Drummer Brian Doherty in New Bob Dylan/Twyla Tharp Show

contents

blues

The times are certainly changing for drummer Brian Doherty. He's drumming in a new show, "The Times They Are A-Changin'", which opens October 26, 2006 at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in NYC. Broadway was not the original calling of this long-time drummer. Best known for his work with bands like Grammy winners They Might Be Giants, British super-group XTC and The Silos (Rolling Stone's Best Band in America), Brian has also played with Ben Folds, Freedy Johnston, M2M and Frank Black of The Pixies, among many others.

"This is not your typical Broadway show", says Doherty. "Beside Twyla's choreography and Dylan's music, this show features a five-piece band right on stage, much like you'd see at a concert. We don't have our heads buried in music and you won't see a conductor waving a baton in our faces. The audience can actually feel the punch of the drums!"

It hasn't always been sex, drugs and rock however. In the early days, Doherty spent time weaving in and out of day jobs to make ends meet between gigs. He was even a classroom teacher in the South Bronx. Then there were the endless auditions and the very close calls with mega-groups like R.E.M., Ani DiFranco, The B-52s, and British pop new wavers, The The. Doherty looks on the bright side: "R.E.M. didn't hold open auditions when drummer Bill Berry left. I was one of only three drummers invited to Athens, GA to audition. We jammed for two days and had a really good time together. They were very gracious. Of course, getting the gig would have been better, but having been invited will always be a giant feather in my cap."

Doherty began playing drums at the age of seven. Growing up in the badlands of New Jersey, he came of age listening to rock bands like The Outlaws, Lynard Skynard, and Led Zeppelin. Later, he attended the Manhattan School of Music earning both a Bachelor of Arts degree (graduating Summa Cum Laude) and a Master of Music degree. Brian also holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education.

After graduating from music school, Brian immediately launched his career when he began touring with Jonathan Butler (opening for Whitney Houston) and jazz pioneers like Noel Pointer and Lonnie Liston Smith.

write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page