Labeled the "Buddy Rich or Billy Cobham of funk drumming" by Jazz Times Magazine, Jim Payne has a long career as a drummer, educator, producer, and collaborator with the best musicians in jazz and funk.
Currently, he is a member of the online faculty at Berklee College of Music where he teaches R&B/Funk drumming to students from the U.S. and all over the world. And through his new online teaching course: Online Drum Lessons with Jim Payne, he works directly with his students, giving individual comments, advice and suggestions after each lesson.
An established teacher in New York City, Jim taught at Drummers Collective for ten years, gave classes at Drummers World and the Modern Drum Shop, was an adjunct faculty member of SUNY Purchase College, and has taught at the Manhattan School of Music.
Jim has performed with Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Slickaphonics, the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and The Jim Payne Band, among many others. His performance venues have included major European and U.S. jazz and blues festivals, including Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and Paris Jazz Festival.
At King Snake Records in Orlando, Florida, he spent 3 years as a studio musician and producer, working with such stellar musicians as James Taylor, Edgar Winter and Lucky Peterson.
Jim is the author of eight instructional and biographical books/DVDs:
Give The Drummers Some: The Great Drummers of R&B, Funk & Soul (Face The Music Pub.)
Funk Drumming (Mel Bay Pub.)
Advanced Funk Drumming: A Progressive Approach to Modern Drum set Grooves (Modern Drummer Pub.)
Drumming with the Mambo King (co-written with Tito Puente) (Hudson Music Pub.)
Tito Puente: King of Latin Music (Hudson Music Pub.)
Drums from Day One (Mel Bay Pub.)
The Complete Book of Funk Drumming (Mel Bay Pub.)
100 Famous Funk Beats (Mel Bay Pub.)
Jim Payne’s producer credits include:
Medeski Martin & Wood (It's A Jungle In Here, and Friday Afternoon In The Universe)
The J.B. Horns (The J.B. Horns: Pee Wee, Fred & Maceo, and Funky Good Time, Live In Tokyo)
Mike Clark and Paul Jackson (The Funk Stops Here) Featuring Kenny Garrett.
Jim Payne’s NY Funk featuring Ray Anderson, Mike Clark, Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley and Jim Payne.
Pee Wee Ellis (Blues Mission)
John Medeski/David Fiuczynski (Lunar Crush)
Jim Payne Band (Sensei, Energie, and Yes!)
A well-known clinician at the annual PASIC International Percussion Convention, Jim has also given many clinics at colleges, universities and drum stores.
He is a member of the Modern Drummer Education Team and is a regular contributor to Modern Drummer Magazine, offering insight on the R&B grooves of Bernard Purdie, Clyde Stubblefield and many others.
He endorses DW Drums, Paiste cymbals, Remo drum heads, and Vater sticks.
After many years in New York City, Jim and his wife, Joanna, have relocated to Monterey, California, where he concentrates on teaching and performing
