Robby Ameen

Last updated
Robby Ameen
Born (1960-12-07) December 7, 1960 (age 63)
Origin New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Drummer, composer, bandleader, educator
Website www.robbyameenmusic.com

Robby Ameen (born December 7, 1960) is an American drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator who resides in New York City. Although he is of Lebanese Druze origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban style he has created. He is regarded as one of the world's most prominent drummers in the area of Latin Jazz. [1]

Contents

In 1985 he became a member of Ruben Blades’ Seis del Solar band. Other long-term band memberships include Dave Valentin, Conrad Herwig’s “Latin Side of… All Stars", Kip Hanrahan, and Jack Bruce and the Cuicoland Express. In 2011 Ameen won a Latin Grammy for best Salsa record with Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar, “Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 1 and 2.” As a sideman he has recorded on other Grammy winning records including Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar's “Escenas” and Brian Lynch's “Simpatico”. [2] Ameen was the drummer from the inception of the PaulSimon album "Songs from the Capeman", as well as having been the drummer throughout "The Capeman" show's run on Broadway in 1997-1998. In 2012, Ameen was the subject of an episode of the Emmy Award-winning Detroit Public Television series “Arab American Stories”. [3]

Early life and education

Ameen was born in 1960 in New Haven, Connecticut. [4]

Studied drum set with CJ Everett, Ed Blackwell, and classical percussion with Fred Hinger.

BA Literature, Yale University, 1982

Career

As a sideman, Ameen has appeared on hundreds of records with such artists as Ruben Blades, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Paul Simon, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, Conrad Herwig, Carly Simon, Mongo Santamaria, Hilton Ruiz, Kirsty MacColl, and many others. As a session musician Ameen has recorded numerous jingles, film scores, and TV music, including the popular HBO series Sex and the City .

As an educator, Ameen is the co-author with bassist Lincoln Goines of the best-selling instructional book “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums” (Alfred Music), and the follow-up DVD, “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums” (Alfred Music). He is an international clinician and percussion/drum festival participant, including the Modern Drummer Festival and PASIC. He is currently on the faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Discography

As a leader

As a co-leader

As a sideman (selected)

With Dizzy Gillespie

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References

Modern Drummer February 2023, January 2010, January 2004, April ’94

DrumHead issue #22

Downbeat March 2010

  1. "Robby Ameen | Latin Percussion®". Archived from the original on 2014-12-24. Retrieved 2014-11-19.
  2. "Robby Ameen | Credits". AllMusic .
  3. "Home". arabamericanstories.org.
  4. "Drummerszone - Robby Ameen".