World Stars at Budapest Jazz Club: PETER ERSKINE QUARTET feat. BOB MINTZER

Peter Erskine, the doyen of American jazz drummers, is an honorary doctorate from Berklee, multiple Grammy award-winning artist, who has collaborated on more than seven hundred records during his career, and it would be almost impossible to list all the world stars with whom he played music. The sound of a large orchestra is not far from him either, he regularly plays with symphonic orchestras; the English composer Mark-Anthony Turnage wrote his Erskine concerto for him in 2013.

 

Born on June 5, 1954, the percussion phenomenon created and continues to create a lasting impression not only as a drummer, but also as a composer. In addition to his permanent bands, he also worked as a guest musician on many jazz albums as a studio musician. He played with important representatives of American jazz and jazz-rock.

 

He started playing drums at the age of four. He graduated from the Interlochen Academy of Arts in Michigan and studied percussion at Indiana University. In 1972 he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. From 1975 to 1977 he was the drummer for Maynard Ferguson and from 1978 for Weather Report. They formed an extremely strong rhythm section with the legendary Jaco Pastorius. From 1979, he was invited more and more often by other bands.

 

From 1981 - even though Weather Report was still active - he played with Pastorius in the Word of Mouth big band. Then came Steps Ahead, with which at the same time he contributed to the music of several other big bands, including the Bob Mintzer Big Band, which is one of the major representatives of modern big band jazz and funk. As a result of their friendship at this concert.

 

YellowJackets frontman Bob Mintzer also has an extraordinary career, as he has played with artists such as Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, James Taylor, Art Blakey, Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling, Jaco Pastorius, Mike Mainieri and Randy Brecker. In addition, of course, we cannot forget the Bob Mintzer Big Band, which has been operating for decades!