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by Working Drummer
With 500 episodes and counting, Working Drummer Podcast is the source for those interested in what it’s like to be a professional drummer. Hosted by Matthew Crouse and Zack Albetta, Working Drummer covers it all with a dynamic range of pro drummers who represent many different genres and scenes. Each weekly interview features a different performer, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. This unique approach has garnered a loyal audience hungry for unfiltered stories about making a living as a musician today.
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- 5 days ago1h 31m
587 - Ben Lecourt: From France to LA, Touring with Cat Power, Performing with Legends
A native of France, Ben Lecourt spent his childhood studying percussion with George Van Gucht of the Percussion Of Strasbourg while at conservatory in the south of France. During this time, Ben simultaneously began his discovery of bebop through private studies with various drum teachers. Spending a decade based in Paris, Ben honed his playing nightly in jazz clubs and festivals such as Montreux Jazz. He moved to LA late 2011 where he studied music production at UCLA Extension, and dove into the local music scene. He has since been busy recording with the likes of Linda Perry, Mark Stoermer from The Killers, Cat Power, Rocco DeLuca as well as playing live with Denny Laine from Wings and The Moody Blues, The Wallflowers, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Nick Waterhouse, Roger Manning Jr amongst others. He is currently on tour with Cat Power celebrating the 20th anniversary of the album “The Greatest”. When not on the road, he can be found in his home studio, Rancho Magnolia. In this episode, Ben talks about: How to be a good tour-mate Growing up in the south-east of France Moving from France to Los Angeles, US Building new friendships and relationships in a new place Discovering American Jazz while growing up in France Touring with Cat Power Preparing for a tour Performing with legends Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago1h 10m
586 - Jason Smay pt. 2: Pursuing the Right Opportunities for the Right Reasons
Jason Smay has been in Nashville for a decade and plays with his son, McKinley James. Prior to that, he was based in Rochester, NY and toured with JD McPherson, Los Strait Jackets, and others. He and McKinley are also part of the Nashville group The Tiger Beats with Patrick Sweany and Ted Pecchio. In this episode, Jason talks about: Thinking about longevity in terms of exercise and overall health His roots drumming heroes Forming a relationship as young drummer with fellow Rochester native Steve Gadd Using one set of sounds for a whole record Why he loves producers who were/are also drummers His disposition toward the growing role of tech in all music Learning how to pursue the right opportunities for the right reasons Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago1h 50m
585 - Christopher Williams: Drumming for Accept, Life Between Tours, Financial Realities in the Metal World
Christopher Williams was born to be a drummer. Throughout high school, Williams drummed for several rock, jazz, metal, funk and blues groups, as well as the Greenville South Carolina youth orchestra. In 2004 he toured the United States as a member of the Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle corps. Christopher won a gold medal during the annual individual & ensemble competition and retained the title until 2006. Since 2008 he has been based in Nashville, Tennessee where he has built a strong reputation within the music community. During his school years, Williams was able to study with Paul Riddle of the Marshall Tucker band, Dr. Gary Robinson, Brian Tinkle of the cavaliers drum & bugle corps, Ed Shaughnessy, Jim Chapin, and Elvin Jones. During April of 2015 it was announced that Christopher would join the legendary heavy metal band Accept. Since then the group has played hundreds of shows in more than fifty countries around the world. Christopher has received global media attention, being featured in magazines and press since joining the band. When possible he performs, records, and tours with other artists & bands in a variety of genres. Some of the artists/groups he has worked with include: Gene Simmons Ace, Frehley, Accept, Andrew W.K,. Rex Brown, Derek St Holmes, John Corabi, Kaato, Mick Mars, Blackfoot, Lee Greenwood, Kid Rock, Peter Stroud, Her, A Thousand Horses, members of: Parliament Funkadelic, the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Slaughter, Cinderella, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Steppenwolf. In this episode, Christopher talks about: The origins of his woodworking skills Managing life with a newborn son Drumming for the legendary band Accept How Christopher plans for recordings The importance of being able to read & write notation Inspiring experiences early in life How he spends his time between tours The financial realities of touring with a legendary band Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago1h 8m
584 - Jason Smay pt. 1
Jason Smay has been in Nashville for a decade and plays with his son, McKinley James. Prior to that, he was based in Rochester, NY and toured with JD McPherson, Los Strait Jackets, and others. He and McKinley are also part of the Nashville group The Tiger Beats with Patrick Sweany and Ted Pecchio. In this episode, Jason talks about: Bringing his son McKinley James up on the Rochester scene Touring with JD McPherson from 2011 to 2020 Moving to Nashville because it was best for McKinley’s career Entering the Nashville scene without expectations Committing to what you love long enough for opportunities to come to you, rather than chasing trends or money gigs How people have the power to make or break your experience, regardless of the music and the money Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 3, 20261h 35m
583 - Kevin Watkins: K-Wat Drum Co., Building The Go To Snare, The Power of Relationships
Growing up in the church among talented and influential mentors, Kevin Watkins developed into a professional drummer and musician. Opportunities for recording, touring and even singing were readily available. His longest gig was with Country Gospel band, Brush Arbor. Although they were based in SoCal, they spent a lot of time in Nashville, recording and doing TV. Later in life, Kevin’s drumming took a bit of a back seat to audio engineer and production work. He quickly became passionate about the other side of the glass in part because of his experiences as a player. Even though live FOH and production opportunities kept him busy, drums always remained in focus. In early 2023, Kevin made it official and launched K-Wat Drum Co. In this episode, Kevin talks about: How he started building and restoring drums What makes a “go to” snare drum Creating a drum with character The reasoning behind the names of his snares The origin story of K-Wat drums Growing up playing in church Learning from Dave Williamson, Scott Williamson’s father His long time affiliation with the Christian band Brush Arbor Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Aug 27, 20261h 20m
582 - Sarah Hagan: Her New Role with Gibraltar and Rogers, Harnessing Her People-Loving Super Power, What's Important in Social Media
Sarah has been behind the scenes in the drum industry for decades, from her longtime role at Zildjian to her podcast Sarah Hagan Backstage to founding and running the Royal Cymbal company with Paul Francis. Most recently, she stepped into her newest role as director of artist relations for both Gibraltar Hardware and Rogers Drums. In this episode, Sarah talks about: Her new gig with Rogers and Gibraltar and some of the flagship products from both companies How she got into the business side of drums as a college intern Harnessing her superpower of connecting with people and connecting people with each other The experience of hosting a podcast The Royal Cymbals venture, and what she learned from being a hands-on fabricator of cymbals How cymbal trends may be returning to “cymbal-sounding cymbals” Her perspective and advice about the social media landscape Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Aug 20, 20261h 39m
581 - Rick Dior: Studying with Joe Morello, Building a Useful YouTube pg, Performing with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Born in Brooklyn, New York Rick Dior began his professional music career at the age of thirteen, freelancing in and around the metropolitan area in various small ensembles, orchestras and theater productions. He is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with timpanist Fred Hinger and jazz composer Bob Mintzer. He also studied extensively with famed jazz drummer Joe Morello. Rick has performed as a percussionist with a variety of superb artists in many musical genres including James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, Martina McBride, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Linda Rondstadt, Glen Campbell, Bobby McFerrin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Randy Newman, and Marvin Hamlisch. He has added his drum set talents to performances with many great jazz artists including Marvin Stamm, Bill Watrous, Rich Perry, Harold Danko, Clark Terry, Red Rodney, Chris Potter, Lionel Hampton and Russell Malone. Rick also has an extensive orchestral percussion background and has performed as principal percussionist, section percussionist and timpanist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Ballet and Opera Carolina since 1990. As a first-call theater percussionist and drummer in Charlotte NC, Rick has performed in dozens of Broadway show tours. They include Chorus Line, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wicked, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot, Hairspray, South Pacific, West Side Story, 9 to 5, Mary Poppins, Bring It On, Newsies, and Beautiful. His recording credits are extensive and include CD releases, movie soundtracks and commercial radio/television spots. As an engineer and producer Rick has been involved in hundreds of recordings. These include recording projects with artists such as Branford Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Ed Thigpen, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Spiro, Joey Calderazzo, Michael Carvin, and Jimmy Cobb. Rick is also a very active educator and has served as the Professor of Percussion at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte since 2001. He also maintains a busy private and online teaching studio. In this episode, Rick talks about: The variety of demands performing with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Playing percussion with touring musicals and the skills needed How important it is to develop fundamental technique at an early age Studying with and befriending the legendary Joe Morello Rick’s Youtube channel: it’s beginning and it’s appeal His custom built drumsticks Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Aug 13, 202659 min
580 - Tim Carman: His New Book (The Shuffle Book Vol. 1), His New Band (Parlor Greens), and His New Home (Nashville)
Tim Carman is a Nashville-based drummer, author, and educator known for his deep pocket, soulful touch, and command of blues, soul jazz, and roots music. Originally from the Boston area, Carman built his reputation on the New England music scene as a first-call sideman and session musician. From 2018 to 2024, he toured internationally and recorded with GA-20, a three-time Billboard #1 blues artist on Colemine/Karma Chief Records, helping the band earn repeated Boston Music Awards for Blues Act of the Year. Now based in Nashville, Carman records and tours with Parlor Greens, an organ trio on Colemine Records, and continues to be an in-demand session drummer and bandleader. His playing draws on vintage electric blues grit, organ-jazz lineage, and a shuffle vocabulary that has made him a go-to voice for artists seeking deep feel and stylistic authenticity. Alongside performing, Carman is an active educator, offering lessons, clinics, and online content that connect technique to real-world musical situations for working drummers and emerging players alike. Carman is the author of six drum books, including The Shuffle Book Vol. 1 (2026), Philly-ISM (2023), and Haynes-ISM (2022), with the latter two nominated by Modern Drummer for Educational Product of the Year. His other titles include Groove Systems (2021), Shape Beats (2020), and Shape Beats for Kids (2017). In this episode, Tim talks about The many changes in his life and career since we last talked in 2022 The creation and unexpected success of Parlor Greens Colemine Records and other small record labels acting as aesthetic curators for recorded and live music Bouncing around to a few cities over the last few years before settling on Nashville Finding jams/hangs/residencies on a given scene, and being able to read the different vibes there Contributing to a community by creating your own projects/opportunities The process and goals of writing his book on Shuffles How generalities are more useful in considering types of shuffles than definitive categories Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About Working Drummer
With 500 episodes and counting, Working Drummer Podcast is the source for those interested in what it’s like to be a professional drummer. Hosted by Matthew Crouse and Zack Albetta, Working Drummer covers it all with a dynamic range of pro drummers who represent many different genres and scenes. Each weekly interview features a different performer, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. This unique approach has garnered a loyal audience hungry for unfiltered stories about making a living as a musician today.
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