The Drum Shuffle

Logan Todd is a young up-and-coming drummer originally from Memphis, TN.  After moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University, he stayed in the Music City to start his career.  Logan is currently touring with the Jason Lee McKinney Band, doing session work, and producing other artists' projects.  On episode 067, Logan joins Jamie in The Drum Shuffle studio to talk about his career, the state of being a working drummer today, and a nice discussion on turn-of-the-century Irish dry masonry fences.  You'll just have to listen to understand how much fun Jamie and Logan had during this interview.  Logan is bound for greatness in the drumming community and everyone should get to know more about him.  Here is your chance to meet one of drumming's most promising young players.

Shawn Pelton hardly needs an introduction in the drumming community.  Having recording credits as diverse as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Pink, Sheryl Crow, Van Morrison, and Pavarotti, it goes without saying that he is an in-demand session drummer with nearly unmatched versatility.  Shawn may be best-known as the drummer on Saturday Night Live since 1992; however, that is only a small part of his drumming career.  On episode 066, Shawn and Jamie discuss his early years in Kansas, his college years at Indiana University, and his move to New York where his career went into overdrive and hasn't slowed since.  They also discuss many of the incredible gigs that Shawn has played including The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony among many, many others.  Shawn is one of the coolest cats in the music business and seems to be everywhere all the time.  He is simply groove personified and offers a ton of great information in one of his rare interviews.

Rob Mount started drumming at an early age in his hometown of Rochester, New York.  When he reached early adulthood, he set out to be a professional musician.  After a couple of early trials in the music business, his story almost had a different outcome.  After those letdowns, he took a break from drumming and the music business, but he remained prepared for opportunities that would surely come his way.  And, they certainly did.  After doing a couple of pick up gigs for Rochester's hometown hero, Lou Gramm, it wasn't long before Lou asked Rob to join his band full-time.  On episode 065, Rob joins Jamie to discuss how he got his start, the times that he was down but not out, and how staying ready paid off for him with a once-in-a-lifetime gig.  Rob is one of the most down-to-earth "real" guys in the music business that is eager to help other drummers.  Be sure to listen to this great interview to hear Rob's awesome story.

Innovative.  This word is heard and read constantly in the drum industry.  A lot of the time, it is marketing hype.  Josh Allen founded Independent Drum Lab in 2015 and got down to innovating.  Inde Drums have a ton of hype within the drumming world, and it is not just marketing.  Josh is a brilliant product designer, but he is a drummer first.  On episode 064, Josh sits down with Jamie to discuss how Inde was founded, the guiding principles of the company, and he explains some of the great innovations that Inde has brought to the market.  Josh has tons of experience designing products for some major drum brands and he is now at the helm of his own company, innovating.  Be sure to catch this outstanding episode about a fast-rising company in the drumming world.

Peter Kogan has played in the Orchestras of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Honolulu, and currently, Minnesota.  With that much orchestral and classical experience you wouldn't immediately expect a new album of exceptional jazz songs.  However that is exactly what Peter has just released on The Green Album.  He has assembled a tremendous group of musicians, The Monsterful Wonderband, for his self-led new release.  On episode 063, Peter and Jamie discuss his early years of drumming, which includes gigs with Bo Diddley, Lightning Hopkins, and The Drifters, his travels around the world playing in various orchestras, and how The Green Album came to be.  Peter is an absolute wealth of knowledge in the drumming and percussion worlds and he shares much of that knowledge in this great interview.

Kevin Charney has worn many different hats within the world of drumming.  Growing up as a second-generation drummer in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he started out like many other drummers playing in various bands in his hometown.  Over the years, he has worked for retail drum shops, backline rental companies, and has recorded and toured extensively throughout his career.  Kevin is also an avid vintage drum lover and collector.  On Episode 062, Kevin and Jamie discuss his current gig with Jesse Dayton, working in backline gear, and his collection of vintage drums.  Kevin is a certified good human and the laughs come quickly and easily in this great interview.

Dan Aran grew up in Israel listening to the great record collection of his mother.  Once Dan began drumming, he made several trips to the United States before eventually moving to New York permanently.  Once he planted his roots there, he got extremely busy drumming in numerous musical situations.  Dan has just stepped out as a bandleader with the remarkable release New York Family.  On episode 061, Dan joins Jamie to discuss his career from beginning to current day, the new release, and he offers a brilliant perspective on the world of jazz and drumming in general.  Dan is certainly making waves and is one of the hot young guns in the world of Jazz.

Jack Bruno has a resume that most drummers can only dream of.  Having played with Peter Frampton, Tina Turner, and Joe Cocker, Jack has some serious firepower associated with his drumming.  These days he is a member of Delbert McClinton's band and they are currently out on the road doing what they do best.  On episode 060, Jack tells Jamie about his early days outside of Boston, starting off as a drummer, and his move to Los Angeles that started his career in the music business.  Jack has logged millions of miles on tour, played in front of millions, and offers a very open and honest recollection of his amazing career.

Jerry Roe has literally been drumming his entire life.  Given his first drum set at 18 months old, he doesn't have any memories of life before drumming.  Jerry comes from a very talented musical family and started playing the Nashville bars by age 11.  On episode 059, Jerry sits down with Jamie to discuss his early start, his long list of studio credits, and his awesome band, Friendship Commanders.  Equally comfortable playing tender Americana ballads as well as pounding sludge-metal, Jerry is a case study in versatility.  His playing is always tasteful and amazing.  Jerry offers up tons of great knowledge and inspiration in this great interview.

Mark Poiesz grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and remembers the exact day he decided to become a drummer.  That journey has routed him through the University of Miami, several high-profile touring gigs, and eventually landed him in Nashville.  Currently on the road with Tyler Farr, Mark has consistently stayed busy working with many great artists and has continued pursuing his dreams.  Mark is a true student of music and all things drumming.  On episode 058, he discusses his personal story in detail and talks about what comes next after achieving milestone goals.  Mark is a phenomenal drummer with lots of knowledge to share and is truly one of the nice guys in the drumming community.

Chris DiGirolamo is the founder and president of Two For The Show Media, a premiere New York public relations firm for musicians.  Chris is a drummer first and foremost having started playing at a very early age.  After attending Berklee College of Music, he worked in the New York studio scene getting to know the major players of the time.  Thirteen years ago, almost purely by accident, he received a call asking him to do some publicity work and his company was born.  Having worked with greats such as Peter Erskine, Simon Phillips, and Steve Gadd, his services are highly in-demand by musicians from around the world.  On episode 057, Chris discusses everything you've always wanted to know about publicity, getting your music heard, and most importantly, talked about in the press.  Chris' knowledge and expertise is invaluable to everyone seeking to get the word out about their art.

Mike Johnston is one of the premier drum educators in the world.  Even while touring the world with his band, his passion for teaching was always at the forefront for him.  After realizing that being on the road in a rock band wasn't the right musical path for him, he went back to teaching others the art of drumming.  Once he reached total capacity with students, he realized that the internet held the key to allow true scale to teach tens of thousands of drummers.  His idea was to create "iTunes for drummers" and Mikeslessons.com was born.  Mike taught himself graphic design, video production, web development and all the skills he needed to accomplish his dream.  In this great interview, Mike is extremely forthcoming and open about how his teaching empire went from an idea to the phenomenon that it is today.  Unquestionably, Mike has had an enormous impact on drumming in general and countless drummers around the world.  Mike is always inspirational and uplifting and this interview is no exception.  Do not miss this episode.

Jay Tooke's drumming is generating some serious buzz on the new album by The Steel Woods.  Old News is the perfect blend of sensitive, artful balladry and pure rock bombast by our guest this week.  Jay grew up north of the border in a small Canada town learning to play drums at an early age.  Like many drummers, he played in lots of bands and paid his dues in the clubs and bars there.  Once he relocated to Nashville, things got busy in a hurry for Jay and his drumming.  On episode 055, Jay recalls his early years as a drummer, making the move to Nashville, joining The Steel Woods and shares great insight into the recording of their brilliant new album.  Jay offers tons of great stories and knowledge that will inspire and assist musicians in this great interview. 

Red Sun Rising is a band to watch very closely.  Loudwire calls RSR "one of the next big bands in rock."  Part of their success is undoubtedly the drumming of Pat Gerasia.  Pat's playing on Red Sun Rising's latest disc, Thread, is both powerful and soulful.  On episode 054, Jamie caught Pat just after the year of 2018's touring ended for the band and just before the holidays.  Pat discusses how he got started as a drummer, what a day in the life on the road is like for RSR, and what 2019 has in store for this promising band.  He also shares how a chance encounter at a Guitar Center put him on the journey of becoming a member of Red Sun Rising.  Pat is a drummer that everyone should know about.  He is a student of the instrument and his ability is propelling a great young band that is bound for stardom.

Ludwig Drums is celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2019 and they have agreed to give The Drum Shuffle listeners a sneak preview of what they will be showing off at the NAMM show this year.  The National Association of Music Merchants winter show, held each year in Anaheim, is the largest gathering of instrument manufacturers to show off what is new for the year.  Ludwig's 110th anniversary means that they will be offering some outstanding new items that pay homage to their illustrious past while innovating within the drum industry.  On episode 053, Jamie is joined by Uli Salazar and Josh Touchton from Ludwig to tell the world what Ludwig is rolling out at NAMM to celebrate a major milestone for the company.  If you love drums, you do not want to miss this episode from perhaps the most-respected name in American drum manufacturing.  We get details on some ultra-exclusive and highly-collectable drums that are sure to be gone in mere moments after the gates open.  We were absolutely honored to have Ludwig share this sneak preview with The Drum Shuffle.

Jamie is joined by Rich Redmond for the one-year anniversary episode of The Drum Shuffle.  Rich is well-known for his work with Jason Aldean, having played on more than twenty number one singles and touring relentlessly over the past 20 years.  Rich is also an accomplished clinician, session drummer, producer, author, actor and voice-over artist.  Rich seems to be everywhere all the time and his passion for his craft is uncompromising.  On episode 052, Rich talks about many of his various projects, being prepared for anything, and the art of saying yes.  He also talks about his new e-book that he offers to our listeners for free.  Rich is a force in the drumming world and offers so much great knowledge and advice on this episode.  Don't miss it!