- Dennis Chambers
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Dennis Chambers File:Dchambers.jpg Background information Born May 9, 1959 Genres Jazz, jazz fusion, funk, Latin rock Instruments Drums Dennis Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American drummer who has recorded and performed with John Scofield, George Duke, Brecker Brothers, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, Greg Howe, and many others. Despite a lack of formal training, Chambers has become well known among drummers for his technique and speed.[citation needed] Chambers is particularly regarded for his ability to play "in the pocket" but can also stretch very far out of the pocket which is also a hallmark of his technique.[citation needed] Chambers exhibits a powerful style that is technically proficient, yet highly musical and groove-oriented.[citation needed] He can play in a wide variety of musical genres, but is perhaps most notable for his jazz-fusion, funk, and Latin music playing. He is mostly known for his fast hands and triplets on the bass drum. He has helped many young drummers, the most prominent being Tony Royster, Jr.
He has been part of the Maceo Parker live band and is touring with Carlos Santana and makes appearances with his band Niacin.
He plays Pearl drums, Zildjian cymbals, Zildjian sticks,and Evans drumheads.[1]
Chambers began drumming at the age of four years old, and was gigging in Baltimore-area nightclubs by the age of six. In 1978 (at 18 years old) he joined Parliament/Funkadelic, and stayed with them until 1985.[2] In 1986 he joined the John Scofield band. Since then he has played with most of the major figures in jazz fusion music.[1]
On August 26, 2011 Chambers appeared as a featured drummer on the Late Show with David Letterman's Drum Solo Week II, alongside other such notable players as Tony Royster, Jr., Gavin Harrison, Neil Peart and Stewart Copeland.
Selected discography
Year Constellation Title Label 1983 P-Funk All Stars Live at the Beverly Theater in Hollywood Westbound 1986 John Scofield Blue Matter Gramavision 1987 John Scofield Loud Jazz Gramavision 1987 John Scofield Pick Hits Live Gramavision 1989 Gary Thomas By All Means Necessary JMT 1990 Bill Evans Group (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Jim Beard, Darryl Jones, Dennis Chambers) Let The Juice Loose (Live at the Blue Note, Tokyo) Bellaphon 1991 Dennis Chambers Big City Glass House 1992 Carl Filipiak Group (Carl Filipiak, Dennis Chambers, Paul Soroka, Jim Charlsen, Victor Williams, George Gray, Dave Fairall, Rod Daniels) Right on Time Geometric Records 1992 Petite Blonde (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman, Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers) Live Recording Lipstick Records 1992 The Return Of The Brecker Brothers The Return Of The Brecker Brothers GRP Records 1992 Dennis Chambers Getting Even Glass House 1993 Graffiti (Dennis Chambers, Haakon Graf, Gary Grainger, Ulf Wakenius) Good Groove ESC Records 1994 John McLaughlin & The Free Spirits Tokio Live Japan Import 1993 Charles Blenzig (Mike Stern, Will Lee, Alex Foster, Dennis Chambers, Manolo Badrena, Michael Brecker) Say what you mean Big World 1995 Steely Dan Alive in America Giant 1997 John McLaughlin, Gary Thomas The Heart of Things Verve/Universum 1999 Victor Bailey Low Blow ESC Records 2000 John McLaughlin The Heart Of Things / Live In Paris Polygram 2001 Brett Garsed, TJ Helmerich, Gary Willis, Scott Kinsey Uncle Moe's Space Ranch Tone Center Records 2002 Dennis Chambers Outbreak Esc 2003 Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers Extraction Tone Center Records 2003 Bireli Lagrene, Dominique Di Piazza, Dennis Chambers Front Page Sunny Side Records 2006 Dennis Chambers Planet Earth BHM 2006 Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, David Fiuczynsky, T Lavitz Boston T Party Tone Center 2006 True Spirit John Grant, Victor Williams Dennis Chambers, Najee, True Spirit Indy release 2007 The Carl Filipiak Group I Got Your Mantra Art of Life Records 2007 Brett Garsed, TJ Helmerich, Gary Willis, Scott Kinsey Moe's Town (Uncle Moe's Space Ranch) Tone Center Records 2008 Paul Hanson Frolic in the Land of Plenty Abstract Logix Records 2009 Dean Brown DBIII:live at the Cotton Club Tokyo BHM records 2009 Tony Bunn Small World ATP Records Group 2010 Greg Howe, Tetsuo Sakurai,Dennis Chambers Vital World Abstract Logix Records References
- ^ a b Wynn, Ron. "Dennis Chambers: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p36848. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
- ^ "Dennis Chambers: Biography". All About Jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=12052. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
External links
- DennisChambers.com
- Drummerworld: Dennis Chambers
- Dennis Chambers Bio, Interview & Video-Workshop on Bonedo.de (text-German/video-English)
Categories:- 1959 births
- Living people
- American jazz drummers
- American funk drummers
- African American musicians
- African American drummers
- P-Funk members
- Santana (band) members
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