About John Riley
B.M., University of North Texas 1975; M.M. Manhattan School of Music 1985.
Performed with jazz greats: Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Art Farmer, Ray Brown, Phil Woods, Toot Thielemans, Randy Brecker and
Jack DeJohnette. Extensive touring with the John Scofield Quartet, the Woody Herman Big Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Red Rodney Quintet, the Mingus Big Band and Bob Mintzer. Performs Mondays at the Village Vanguard with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
Concerts with guitarists Mike Stern and John Abercrombie, saxophonists Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Bob Berg and others. Toured with composer/pianists Marvin Hamlisch and Michel LeGrand. Played at all of the world’s major jazz festivals, on numerous recordings and on John Scofield’s video “Live Three Ways.”
Author of the critically acclaimed instructional books “The Art of Bop Drumming,” currently published in five languages, “Beyond Bop Drumming,” “
The Jazz Drummer’s Workshop,” “The Master Drummer” DVD and “Modern Drummer Festival 2011” DVD.
Winner of 2004 and 2005 Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll. 14 time GRAMMY Award nominee, three time GRAMMY Award winner.
Transcriber of 18 Warner Bros. books containing the contents of educational videos ranging from Billy Joel’s drummer
Liberty DeVitto to Chick Corea’s
Dave Weckl to Wynton Marsalis’ Herlin Riley.
Regular contributor to “Modern Drummer” magazine and frequent leader of workshops and master classes around the world.
Faculty member at Manhattan School of Music since 1986, William Paterson 1986-2000, New School 1990-2000, SUNY-Purch1996-2014. Artist in Residence: Amsterdam Conservatory, Holland.
Endorsements: Zildjian sticks and cymbals, Yamaha drums, Remo drum heads and LP percussion instruments.
