Artists
Vinnie Colaiuta
Sting, Chick Corea
Few artists can claim the sort of longevity and acclaim enjoyed by Vinnie Colaiuta, a master drummer known as much for his extraordinarily intricate phrases as his ability to play a groove with ultimate simplicity. In fact, this basic dichotomy of his musical persona may be the reason he remains in demand by so many top artists: Lurking beneath an apparent simplicity of phrasing is the capacity to unleash unexpected and provocative rhythmic patterns.
A drummer since his early teens and graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, influenced by Tony Williams and Steve Gadd, Vinnie moved to Los Angeles in the early eighties and has stayed in the limelight ever since. Although drummers tend to cite his stirring work with Frank Zappa, Robben Ford, and the cult studio collaboration entitled Los Lobotomies, others point to Vinnie’s work with songwriters as varied as Joni Mitchell, Julia Fordham, and Faith Hill.
In 1990, Vinnie became almost a household name when he went on the road with Sting, recording the platinum album Ten Summoners’ Tales. With Sting, Vinnie again showed his ability to negotiate straight ahead rock and complex time signatures with equal aplomb.
It would be difficult to draft a comprehensive discography for Vinnie Colaiuta. Aside from his well-known releases with the likes of Chick Corea, John Patitucci, Alan Holdsworth, Randy Waldman, Karizma, and his solo outings, including the recent Document, Vinnie has performed on countless recordings in Europe and Japan. The point is that when the tallies are taken, Vinnie Colauita will rank as one of the most recorded and revered drummers of all time. Indeed, he is a perennial poll winner in Modern Drummer and other trade magazines.
Vinnie Colaiuta’s association with LP is longtime. If there is one LP instrument that he is synonymous with him, it is perhaps the cowbell. He weaves it into tremendously complex patterns, either as part of Latin/fusion grooves or within solos.
