Jim Donovan (musician)
Encyclopedia
Jim Donovan is a professional drummer and percussionist, a recording artist, writer, teacher and lecturer. He is best known as the drummer and one of the founding members of the band Rusted Root
. He plays both standard drum kit and African hand drums such as the djembe
, ashiko
and talking drum. He is a featured columnist in Drum! Magazine.
and Mbemba Bangoura. He also studied African Music with noted scholar Kwabena Nketia from Ghana. He has researched traditional African music for over 20 years via field recordings, and has continuously integrated his findings into all his music both as a solo recording artist and with Rusted Root. Donovan designed a series of educational drumming workshop programs that he teaches across the US and Europe at universities, festivals, schools, corporations, and specialty venues.
He is a full time instructor of music at Saint Francis University
in Loretto, Pennsylvania
, the current director of the Saint Francis University World Drumming Ensemble, and the director of The annual Rhythm Renewal Drumming Retreat. Teaching highlights include the Omega Institute (2007), The Great Blue Heron Music Festival
(2000–2008), the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance
(2005), the Starwood Festival
and the WinterStar Symposium, and participation in the SpiritDrum Festival (2002), a tribute event to the late African master drummer Babatunde Olatunji
with Muruga Booker
, Sikiru Adepoju
, Perry Robinson
, Halim El-Dabh
, Badal Roy
and Jeff Rosenbaum. http://murugabooker.com/ace.html
, Jimmy Page
and Robert Plant
from Led Zeppelin
, the Grateful Dead
, the Allman Brothers, Sting, and the Dave Matthews Band
. He has also performed with New Age artists Life In Balance
.
on his highly acclaimed CD Live on Earth (For a Limited Time Only). In 2006-2007 he released his first instructional drumming DVD entitled Jim Donovan's Rhythmic Foundation: Interactive African Drumming for Everyone.
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
. He plays both standard drum kit and African hand drums such as the djembe
Djembe
A djembe also known as jembe, jenbe, djbobimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered drum meant played with bare hands....
, ashiko
Ashiko
An ashiko is a kind of drum shaped like a truncated cone and meant to be played with bare hands. The drum is played throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas....
and talking drum. He is a featured columnist in Drum! Magazine.
Education
Donovan studied and played African rhythms with various master drummers such as Congolese master drummer Elie Kihonia, Mamady KeitaMamady Keïta
Mamady Keïta is a master drummer from the West African nation of Guinea. He specializes in the goblet-shaped hand drum called djembe. He is also the founder of the Tam Tam Mandingue school of drumming...
and Mbemba Bangoura. He also studied African Music with noted scholar Kwabena Nketia from Ghana. He has researched traditional African music for over 20 years via field recordings, and has continuously integrated his findings into all his music both as a solo recording artist and with Rusted Root. Donovan designed a series of educational drumming workshop programs that he teaches across the US and Europe at universities, festivals, schools, corporations, and specialty venues.
He is a full time instructor of music at Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular...
in Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is officially part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area as recognized by the US Census Bureau, but local sources list it as part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania area due to its proximity to...
, the current director of the Saint Francis University World Drumming Ensemble, and the director of The annual Rhythm Renewal Drumming Retreat. Teaching highlights include the Omega Institute (2007), The Great Blue Heron Music Festival
The Great Blue Heron Music Festival
The Great Blue Heron Music Festival is an annual festival held the first or second weekend of July in Sherman, New York, a small town in the Amish country side of Western New York. The Great Blue Heron Music Festival, or simply Blue Heron, as it is known, draws several thousand visitors throughout...
(2000–2008), the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance
Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance
Starting in 1991, the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance is an annual festival held the second-to-last weekend of July in Trumansburg, New York, a small town ten miles north of Ithaca. The GrassRoots Festival, or simply GrassRoots, as it is known, draws nearly 20,000 visitors...
(2005), the Starwood Festival
Starwood Festival
The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival presented in mid- to late July. Approximately 1,500 people attend including staff, speakers and entertainers. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects...
and the WinterStar Symposium, and participation in the SpiritDrum Festival (2002), a tribute event to the late African master drummer Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
with Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker is an American drummer, recording artist, and Orthodox priest.- Biography :Booker was born Steven Bookvich in Detroit, Michigan on December 27, 1942 and is of Serbian decent. His father, Melvin Bookvich, was a shoemaker who played accordion. He has a wife, Shakti; a son, Aaron; and a...
, Sikiru Adepoju
Sikiru Adepoju
Sikiru Adepoju is a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, primarily in the genres of traditional African music and world music. He plays a variety of instruments and styles.- Background :...
, Perry Robinson
Perry Robinson
Perry Morris Robinson is an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He is the son of the noted composer Earl Robinson. -Biography:...
, Halim El-Dabh
Halim El-Dabh
Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh is an Egyptian-born American composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who has had a career spanning six decades...
, Badal Roy
Badal Roy
Badal Roy is a tabla player, percussionist, and recording artist known for his work in jazz, world music, and experimental music.-Biography:...
and Jeff Rosenbaum. http://murugabooker.com/ace.html
Performance
Donovan has performed and taught throughout North America and Europe, both with Rusted Root and as a soloist. Performance highlights include opening slots for SantanaSantana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
from Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, the Allman Brothers, Sting, and the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
. He has also performed with New Age artists Life In Balance
Life In Balance
Life in Balance is an American musical duo, consisting of Ami Sciulli and Steve Sciulli, formed in 1996. Their music incorporates instruments and styles associated with sacred music from numerous cultures...
.
Recordings
As a solo artist, Donovan has released 5 highly acclaimed solo CD's, 4 instructional drumming CD's. and has recorded with Triloka recording artist Krishna DasKrishna Das
Krishna Das is a U.S. vocalist known for his performances of Indian devotional music called kirtan . With eight albums released since 1996, Das is perhaps the best known U.S...
on his highly acclaimed CD Live on Earth (For a Limited Time Only). In 2006-2007 he released his first instructional drumming DVD entitled Jim Donovan's Rhythmic Foundation: Interactive African Drumming for Everyone.
Awards & honors
Donovan's CD Revelation #9 was nominated for 2004 Electronica Album of the Year by Just Plain Folks Songwriters organization. He was named winner of the 2008 Best Drum Circle Facilitator award, and is a nominee for 2008 Best Percussion Performance in Drum! Magazine.Discography
- 1998 - Indigo: Music for Exploration Volume 1
- 2000 - Pulse: Music for Exploration Volume 2
- 2000 - Rhythm and Drumming Vol.1 (Play along CD)
- 2001 - Rhythm & Drumming Vol. 2 (Play-along CD)
- 2004 - Revelation #9
- 2005 - Live on Earth (For A Limited Time Only) - Krishna DasKrishna DasKrishna Das is a U.S. vocalist known for his performances of Indian devotional music called kirtan . With eight albums released since 1996, Das is perhaps the best known U.S...
(Triloka) - 2006 - Drum the Ecstatic International Live
- 2006 - The Yoga of Drum and Chant
- 2006 - Rhythmic Foundation Volume 1 Instructional audio CD
- 2006 - Rhythmic Foundation Volume 2 Instructional audio CD
Instructional DVD
- 2007 - Jim Donovan's Rhythmic Foundation: Interactive African Drumming for Everyone Volume 1 DVD
With Rusted Root
- 1994 - When I Woke (Mercury/Universal)
- 1996 - Remember (Mercury/Universal)
- 1996 - Evil Ways (Mercury/Universal)
- 1998 - Rusted Root (Mercury/Universal)
- 2002 - Welcome to My Party (Island)
- 2003 - Cruel Sun (Touchy Pegg)
- 2004 - Rusted Root Live (Touchy Pegg)
- 2005 - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rusted Root (Mercury/Universal)