Drummer Justin Tyson — who has set the contemporary jazz scene ablaze with his work alongside the likes of Robert Glasper and esperanza spalding — gives us a glimpse into his biggest influences as he selects his top five drum heroes: Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Elvin Jones, Chris Dave and Deantoni Parks.
Brought up in the church in Indiana, Tyson’s musical discovery blossomed during his time at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. His sound has become a fixture in today’s music, and Tyson has now taken the step out front as a leader, spearheading a musical journey through the paper doors — the name of his debut record as a leader. The album is filled with trippy symbolism and tales of the mystical.
Set List:
- “Emergency” (Tony Williams) from the album Emergency! by The Tony Williams Lifetime
- “Slink” (Vinnie Colaiuta) from the album Vinnie Colaiuta
- “Thorn of a White Rose” (Jan Hammer) from the album On the Mountain by Elvin Jones
- “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl) from the album Black Radio by The Robert Glasper Experiment
- “Article 3” (Meshell Ndegeocello) from the album The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams by Meshell Ndegeocello
- “Place 5” (Justin Tyson)
- “Place 6” (Tyson)
- “Place 7” (Tyson)
- “Place 8” (Tyson)
- “into your hands…” (Tyson)
Credits: Trevor Smith, writer and producer; Sarah Geledi, producer; Christian McBride, host; Ron Scalzo, episode mix; Nikki Birch and Mitra Arthur, video producers; Steven A. Williams, executive producer; Suraya Mohamed, executive producer of NPR Music; Keith Jenkins, vice president of visuals and music strategy at NPR.
Special thanks to Lena Wright.