Jan T. Johannessen

About me:

..Next gigs: TBA - Now: Working on new album ..
More info

Magic Pie at Symforce II Tilburg NL 2008

Magic Pie awarded “Progressive Rock Indie Artist of the Year 2007

Artwork Ed Unitsky

Magic Pie at Sweden Rock 2007

Article in Modern Drummer Magazine (August issue 2006)

I started playing drums some 37 years ago at the age of 9 listening to The Beatles "Revolution", and I have played continuously since. During the first years I couldn't afford a drumset so I played at anyting suitable including cardboard boxes stacked as a set. I bought my first set (Second hand Tama Swing star) at the age of 14. During the years I've played with all kind of bands like Janissary, bigband, jazz, blues, pop, latin, country, gospel, funk, rock and now progrock. Inspired by the great Santana I also played congas and percussion for a while. Educationally I have some private studies within classical music theory, music reading and snare drum techniques.

During the first 15 years I played traditional grip as a result of the classical trainig and my jazz influence. I changed to matched grip when my music style turned towards funk, rock and progrock. My playing style is inspired by a wide variety of drummers within all kinds of music styles, but Buddy Rich, Ian Paice, Ginger Baker and Terry Bozzio would be my greatest influences, added by Mike Portnoy when I really got into progrock and double pedal work. Nevertheless Ian Paice and his snare drum work is probably the the most important and inspiring thing for me growing up in the 70's. The drum-ending of our song "Without knowing why" is a special tribute to Ian Paice from me by the way.. Hopefully I have developed a kind of my own playing style which also includes some small rudiments from all these great drummers.

My main focus these days is our progrock band Magic Pie which launched the progrock CD "Motions of Desire" in 2005. The new CD "Circus of Life" was released 30th april 2007. The recent years my drumwork has been focused on getting to a higher level to meet the requirements for the demanding progrock music we are playing. I'not a youngster anymore, but I'm a serious drum addict, and as I see it; "Music has no age limit" :-)

...warming up

My Websites:

www.magicpie.net
www.beyondappearance.net

..Listen to some fiddling arund with the digital drums (wmv)

Recording session for new Magic Pie CD

 

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