Gregg Bissonette

Gregg Bissonette - Submarine - 2000 - Favored Nations

Gregg Bissonette is a journeyman rock and jazz drummer with a resumé that includes work done with Carlos Santana, David Lee Roth, Maynard Ferguson, and more. A diverse and hardworking talent, he telescopes those incredibly different styles and interests into this eclectic solo album. This is Bissonette working with ten world-renowned guitarists. Among the guests are Joe Satriani, Robben Ford, Steve Vai, and more. The tracks vary from jazz fusion to modern rock. Bissonette also contributes lead vocals, trumpet, and percussion outside the kit drums. © Tom Schulte © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/submarine-mw0000060061

I waited for this album to be released with great anticipation. I am a drummer of 30 years, and can say with confidence I know my way around a drumset. Having said that, Gregg Bissonette, never fails to blow me away with the way he handles music and the drums. His approach is always creative and musical. This album has tracks ranging from hi-energy rock, to funk, to traditional jazz, to fusion, to latin. What doesnt it have -- I guess a big name behind it. It is unfortunate when I see some of the music that is being sold to the public, which has little musical significance except that the singers are young boys or sexy young girls (if that is significant). This disk flys in the face of the pop genre and gets down to some pretty serious stuff, there is no fluff here. The sheer range of styles combined with the talent of both Gregg and his brother Matt along with the incredible array of guitarists, leaves me feeling a little disapointed that this album will likely get little air time if any on the radio. I personally enjoyed the vocal tracks and would suggest that Gregg is a great singer. The first track of the album is amazing, the groove will blow you away, just sits there in a funk feel and makes it impossible not to tap your feet. Later on, on the disk you will hear music that will take you back to the 60s British invasion. Bottom line, if you want a CD that is filled with great musicianship, originality and covers a broad spectrum of music styles then you should check it out. I highly recommend this disk to anyone. Cheers - ***** A Drummer's Point of View By & © Karl on February 22, 2001 © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Submarine-Gregg-Bissonette/dp/B00004SG5T#cm_cr_dpwidget

Nowadays, it's not unusual to see fusion cats sharing hangs with chops-heavy rockers. Or, if you prefer the other angle, chops-heavy rockers dipping into the fusion waters. Drummer Gregg Bissonette's Submarine (Favored Nations FN2010-2; 54:42) is studded with shred hotshots (Steve Stevens, Frank Gambale, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai) and non-shred notables (Robben Ford), all of whom get hard-blowing guest spots. This disc works as a fusion album mainly because it's not a fusion album-it's a rock album, even though it rocks in ways that put you in a 1989 state of mind. Tunes like the Kings X-ish "Submarine" and the power poppish "The Son Man" would still be on rock radio if that Nirvana thing had never happened a few years back. Robben Ford takes some liberties with the blues scale on "Cloudy Day," while Steve Vai whips up his trademark note-souffle on the propulsive "Noah's Ark." Joe Satriani, on the other hand, turns in the date's most affectingly tasty performance, on the reflective, waltz-time "Lum Lum," playing off Bissonette's vaguely Elvin Jones-ish rhythms. - By & © Tony Green © 1999–2014 JazzTimes, Inc. All rights reserved. http://jazztimes.com/articles/11603-submarine-gregg-bissonette-s

Great album done with taste and finesse from one of the best and most experienced drummers in the business. Gregg Bissonette has played with a very wide range of artists on stage and in the studio, including Ray Charles, and Carlos Santana. He can also be heard on a number of rock instrumental and progressive rock albums, including Temporal by Shadrane, Deep Forest by Deep Forest, Bass Invader by Martin Motnik, Inner Galactic Fusion Experience by Richie Kotzen, Shadow King by Steve Fister, Revolution Road by Rocket Scientists, In The Eye Of Time by Vox Tempus, Bug Alley, Instrumentality by Marco Cardona, and a number of albums by Steve Vai. “Submarine” is an eclectic mix of genres from fusion to latin to beatlesque melodic rock and features some spectacular jamming and soloing by some of the world's greatest musicians including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Frank Gambale, Robben Ford, Mike Landau, Richie Kotzen, and David Garfield. Gregg demonstrates his renowned and superb percussion technique, and check out the great melodic bass lines by his brother, Matt Bissonette. Listen to Gregg’s s/t album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 133.2 Mb]

TRACKS

1.Marbles - (featuring Frank Gambale)
2.Submarine - (featuring Doug Bossi)
3.No Ey Parqueo - (featuring Gary Hoey/David Garfield)
4.Lum Lum - (featuring Joe Satriani)
5.Train to Willoughby - (featuring Steve Stevens)
6.Noah's Ark - (featuring Steve Vai)
7.Cloudy Day - (featuring Robben Ford)
8.Son Man, The - (featuring Tim Pierce)
9.Sasquatch - (featuring Mike Landau)
10.12 to 3 - (featuring Matt Bissonette)
11.So Many Notes, So Little Time - (featuring Richie Kotzen)

All tracks composed by Matt Bissonette

MUSICIANS

Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Frank Gambale, Doug Bossi, Gary Hoey, Steve Stevens, Robben Ford, Tim Pierce, Mike Landau, Richie Kotzen (guitar)
Matt Bissonette (acoustic, fretted & fretless electric basses, piano, (trombone, background vocals)
David Garfield (piano, organ)
Gregg Bissonette (drums, percussion, trumpet, vocals)
Kathy Bissonette (background vocals)

BIO

Gregg Bissonette has become known as one of the most versatile drummers in the business, his broad experience ranging from big band, blues, and rock, to Latin, fusion, and much more. Gregg’s warm, easy-going down-to-earth manner is refreshing from one of the top drummers in the world. Gregg’s incredible sense of humor comes across clearly whether he’s recording or teaching at a drum clinic. His perfect balance between professionalism, strong work ethic, and congeniality make him a wonderful colleague and session artist, and a much-respected name in the music industry. The Detroit native comes from a family of talented musicians. Gregg’s dad Bud was a drummer and his mother Phyllis played piano and vibes. Gregg started playing on his dad’s drum kit from about the age of 5! His brother Matt is a bassist and producer, and their sister Kathy also lives and works in concert promotion in LA. Gregg’s dad was his first teacher, and at age 10, Gregg started taking private rudimental snare drum lessons with Bob Yarborough, a local teacher in Warren, Michigan. By age 11, Bob had started Gregg on reading drum set music. At the same time, Gregg also started taking private trumpet lessons from Jim Ruffner. Proficient in both instruments, Gregg would trade off between drums and trumpet with the Warren Michigan Wildwood Elementary School Band. At 14, Gregg and his brother Matt started a band called Today’s People, inspired by their junior high stage band/jazz band performances while at school under the direction of their teacher, expert drummer Jerry Hasspatcher. That same year, Gregg began taking drum set lessons from popular Detroit drummer Myron MacDonald. At 15 years old, Gregg won a scholarship to attend the Interlochen School of Music summer band program in Michigan. By this time, both Gregg and Matt were performing professionally in and around Detroit with their dad’s band The Buddy Blair Band, a name their dad chose because he thought Bissonette was just too hard to remember! (Bud’s band when he was young was called Buddy Bissonette and His Bouncing Bulgarian Bean Band!) Soon after, under the direction of Bill Baker, Gregg became the drummer of the Warren Mott High School Jazz band. With Bill’s recommendation, Gregg got to play with many professional groups in the area, including The Brookside Jazz Band, The Austin/Moro Band, and a progressive big band called Concertjazz. The following year, Gregg and Matt started Grand Circus Park, named after a park in downtown Detroit. This band featured their high school friends — Brian Biggs on guitar, Doug Burns on lead vocals, Sante Bologna on keyboards, Rick Kastruba on trumpet, Burt Snover on trombone, and Eric Kott on saxophone. Grand Circus Park started as a band that primarily played tunes by one of their favorite bands, Chicago (formerly Chicago Transit Authority). The band even had the same exact instrumentation! They originally named their group Chicago 2…but changed the name after realizing more creativity was needed. After high school, Gregg left Detroit for North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). He became the drummer for the famed NTSU One O’Clock Big Band. Under the direction of Leon Breeden, Gregg recorded two albums with the One O’Clock Band, Lab 80 and Lab 81. He joined one of his favorite R&B bands in Dallas called The Buster Brown Band. He also was a member of the Dallas-based band Network with his brother Matt on bass and vocals and Paul Ventimiglia on keyboards and vocals. In 1982, following his graduation from NTSU, Gregg made the move to Los Angeles. In his new home of LA, he made friends with three of his favorite drummers: Myron Grombacher from the Pat Benatar band, the late Mark Craney from Gino Vannelli’s band, and Doane Perry from Jethro Tull. They started a fun drummers club called The Woodland Hills Drum Club with friends Jay Rubin, Barry Schnider, Dean Zimmer, Tony Pia, and many others. Gregg’s trumpet hero was always Maynard Ferguson and his dream was to play drums for Maynard’s band someday. This dream became a reality in 1982, when Gregg became the drummer for Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band. An added bonus for him was that the band already included his brother Matt on bass! The band toured the world and recorded a live CD called Live in San Francisco. After the Maynard gig, Gregg joined The Brandon Fields Band and recorded The Other Side of the Story. The members on that CD included Brandon Fields, saxes, Walt Fowler, trumpet and keys, David Garfield, keyboards, John Pattitucci, bass, and Gregg on drums. Later that year, Gregg went on tour with Tania Maria’s Latin/jazz group with Luis Conte on percussion and John Pena on bass. Gregg’s next gig was also with his brother Matt, playing with one of their heroes, Gino Vannelli. After their audition, the band became Gregg and Matt on drums and bass, Gino Vannelli on vocals, Joe Vannelli and Karen Childs on keyboards, and Mike Miller on guitar. Gregg’s big break came in the summer of 1985, when David Lee Roth left Van Halen and started his own band. Gregg landed the gig playing drums, with Steve Vai on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Brett Tuggle on keys. The band recorded the albums Eat ‘Em & Smile and Skyscraper, both of which went multi-platinum. Gregg’s brother Matt joined the band for the Skyscraper tour and the next studio album, A Little Ain’t Enough. The videos for “Yankee Rose,” “Goin’ Crazy,” “Just like Paradise,” “Stand Up,” and “That’s Life” got plenty of airtime on MTV. n 1989, Gregg had the great experience and honor to perform with The Buddy Rich Big Band on the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert video. This video also featured Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, and Louie Bellson. In 1992, Gregg and Matt recorded with Joe Satriani on his CD The Extremist, produced by one of Gregg’s favorite engineers/producers, Andy Johns, who also engineered lots of Led Zeppelin tunes. When Andy asked Gregg what he would like his drums to sound like, Gregg replied, “How about like ANY of the stuff you did with John Bonham?!” Andy quickly smiled and answered, “We can do that!” Gregg and Matt toured with Joe Satriani right after the release of “The Extremist,” and also did a live CD of that tour called “Time Machine.” Matt went on to record three other CDs with Joe Satriani and still tours with Joe when he can. Gregg and Matt started their own band called The Mustard Seeds in 1993 with guitarists Doug Bossi and George Bernhardt. All four of the members wrote the songs together and sang lead vocals and harmonies. Gregg remembers this band as being a very creative and rewarding time musically. “There is something very special about being in your own band with your brother,” he says. In 1995, Gregg did a European tour with the band Toto after Simon Phillips (Toto’s drummer since Jeff Porcaro’s unexpected death) asked Gregg to fill in for him for four months due to an injury. The tour led to lots of playing time with Steve Lukather, and a couple years later he worked with Steve on the album Luke, which included a tour of Europe and Japan. Gregg also played on the 2003 Lukather Christmas album SantaMental, featuring Steve, Gregg, Jeff Babko on keyboards, and John Pierce on bass. Gregg played trumpet as well, along with Walt Fowler on trumpet and Jeff Babko on trombone. Gregg celebrated another milestone in 1998 — the birth of his wonderful son Noah. Later that year, he also had the chance to work with one of his longtime heroes, Don Henley, on Don’s album Inside Job. Don’s producer was Stan Lynch, the drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and one of Gregg’s best friends. n 2000, Gregg had the honor of playing with Carlos Santana on the multi-Grammy winning CD Supernatural. This session came about because the producer originally called one of Gregg’s favorite drummers, Vinnie Colaiuta, to do the session, but Vinnie was unavailable and recommended Gregg. In 2001 Gregg celebrated the birth of his second child, his wonderful daughter Mary. In the same year, Gregg and Matt toured with Jeff Lynne and ELO on their Zoom Tour Live. Gregg and Matt had both been big fans of ELO and Jeff Lynne, who played with the Traveling Willberries, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, and more. Gregg has recorded and released two solo albums, Gregg Bissonette on Shrapnel Records (which includes a cover of one of Gregg’s favorite songs, “No Matter What” by Badfinger, with Gregg on vocals), and Submarine on Favored Nations Records. All songs were written and produced by Matt Bissonette, featured on bass, vocals, trombone and cello. Gregg sings leads on both CDs, besides playing drums, trumpet, and percussion. Gregg Bissonette features guest guitarists Steve Vai, Ty Tabor, Andy Summers, Paul Gilbert, Doug Bossi, George Bernhardt, Steve Lukather, Scott Henderson, Michael Thompson, and Mike Miller. Submarine features Joe Satriani, Frank Gambale, Steve Stevens, Tim Pierce, Steve Vai, Gary Hoey, Doug Bossi, Ritchie Kotzen, and the great piano player David Garfield. From Maynard Ferguson, to multi-platinum albums, to world tours and a Grammy, Gregg has seen his musical dreams come true one by one. And in 2003, another dream became a reality when he and Matt were asked to tour with Ringo Starr to promote Ringo’s album Ringo Rama. Ringo has been Gregg’s drumming hero since his dad took him to see the Beatles live in 1966! In addition to playing drums while Ringo fronted the band on the songs “Yellow Submarine,” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Photograph,” “It Don’t Come Easy,” and Ringo’s tribute to George Harrison, “Never Without You,” Gregg and Ringo also played double drums on Beatles hits like “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Boys.” Besides a great live concert in New York, they also played on the TV shows The Tonite Show with Jay Leno, Conan O’Brian, Good Morning America, Regis and Kelly, and Last Call with Carson Daly. Gregg also did a music video with Ringo for “Never Without You.” Some of you might know Gregg as his alter ego, Skippy Skuffleton! Gregg has played with England’s loudest rock band, Spinal Tap, since he first toured with them in 2001. He also played with Tap at Live Earth 2007, and the Glastonbury Festival and Wembley Stadium in 2009. You can hear him on drums on the Back from the Dead album, released 2009. Gregg got to tour again with Ringo, this time as an All Starr in Ringo’s All Starr band, for their 2008 and 2010 tours. Band members of the 2008 All-Starr tour were Colin Hay (from Men At Work), Billy Squier, Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Edgar Winter, and Gary Wright. For the 2010 Tour, the band included Wally Palmar (The Romantics), Rick Derringer (The McCoys), Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, and Richard Page (Mister Mister). In July of the 2010 tour, Gregg was part of a birthday celebration when Paul McCartney surprised Ringo for Ringo’s 70th birthday in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Gregg got to play the Beatles song “Birthday” with both Ringo and Paul, and a star-studded musical cast! Gregg’s definitive instructional DVD, Musical Drumming in Different Styles, was released by Hudson Music in 2005. It was shot at the Allaire studio in upstate NY, where Norah Jones and David Bowie had just recorded albums. Musical Drumming features eight band tracks from Gregg’s solo albums, in styles ranging from jazz, to funk, to latin, to swing. With all his drumming accomplishments and accolades, to Gregg his children are his greatest attributes. A strong and committed family man, he loves spending time with his son and daughter. As a single dad, Gregg values his time with them and is an inspiration to other single dads trying to balance the challenges of a hectic musician’s life with raising kids. Today, Gregg continues to record with and for many other artists, films, and TV shows. Gregg’s favorite advice to drummers? “Be a musical drummer!” he says. “Concentrate on keeping the tempo and the groove for the whole song, and play dynamically. Learn to play big band, Latin, funk, Afro-Cuban, hip-hop, R&B, play with brushes, in small groups, large groups, small or large venues, all ages and all kinds of styles and approaches. Remember, it’s not about playing drum solos, it’s about making a joyful noise…hopefully making a living out of it someday!” Gregg exclusively uses Mapex Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, DW Drum Pedals, Remo Drum Heads, Vic Firth Drum Sticks, Samson Audio, Shure Mics, the Gregg Bissonette Signature Stick Bag by Kaces, XL Specialty road cases, Beato Drum Bags, LT Lug Locks, and LP Percussion products. © 2011 Gregg Bissonette. All Rights Reserved. http://greggbissonette.com/bio/