PlayCajon: Conversations with Percussionists

Walfredo Reyes Jr is the drummer with the band Chicago and formerly the drummer for Santana, Gloria Estefan, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Mickey Hart, and the former percussionist with Lindsey Buckingham. Walfredo plays both drum set and percussion and also both at the same time. His father, Cuban percussionist and famous timbalero Walfredo Reyes Sr. was an early pioneer of this technique of performing on conventional drum set along with percussion such as congas, bongos, cow bells, and timbales. Walfredo Jr. is also a pioneer of this technique and sees drums and percussion as the same thing. Ingredients all working together to create a kind of sonic meal. Walfredo is a wonderfully positive person, dedicated to his art and this deffinitly comes across in the episode. He invited me into his home in Las Vegas to record this episode and was incredibly welcoming. Listen via the player above or on iTunes or Android We chatted for a long time other than what was recorded and also made a solo video together which you can watch here: Follow Walfredo Reyes Jr: walfredoreyesjr.com facebook.com/wreyesjr.1 instagram.com/walfredoreyesjr youtube.com/user/wallyreyes1 The post EP 26: Walfredo Reyes Jr appeared first on PlayCajon.

Ryan Lacey is the percussionist for Celtic super group Gaelic Storm. As a hard working drummer & percussionist Ryan has toured the world with the band for over 15 years playing his unique hybrid percussion set up. Ryan is the inventor of Eucatape, a specialized tape for hand drummers that protects, cools, and heals the hands. I personally have used Eucatape on gigs and it really does work! Ryan has also been a personal friend of mine for a number of years and we have played many festivals together. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Check out: www.eucatape.com  / www.gaelicstorm.com Post photo by Young at Heart Photography The post EP 25: Ryan Lacey appeared first on PlayCajon.

Elise Trouw is a talented young drummer and multi-instrumentalist from San Diego, CA. Her drumming journey began age 10 after taking an interest in the video game Rock Band. She then started taking lessons with educator Dave Blackburn and began playing the “real” drums. In February 2017 Elise released her debut solo album Unraveling, on her own label, Goober Records. Elise plays drums, vocals, guitar, piano, and bass on the album and features ten tracks of original songs. Elise has a wonderfully positive vibe and has already achieved a lot in her short career as a musician. She has a huge social media following, boasting over 250,000 followers on Instagram and is also a bit of an online marketing genius, building a solid audience and fan base in only a couple of years. We recorded this episode back in February so one thing to note is that Elise now endorses Paiste Cymbals. Follow Elise on Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Website Elise is endorsed by Pearl Drums,  Regal Tip drum sticks, and Paiste Cymbals Post photo by The Joelsons You can also listen and subscribe to the PlayCajon Podcast on ITUNES OR ANDROID   The post EP 24: Elise Trouw appeared first on PlayCajon.

Kevin Ricard is a top percussionist on the LA scene where he has spent decades recording and performing with some of the top names in music including Kenny Loggins, Enrique Iglesias, Jill Scott, Celia Cruz, Joe Zawinul, Patti Labelle, B.B. King, Wayne Shorter, Gladys Knight, Joss Stone, and Cyndi Lauper. Kevin’s cajon performance on American Idol which was viewed by hundreds of millions around the world was a key factor in bringing the instrument to the attention to a massive new audience. As a result manufacturers began selling cajons by the container load and LP and Kevin developed the Kevin Ricard cajon. Kevin is a lovely person with a huge amount of experience as a studio and live percussionist. I very much enjoyed our chat and I hope you do too. The post EP 23: Kevin Ricard appeared first on PlayCajon.

Snarky Puppy percussionist Marcelo Woloski, now with a couple of Grammys under his belt is touring the world with his multi-percussion skills. Marcelo is from Argentina and now makes his home in New York City after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is a Latin Percussion artist and has toured and recorded with a wide range of bands including Snarky Puppy, Banda Magda, Gregorio Uribe BIg Band and the groups of Sofía Ribeiro, and Nicolas Ospina. Performing and recording credits include grammy winning artists such as Ruben Blades, Susana Baca, Marta Gomez, Lalah Hathaway, The Kronos Quartet, and Arturo O´Farril. Marcelo is also a composer and is currently finalizing his debut album which will be available soon. Check out Marcelo’s website: marcelowoloski.com The post EP 22: Marcelo Woloski appeared first on PlayCajon.

Kenny Aronoff was titled in an Esquire Magazine article as “The most famous drummer you’ve never heard of.” After seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Kenny embarked on a journey that has not stopped since, and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. This journey would remarkably lead to Kenny actually performing with Paul McCartney and Ringo Star at the Kennedy Center honor for the Beatles legendary performance on the very Ed Sullivan Show that Kenny saw back in 1964. Kenny was listed by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the top 100 drummers of all time, he has over 1500 gold and platinum disks, and the total number of records sold that Kenny has performed on is over 300 million. Kenny’s credit list is impressive and includes names like: The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Gladys Night, Johnny Cash, Elton John, John Mellencamp, The Smashing Pumpkins, and too many more to mention here. Kenny’s book, Sex, Drums, Rock ‘n’ Roll is available at all good book stores and you can see what Kenny is up to via kennyaronoff.com This is one of the most inspiring and exciting conversations I have had on the PlayCajon Podcast and I am very excited to bring it to you. Enjoy!   The post EP 21: Kenny Aronoff appeared first on PlayCajon.

Hi friends! I am delighted to announce that season 2 of the PlayCajon Podcast will be starting up this week with EP21 featuring the legendary Kenny Aronoff who has just published a wonderful autobiography called Sex, Drums, Rock ‘n’ Roll. I have some very inspiring drummers and percussionists coming up for the new episodes and I can’t wait to bring you the conversations. You can subscribe to the PlayCajon Podcast on iTunes or Android and also leave us a review if you like. If you would like to donate to the PlayCajon Podcast, you can do so via our Patreon Page. Thanks again and enjoy the episodes!   The post Season 2 Announcement appeared first on PlayCajon.

From the late 60s to the early 2000s Steve Forman was known as one of the most well respected and in-demand percussionists on the LA studio scene. Steve was the percussionist for many iconic recordings with Pink Floyd, David Bowie, John Lennon, The Beach Boys, REO Speedwagon, James Taylor, Dave Matthews Band, Christina Aguilera, and also played percussion on some of Hollywood’s greatest movies including: E.T, Pretty Woman, Catch Me if You Can, Flipper, Last of the Mohicans, Jumping Jack Flash, and Dumb & Dumber. Around 10 years ago I met Steve at a music session in a pub in Glasgow, Scotland where he has now relocated. Steve had decided to leave the once booming LA studio scene to pursue his life’s next journey percussion and music while completing his PHD in composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In this Episode We hear from Steve about the early days on the LA scene, his first major studio session that turned out to be for John Lennon, playing sessions for movies, the early days of audio sampling, and Steve’s new major focus of understanding and teaching rhythm theory in a three dimensional and non linear way. Above is a photo from one of our many sessions in Glasgow. Me on cajon and Steve on congas with some of Scotland’s finest: Adam Sutherland on fiddle, Innes Watson on Guitar, and the wonderful late Fraser Shaw on low whistle. (Photo by Natalie Champa Jennings) The post EP 20: Steve Forman appeared first on PlayCajon.

Australian born percussionist Nasrine Rahmani has been following her path as a percussionist ever since she laid eyes on a set of congas at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland, Australia. As a teenager Nasrine immersed herself as much as possible in percussion, learning many different styles and instruments. Now she makes her home in Madrid, Spain where she has firmly planted herself in the vibrant flamenco music scene there. Nasrine is regularly found playing cajon and congas at her husbands jam session, the Diego Guerrero Flamenco Jam which has now become a hugely popular event in the city. Nasrine also works with La Rosa Percussion and is one of their artists. In this episode We hear from Nasrine about her journey as a percussionist and traveler which ultimately led her to Madrid and playing flamenco music. We also learn a little about what it’s like playing flamenco music and how different the feel and pulse can be from playing in a western ensemble. Nasrine’s YouTube Channel diegoguerrero.es Photo by Ignacio García Castelló The post EP 19: Nasrine Rahmani appeared first on PlayCajon.

  Matthew Whitehouse has no interest in being a traditionalist when it comes to the cajon and has no problem admitting it. He takes influence from high energy drummers such as Chad Smith and Travis Barker, and applies that energy on his cajon in the form of powerful drum n’ base breakbeats. Whitehouse began playing his beats on the back of a guitar while jamming with musician friends and when the cajon was presented to him, it was a revelation that changed his life. After taking the his cajon to it’s limits, Matthew began working on a design of electronic cajon that is sure to push the boundaries of percussion when he takes it to the masses. Matthew is a La Rosa Percussion artist and performs around the UK with his band More Like Trees. Matthew’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/newschoolcajon Matthew’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/soldierskneesandtoes More Like Trees on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moreliketrees The post EP 18: Matthew Whitehouse appeared first on PlayCajon.

  Daniel de los Reyes grew up in an amazingly percussive and musical household. His father Walfredo de los Reyes has been a pioneer of percussion for decades and his brother Walfredo Reyes Jr. was a long time member of Santana and is now percussionist with Chicago. Daniel, now a member of Zac Brown Band, has forged an incredible career performing with some of the world’s top artists including: Earth Wind and Fire, Peter Frampton, Yani, Sheryl Crow, Billy Joel, and Sting. As well as touring arena’s and now stadiums with Zac Brown Band, Daniel is dedicated to his new music school called Dayglow Music whose mission is to incorporate percussion instruments, rhythms from around the world, dance, and vocals into a natural backdrop inspiring youth to work together with respect and appreciation for one another. Daniel has also recently released his new cajon, the DDLR with GonBops and is set to release more products with them in the future. Daniel on Facebook: facebook.com/DanieldelosReyesMusic dayglowmusic.wordpress.com briancollinsmusic.com zacbrownband.com The post EP 17: Daniel de los Reyes appeared first on PlayCajon.

Martin O’Neill is a World renowned bodhrán player and is credited as being one of the most notable names associated with the instrument in the world. Martin has taken the humble Irish frame drum beyond where many thought it could go, most recently touring with the legendary Stevie Wonder on his latest European Tour and working with musical luminaries such as Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. Over the past decade he has pushed the boundaries of bodhrán playing with his unique style and technique. Martin has recorded on more than 50 albums, made countless TV & Radio appearances around the world and maintains a busy touring schedule in the UK, Ireland, Europe and North America. During his career Martin has worked a diverse range of artists including Stevie Wonder, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, Julie Fowlis, Danú, Fred Morrison and Treacherous Orchestra. Martin’s website: martinoneill.com Martin on Facebook: facebook.com/martinoneillmusic Photo by abcassidyphotography.com The post EP 16: Martin O’Neill appeared first on PlayCajon.

  Taku Hirano is regarded by many as one of the top percussionists on the touring and recording circuit. He has recorded and performed with some of the most iconic musicians in human history. It is an impressive list and it includes: Fleetwood Mac, Steven Tyler, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson, Pharell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Dr Dre, LeAnn Rimes, Shakira, and… Aretha Franklin. Taku has performed in major arenas and stadiums in 30 countries across five continents, twice for President Nelson Mandela, and on three separate occasions for President Barack Obama including the administration’s first State dinner, honoring His Excellency Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. In 2010/2011 Taku was the percussionist with Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson Immortal tour a massive production that toured the world for two years and spanned many continents. Taku Hirano is a master of many styles of percussion and is about as professional as they come, not only with his incredible resume but also with his disciplined and methodical approach improving to his craft. Along with being one of the most successful session percussionists in the world, Taku also has his own successful clothing company called 3rd culture style. Taku’s website: www.takupercussion.com The post EP 15: Taku Hirano appeared first on PlayCajon.

Homero Chavez is a Grammy nominated drummer and percussionist based in LA with many years experience as a performer and teacher. Over the years Homero has performed with a diverse mix of artists and taught many students and even developed his own cajon specially designed to be played while sitting on a stool making it more comfortable for people who would normally find playing cajon uncomfortable due to back problems or other injuries.    Homero has received international recognition as a performer, educator, and producer and has created a number of percussion programs like the award winning “StompKids” and “The Independent Drumline.” Homero is currently a faculty member of the Claremont, California Community Music School. Homero conducts a monthly Cajon Workshop at the REMO Recreational Music Center in North Hollywood, CA. In addition, he leads the Latin Jazz group “Una Noche” and the “Mixto Percussion Ensemble”. Homero’s website: www.homerodrums.com   Homero endorses Remo, KickPort, CajonPort, and Peace Drums. Listen to Homero Chavez on the PlayCajon Podcast: The post EP 14: Homero Chavez appeared first on PlayCajon.

Jared Falk is the creator of Drumeo and has been at the forefront of the online drumming lesson movement for the past 14 years. Born in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada where the new Drumeo studio and HQ are now based, Jared started freedrumlessons.com and eventually founded Drumeo which is the world’s leading online drum lessons reasourse. Drumeo has a massive library of lesson content as well as amazing member support and customised lesson programs for its students. Drumeo also features artist lessons with professional drummers including Tony Royster Jr, Tomas Lang, Anika Nilles, Peter Erskine, and more. drumeo.com The post EP 13: Jared Falk appeared first on PlayCajon.

Bob Marley & the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Toots & the Maytals, and Lee Scratch Perry are only a few of the names that Jamaican percussionist Larry McDonald has played with during his 50 year career. Larry was perhaps best known for his work with the late Gil Scott-Heron. Larry was Gil’s percussionist for 28 years, playing all around the world with Gil’s band Amnesia Express and also small duo shows with just Gil and Larry. They became good friends over the years on the road and Larry became someone Gil could count on throughout his sometimes troubled life. After growing up on the North side of Jamaica, Larry turned to percussion in his 20s. He then moved to the U.S in the 1970s where he ended up playing with Taj Mahal for four years before meeting Gil Scot-Heron and recording the album Reflections. In 2009 Larry released his first solo album called Drumquestra and in 2011 Larry was honored  at the “Tributes to the Greats” award ceremony in Jamaica, with a lifetime achievement award for his 50 year contribution to Jamaican music. Larry lives in New York City and tours with Lee Scratch Perry. Larry McDonald’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/drumquestra Buy Larry McDonald – Drumquestra on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/drumquestra/id306843324 The post EP 12: Larry McDonald appeared first on PlayCajon.

Vincent Pierce  is a multi-percussionist who grew up in New Jersey where he initially started playing as a punk drummer but has now gone on to master many hand drums and percussion instruments. He Studied Jazz and Classical music at Mason Gross School of the arts, Rutgers University before going on to study tabla for 11 years with tabla guru, Pandit Divyang Vakil. He also made two trips to Rhythm Riders School in Ahmedabad, India to study tabla. Vincent is a skilled dance accompanist and has played over one thousand Modern and African dance classes. He composes for Modern dance using both electronic and acoustic instruments. He is also an accompanist for the complex Kathak dance of North India and has studied and performed in India and America. He currently tours with the dance and percussion group Pradhanica. Vincent has now applied his knowledge of North Indian Tabla Rhythms onto Drum Set and Cajon giving his playing style a unique edge. Vincent plays As well as all that Vincent is also a composer of music and his last album “The Transcendent State”. features Hang and Halo drums, tabla, cajon, and synths. Vincent’s passion is teaching and spreading musical knowledge by using multi cultural instruments and styles to encourage communication, understanding, and acceptance through the language of music. Links: vincentpiercepercussion.com Vincent on Facebook – Vincent on Instagram – Vincent on YouTube – Vincent on Soundcloud He endorses:  Regal Tip, Schlagwerk, and Torres Cajon Mic System. The post EP 11: Vincent Pierce appeared first on PlayCajon.

Peter Erskine is one of the world’s most well respected drummers. He has played the drums since the age of four and is known for his versatility and love of working in different musical contexts. He appears on over 600 albums and film scores, and has won two Grammy Awards, plus an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee School of Music (1992). Peter has played with the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson Big Bands, Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, The Brecker Brothers, The Yellowjackets, Pat Metheny, and many more. Peter produces jazz recordings for his record label, Fuzzy Music, and is an active author with several books to his credit; the latest titles include “No Beethoven (Autobiography & Chronicle of Weather Report),” “Time Awareness for All Musicians,” “Essential Drum Fills,” and “Everything I Know, A Work in Progress” (DVD). He is also authoring new iOS Play-Along apps suitable for all instruments. Peter is Professor of Practice and Director of Drum set Studies at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. Links: www.petererskine.com You can down load the Mintzer Big Band Essentials app by clicking here. Peter uses: Tama Star Drums / Meinl Percussion / Zildjian Cymbals / Vic Firth / Zoom The post EP 10: Peter Erskine appeared first on PlayCajon.

Kassandra Kocoshis is a world percussionist based in Los Angeles, CA. She started playing percussion in band class at the age of 11 and after many years spent as an orchestral player, Kassandra attended the PASIC (the Percussive Arts Society International Convention) 2004 where she happened to see a flamenco cajon clinic. After that moment her life changed and her journey into world percussion began. After discovering flamenco music, She studied with flamenco percussionist Francisco Orozco Fernandez “El Yiyi” and put in countless hours of studying and playing to master the art form. Kassandra has performed with many Spanish flamenco artists including Carmela Greco, Jose Cortes “Pansequito Hijo”, Alfonso Cid, Paco Fonta, Antonio Gabarri Jiménez, Cristian Lozano, and Paloma Gomez. She has also performed with many Chicago-based flamenco musicians including Diego Alonso, Chiara Mangiameli, Carlo Basile, Patricia Alonso, Alfonso Ponticelli, David Chiriboga, Jim Collinsworth, Michelle Nascimento, Las Guitarras de España, Ensemble Español, and others. In 2006 she was featured as one of six flamenco women in the Chicago Tribune’s article “Flamenco: A Way of life.” Kassandra has played with a wide range of artists from Kanye West to Arminian flamenco guitarist Vahagni. She has a wealth of knowledge of many types of percussion and earned a masters in world percussion from the California Institute of the Arts. Kassandra is a Latin Percussion and Amplified Timber artist. www.kassandrakocoshis.com facebook.com/kocoshis instagram.com/kassianieleni twitter.com/kassianieleni Here is the link to the Pomegranates video by Vahagni The post EP 9: Kassandra Kocoshis appeared first on PlayCajon.

As one of the world’s most recorded percussionists, Luis Conte has played with some iconic artists, Madonna, James Taylor, Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Phil Collins, Tony Bennett to name only a few. Luis was born in Cuba but moved to Hollywood at the age of 15 and went on to become one of the best in the business. Luis has received many awards many awards and accolades including a Grammy award and a number of other Grammy nominations with it. Luis has many years of experience and in this weeks episode he gives some sound advice for musicians who are beginning their careers as session players. Check out Luis’s website: www.luisconte.com The post EP 8: Luis Conte appeared first on PlayCajon.