Global percussionist and educator Jamey Haddad has officially joined the artist roster of SONOR Drums, bringing decades of cross-cultural musical experience to the company’s community of celebrated performers.
Known for his expansive approach to rhythm, Haddad has spent more than two decades touring and recording with legendary multi-platinum singer-songwriter Paul Simon, while also collaborating with an extraordinary range of artists across jazz, classical, and global music traditions. His work has connected him with esteemed figures such as Sting, Esperanza Spalding, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Lovano, and Dave Liebman, among many others. Haddad also performs with the Grammy Award-winning global ensemble Bokanté and leads his own project, Under One Sun, whose debut recording earned recognition from DownBeat magazine.
A Fulbright Scholar who studied Carnatic music in South India, Haddad has received multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and honors including the Cleveland Arts Prize and recognition as a “Legend of Jazz” from the Cleveland Jazz Society. He has also been consistently acknowledged in the percussion world, including being named Top World Percussionist by DRUM! Magazine as well as one of the top four world-percussionists by Modern Drummer.
In addition to his extensive performance career, Haddad has played a significant role in music education. He recently stepped down after two decades as a full professor at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he led the Performance and Improvisation program. His teaching has also included long tenures at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, and The New School, and he continues to mentor musicians through workshops and programs around the world.
Haddad currently performs on SONOR’s SQ1 Series and Vintage Series drum sets. “Over the years I have had a chance to perform on various models of SONOR drums, but over the past year I had my first chance to play the VINTAGE drums with an 18-inch bass drum in the studio,” said Haddad. “They had a controlled, punchy sound that did not ring too long. It really spoke to me, that simply! The look and the feel were outstanding, and I know the attention to detail with all the shells and the hardware are world famous for their thoughtful design.”
SONOR Drums is proud to welcome Jamey Haddad to its international family of artists and looks forward to supporting his continued musical excellence on stages and in studios around the world.
For more information on Jamey Haddad and SONOR Drums, please visit:https://www.sonor.com/drums/artists/artists-detail/jamey-haddad
