Home » Jazz Musicians » Dave Black
Dave Black
Award-winning percussionist/composer Dave Black received his Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from California State University, Northridge. While at Northridge, he studied with notable teachers and performers such as Louie Bellson, Joel Leach, Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Schaeffer, Jerry Steinholtz and Nick Ceroli. He has traveled around the world with a variety of entertainers and shows, performing and recording with such artists as Alan King, Robert Merrill, June Allyson, Anita O'Day, Pete Jolly, Frankie Capp, Gordon Brisker, Kim Richmond, Victor Lewis, Jerry Hey and Steve Huffsteter.
A prolific composer and arranger, more than 60 of his compositions and arrangements have been published by Alfred Music, Barnhouse, CPP/Belwin, TRN, Highland/Etling and Warner Brothers, and many of those have been recorded. Mr. Black has written with, and for the bands of Louie Bellson, Sammy Nestico, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Ed Shaughnessy, Gordon Brisker and the C.S.U., Northridge Jazz Ensemble. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including 26 consecutive ASCAP Popular Composer Awards (for his contributions to the symphonic and concert repertoires), two Grammy participation/nomination certificates (one for his performance contribution on Anita O'Day's Grammy-nominated album In a Mellow Tone, and the other for his contribution as album-track composer on Louie Bellson's Grammy-nominated album Airmail Special), the 2012 Percussive Arts Society President's Industry Award, a Modern Drummer Readers Poll award (educational book), two Drum! Magazine Drummie! awards (educational books), and a certified Gold Record award for the sale of more than 500,000 copies of Alfred's Drum Method, Book 1. In addition, many of his compositions have been used as source/background music on numerous TV shows including All My Children, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, General Hospital, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Nightline, Roseanne, and Good Morning America. In addition, he co-wrote the "Final Rudimental Solo" (from Alfred's Drum Method, Book 2) that was featured in the 20th-Century Fox hit movie, Drumline.
As one of the biggest selling percussion authors in the world, Mr. Black is the author or co‑author of several best-selling books published by Alfred Music: Alfred's Drum Method, Books 1 & 2 (the world's current best seller); Alfred's Beginning Drumset Method; Drumset 101; Big Band Drumming Fill-osophy; Cymbals: A Crash Course; A Jazz Diary (chosen for the 1998–2000 National Federation of Music Club's Junior Festival Bulletin); Drumset Independence & Syncopation; The Essential Dictionary of Orchestration; the award-winning Alfred's Kid's Drum Course, Books 1 & 2; Alfred's Kid's Drumset Course; Bass Drum Essentials for the Drumset; Alfred's Max Drumset Method; The Drummer's Toolkit; How to Tune Your Drums (Handy Guide); How to Set Up Your Drumset (Handy Guide); Sound Innovations for Concert Band (the world's first customizable method); The Drummer's Lifeline; and Sound Percussion. His books and music are used and performed by young people all over the world, with combined sales now totaling two million units. He has also written countless articles, book reviews and concert reviews for prominent magazines such as Down Beat, The Instrumentalist, Modern Drummer, Modern Percussionist, Drums and Drumming, Drum Tracks, Grammy Pulse, Jazz Educators Journal, DrumScene, PercusScene, Drum!, and Music Connection—in addition to being a featured subject in most of them.
Read moreTags
Rob Silverman: Drumology
by Jim Worsley
Master drum clinician Rob Silverman, known for his explorative drumming and absorbing instructional videos, teamed up with an impressive line-up of top-flight jazz and fusion drummers to collide the study of drumming with the presentation of original songs penned by Silverman and his brother Michael Silverman. The result, Drumology, is a blend of science, rhythm and melody. For the project, Silverman invited an array of drumming superstars that included Dave Weckl, Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette, and Steve Smith.
read moreAlfred Music Releases "The Musician's Lifeline" By Renowned Authors Peter Erskine And Dave Black
Source:
Dave Black
Alfred Music, the leading publisher in music education since 1922, announces the release of The Musician's Lifeline: Advice for All Musicians, Student to Professional. Written by Peter Erskine and Dave Black, The Musician's Lifeline represents the combined experience and knowledge of the authors gained through their lives in music. In addition, it includes advice from over 150 of the best musicians the authors have the honor of knowing, with topics ranging from sight-reading, learning, listening, auditions, the music business, practice, ...
read more
Jazz this week: Marilyn Maye, Jeanne Trevor & Dave Black, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes return gigs for an acclaimed veteran of cabaret singing and a favorite local act at the city's premier jazz club; a rare performance by one of St. Louis' own jazz divas; and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, March 7 Marilyn Maye, who's sometimes called the grand dame of cabaret," returns for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Not unlike Tony Bennett, ...
read more
Jazz This Week: The Sheldon Turns 100, Dave Black and Paul Demarinis, Josh Quinlan, "A Jazz Heaven: Under the Rainbow" and More
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
The jazz and creative music calendar this weekend is front-loaded with an all-star ensemble convening Thursday at the Sheldon Concert Hall for a big birthday party. But while that concert may have the marquee names, there are plenty of other noteworthy shows happening around town over the next few days, too. Let's go to the highlights.... As mentioned above, the big-ticket event of the weekend happens tonight, as the Sheldon Concert Hall will commemorate its 100th anniversary celebration with a ...
read more
Jazz This Week: A Tribute to Mae Wheeler, Legacy Jazz Quintet, Dave Black, Ritmo Caliente, and More
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
It's not a big week for name-brand touring jazz musicians in St. Louis, but local and regional players are keeping area stages relatively well-stocked with a variety of musical projects in styles ranging from straight-ahead to Latin jazz to original compositions in several different genres. Let's see what's coming up over the next few days... Tonight, saxophonist Jeff Riley, a recent transplant to St. Louis who's from Cincinnati by way of Colorado, is having a CD release party at The ...
read more
STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A Dave Black Sampler
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring guitarist Dave Black, who was just voted Best Jazz Artist" in St. Louis by readers of the Riverfront Times in balloting for the weekly paper's 2011 Music Awards. Black, who's originally from Indiana, has been living, teaching and performing here since the early 1980s, playing solo and duo gigs, leading his own bands, and serving as a sideman and accompanist for other musicians ...
read more
Jazz This Week: Charlie Hunter, Bonerama, Bloom Project, Dave Black, and More
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
This week's schedule of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers a grab-bag of styles, from a funky, soul-jazz-inspired guitar trio to straight-ahead standards to free improv. Let's go to the highlights.... The big name in town this week is guitarist Charlie Hunter, who plays with his trio tonight through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Hunter was in St. Louis most recently in 2009 at the Bistro, playing in a duo format, and has released a couple of ...
read more
Jazz This Week: Mulgrew Miller, Rasul Siddik, Tortoise, Dave Black, and More
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Though this week's schedule of jazz and creative music in St. Louis isn't quite as jam-packed as last week's, there are still a number of notable performances happening over the next few days that are worthy of your attention. Let's go to the highlights:Tonight, the very fine pianist Mulgrew Miller opens a four-night run that continues through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Miller was the subject of one of the very first concert reviews on StLJN four ...
read more
Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson