E. J. Strickland

   Drummer E.J. Strickland is currently a member of the long-lived quartet of Ravi Coltrane (along with Luis Perdomo & Drew Gress), and his brother Marcus Strickland’s celebrated electric/acoustic quartets & trio.  He also leads his own bands, The E.J. Strickland Quintet & The E.J. Strickland Project.  His playing has been described as emitting “fields of cumulative energy, clouds of feather-touch and heavy-handed syncopations, latent with power like an oncoming storm” (Thomas Conrad, Downbeat Magazine).  Amongst his discography of over 25 album titles with various recording artists, his long-anticipated debut album “In This Day” (Strick Muzik) will soon be released in 2009.

Enoch Jamal Strickland was born in Gainesville and raised in Miami, Florida. His father, a former percussionist for the Fort Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra and a jazz enthusiast, immersed E.J. and his twin bother Marcus with music from Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, The Jazz Crusaders, Led Zeppelin, and Jimmy Hendricks. Unsurprisingly, he chose to study music when he turned 11, and decided to pursue a career as a professional musician a year later.

He attended The New World School of the Arts (Miami) for high school, studying classical music as well as jazz. He found great influences in drummers like Elvin Jones, “Philly” Joe Jones, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Brian Blade, and many, many others. After meeting Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis, and Bobby Watson at Miami clinics, the Strickland brothers decided to go to New York City to further pursue their studies and goals.

In 1997, E.J. attended The New School for Social Research, where he studied piano, polished his skills as a composer, and studied with some of the world’s greatest drummers: Joe Chambers, Michael Carvin, Carl Allen, Ralph Peterson, Lewis Nash, and Jimmy Cobb. He started to develop a sound when The Marcus Strickland Quartet was formed, adding classmates Robert Glasper and Brandon Owens. Before earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Performance, he had already performed with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Nneenna Freelon, Abbey Lincoln, Christian McBride, Herbie Hancock, Wessell Anderson, and Dianne Reeves.

E.J. is also currently touring & performing with Cassandra Wilson, George Colligan quartet & trio, and the David Gilmore trio.

E.J. Strickland’s Discography

1.) “Extra Pressure” Distinction Records 1999 – Eric Person & Meta-Four

2.) “At Last” Fresh Sound New Talent 2001 – Marcus Strickland Quartet

3.) “Simple Pleasure” High Note Records 2001 – Vincent Herring

4.) “Breathing Room” Fresh Sound New Talent 2001 – David Weiss Sextet

5.) “On The Loose” Sharp Nine Records 2001 – Class of 2001

6.) “Innocence of Youth” Fresh Sound New Talent 2001 – Xavier Davis

7.) “All Too Real” High Note Records 2002 – Vincent Herring

8.) “Higher Ground” Blue Moon 2002 – Myron Walden

9.) “Brotherhood” Fresh Sound New Talent 2003 – Marcus Strickland Quartet

10.) “Mr. Wizard” High Note Records 2004 – Vincent Herring

11.) “Playground” Max Jazz 2004 – Russell Malone

12.) “In Flux” Savoy Records 2004 – Ravi Coltrane

13.) “The Mirror” Fresh Sound New Talent 2004 – David Weiss Sextet & Octet

14.) “This Way” Fresh Sound New Talent 2005 – Myron Walden

15.) “Gemini” Mack Avenue 2005 – Sean Jones

16.) “Blood Pressure” Ultimatum Records 2006 – George Colligan

17.) “Twi-Life” Strick Muzik 2006 – Marcus Strickland Quartets

18.) “One Peace” Iacuessa Records 2007 – Gregg August Sextet

19.) “Open Reel Deck” Strick Muzik 2007 – Marcus Strickland

20.) “Out From The Underground” Steeplechase 2007 – Tom Guarna

21.) “Runaway” Sunnyside 2008 – George Colligan

22.) “On The Real Side” Times Square Records 2008 – Freddie Hubbard

23.) “Blending Times” Savoy Records 2009 – Ravi Coltrane

24.) “East Harlem Skyline” Zoho Records 2009 – Greg Skaff

25.) “In This Day” Strick Muzik 2009 – E.J. Strickland Quintet