INFLUENCES

My earliest influence would probably have to be my parents. They are both professional jazz musicians, and they have supported and encouraged my choice to be a musician from the very beginning. Growing up I was aware of jazz, but as a kid, I was more interested in pop music — I listened to seventies pop-rock almost non-stop. It was the Led Zepplin song Rock and Roll that made me want to be a drummer. There was kid in my neighborhood who played drums, and one day I heard him playing along with Rock n Roll. I decided I had to try it too, but before I could, I had to learn some easier Beatles' stuff to get up to speed. The first song I learned was Sgt Pepper's Reprise. That song was then, and still is the definitive rock beat to me…"boom-bap-boomboom-bap"… After mastering that, I started playing along with Led Zeppelin albums all the time, and by age 14, I had learned most of their songs note for note.

For me, the band Rush and their drummer Neil Peart was a natural progression from the Beatles and Ringo Starr and Led Zepplin and John Bonham. In 1978, I had been lucky enough to fall ass-backwards into a second row seat at one of their shows. I was only 12, and I had just begun playing drums. My brother had an extra ticket to see a cutting-edge and relatively unknown drummer, who turned out to be the Neil we all know and love. All the odd meter stuff Rush did was so different from all the other bands at that time, it was a blast to learn their music. Thirty or so years later, Neil is still influencing my work. I was lucky enough to see Rush for a fourth time in Houston on their 2007 tour. I think Rush has turned out to be one of the greatest bands in rock. They are still sounding great and still filling huge venues. Neil has a gift for playing things that are interesting and technical while just simple enough for non-drummers to understand. So, I am hereby coining the phrase, "Neil Peart: the people's drummer" to describe him.

In the 80's everything changed for me. I learned there was more to music than arena rock, and I started playing and studying

  • jazz,
  • fusion,
  • funk,
  • symphonic,
  • avant-garde
  • and much more.

During this era, I started listening to the master drummers of the day:

  • Steve Gadd,
  • Billy Cobham,
  • Lenny White,
  • Simon Phillips,
  • Terry Bozzio,
  • Omar Hakim,
  • Steve Smith,
  • Chad Wackerman of Frank Zappa's Band,
  • Stewart Copeland of The Police,
  • Bill Bruford of Yes and King Crimson,
  • Gregg Bissonette,

and of course,

  • Dave Weckl
  • and Vinnie

came to my attention. I added elements of their playing to my style. Pretty much all of the drummers for

  • Miles Davis,
  • Frank Zappa
  • and Chick Corea

are at the top of my list of favorites, they have had a huge impact on me.

Through the years, my tastes have become increasingly eclectic. For a few years I was into go-go funk, I have and interest in

  • alternative music,
  • salsa,
  • Tejano,
  • polka,
  • disco,
  • Brian Wilson,

you name it.

Some of the great drummers I have known from the Dallas/Fort Worth area that are influences of mine are:

  • Earl Harvin (Ten Hands and Seal),
  • Dan Wojciechowski,
  • Mitch Marine (Brave Combo, Smashmouth and Dwight Yoakam),
  • Matt Chamberlain,

and my friend

  • Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors).

Some of a new breed of modern drummers that I love are

  • Jojo Mayer,
  • Johnny Rabb,
  • Marco Minnemann,
  • and Keith Carlock.

If you listen to what's going on in the drum convention/clinic scene these days (and you should), there's definitely some new and inspirational stuff happening. Lately, I've been trying to implement some of these new techniques in all the different styles that I play.

More influences

Rockers:

  • Rush,
  • The Beatles,
  • Led Zeppelin,
  • The Beach Boys,
  • The Who,
  • Jimi Hendrix,
  • The Stones,
  • Pink Floyd,
  • Aerosmith,
  • Van Halen,
  • Judas Priest,
  • The Police,
  • The B52's,
  • King Crimson,
  • David Lee Roth Band

(best rock trio ever),

  • New Bohemians,
  • The Red Hot Chili Peppers,
  • Steve Vai,
  • Eric Johnson,
  • Spin Doctors,
  • Pantera,
  • and Soundgarden.

Jazzers:

  • Miles,
  • Chick,
  • Jean-Luc Ponty,
  • The Brecker Brothers,
  • Glen Miller Orchestra,
  • Jaco Pastorious,
  • Al Dimeola,
  • Herbie Hancock,
  • Tower of Power,
  • Weather Report,
  • Alan Holdsworth,
  • Pat Methany,
  • The Four Freshmen,
  • Joannie Mitchell,
  • Buddy Rich,
  • Cubanismo,
  • Erakere,
  • The Dave Weckl Band,
  • Return to Forever,
  • Colin Baily,

and my mother's group,

  • The Phyllis Emert Trio.

Misc:

  • Trouble Funk,
  • Prince,
  • Stevie Wonder,
  • Paul Simon,
  • Earth, Wind and Fire,
  • Aretha Franklin,
  • Patsy Cline,
  • Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys,
  • Beastie Boys,
  • Willie Nelson,
  • Kid Rock,
  • Abba,
  • Saturday Night Fever,
  • Cheech & Chong,
  • and Ray Charles.

And my friends (most of whom attended the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas and, or the University of North Texas):

  • The Munch Puppies,
  • Kenny Withrow,
  • John Bush,
  • Brad Houser,
  • Brandon Aly,
  • Mike Dillon,
  • Danny Obrien,
  • Joe Crump,
  • Bubba Hernandez,
  • Jeffrey Barnes,
  • Carl Finch,
  • Joe Cripps,
  • Dave Monsey,
  • Dave Palmer,
  • Greg Beck,
  • Dave Mora,
  • Paul "Moon Dog" Simon,
  • Tom Lilly,
  • Kelly Dean,
  • Ted Cruz,
  • and Mike Tyler.