Who are some amazing, yet mostly-unknown, drummers from your area?

JerryOnDrums

Senior Member
A little local love, perhaps? I'm from the St. Louis area, and there are some excellent players around here. One of my favorites is Miles Vandiver. The dude is just sick, and one of the most versatile (and consequently hardest-working) players in town.

Here is a nice video of his original rock band, "Dropkick The Robot", with a tasty drum solo at the 3:40 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NqLvmm917s

So who're the "non-name" guys tearing it up in YOUR town?
 
Ian Froman

Seth Rheam

Gerry Gibbs

all amazing drummers who live in my area who don't get nearly enough attention
 
Wow! Thanks for the names, just checked out some youtube stuff. The "El Drugstore" video with Seth Rheam was insane. And Gerry Gibbs has some of the cleanest double-strokes I think I've ever heard. Good stuff.

Seths other band East Of The Wall is also amazing
 
I'm gonna kinda cheat and say Henrique De Almeida.

Was fortunate to study with him for a time, until he moved off to Berklee to replace Mike Mangini ;)

He played for the Air Force Academy Big Band and some other groups while he lived in Colorado Springs. Phenomenal player. Even better teacher. Really great guy. Miss him much!
 
New Orleans: Johnny Vidacovich

I live in central Louisiana, but he is a drum master and real nice guy. Peace and goodwill.

Johnny is hardly unknown. Master of the 2nd line and things groovin. I've got a bunch of albums with him on them.

The SF Bay Area is full of musicians nobody knows about. Cats like Bryant Mills, David Tucker, Paul Revelli, Randy Hayes, Mike Vanderhule and Chris Miller who play in local bands, get out on some tours and might get on an obscure album or two.

I've posted clips before of Eduardo Torres. I had to crack up when he found someone posting a youtube of themselves playing along to one of his Happy Body Slow Brain tracks. Since that's something he and many other folks do to get some notice.

I've recently been playing guitar in a lounge jazz thing with Steven Kaku and it's an education in drumming every night.
 
A little local love, perhaps? I'm from the St. Louis area, and there are some excellent players around here. One of my favorites is Miles Vandiver. The dude is just sick, and one of the most versatile (and consequently hardest-working) players in town.

Here is a nice video of his original rock band, "Dropkick The Robot", with a tasty drum solo at the 3:40 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NqLvmm917s

So who're the "non-name" guys tearing it up in YOUR town?

That was a lovely bit of soloing! I like the music in general too. Just checked them out on facebook.
 
There are a ton of them in Portland: Dick Berk, Mel Brown, Alan Jones, Gary Hobbs, Ron Steen, Carlton Jackson, Todd Strait, Reinhardt Melz, Tim Rapp, Charlie Doggett, Randy Rollofson, Steve Pancerev, Ken Ollis, Martin Zarzar, Jason Palmer, Ji Tanzer, Israel Annoh, Mike Snyder, Jesse Brooke, our own Ed Pierce. Probably a dozen more players like that I'm forgetting at the moment, and younger guys whose names I don't know well yet. They are all great.
 
I know a couple guys around me who are phenomenal but havent gotten the recognition they deserve:

John Glassbrenner of the band Armor Column and Held Under. Was in Sick Drummer magazine back in 1996.

Ed Zimmerman of the band Tyranize and Dolabra. Young up and coming drummer whos really good in the death metal/Thrash metal genres.

Kevin Simone who used to be in a hardcore band called Brawler. Has since left the hardcore scene to focus more on his jazz training/drumming. Currently studies/studied under Joe Barna.

Zach Sacco. This kid is 19 years old, and is going to be known someday. He drums in various ensembles, including jazz ensemble at SCCC and a prog metal band called Upon The Sky. Accepted to Berklee School of Music.
 
There are a ton of them in Portland: Dick Berk, Mel Brown, Alan Jones, Gary Hobbs, Ron Steen, Carlton Jackson, Todd Strait, Reinhardt Melz, Tim Rapp, Charlie Doggett, Randy Rollofson, Steve Pancerev, Ken Ollis, Martin Zarzar, Jason Palmer, Ji Tanzer, Israel Annoh, Mike Snyder, Jesse Brooke, our own Ed Pierce. Probably a dozen more players like that I'm forgetting at the moment, and younger guys whose names I don't know well yet. They are all great.

Carlton Jackson sound familiar, I've heard that name before, maybe heard him with someone. The name came highly regarded I remember. Portland is a hotbed of under the radar talent. We in the bay area inherited a ridiculous bass player, Victor Little, who I've been fortunate to play with a few times who was up there playing with Curtis Salgado.
 
A guy here locally, Darren Reynolds, is the go-to player for anything you need. He's also the owner/operator of one of the better live music venues in town, plus a nice guy to boot. If you're in Wenatchee, Washington, stop by Caffe Mela and say hi. If you stop by on Tuesday nights, it's live jazz and he's usually prone to sit in for a few songs.
 
There are a few here that are ridiculous. I don't mean mind blowing chops, speed demons, etc.... I'm talking serious duty incredible pro musicians who can and do play with some of the best musicians from all over the world. I'm not comfortable naming them but will say I'm very, very fortunate to come from a town where great drummers have been a staple here. It's a fabulous place to be if you want to study music and especially as a drummer. Just not equally a town that has many gigs any longer.

Some more well known names of people from here are: Steve Gadd, John Beck, Rich Thompson, Dave Mancini, Joe English, Joe La Barbera, Ted Poor and more....
 
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Me :)




.....................................and message is plenty long enough to convey the message.
 
Interesting that the best musicians are most likely unknown - function of having so many people in the world.
 
There are a ton of them in Portland: Dick Berk, Mel Brown, Alan Jones, Gary Hobbs, Ron Steen, Carlton Jackson, Todd Strait, Reinhardt Melz, Tim Rapp, Charlie Doggett, Randy Rollofson, Steve Pancerev, Ken Ollis, Martin Zarzar, Jason Palmer, Ji Tanzer, Israel Annoh, Mike Snyder, Jesse Brooke, our own Ed Pierce. Probably a dozen more players like that I'm forgetting at the moment, and younger guys whose names I don't know well yet. They are all great.


I've been fortunate enough to see/hang with Gary and Todd before, great players. I'm doing my grad work at SIUE, and both of those guys are really good friends with the faculty here. Portland is ridiculous!
 
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