294 – Tony Coleman: An Encyclopedia of Blues & Soul, Playing with B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland, Demystifying the Shuffle

Working Drummer

Tony Coleman has played with Blues and Soul legends such as B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, and many, MANY others. Over his long career, Tony has lived in Chicago, Memphis, and Texas, and the succession of artists and regions he’s gone through have made him a unique authority on many sub-styles of blues and soul drumming. In recent years, he has also toured with country artist Jamey Johnson.

In this episode, Tony talks about:

* The importance Black culture places on arranging a show, not just songs* How exhibitionism detracts from music* Looking down on the Blues in his younger years, and how B.B. King changed his mind* Some of the differences in Blues and shuffle styles between Chicago, Memphis, and Texas * Understanding a culture in order to master its musical styles

Tony endorses Mapex drums, Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads, Vater drumsticks, Audix mics, Gon Bops percussion, Jerry Harvey in-ears, and DW pedals.