Cindy Blackman-Santana
PERFORMS WITH: Independent
About the Artist
"...extraordinary finesse...obviously exceptional...Some drummers act, some react. Some keep time, others create it. Cindy Blackman-Santana is among the few who can..." says Mike Zwerin of the International Herald Tribune. One listen to her latest release, Someday and you'll agree. Cindy Blackman-Santana has been touted as "one of the hottest drummers in the business," by the Star-Gazette and as one of the top drummers in the world. She is a solid, dependable drummer who can easily move from straight-ahead jazz to rock to funk and back again. She's upheld the backbeat and created texture for a veritable "Who's Who" in jazz: Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson, Don Pullen, Hugh Masekela, Pharaoh Sanders, Sam Rivers, Cassandra Wilson, Angela Bofill, Bill Laswell, Buckethead...and the list goes on.From her beginnings as a New York street performer, Blackman-Santana's rising star has been seen by millions of people all over the world performing with her own group as well as providing the percussive backbone for retro funk rocker Lenny Kravitz. She has also appeared on Saturday Night Live, The David Letterman Show, Arsenio Hall, The Tonight Show, the UK?s Top of the Pops, Black Entertainment Television and the 1993 MTV Video Awards. She has recently completed her first drumming instructional video entitled, "Multiplicity".
A force in her own right, Blackman-Santana puts the heart and soul of her music above all else. A true artist, she plays for the moment as if she's directly inside each note, playing each beat as if it were a melody. Her playing is forceful, yet passionate enough to stir the soul. From the syncopated dance of her ride cymbal to the thunder of her snare, her dynamic sensibilities invoke the stylings of her mentor, Art Blakey and source of inspiration, Tony Williams. Her other influences include: Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Thelonius Monk, Max Roach, John Coltrane, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Pete LaRoca and Billie Holiday.
Current setup:
8x12 & 9x13 mounted toms
14x14 & 16x16 floors
14x18 bass drum
6 1/2x14 snare
