AARON MCLENDON - New York City Based Drummer . Composer . Educator .

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NEWS December 26th, 2011Thank you to everone who came out to Angel's & SOhO!Always an honor to play with such amazing musicians.December 12th, 2011Next week, California!Always excited to catch-up with friends, beach, tacos al-pastor...Have shows in Santa Monica _ Angel's & Santa Barbara _ SOhO, featuring some of my favorite musicians:Bob Reynolds - tenor (Angel's)Garrett Smith - trombone (Angel's)Gustavo Lizarraga - tenor (SOhO)Ben Wilmore - guitar (SOhO)Sam Barsh - piano/keyboardsMarcos Varela - bassCome listen & hang!December 1st, 2011Been a busy fall of traveling, and I'm now gearing up for some exciting NYC gigs & a SoCal work-cation in 2 weeks. Looking forward to connecting with some close SB & LA friends.I'll also be teaching at Mike's Drum Shop in Santa Barbara, CA on Thurs., Dec. 22nd. Contact me to reserve a time slot.July 20th, 2011Just got back from a great tour with Red Baraat - These guys bring the HEAT!Using this time at home to push ahead on the drums and the production side.June 12th, 2011Going to California this week & will be teaching at Mike's Drum Shop on SUNDAY, JUNE 19th. Email me if you're in and around Santa Barbara, CA & we'll reserve a time slot.Mike's is an SB institution, and the place where I got all of this started. Always great to hang with my teachers & hopefully impart some knowledge to fellow aspiring drummers.May 14th, 2011Excited about a new licensing agreement w/ Jingle Punks Music LLC. Been writing a lot using Ableton 8 w/ the Novation Launchpad. Also looking forward to some summer dates with Red Baraat! These folks throw down!May 10th, 2011New look, sam great taste: aaronmclendon.com 3.0////////////////Mamiko Kitaura's new record, To Become The Wind, is now available on CD Baby & iTunes!Feat. my close friends & colleagues:Mamiko Kitaura - Piano/CompositionMalcolm Kirby Jr - Bass/Throwdown05.10.10*BIRTHDAY CONCERT/SESSION* TUESDAY, JUNE 1st!!! 9pROSE LIVE MUSIC345 Grand St., Brooklyn, NY 11222(GOOGLE MAPS)New Music, Featuring:QUINTET: w/ Shane Endsley, Ben Wendel, Gerald Clayton, Gilad Hekselman, Malcolm KirbyUNDERBELLY: w/ Phil Rodriguez, Beth Schenck, Matt Wrobel, Simon Kafka, Kevin Farrell, Ben CampbellNOTORIOUS: w/ Phil Rodriguez, Nathan Herrera, Kevin FarrellTRIO: w/ Mamiko Kitaura, Malcolm KirbyDUO: w/ Nathan Herrera** JAM SESSION TO FOLLOW!!! **04.11.10 *NEW BAND ALERT* ULTRA FORCE w/ Ryan Blotnick (g) & Malcolm Kirby (b) will be _ Zebulon (Williamsburg) this Thursday 9p. No Cover. 04.02.10Excited to be recording _ Bennett Studios tomorrow with Mamiko Kitaura & Malcolm Kirby. Look for the album later this year.02.18.10Playing a great show with keyboard maestros Sam Barsh & Taylor Eigsti on Sat, 2.20 _ The Stoop at The Church For All Nations. It's part of the Jazz underGround series & starts _ 8p. Click the link on the left for directions.01.11.10As the 'news' changes from 3rd to 1st person, I am now back in NYC after an amazing time in SoCal. Shows _ the Piano Bar & Vitello's were especially memorable! Also, thank you to all who were involved with my show _ SOhO, Santa Barbara, for making it such a huge success! It just might turn into an anual concert, so stay tuned.I'm looking forward to 2010 being the best year yet!12.07.09Aaron will be escaping the New York winter by staying in Southern California from December 13th - January 7th!Aside from performances in LA & SB, Aaron will be also be teaching _ Mikes Drum Shop, in Santa Barbara, CA on Sun, Dec. 20th. Use the contact form to reserve a time-slot.11.23.09Finally, after years of research and development, billions of dollars in investor finance, and countless epochs full of blood, sweat and technological agitation, aaronmclendon.com is now fully operational!Check back here for updates on upcoming projects, shows and tours.
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BIO Born & raised in Santa Barbara, CA, and based in New York City, drummer / composer / educator Aaron McLendon has quickly become a prominent voice in his generation.Being raised by musician parents helped Aaron develop a keen sense of such musicality during childhood. From early on, he was exposed to Western Classical music, 60s/70s rock & soul, jazz, and the pop world of the 80s. After four years of piano lessons, and with his parents' encouragement, Aaron began playing drums at the age of thirteen, taking lessons every Sunday at Mike's Drum Shop with Barry Birmingham. While in high school, he studied drum set technique & all styles extensively with the renowned Craig Thatcher, who gave him the inspiration to become a professional musician. His high school band director, Isaac Jenkins, taught him not only how to function as drummer in a band, but how to be a musician first. Emanuel 'Bucket' Baker (who has worked with Erykah Badu, Macy Gray, & Michael Jackson) taught him of the importance of time, groove and 'pocket' in music.McLendon's first collegiate experience was at William Patterson University, in Wayne, NJ, where he studied with the late James Williams, Harold Mayburn, Horace Arnold, and John Riley (author of the influential books, The Art of Bop Drumming & Beyond Bop Drumming). Upon transferring to California Institute of the Arts, Aaron immersed himself in the unique West African Program, studying Ewe Music extensively with Alfred and Kobla Ladzekpo. His jazz educators at CalArts included Joe LaBarbara, Aaron Serfaty, Charlie Haden, Darek Oles, Larry Koonse, Vinny Golia, Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, and Macedonian guitarist Miroslav Tadic.After receiving his Master of Fine Arts Degree from CalArts, McLendon remained in Los Angeles, where he performed with such diverse artists as Alan Pasqua, Ben Wendel, Tigran Hamasyan, Miles Mosley, The Circle, George Clinton, Josh Nelson, Raya Yarborough, and Angelo Moore (of Fishbone), amongst others. He also appeared in the music video for Sean Kingston's Beautiful Girls.In 2005/2006 Aaron toured in support of Concord Records' A New Generation Goes Back to Cool, performing with roommate Taylor Eigsti, Christian Scott & Erin Boheme. Eigsti & Scott have since been Grammy-nominated. McLendon later performed on Eigsti's acclaimed 2008 release, Let It Come To You (Concord).In Los Angeles he also met pianist Eldar Djangirov, with whom he toured the world with in 2007. One such trip brought them to Arturo Sandoval's Jazz Club in Miami, where the owner himself sat-in for an entire evening. Television appearances included Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel and the Jo Suarez Show (in Sao Paulo, Brazil).That same year, McLendon relocated to the New York City borough of Brooklyn. He has since performed with such artists as Kurt Elling, Ben Monder, Sam Barsh, Taylor Eigsti's Free Agency (with Gretchen Parlato, Becca Stevens, Gerald Clayton, & Harish Raghavan), amongst others.In 2008, Aaron recorded and toured with Academy Award-Winning Actor/Singer/Songwriter Terrence Howard. McLendon was featured throughout Shine Thought It (Sony/BMG), Howard's debut album, which peaked at No. 6 & spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B Chart. Television appearances included The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, and The View.Current projects Bump 3 (with Malcolm Kirby & Mamiko Kitaura), an original songwriting project, an original instrumental record, as well as freelancing with the finest names in music today.
DISCOGRAPHY

Terrence Howard Shine Through It (2008 Sony/BMG)

Mamiko Kitaura To Become The Wind (2010 MK2)

Miles Mosley Bear (2007 Taming Bear)

Taylor Eigsti Let It Come To You (2008 Concord)

Sebastian Robin Craig Volition (2007 Naughty Oedi)

Various Artists CalArts Jazz (2002-5 Capitol/EMI)

The Industrial Jazz Group The Star Chamber (2004 Innova)

Noush Skaugen Palomino (2007 Skaugen Music)

1231179009_erin-boheme-what-love-is-2006

Erin Boheme What Love Is (2006 Concord)

RESUME

PERFORMANCES WITH:

Singer Kurt Elling (2010 Grammy Winner & 8-Time Grammy Nominee)

Funk Icon George Clinton

Pianist Taylor Eigsti (Multi-Grammy Nominee)

Actor/Singer/Songwriter Terrence Howard (2006 Academy Award Winner)

Jazz Legend Charlie Haden (Multi-Grammy Winner)

Pianist Eldar Djangirov (2008 Grammy Nominee)

Pianist Tigran Hamasyan (Winner of the 2007 Thelonious Monk Competition)

Trumpeter Christian Scott (2007 Grammy Nominee)

Singer/Songwriter Lonnie Jordan (Founder/Lead Singer of War)

Singer/Songwriter Angelo Moore (Founder/Lead Singer of Fishbone)

TELEVISION APPEARANCES:

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