Working Drummer

Jeff Hamilton attended Indiana University and later studied with John Von Ohlen. Hamilton was influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, “Philly” Joe Jones, and Shelly Manne. In 1974, he got his first big break playing with the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He then joined Lionel Hampton’s Band until 1975 when he, along with bassist John Clayton, became members of the Monty Alexander Trio. He attained a childhood goal in 1977 when he joined Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, with whom he made several recordings. In 1978, he was offered a position in the L.A.4. with Ray Brown, Bud Shank, and Laurindo Almeida. He recorded 6 albums with the L.A.4.

From 1983-1987, he performed with Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, and Monty Alexander. Hamilton began his association with the Ray Brown Trio in 1988 and left in March of 1995 to concentrate on his own trio. From 1990-1995, he was also a member of the Oscar Peterson Quartet w/Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. Hamilton has toured with his own trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Diana Krall. The latest CHJO recording LA Treasures was nominated for a GRAMMY. Hamilton has been on more than 300 recordings with artists such as Ray Brown, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Mel Torme, John Pizzarelli, Dr. John, Paul McCartney, and many others. He appeared in Diana Krall’s Live in Paris and Rio DVDs. He is a four time winner of Modern Drummer magazine Readers’ Poll.

In this episode, Jeff talks about:

How the role of a mentor is to see problems and potential you can’t see in yourself 

Why sound is just as important as content 

His thoughts on the music business vs. the drumming business

The great bassists he has played with, including Ray Brown and John Clayton 

His criteria for hiring band members 

Playing with Akiko Tsuruga and matching the intensity of the B3 organ, “a one man big band”

The importance of letting humor and joy show in his playing 

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As SABIAN’s Director of Artist & Public Relations, Chris Stankee leads the charge in shaping and nurturing the company’s artist program on a worldwide scale. His responsibilities span from talent recruitment to artist development and support, all while playing a pivotal role in product development and elevating SABIAN’s presence across social media platforms.

In this episode, Chris talks about:

    The Sabian Podcast

    Chris' formative years from Berklee to life on tour

    Interning at Yamaha

    Events that lead to his work at Sabian

    The unique steps to creating cymbals

    Understanding trends in sounds and making it attainable

    Working with artists that are hands-on in the R&D department

    The stick/cymbal relationship

    Sabian lore

    Memories of Neil Peart

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Nate had been a fixture on the Nashville scene for 14 years and recently landed the proverbial big gig. He found himself in Zach Top’s drum chair when Zach was an opening act in thousand cap rooms, and the whole operation was very DIY. Not long after, Zach’s popularity exploded make him an international arena and stadium headliner seemingly overnight, and he took Nate and the rest of his band with him.

In this episode, Nate talks about:

Feeling a buzz around Zach Top from the moment he joined the band

The show that made them realize they were huge

The learning curves that come with the big gig

How his approach to songs happened to match perfectly with Zach’s needs as a frontman

The evolving pay situation 

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Originally from Fort Bragg, California, Zoltan Tobak started playing drums at an early age. After years of performing throughout California as well as attending the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, he relocated to Nashville in 2014 to pursue music full time.

Since 2016, Zoltan has been the live and studio drummer for Muscadine Bloodline, performing extensively and recording five full-length albums. Beyond touring, he stays active in the Nashville community, playing and recording across a range of projects.

In this episode, Zoltan talks about:

    Managing your social media presence

    His unique name

    His move from Northern California to Nashville TN

    Taking a career growing gig vs taking a gig for money only

    Drumming for Muscadine Bloodline

    The power of space between notes

    Filling in last minute on a major tour

    Matt and Zoltan’s shared love of Family Feud

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Sean McDaniel is currently the drummer for Chess on Broadway.  He also played Smash, Cabaret, Some Like It Hot, Frozen, The Book Of Mormon, Spamalot, Violet, La Cage Aux Folles, and Nine To Five on Broadway.  Off-Broadway he originated Hamilton. Sean can be seen and heard in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick Tick Boom.  He has played all over the country with American Idol Runner-Up Clay Aiken.  Other performances include Sutton Foster, Barry Manilow, Audra McDonald, Jennifer Hudson, Sting, Dolly Parton, Idina Menzel, Tituss Burgess, Jane Lynch, and the Tony Awards. Sean earned his BM at University of North Texas and his MFA at New York University. He is endorsed by DW, Evans, Vic Firth, and Sabian. 

In this episode, Sean talks about:

Not just playing to serve the song, but playing to serve the drama

The importance of getting some live playing experience you can then bring into a musical theatre show 

The huge variety of playing experience he got at North Texas

The common thread among great Broadway drummers/drumming

Playing for the Tony Awards

Finding ways to love the process, not just the product

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