Working Drummer

Latest Episodes:

066 – Marlon Patton: Genre-hopping, Building a Home Studio, Searching for Sounds Jun 01, 2016

Show notes

Marlon Patton was born and raised in the Atlanta area, attended college down the road at The University of Georgia in Athens, then returned home to Atlanta where he has lived and worked ever since. He is a true genre-hopper, in terms of the many types of music he plays and the many types of work he does. Any given day could find him mixing a jazz record in his studio, tracking a rock record in someone else’s, playing a live show in one of Atlanta’s many venues, or out on the road as a hired gun. Over the years his huge skill set, fine-tuned musical sensibilities, and affable humor have made him indispensable to artists and bands all over the region as a drummer and engineer.

In this podcast, Marlon talks about:

The long, gradual process of acquiring the gear and skills needed to run his home studio

Recording jazz vs. other genres

Attending The University of Georgia in Athens (home of R.E.M., The B-52’s, and many others) and the wide variety of playing opportunities he found there, in and out of school

How breaking his ankle led to one of his original projects, Weisshund

Playing with bassist Robby Handley in The ATL Collective and Kenosha Kid

Balancing local work with road work

Marlon Patton endorses C&C Drums.

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065 – Rick Malkin: Photography and Drumming, Photographing Famous Drummers, Drumming in Musical Theater May 25, 2016

Show notes

Rick Malkin has made a career for himself by combining his passion for drumming and photography. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Rick learned photography at an early age from his father who was a full time photographer. At the age of 10, Rick discovered the drums and at the age of 14 he was already playing drums in musical theater.

After meeting Eddie Bayers for a Modern Drummer cover shoot, Rick moved down to Nashville and worked as Eddie’s drum tech for 11 years.

Along with his continuing work in photography, Rick was the house drummer for 13 years at the Boiler Room Theater in Nashville and continues to stay involved in the theater community.

In this podcast, Rick talks about:

Playing drums in musical theater and learning to read from the record

Taking pictures of many famous drummers like Jeff Porcaro, Larry London, Steve Gadd and Alex Van Halen. And learning from the experience.

Balancing work as a drummer and photographer

Taking pictures of celebrities over the years including Buddy Rich and Prince

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064 – Josh Heffernan: Freelancing vs. being in a band, making a live album, the balance between vintage and modern May 18, 2016

Show notes

Josh Heffernan is the drummer for Dustbowl Revival, an eight-piece outfit based in LA. Their most recent album, With A Lampshade On is their biggest yet, and their touring schedule is keeping them busy all over North America and Europe, and most recently, China. Josh grew up in Seattle and got some of his first professional experience in an Army band before moving to LA. He attended the Los Angeles College of Music where he studied with Ralph Humphrey, and was a freelancer around LA until the Dustbowl drum chair became his full time job. Comprised of an acoustic rhythm section, two singers, trumpet, trombone, mandolin and fiddle, the band is a mashup of folk, rock, bluegrass, New Orleans swing, and whatever else they can come up with. No matter what musical or geographical territory they find themselves in, Josh is at the center of it finding ways to get people dancing.

In this podcast, Josh talks about:

Dustbowl Revival’s recent tour of China

His post-high school musical education first in an Army band, then at the Los Angeles College of Music

Being a “jack of all trades” vs. dedicating yourself to one style

Dustbowl Revival’s latest album, With A Lampshade On, and the unique way it was put together

The band’s stylistic development, from hitting a different style with each song to trying to blur the lines for a sound that is more homogenous and more their own

The hustle of freelancing vs. the hustle of being in a band

Blending the old and the new, both in his playing and his gear

This episode is sponsored by Aquarian Drumheads.

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063 – Troy Luccketta: Tesla, Keith Emerson Tribute, A Song For Wellness May 11, 2016

Show notes

Troy Luccketta entered his musical career at 17, and by the time he was 23 he was touring with The Eric Martin Band (lead singer for Mr. Big), and found himself on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand.”

For more than 30 years, he has been the drummer for the multi-platinum rock band Tesla, with whom he still tours with to this day.

Troy started working with Marc Bonilla in 1991, and after playing drums on Marc’s first two solo records, the two continued to collaborate. As a result, the two formed the band Saville Row, and released their first album in 2014. Their music has already been featured on television dramas like NBC’s “Las Vegas” and Lifetime’s “Monarch Cove.”

Along with his wife, Troy has become passionately involved in the creation of a web-site and organization called “A Song For Wellness”. The goal is to simply provide all the information and resources you would need to live healthy and fight major diseases like cancer through the power of nutrition.

Most recently, Troy was poised to tour with the great Keith Emerson before his untimely death earlier this year. Troy will be one of the power house drummers at Keith Emerson tribute concert at the El Ray Theater in LA, May 28th, 2016.

Troy is endorsed by Tama Drums, Zildjian cymbals and Promark drumsticks.

In this podcast, Troy talks about:

A Song For Wellness – A nutrition guide website

Hanging out with Steve Smith in 1983

Preparing for Keith Emerson tribute show

The band Tesla

Auditioning for John Mellencamp

The challenge of promoting yourself

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062 – Colin Agnew: Creating Coordination for Musicality, Incorporating Latin Sounds into Other Music, Finding the Right People in the Right Town May 04, 2016

Show notes

Using ever-changing combinations of drumset and hand percussion, Colin Agnew has developed an earthy, organic signature sound that has made him indispensable to artists and producers of many stripes. He is the rare musician who can come up with creative ideas but use them judiciously in support of the music. Colin grew up in Savannah, GA, where he began studying classical percussion, piano and drumset in middle school. In high school and college, he got involved in several types of Latin music, performing as either drummer or percussionist, eventually developing ways to combine to two worlds. After graduating from Georgia State University, Colin stayed in the Atlanta area and has amassed a huge list of live and studio performance credits.

In this podcast, Colin talks about:

His recent first experience at South By Southwest with Cicada Rhythm

Using complex coordination and independence to combine drumset and percussion in musical ways

Studying drums and percussion with Kinah Boto

How Latin music and musicians served as his bridge between college and the pro scene

How playing and collaborating with singer/songwriter Adron has helped him expand his skill set

Playing and touring with Blair Crimmins & The Hookers

This episode is sponsored by Aquarian Drumheads

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061 – Ben Jackson: Operating a Successful Home Studio, Drumming & Producing, Building Ableton Live Rigs for Major Tours Apr 27, 2016

Show notes

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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060 – Dan Schnelle: Learning From Four Masters, Playing In the Moment, Practicing vs. Listening Apr 20, 2016

Show notes

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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059 – John Root: Understanding Styles, Diversifying Your Workload, Playing Lower Broadway Gigs in Nashville, Apr 13, 2016

Show notes

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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058 – Charles LaMont Garner: Growing Beyond his Gospel Roots, The Importance of Mentorship, Building a Career Through Good Relationships and Good Character Apr 06, 2016

Show notes

“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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057 – Reggie Jackson: Drumming for Dr John, Exuding Joy While Performing, Applying Experience to the Gig Mar 30, 2016

Show notes

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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