524 – Poogie Bell: Stay curious

Poogie Bell, often characterized as a groove and pocket drummer, maybe slightly mislabeled. Sure, he’s laid in the pocket with notable artists like Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan and had a more than decade-long career with Marcus Miller, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Bell grew up in NYC with his father, a professional pianist, who regularly rehearsed at home with Ron Carter, Richard Davis, Ornette Coleman, Max Roach, and Mary Lou Williams, and the bassist Paul Chambers was a neighbor. Bell was playing straight-ahead gigs by the time he was in middle school and has continued a career as both a sideman and bandleader, weaving through every genre imaginable, for the greater part of five decades.

Poogie Bell talks about:

• His dad’s music career in New York
• How living in New York has changed over the years
• Growing up with great and diverse musical influences
• How to develop your own sound and why that counts
• Adapting to change in the music industry
• Creating a legacy for yourself
• Why you should learn every aspect of the business you’re in
• Finding balance and having faith during the ruts
• Much more

Resource / Links mentioned:

• Contact Poogie: Website
• Splice: https://splice.com/