John Riley

John Bernard Riley (b June 11, 1954, Aberdeen, MD) is an American jazz drummer, a music educator – at the collegiate and conservatory levels — and a music clinician. Riley has performed with Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Gary Peacock, Mike Stern, Joe Lovano, Franck Amsallem, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, John Patitucci, and Bob Berg.

Early education
Riley began playing drums at age eight, after receiving a snare drum as a gift. In the biographies provided to the media, Riley acknowledges the early support of his parents, John and Mary Ann. While attending fourth grade in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Riley began studying percussion privately with Thomas Sicola, Jr. (b. Mar. 1944), who, at that time, was a recent graduate of the New York College of Music (bachelor of music) and a music teacher in the nearby Cranford Township Public Schools.

While studying with Sicola, Riley gained control of the snare drum through work on the rudiments ("beats of the day"), reading, and coordination &mdash; both in the classical and jazz idioms. Sicola trained John on a variety of traditional percussion instruments, including xylophone, timpani, and drum kit. At age twelve, Riley began playing in rock bands and heard his first jazz recordings: (i) the soundtrack to The Gene Krupa Story and (ii) Max Roach's Conversation. Two years later, he played his first professional gig, which he obtained through an audition played over the telephone. Riley began studying with Joe Morello in 1971 after meeting him at a drum symposium.

Riley graduated from Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in 1971 and enrolled at the University of North Texas.

Sicola has since retired and is now is a Deacon at Our Lady of the Mount Roman Catholic Church in Warren, New Jersey.

College
Riley studied music at the University of North Texas College of Music, where he was introduced to a larger world of music and percussion. While there, he played, toured, and recorded Lab 76 with the One O'Clock Lab Band. Lab 76 was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band." Jazz drummer Paul Guerrero had been one of his influential teachers at North Texas.

New York
Riley moved to New York City in September 1976 and in 1978 became a member of Woody Herman Band. Following that experience, John began freelancing with a wide spectrum of world-class musicians including Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Gary Peacock, Mike Stern, Joe Lovano, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, John Patitucci, Bob Berg, and many others. Riley had been subbing for Mel Lewis in the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. When Lewis died in 1990, the orchestra decided to continue as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Riley became its permanent drummer, a chair he has held for years.

Discography

 * University of North Texas: Lab 76, UNT Jazz Records, 1976 †
 * Woody Herman: The Woody Herman Orchestra, JazzDoor Records, 1978
 * Harris Simon Group: Swish, EastWind Records, 1980
 * Mike Metheny: Blue Jay Sessions, Headfirst Records, 1981
 * Richard Boukas: Embarcadero, Jazz Essence Records, 1983
 * Richard Lacona: Painter of Dreams, Morningside Records, 1984
 * Mike Carubia: Renaissance, KamaDisc Records, 1985
 * Greg Hyslop: Manhattan Date, Slope Records, 1986
 * Mark Soskin: Overjoyed, JazzCity Records, 1987
 * Bob Mintzer: Techno Pop, JazzDoor Records, 1987
 * Bob Mintzer: Spectrum, DMP Records, 1987 †
 * Red Rodney Quintet: Red Snapper and One For Bird, Steeple Chase Records, 1988
 * Mike Metheny: Kaleidoscope, MCA Records, 1988
 * Haze Greenfield: Five for the City, Owl Time Line Records, 1989
 * John Hart: One Down, Blue Note, 1990
 * Kenny Werner: Uncovered Heart, Sunnyside Records, 1990
 * John Scofield: Live Three Ways, Blue Note Video, 1990
 * Bob Mintzer: Art of the Big Band, DMP Records, 1991 †
 * Miles Davis and Quincy Jones: Miles and Quincy Live at Montreux, Warner Bros. Records, 1991 †
 * Bob Mintzer: Departure, DMP Records, 1993
 * Bruce Williamson: Big City Magic, Timeless Records, 1993
 * Bob Mintzer: Only in New York, DMP Records, 1994 †
 * John Serry: Enchantress, Telarc, 1995
 * DMP Big Band: Carved in Stone, DMP Records, 1995
 * Bob Mintzer: The First Decade, DMP Records, 1995
 * Vince Mendoza and the WDR Big Band: Flame, Carlton Records, 1996
 * Bob Mintzer: Big Band Trane, DMP Records, 1996 †
 * Sigurdur Flosason: Sounds From Afar, Jazzis Records, 1996
 * Shigeko Suzuki: Brisa, BMG Records, 1996
 * Joseph Allessi: New York Legends, Cala Records, 1996
 * Bobby Paunetto: Composer in Public, RSVP Jazz Records, 1996 †
 * Claudio Angeleri: Jazz Files, CDPM-Lion Records, 1996
 * Lalo Schifrin: Gillespiana, Aleph Records, 1996 †
 * DMP Big Band: Salutes Duke Ellington, DMP Records, 1997
 * Hubert Nuss: The Shimmering Colours of Stained Glass, GreenHouse Records, 1997
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Lickety Split, New World Records, 1997 †
 * Bob Mintzer: Latin From Manhattan, DMP Records, 1998
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Thad Jones Legacy, New World Records, 1999
 * George Gruntz: Merryteria, TCB Records, 1999
 * George Gruntz: Liebermann Live in Berlin, TCB Records, 1999
 * Bob Mintzer: Homage to Basie, DMP Records, 2000 ‡
 * Bobby Paunetto: Reconstituted, RSVP Records, 2000
 * George Gruntz: Expo Triangle, MGB Records, 2000
 * Michael Davis: Brass Nation, Hip-Bone Music, 2000
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Can I Persuade You? Planet Arts Recordings 2001 †
 * Hubert Nuss: The Underwater Poet Greenhouse Music 2002
 * Eijiro Nakagawa and Jim Pugh: Legend and Lion, Superkids Inc, 2003
 * Ludwig Nuss: Ups and Downs, Mons, 2003
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: The Way, Planet Arts Records, 2004 ‡
 * Bob Mintzer Big Band: Live at MCG, MCG Jazz, 2004
 * Hubert Nuss: Feed the Birds, Pirouet, 2005
 * Eijiro Nakagawa and Jim Pugh: E2'n J2, TNC Records, 2005
 * DVD - John Scofield: Live Three Ways, Blue Note, 2005
 * DVD - David Liebman: Teaches and Plays, Jamey Aebersold Jazz, 2005
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Up From The Skies, Planet Arts Records, 2006 †
 * Bob Mintzer Big Band: Old School, New Lessons, MCG Jazz, 2006
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard, Planet Arts Records, 2008 ‡
 * Todd Coolman: Perfect Strangers, ArtistShare, 2008
 * Randy Sandke: Jazz for Juniors, Arbors Records, 2009
 * Luis Bonilla: I Talking Now, Planet Arts Recordings, 2009
 * Steve Hobbs: Vibes, Straight Up, Challenge Records, 2009
 * John Hyde Quartet: John Hyde Quartet, Death Defying Records, 2010
 * Nicolas Folmer: Off the Beaten Tracks Vol 1, PID, 2010
 * Daniel Jamieson's Danjam Orchestra: Sudden Appearance, OA2 Records 2010
 * Luis Bonilla: Twilight, Planet Arts Records, 2010
 * Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Forever Lasting, Live in Tokyo Planet Arts Records (2010)
 * Ralf Buschmeyer, Jazz Speak (2012)
 * Pavel Wlosok, Mike McGuirk, John Riley: Jubilee Suite: Live at the Grey Eagle, Bontonland, Bubovice (2012)
 * † Grammy Nomination (13 albums)
 * ‡ Grammy Award (3 albums)

Academic positions

 * Faculty, Manhattan School of Music since 1986
 * Faculty, SUNY Purchase since 1997
 * Artist in residence, Amsterdam Conservatory

Publications

 * Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset, (Book & CD), by Duduka da Fonseca and John Riley, Alfred Publishing (November 1, 1993) ISBN 0-7692-0987-4
 * The Art of Bop Drumming, Alfred Publishing (July 11, 1994) ISBN 0-89898-890-X
 * Beyond Bop Drumming, Alfred Publishing (March 17, 1997) ISBN 1-57623-609-9
 * The Jazz Drummer's Workshop, Modern Drummer (January 1, 2005) ISBN 0-634-09114-X
 * The Master Drummer (DVD), Alfred Publishing (April 1, 2009)