Profiles in Jazz Drumming

Thirteen of the most influential jazz drummers of the last fifty years — studied in depth, in their own musical language. 

Profiles in Jazz Drumming documents the evolution of jazz drumming through in-depth profiles of thirteen of its most influential practitioners: Roy Haynes, Larry Bunker, Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster, Jon Christensen, Joey Baron, Jeff Watts, Lewis Nash, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade, Jeff Bollard, Eric Harland, and Clarence Penn.

Each profile combines biographical background, musical context, and curated playlists with transcriptions drawn directly from their recordings. The result is both a historical document and a practical resource — one that connects the music you hear to the decisions being made behind the kit.

For any serious student of jazz drumming, this is the book that gives you the context to hear the music differently. 

Browse sample pages in the photos and media section.

Who This Is For

• Drummers who want to understand not just what great jazz drummers play, but why — and how those decisions shaped the music around them.
• Students building a serious historical foundation in jazz drumming as part of their broader development.
• Players preparing for conservatory auditions who need a deeper command of the tradition they're entering.
• Anyone who has listened closely to these drummers and wanted to understand what they were actually doing.

164 pages · Written in English · Self-published, 2005 · Available in print, PDF, or both · PDF delivered instantly by email · Physical books ship worldwide from Gloucester, MA