PETER ERSKINE: Artist's Choice
To hear Peterâs music mix, follow the page jump and click the Play icon; full playlist and musician credits follow. For the music portion only, click here.
For a world-class jazz drummer based in Los Angeles, itâs a pity that the great Peter Erskine so rarely takes the local stage. Thatâs due to constant touring when heâs not teaching or recording (600 albums and counting). In fact itâs been seven years since he played at the Jazz Bakery with his hometown trio of pianist Alan Pasqua and the late, beloved bassist Dave Carpenter. At long last, Peter and Alan return to the fold this Saturday, January 10, with new bass player Darek Oles and headlining saxophonist Chris Potter. Advance tickets are recommended for this engagement, held at the new Moss Theater (at the Herb Alpert Educational Village in West L.A.).
Peter is one of jazzâs most enduring survivors, with an infectious spirit that never fails to win over critics. From his earliest steady gig with the Stan Kenton Orchestra to longstanding memberships in Weather Report and Steps Ahead, Peter established a reputation for versatility that caught the whole worldâs attention. His musical travels have taken him beyond the jazz arena to both film scoring stages (behave, Austin Powers!) and rockânâroll recording sessions (supporting no less than Steely Dan and Kate Bush). Heâs even penned an indispensible jazz memoir, No Beethoven, that focuses on his years co-existing with the exploratory Joe Zawinul and the mercurial Jaco Pastorius. Already a legend, Peter somehow makes his colorful career look effortless.
âAwfully hard to pick ten [tracks] out of a lifetime of listening,â he wrote back after receiving our âArtistâs Choiceâ request. â[So I] wrote down the first nine that came to mind.â Rhythm plays a major part in these tracks, featuring sterling stick work from Philly Joe Jones, Grady Tate, Mel Lewis, Elvin Jones, Al Jackson Jr. and Jack DeJohnette. At our request, the tenth track on his playlist comes from Peterâs own discography â though not as a leader, surprisingly. With an ego that secure in a business that insists on self-aggrandizement, itâs easy to see why thereâs nobody who doesnât love Peter Erskine.
The Rules: List at least ten favorite record tracks, any musical genres. No more than one track from the same album and no more than two tracks by the same recording artist. One track MUST come from your own discography âŚ
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