams Jr., Jedd Hughes, Maia Sharp, Emily West, Col. Bruce Hampton and the Codetalkers and many others. Playing with these various artists has led to performing at so many great iconic venues such as the Grand Ole Opry along with TV appearances on many of the late night and daytime talk shows. It also led to a whole new side of Nick's career as a session drummer.

Nick's unique drumming style combines his delicate touch with a soulful r&b backbeat and an explosive energy, which adds depth and excitement to his tracks. His unmistakeable style infiltrates both live and studio settings putting him in high demand amongst the Music Row elite.

His playing is featured on country/pop sensation Taylor Swift's first 5 multi-platinum albums. This includes "Fearless", which won many Grammy's including Album Of The Year. Other artists Nick has recorded with include: Richard Marx, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Kenny Loggins, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride and Randy Houser to name a few.

In this episode, Nick talks about:

How his perspective has changed since becoming a father and living through the pandemic
Good uses of social media
The effects of 2020
Working with Will Bowen and the band One Man Riot
How sessions work in Nashville
Bringing the best out of every song you record
The inspiration of Steve Gadd’s signature feel and personality

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348 - Dave Elitch: New Additions to His Online Course, Incorporating Alexander Technique, "Making Your Body Disappear" Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

Dave Elitch first gained notoriety touring with the American progressive rock band The Mars Volta in 2009-2010. Since then he has lent his talents to Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, M83, The 1975, Juliette Lewis, Big Black Delta, and many others. An established LA session player, Dave has performed on various records, syncs, and film scores for major motion pictures, including “Trolls" and “Logan." He also conducts masterclass lectures worldwide and keeps a busy private teaching practice in Los Angeles. Dave has developed a reputation as the technique/body mechanic specialist and has helped many of the industry's top players and educators expand their vocabulary, overcome physical/mental barriers and get out of their own way.

In this episode, Dave talks about:

What's new in the latest additions to his online course
What The Alexander Technique is and how he has incorporated it into his approach
How the physical and the psychological can work with each other or against each other
How to be mindful without being obsessive
How diet plays into how your body works, both in the immediate and over time

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