Peter Erskine
American drummer, musician

Peter Erskine

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American drummer, musician
A.K.A.
Peter Clark Erskine
Gender:
Male
Places:
United States of America
Is:
MusicianDrummerEducatorMusic educatorJazz musician
Work field:
AcademiaMusic
Birth:
5 June 1954(Somers Point, Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA)
Star sign:
Gemini
Genres:
Jazz
Instruments:
Drum kit
Education:
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Michigan, USA
Jacobs School of Music
Bloomington, Monroe County, USA
Employers:
Royal Academy of Music
City of Westminster, Greater London, United Kingdom
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, USA
Awards:
Honorary degree
Family:
Children:
Maya Erskine
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The details
Biography

Introduction

Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead.

Biography

Peter Erskine

Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. He began playing the drums at the age of four. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, then studied percussion at Indiana University.

His professional career started in 1972 when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. After three 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 Word of Mouth, he joined Steps Ahead.

In 1983, he performed on the Antilles Records release Swingrass '83.

Erskine splits his time as a musician and a professor at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. In 1992, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

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 2011, he appeared on stage at the Royal Opera House, London in the new opera Anna Nicole.

Erskine is the father of actress Maya Erskine.

Discography

As leader

  • 1982 Peter Erskine (Contemporary)
  • 1987 Transition (Denon)
  • 1988 Motion Poet (Denon)
  • 1989 Aurora (Denon)
  • 1991 Sweet Soul
  • 1993 You Never Know (ECM)
  • 1994 Time Being (ECM)
  • 1995 From Kenton to Now with Richard Torres (Fuzzy Music)
  • 1995 History of the Drum (Interworld)
  • 1996 As It Is (ECM)
  • 1997 Lava Jazz (Fuzzy Music)
  • 1999 Juni (ECM)
  • 2000 Live at Rocco (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2001 Side Man Blue (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2002 Badlands (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2007 Worth the Wait with Tim Hagans (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2010 The Interlochen Concert (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2011 Joy Luck (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2015 Dr. Um (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2016 Second Opinion (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2016 In Praise of Shadows (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2018 On Call (Fuzzy Music)

Source:

As co-leader

  • 1986 Current Events with John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson (ECM)
  • 1989 John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine (ECM)
  • 1991 Star with Jan Garbarek, Miroslav Vitous (ECM)
  • 1995 Traction Avant with Alessandro Galati, Palle Danielsson (Via Veneto)
  • 1997 Jason Salad! with Alessandro Galati, John Patitucci, Bob Sheppard (Via Veneto)
  • 1998 Live at the Baked Potato with Dirk K., Jörg Kleutgens (Kalle Fornia)
  • 1998 Turnage: Blood on the Floor with John Scofield, Martin Robertson, Peter Rundel (Decca)
  • 2000 The Hudson Project with John Abercrombie, Bob Mintzer, John Patitucci
  • 2002 Turnage: Fractured Lines with Evelyn Glennie, Christian Lindberg, Leonard Slatkin
  • 2004 ELB with Nguyên Lê, Michel Benita
  • 2008 Dream Flight with ELB (ACT)
  • 2009 The Trio Live @ Charlie O's (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2010 Scenes from a Dream with Chris Minh Doky, Larry Goldings
  • 2011 Standards 2: Movie Music with Bob Mintzer, Darek Oleszkiewicz, Alan Pasqua (Fuzzy Music)
  • 2015 Trio M/E/D with Palle Danielsson, Rita Marcotulli (Abeat)
  • 2016 How Long Is Now? with Lars Danielsson, Iiro Rantala (ACT)

Source:

As sideman

With Rez Abbasi

  • 1995 Third Ear
  • 1998 Modern Memory

With John Abercrombie

  • 1988 Getting There (ECM)
  • 1993 November (ECM)

With David Benoit

  • 1989 Waiting for Spring (GRP)
  • 1992 Letter to Evan (GRP)
  • 2004 The Benoit/Freeman Project 2 with Russ Freeman

With Wayne Bergeron

  • 2002 You Call This a Living?
  • 2016 Full Circle

With Warren Bernhardt

  • 1983 Warren Bernhardt Trio
  • 1987 Hands On
  • 1991 Heat of the Moment
  • 2003 Amelia's Song
  • 2003 So Real

With Randy Bernsen

  • 1986 Music for Planets People and Washing Machines
  • 1987 Mo' Wasabi

With Chris Botti

  • 1999 Slowing Down the World (GRP)
  • 2002 December (Columbia)

With Michael Brecker

  • 1988 Don't Try This at Home
  • 2003 Some Skunk Funk

With Michael Bublé

  • 2009 Crazy Love
  • 2011 Christmas
  • 2018 Love

With Gary Burton

  • 1988 Times Like These (GRP)
  • 1989 Reunion (GRP)
  • 1991 Cool Nights (GRP)
  • 1993 It's Another Day
  • 1997 Departure

With Joey Calderazzo

  • 1991 In the Door
  • 1993 The Traveler

With George Cables

  • 1980 Cables' Vision (Contemporary)
  • 1984 The Big Jazz Trio
  • 1985 Circle (Contemporary)
  • 1987 Whisper Not
  • 2002 Shared Secrets (MuseFX)

With Alex Cline

  • 1999 Sparks Fly Upward
  • 2001 The Constant Flame

With Eddie Daniels

  • 1992 Benny Rides Again
  • 1993 Under the Influence
  • 1995 The Five Seasons

With Al Di Meola

  • 1994 Orange and Blue
  • 1998 The Infinite Desire
  • 2011 Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody

With Yelena Eckemoff

  • 2010 Cold Sun (L&H)
  • 2010 Flying Steps (L&H)
  • 2013 Glass Song (L&H)
  • 2018 Desert (L&H)

With Eliane Elias

  • 1988 Cross Currents
  • 1989 So Far So Close
  • 1991 A Long Story
  • 1992 Fantasia
  • 1993 Paulistana

With Maynard Ferguson

  • 1977 Conquistador
  • 1977 New Vintage
  • 1978 Carnival

With Don Grolnick

  • 1986 Hearts and Numbers
  • 1990 Weaver of Dreams

With Bob James

  • 1983 Foxie
  • 1983 The Genie
  • 1984 The Swan

With Marc Johnson

  • 1985 Bass Desires (ECM)
  • 1987 Second Sight (ECM)

With Stan Kenton

  • 1972 National Anthems of the World
  • 1973 Birthday in Britain
  • 1973 7.5 on the Richter Scale
  • 1973 Live at the London Hilton 1973 Vol. 2
  • 1974 Fire, Fury, and Fun
  • 1974 Stan Kenton plays Chicago
  • 1992 Street of Dreams
  • 1994 Live at Carthage College Vol. 1
  • 1995 Live at the London Hilton 1973 Vol. 1
  • 1996 At Pavilion Hemel Hempstead England 1973
  • 1999 Live at Newport Jazz Festival
  • 2000 At the Arcadia Theatre 1974

With Diana Krall

  • 2001 The Look of Love
  • 2004 The Girl in the Other Room

With Chuck Loeb

  • 1994 Simple Things
  • 2013 Silhouette

With Mike Mainieri

  • 1981 Wanderlust
  • 1995 An American Diary
  • 1997 An American Diary Vol. 2

With Vince Mendoza

  • 1990 Start Here
  • 1992 Jazzpaña
  • 1994 Sketches
  • 1997 Caribbean Night

With Bob Mintzer

  • 1982 Source
  • 1983 Papa Lips
  • 1985 Incredible Journey
  • 1986 Camouflage
  • 1988 Spectrum
  • 1989 Urban Contours
  • 1990 The Art of the Big Band
  • 1991 Departure
  • 1992 Hymn
  • 1992 I Remember Jaco
  • 1995 The First Decade
  • 1998 Quality Time
  • 2003 Gently
  • 2012 For the Moment
  • 2016 All L.A. Band

With Alan Pasqua

  • 2005 My New Old Friend
  • 2007 Standards

With Jaco Pastorius

  • 1981 Word of Mouth
  • 1983 Invitation
  • 1995 The Birthday Concert
  • 2000 Twins Live in Japan 1982
  • 2004 Guitar & Bass
  • 2005 Live in Japan
  • 2006 Introducing: Jaco Pastorius
  • 2006 The Word Is Out
  • 2007 Live and Outrageous
  • 2008 The Florida Concert
  • 2017 Truth Liberty & Soul

With John Patitucci

  • 1987 John Patitucci
  • 1990 Sketchbook
  • 1994 Mistura Fina

With John Scofield

  • 1994 Summertime
  • 2001 Shortcuts 1995 Jazzpar

With Steps Ahead

  • 1983 Steps Ahead
  • 1984 Modern Times
  • 1986 Magnetic
  • 2005 Holding Together

With Mike Stern

  • 1988 Time in Place
  • 1989 Jigsaw

With Sadao Watanabe

  • 1991 Sweet Deal
  • 1992 A Night with Strings
  • 2014 I'm with you

With Weather Report

  • 1978 Mr. Gone
  • 1979 8:30
  • 1980 Night Passage
  • 1982 Weather Report
  • 1986 This is This!
  • 2002 Live and Unreleased
  • 2006 Forecast: Tomorrow

With Kenny Wheeler

  • 1990 Music for Large & Small Ensembles (ECM)
  • 1990 The Widow in the Window (ECM)
  • 1992 Kayak

Source:

With others

Source:

Books

  • Time Awareness
  • The Erskine Method for Drumset
  • My Book
  • The Drum Perspective
  • Drum Concepts and Techniques
  • No Beethoven: An Autobiography and Chronicle of Weather Report

DVD

  • The Erskine Method for Drumset (Alfred Publishing Company)