Artist: Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead. He began playing the drums at age four, graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and then studied percussion at Indiana University.
His professional music career started in 1972 when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. After four years with Kenton, he joined Maynard Ferguson for two years. In 1978, he joined Weather Report, joining Jaco Pastorius in the rhythm section. After four years and five albums with Weather Report and the Jaco Pastorius big band's Word of Mouth, he joined Steps Ahead.
He was featured on Kate Bush's 2005 album Aerial, where Erskine teamed with bass player Eberhard Weber. Diana Krall, Eliane Elias, Queen Latifah, and Linda Ronstadt, as well as Scottish and Finnish classical orchestras, have had Erskine perform as a featured musician.
In 1992, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.
Further information about Peter Erskine is found at PeterErskine.com.
Photography credit: gianky, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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Jazz Drumming with Peter Erskine: 360 Degree View
Peter Erskine, Diana Krall, Anthony Wilson & Robert Hurst
Peter Erskine, Rita Marcotulli, Palle Danielsson - For Jupiter - Live @ Blue Note Milano