Percussionist John Hadfield's dedication to bending genres has taken him
from the jungles of Indonesia to concert halls and clubs across the world.
At home in New York, Time Out New York has recently pointed out "John
Hadfield's percussion is so impeccable."
John Hadfield has released two records of his own compositions, mainly
written for percussion instruments and electronics but also including
guitar, harp, violin and cello –The Eye of Gordon (2008) and Displaced
(2010). He is currently on the Jazz faculty of New York University, where
he teaches drum set and the World Percussion Ensemble.
Bringing together distinct domains of expertise and traditions –including,
but not limited to classical percussion, Hindustani and Carnatic music,
jazz, rock, and electronic music, John has developed unique ways of
performing with multiple percussion instruments simultaneously. He has
been exploring the sonic and kinetic possibilities resulting from the
combination of multiple instruments and electronics (such as Ableton
Live). His compositions typically involve a wide range of sounds –from
the most traditional such as the drum set to the classical Indian Kanjira
or Ghatam to found objects such as bicycle wheels, pieces of metal and
ventilation tubes.
John Hadfield's varied expertise has allowed him to perform with a broad
range of ensembles and artists including: Yo-Yo Ma, The Silk Road
Ensemble, The Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, Bang on a Can, The Michael
Gordon Band, The HUM Ensemble, Sky White Tiger, Deep Purple, Sierra
Leone's Refugee All Stars, Combo Nuvo, Daniel Hope, The Bassam Saba
Ensemble, Ethos Percussion Group and Gamelan Dharma Swara.
While performing with jazz groups, John Hadfield has worked alongside
Lenny Pickett, Kenny Werner, George Garzone, Billy Drewes, Gil Goldstein,
Andrew D'Angelo, Bobby Watson, Satoshi Takeshi, Brad Shepik, Mike Richmond
and Erik Friedlander.
John Hadfield has also collaborated on more than 60 recordings as a guest
artist, including the GRAMMY award winner Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Songs of
Joy and Peace (SONY BMG 2008).
As Downtown Music Gallery founder Bruce Lee Gallanter has summed up in one
of his reviews of John's records, "[w]hat makes this special is that Mr.
Hadfield knows how to use percussion in a more organic way that rarely
deals with any sort of (logical or overused) beats, yet the music remains
consistently fascinating throughout."
Short Bio:
Percussionist John Hadfield's dedication to bending genres has taken him
from the jungles of Indonesia to concert halls and clubs across the world.
At home in New York, Time Out New York has recently pointed out "John
Hadfield's percussion is so impeccable."
John Hadfield has released two records of his own compositions, mainly
written for percussion instruments and electronics but also including
guitar, harp, violin and cello –The Eye of Gordon (2008) and Displaced
(2010). He is currently on the Jazz faculty of New York University, where
he teaches drum set and the World Percussion Ensemble.
John Hadfield's varied expertise has allowed him to perform with a broad
range of ensembles and artists including: Yo-Yo Ma, The Silk Road
Ensemble, The Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, Bang on a Can,The HUM
Ensemble, Sky White Tiger, Deep Purple, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars,
Combo Nuvo, Daniel Hope, Ethos Percussion Group and Gamelan Dharma Swara.
While performing with jazz groups, John Hadfield has worked alongside
Lenny Pickett, Kenny Werner, George Garzone, Billy Drewes, Gil Goldstein,
Andrew D'Angelo, Bobby Watson, Satoshi Takeshi, Brad Shepik, Mike Richmond
and Erik Friedlander.
John Hadfield has also collaborated on more than 60 recordings as a guest
artist, including the GRAMMY award winner Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Songs of
Joy and Peace (SONY BMG 2008).