Les DeMerle

Les DeMerle, Drummer, Clinician and Band Leader, toured and recorded with the Harry James Big Band from 70 to 82. One of those recordings, "King James Version" won a Grammy Award. Les toured for three years and recorded with Wayne Newton, also toured and recorded with Manhattan Transfer, and has appeared with many other musical greats, including, Lou Rawls, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, and Joe Williams.

les demerle.com

In addition to leading The Les DeMerle Orchestras, he has produced five poll winning albums with jazz/rock group Transfusion, and his two educational drum books, Jazz/Rock Fusion, Volumes 1 and 2, have long been best sellers. Long at the forefront of modern jazz drumming, his features arrangements of some of the great hits of the Blue Note record label and tunes that evoke the spirit of those recordings on his Hittin' The Blue Notes CD.

Jazz Review Magazine - There’s no doubt from the downbeat of the first tune on Hittin’ The Blue Notes--that tune being “Just Friends”--that this is a drummer’s project. In the same way that, say, Art Blakey or Buddy Rich drove their bands, DeMerle establishes an undeniable presence that characterizes his band as well.