Name: James McRae

Instruments Offered for Study:

• Drums

Years Playing/Teaching:

• Playing 32,
• Teaching p/t 20

Education:

• Drummers collective NYC in 1983. Studied privately with many great drummers, Al Wiertz{student of Jim Blackleys}, Elliot Zigmund, Lenny White, Kenwood Dennard, Michael Carvin, and others.
• Banff jazz workshop 1982 with scholarship.

Instruments & Equipment Used:

• Rick Marotta - Signature Series Yamaha 'Hipgig' Drumset
• James has an eclectic kit with some vintage Ludwig drums in combination with handmade drums. Both sets are smaller jazztype set ups. The cymbals that he uses are K Ziljian 14" hihats, 18 AA 'El Sabor' Sabian crash/ride and 20" vintage 'No Name' ride that he got at the real canadian superstore...
• James also has an assortment of other Ziljian cymbals which he uses on occasion.

Currently Performing With:

• George McFetridge Trio
• Marty Franklins 'Kajambu'
• The Good Neighbours electro
• Jeanie and the Groove Daddies and Brio Trio
  
  
  

List Of Upcoming Gigs:

• Every 2nd Sunday at Pagliacci's on Broad St. in Victoria.
• Parksville Jazz Festival July 15th,
• Wednesdays in july at 'Katz'- Good Neighbours
• Groove Daddies- aug 12/13th White Hart Pub

Professional Experience:

It runs the whole stylistic gamut. Most recent work involves Jazz combo type work, but the pop band is starting to pick up some work!

A long time ago James played in a few different rock bands doing cheap paying gigs but playing creative original music. That morphed into playing in a few more middle of the road bands doing covers and making better bread-playing less creative music.

James also worked with a couple doing country music on and off in the Vancouver area - mostly at the Legions halls. All the while he was pursuing jazz gigs with Hugh Fraser and 'gettin off easy' and etc (sporadic).

James was involved in a few different Latin/African working type projects - 'Dido and the Hand People' and 'Caravan'. He worked with an R&B group called 'Don Hardy and the 11 O'clock Blues Band'

During the 80's and later in the 80's did work with 'Amanda Hughes' and 'Zone 5' a Funk band with an emphasis on some of Amanda's originals. James freelanced around Vancouver in the 80's and played all styles of music. He even played in the New Westminister Orchestra for a time, and also did a few theatre type shows - JC Superstar, Cabaret etc.

After that James played in a 'show band' doing better paying gigs around Vancouver, and played with the Douglas College Big Band around 1984/85? James am on a few albums that they relesead.

Into the 90's all James's work was primarily with a group called 'Loose' a dynamic Jazz/Rock trio with Marc Atkinson (now in The Billhilly Band) and Scott White (Presently in Europe with Circ De Soeli) that played the Jazz festivals across Canada a few times. They also played as Losse Gypsies, a quartet version included Dan Lapp.

During 1996/97 James worked with the latin group "Kumbia" and am on their sole CD recording as well.

Artists Performed With:

• Miles Black
• George McFetridge
• Peder Long
• Sean Drabitt
• Marc Atkinson
• Marty Frankin
• Colin James
• Amanda Hughes
• Floyd Standifer
• Sarah Marrieros
• Many other more obscure Jazz Artists... ;)

Concert & Festival Appearances:

• Jazz festivals across Canada during the 90's
• Frostbite festival in whitehorse 1992/93
• Bluegrass festival on Granville Island early 90's
• West Coast Jazz Festival, April 17 2004 with Decadance and Etc.
• Victoria Jazz Festival june 26 2005 Marty Frankin and Kajambu
• Parksville Jazzfest 2004 and 2005
  

Recordings:

• 'Loose' CD circa 1994.
• Douglas College Albums 85/86 approx.
• 'Kumbia' CD-1997.
• Various cassette releases

Career Highlights:

• Doing the Jazz Festival gigs when some amazing artist would be in the audience and you were playing for them!!
• Playing for Joe Lovano
• Opening for Alan Holdsworth with chad wakermann on drums was cool!
• Having Elis Marselis come down to see us play and then sitting in for a few tunes near the end of the night was special
• Doing the New Years gig in Edmonton back in 1985 with Colin James
• Opening for K.D. Lang was fun - seeing as she got so huge afterwards
• Playing with 'Loose' was, and continuing to play improvisational music in particular, is a real highlight for me.

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