E.J. Strickland

Enoch Jamal “E.J.” Strickland is the world-class, world-traveled drummer, composer, educator, and artist you’ve heard on many albums in the last 10-plus years. The Miami native grew up in a creative household, where his dad was a percussionist in the Ft. Lauderdale Orchestra; his twin brother Marcus played the saxophone; and where E.J. beat on pots, pans, and tables until he finally got his hands on the drums. He was only in middle school; but E.J. knew then that jazz was his calling. Where does one go as a young jazz musician, serious about the work? New York City, of course. Like so many talented artists before him, E.J. chose the New School to further his jazz education, a course of study that would introduce him to greater technical ability, but really, to the meat of any jazz program: teachers and peers. Reggie Workman. Buster Williams. Billy Harper—just to name a few of the living legend, caring instructors who guided E.J. during his tenure. And the peers? Friends who would spend almost every moment together, growing as young men, musicians, and future leaders of the sound: Mike Moreno, Robert Glasper, Brandon Owens, and Marcus Baylor. Together, they formed a group that would shape their voices, and establish their careers. E.J. quickly graduated into New York’s gigging jazz scene, playing early on with Russell Malone and Ravi Coltrane. Both men proved to be big brother types for E.J., gently guiding him to establishing his voice. “Russell really stressed the point that as a drummer, you’re supposed to make the music feel good,” he says. “I always try to remember what he instilled in me.” Ravi Coltrane lent a similar kind of open-ended guidance, telling E.J. to simply “find something” in the music. Just what that would be was up to him. Since his early appearances with Malone, Coltrane, and others E.J. Strickland has gone on to be an accomplished composer, bandleader and educator. His 2009 release In This Day featured his quintet, comprised of Marcus Strickland, Jaleel Shaw, Luis Perdomo, and Hans Glawischnig, in an eclectic blend of musical settings: some Afro-Cuban, some Latin sounds; guest vocalists and instrumentalists—even a spoken word poet. Variety—of influence and interest—might be the key word for E.J. in his creative approach. “Growing up, we listened to all kinds of music in the house,” he says. “Miles, Stevie; just good music.” He studied classical and Latin percussion from an early age, even working with the great Cuban drummer Ignacio Berroa. Throw in a healthy dose of hip-hop, and see you can see where the richness of sound begins. The openness that led E.J. to his creative voice is the same trait that makes him a successful educator. A private teacher, coach, master class and clinic instructor, he focuses on the individual student, their personality and interests, in order to best guide them. “I never tell them, You have to do this, or that. I try to show them that music is a wide, wide world of possibility. And I try to make it fun. I always try to remember that music is fun.” Fun. Stirring. Intriguing. Kinetic: There are so many moods and meanings enmeshed into E.J. Strickland’s music, his myriad influences and ideas crossing and branching out in every direction. He reminds us: “You’re not going to hear a traditional jazz drummer. You’re going to hear someone who’s drawing from many different styles, many different approaches. That’s what my true voice is.” Welcome to the Musician/Band page of E.J. Strickland. Drummer, Bandleader, Composer, & Educator. Here you can find updates on The E.J. Strickland Quintet, Transient Beings, & other engagements. Visit both "Tour Dates" & "Concerts" Tabs.