See MORE pictures of Terry in action!

VIC FIRTH SIGNATURE ARTIST
TERRY BOZZIO

"No Bounds. Out of Bounds. No Holds Barred."

These are just a few of the phrases attributed to the intense, spiritualistic drumming of Terry Bozzio. Drummers worldwide respect him for his technical voracity and unconventional forum. His singular style is peppered with odd tempo rhythms, inconceivable musical passages and an undeniably distinct sound and feeling. For more than twenty years, Terry has graced the albums, studios and stages of some of the world's greatest performers.

Terry's background began in 1971, when he graduated from the College of Marin with a degree in music. From there, he played with the local Marin and Napa Symphonies. This exposure landed him gigs with many top jazz musicians at the time, including Pete Escovedo, Art Lande, Eddie Henderson, Julian Priester and Woody Shaw. In 1974, and exceptional artist named Frank Zappa asked Terry to collaborate on some projects. These projects turned into 10 albums, 3 world tours and a movie, Baby Snakes. With Frank Zappa, Bozzio contested the boundaries. While many drummers were busy connecting dots, Terry was drawing outside them.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT:

Clip 1: Harmonic Etude
  Terry plays on piccolo toms tuned to a diatonic scale, allowing him to play arpeggios throughout the harmonic chord progressions.
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Clip 2: Ufuk
  Turkish word meaning "horizons." This composition features what Bozzio describes as a "Debussy-like" cymbal theme.
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Clip 3: Ufuk
  Cut #2. In this excerpt, Terry introduces the drums as a new voice and explores variations on the established cymbal theme.
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Clip 4: Djon don
  An African influenced piece, from Bozzio's CD, Drawing the Circle. Terry's light work around the toms explodes into a tribal groove.
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Clip 5: Djon don
  Cut #2. Terry improvises over the African influenced groove established in the first clip, incorporating cymbal sounds.
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Clip 6: Jazz for 1
  Bozzio's take on the American art form. A one-man jazz composition for drumset with a waking bassline on the toms!
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Clip 7: Jazz for 1
  Cut #2. A continuation and expansion of the themes presented in the first excerpt.
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Clip 8: Klangfarben Melodie
  Check out Terry's unconventional funk composition! Terry explores different cymbal timbres while keeping time.
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Clip 9: Klangfarben Melodie
  Cut# 2. Terry continues the established funk groove, adding a melody orchestrated on the cymbals.
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Clip 10: Ibo
  Terry Bozzio, arr. M. Varner
Including the UTA Percussion Ensemble
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Check out Terry's Signature Stick:
Terry Bozzio (STB1)
Long and thin for speed and response. Helmet shaped tip provides boldness on toms, brilliance on cymbals.
L = 16 1/4", Dia. = .550"

Bio continued...

One of his most well known drum pieces, The Black Page, was written by Zappa as a challenge to him. After an extensive stint with Zappa, musicians and drummers worldwide were warmed to Bozzio's extraordinary talent. In 1977, Terry further displayed his drumming fervor with the Brecker Brothers on Heavy Metal Be-Bop. He toured with them until 1979 when he began work with two new ventures, first U.K.- a group formed by Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth and Eddie Jobson. The band cut two albums and successfully toured the U.S. and Europe. Later that year, he recorded an album with Group 87, a band formed with good friends Mark Isham and Patrick O'Hearn. Although Terry chose not to be a member of the band, he plans to record another album with Group 87 sometime in the future.

1980 marked a major turning point in Bozzio's career. Fueled by the remarkable swell of new wave music, Terry formed a new band, Missing Persons. The group added a refreshing new sound to the music scene of the early 80's and their albums, such as Spring Session M, are still played regularly today. As the producer, writer, set and stage designer for Missing Persons, Bozzio led the band to four fruitful albums, numerous videos and many world tours.

Recently, Bozzio has been playing with artists such as Jeff Beck, Tony Hymas and Dweezil Zappa, all the while balancing a solo career that expands and advances the boundaries of the conventional drumset sound. Bozzio continues to prove that one man, all by himself, can make orchestral, thematic music on the drums.