Guitar Center Sessions: Gavin Harrison - Killer Joe

Drummer Gavin Harrison boasts an impressive resume. Known primarily for his playing with prog masters Porcupine Tree, Harrison has lent his astonishing skills to a diverse list of artists including Iggy Pop and Lisa Stansfield. Since 2008, he has also been a member of original prog rock group, King Krimson. In addition, Gavin Harrison's instructional books Rhythmic Designs, Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives, as well as his DVDs Rhythmic Horizons and Rhythmic Visions have been hailed as essential material on complex poly-rhythms and creative drumming.

[@b.lim_]

I find Gavin highly underrated... His playing is so creative and his style is so complex. He can play light jazz and swing like this perfectly and still rock out in hard rock/metal situations. He bridges a seemingly impossible gap between the world of jazz and hard rock drummers which I think is really unique. Aside from that, he sure is one hell of a rhythmical genius. Creating some of the most oddest rhythms in 4/4 I have EVER heard, especially in Bonnie the Cat. He is a drumming LEGEND!

[@Kingding6]

Gavin is sublime. Remarkable control, finesse, style, musicality, chops, feeling and, possibly most importantly, he has a knack for playing exactly what the song needs. He has chops to blow but exercises restraint when the song calls for it. He is such an incredible player.

[@idefixweirdo]

Well said! Gavin Harrison is one of my favourite drummers. He has such a great feeling, precise drumming and timing while he is living in the music contributing with his unique style with lots of variety and subtle nuances! However he never sounds too dominant like so many other brilliant drummers.

[@wordplay799]

Gavin Harrison has some of the best hands and feet I've ever heard and remains humble whilst being brilliant. I honestly think he can play any style with any other musicians you'd care to name. Or just solo for that matter🥁

[@nemozack3767]

I copy It all, totally agree.

[@GSA_Drums]

Every Note anticipated and Played to perfection. One of The best Drummers alive today :)

[@endornaut]

You pronounced "ever" wrongly.

[@homerocampos7641]

I agree. Gavin and Carter Beauford are my favorites. By the way, the sentance “alive today” sounds a bit funny 😂

[@Creothcean]

Gee, thanks whoever filmed/edited this for that foot shot of him not even playing the bass drum at 4:38 when we COULD have been watching the fill his hands were playing.

[@Kingding6]

When I sit down at my kit, Gavin is exactly the drummer I hear in my head, The one I want to sound like.He combines outrageous technique, beautiful simplicity and some of the best phrasing I've ever heard on the drums

[@craigmclanachan1663]

In my humble opinion the best of the best because he thinks everything through and doesn't dominate. Brilliant!

[@7pastorb]

Totally agree...maybe one of the best of the modern era. He isn't about flash, he sort of...rides the music...like a wave. He rises when it rises he falls when it falls....I know its just dynamics but so few drummers and musicians in general really understand being part of the dynamics rather than trying to create your own inside a song....this guy is not good he is great...ranked in my top3 of all time honestly.

[@amargnwalkr]

Just... gorgeous. Not overplayed in the slightest. Shows you what a truly great drummer should do.

[@brentjames2012]

I’m not sure how I only just heard of this guy about 8 or so months ago….. but holy fuck! This guy is an amazing drummer!

[@killercreek450]

I don't play drums (yet..), but have had a burning passion for them and whenever i get to play on one of my friends kits i can't stop. it's an incredible feeling to create sounds using your entire body. it's extremely expressive and it's a joy to be able to watch these expert players do what they do best.

[@ultimate0death]

Oh my God. Gavin truly displays the mastery of all drumming styles.

[@ryrodrums6727]

So many great ideas, executed flawlessly. My fave

[@danny-casey]

definitely one of the best drummes i've ever seen

[@kkeeooppss]

Gavin's groove is absolutely MADNESS!!! The way he plays, his smoothness is so beautiful, and he make you feels like if he was playing your drum sitting next to you... 10 fir Gavin Harrison again!

[@IrisvS_76]

4:51 Love the footwork, looks like he is dancing behind his kit, it's just so elegant. Harrison is a pleasure to watch and listen to 😊

[@Unibabble]

You have got to be kidding me! I've seen so many videos of him now, but honestly, this one blows my mind the most - how about those dynamics? His subtlety and taste? And he can swing! So elegant and precise, his ability to manipulate the beat in real time so seamlessly? Is there any music genre in the world that Gavin Harrison couldn't improve by playing it? I don't think so. In a world of people seemingly going crazier every day, seeing someone able to display such tremendous skill and expertise so effortlessly is balm for the soul. Fantastic!

[@subwoofer6726]

God I wish there was a play-along to this! This tune is killer and only aggravating that Gavin is making want to play this more and more.

[@jonnifjader]

What a fantastic drummer!!

[@mattdaggett3695]

The more i watch HIM.....the more impressed i am

[@rhspercussionistguy]

As a drummer, I loved it. As a music appreciator, I still loved it. That says alot about Gavin's mastery of the drums, and mastery of serving the music. Probably one of the best drummers EVER.

[@promethiousb1489]

Pure class,,,,100%,,,,smooth as silk,,musically spot on...

[@shaygahweh]

What a beautiful, beautiful video..... A true master of the instrument.

[@steveaachen62]

🇬🇧...what else could I say about Gavin Harrison that hasn't already been said?! Just one thing, he is without a doubt, in my opinion, one of the most complete drummers of our time! On top of that, there's the fabulous sounding drum kit from SONOR - simply unmistakable...! 🇩🇪...was könnte ich bloß zu Gavin Harrison noch sagen was ohnehin nicht schon längst gesagt wurde?! Nur eines, er ist ohne Zweifel aus meiner Sicht einer der komplettesten Schlagzeuger der Jetztzeit! Hinzu kommt noch das sagenhaft klingende Drumkit von SONOR - einfach unverwechselbar...!

[@henriqueccruz]

Oh man, this guy manages to get such a gorgeous sound out of his drums and cymbals! And the most amazing thing is that the sound is his hands! I can't make those very same cymbals sound this way.

[@Severen45]

Most of it is compression and eq. He's also playing behind a track with music so it changes the sound a lot more than most people think. Gavin is still great and I agree his drums are fantastic but I'm not a huge Zildjian fan

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

bryan harris Yep, compression and EQ (and gating in post production) make a killer drum sound. But it still needs a master like Gavin. BTW: so you don't like Zildjian that much - fair enough. What do you like: Sabian, Paiste?

[@Severen45]

Christian Schonberger I'm a die hard SABiAN guy. I got a sweet set of AA's for a steal and sold my crappy ZHT's in a heartbeat. Paiste is great but the lines I really like by them are to out of my price range.

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

bryan harris Thanks for the information. Just wanted to know your opinion. Thanks. :-)

[@Severen45]

Christian Schonberger No problem. I love chatting about gear.

[@Austin4a]

Good catch. I had to rewind to see it after reading your post.

[@MrFg1980]

Love this !

[@wolftesar7419]

such a pleasure - old song, new interpretation

[@JestersGeneration]

So tasteful, so graceful!

[@vryc]

This right here represents years, decades, a life-time of thousands and thousands of hours of practice. Talent? Yes. Dedication and perseverance? Absolutely!

[@XuinMCM]

Best Sounding drums ever,... A wonderful Drummer... An Amazing Song.... and the best footcam I've seen in my life. Those movements .... that feeling when he touch... like dancing ... really impressive.

[@stevehardy343]

Gavin is the only man on this planet who can mix a perfect technique with super taste and groove. Best drummer hands down.

[@grimzkul]

Amazing!!! Fantastic drummer! One of my all time favourites.

[@pauloramosatelier]

Fantastic!

[@jasthedrummer]

I've played this song a million times--------this is the BEST damn arrangement I have ever heard...........DAMN!!!!!!!

[@lorenzmuller3542]

Who arranged this one?

[@olavaslerer8938]

Laurence Cottle.

[@MrGiuce]

Dude this guys gives me goose bumps just listening to him

[@ardnega]

Gavin Harrison is all about Versatility and a true drum Virtuoso.

[@ripitsympatico5843]

The best drummer on the planet.

[@adace1]

He plays metal, rock and jazz all with such skill and versatility. Really one of the best out there!

[@mjramsden13]

Hypermodern, incredible technique harnessed to the groove, consistently surprising musically. Light years of ahead of what we were briefly doing with the Tom Robinson band before Mr Harrison got this stellar. He blew me away on Letterman too. Plus he appears to grown younger in the last twenty years! Congratulations. And then some.

[@MyDrummerjoe]

just AWESOME!!!!!

[@baronmutatis]

Gavin is one of the best. And the drum sound is incredible.

[@headwhop26]

so subtle! Its perfect!

[@EnricoGarciaDrums]

fantastic! what a drummer! you got a new fan dude!

[@CrashWanderer]

Gavin, you sneaky drummer. I was thinking those triplets were really fast for one hand, although I don't doubt it's possible for someone to do (especially Gavin), til I realized he was splitting doubles and a single with 2 hits and a chick. It's things like this that make me aspire to learn his techniques. One of the greatest.

[@wiggy009]

What’s a chick

[@rankest2390]

What a delight! Insane perfection!

[@Verdugothewatcher]

This is awesome in infinite ways.

[@Encrust]

Nearly half a mil views in July '16 - starting to get the mass appeal he deserves. Already a drum legend, and we certainly haven't seen/heard his best yet! Gavin is the only drummer to have made me feel that I was a wodge of salmon eggs being frosted by male salmon spunk all up in a cold, fresh river.

[@Sugarsail1]

my right hand got tired watching him play the ride pattern in the beginning.

[@AnishNapper]

double time swing :D

[@ege999men8]

his probably didn't

[@svenheger2266]

…solo beautiful. Just 'spot on'. Amazing taste, & feel

[@Prog4Prog]

My word, this chap is just incredible. How versatile, from PT to O5ric to jazz.. makes it look so easy too! Please do a UK clinic this year!

[@steplieb23]

What a player! Gav you are awesome!

[@Kingding6]

Just spectacular

[@albitcapinigro1107]

Bloody fantastic

[@MegaLJ3]

Extremely well done.

[@ILikeWafflz]

0:42 Oh cool! It's neat to see that cymbal trick actually used in a song, I fiddle with stuff like that every now and then but never think to actually apply it to something

[@fulci6734]

masterful drum playing

[@Pablations]

His drums always sound soooo goooood!!!!!

[@TheWidiwid]

beautiful ride...

[@keithbrown1997]

His drumming is beyaond amazing. This arrangement is the best I've heard.

[@phinksmusic]

Damn awesome!!! Great stuff!!

[@mtxrules]

So smooth

[@JustYerStandardUFO]

Never heard of the man...?...why nOT!? Just absolutely stupendous!!

[@pgoindi]

That is a beautiful drum kit.

[@dkpc73]

Un vero esempio di batterista completo con gran gusto nel suonare Mitico!!

[@Green34Destiny9]

One of the more well put comments I've ever read on youtube, good work!!

[@TacticalDrummer]

If he was any smoother, I'd wanna spread him on some toast. So good!!!

[@micanut48]

I can testify to that. Very true words, indeed.

[@oceanopty]

Spectacular musician!

[@MyDrummerjoe]

completely off the hook!!! 1 of my favorite Gavin Harrison peice's, and by far 1 of his most technical, just awesome!!!

[@SuperHighGloss]

my favorite g.h. drum performance video on utoob

[@robertoavila9999]

Woooooooouuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!Amazing!!!!!!!!!! Máster drummer.

[@KOTAChannel]

it's Amazing!!!!!

[@U2WB]

Gavin is one of my favorite drummers of any genre.

[@minkusink6]

friekin amazing! he's so good

[@jamesellams]

the thing that gets me about him is it's so tasteful. he's playing with the song. and technically at the same time. that is a whole other level of musicianship

[@CrayZ531]

Amazing!

[@funkman0811]

A tremendous orchestration of Golsons Song And Garvin Harrison Control Articulation and Supreme tempo I believe even The GOD of Drummers Buddy Rich would bow down in respect to this incredible drummer Supreme Swing and Control. BRAVO Galvin SMOKIN.

[@soulflyer860]

totally agree phil. he is an absolute complete drummer. his part in osi is also brilliant and astonishsing.

[@Zildjian232]

@blackwash I was at that guitar center session. I won a pair of his sticks in a raffle. I like them a lot actually, and had no grip problems. I'm not sure if the Vic grips are all one size or what. The ones I won are at least 2bs. Massive. I love it. Great for me because I break brand new Vic firth hickory 5b sticks all the time. It's get's expensive after a while. I also like the aesthetic appeal of them as well. Looks like something you can be creative with.

[@fileditview]

Agreed. At the core is a terrific sounding kit but ya can't forget the advantage of good mics going into a good board with a great set of ears on a great sound engineer. Chasing this exact sound acoustically will drive you to the brink of insanity.

[@psychofunksoldier02]

As a production-minded guitarist with fusion sensibilities I can listen to Gavin Harrison play drums all day long. Nobody is more creative and tasteful on drums IMO.

[@bobhope6138]

Gavin is insane, insanely freaking awesome.

[@MadEagleUSA]

This guy is a World Class Drummer!!!!! Awesome Performance !! Thanks!! : )>

[@madchops82]

Wow, this is perfect.

[@DeathswingKettlebell]

This sound is very rich. Nice

[@joshdevilton2470]

2:33 is too cool !!

[@superwobbawobba]

i just noticed he's also hitting the symbol above in those strokes, awesome!

[@zaio15_DarioMannu_DM-DrumCover]

I Adore the combo sounds of his Charlie, Snare and Ride...the Perfect Sound for me! ;)

[@allmetaliswelcome]

brilliant!

[@jon325]

Oh my!!! So, SO GOOD!!!

[@troyjamesmartin]

I've certainly heard many of the classic jazz drummers, like Rich, Bellson or Krupa, play much more flamboyantly on similar material than Harrison here. He always seems to know how to play to the song, not force the song to play to him.

[@nemozack3767]

Wise and true.

[@dillud]

I totally agree with you. I do love metal myself. I haven't heard of the faceless, but I have heard quite much of necrophagist. I am a fan of Marco Minnemann, thats how I started to listening necrophagist.

[@Suztehchinkidrmmr]

Footcam vibration = Proof of utter awesomeness.

[@CrawfordDrummer]

Holy shit in HD his kit is perfect!

[@micahbortolotti5409]

Anyone else notice that around the 3 minute mark you hear the same little ambient sound bits from Steven Wilson's Abandoner?

[@Eric-J-]

@sparkles67 Haha for sure, metal has a heap of very talented drummers. The dream theatre tryouts were awesome to watch, and they definitely gave some different perspectives on drummers i already knew. I personally loved watching Roddy blast in it hahaha

[@Eric-J-]

Thanks, I always aim for excellence.

[@bergerfry]

@PROGdrummer93 When a drummer knows that less is more, then and only then should they be allowed a double bass option. Gavin has the "less is more" thing down to a science. Incredible drummer.

[@natasakoncurat9217]

AWESOME

[@icedrummer4]

I don't usually like jazz drumming, but this is actual really good. You can see the reasoning behind every rhythm he plays. Greatest drummer iv'e heard (combining all the genres incl. Metal)

[@jamsjr44]

Pure Brilliance!