Biographical Notes

Jeff Busch is an exuberant drummer/percussionist, vocalist, and composer whose passion for soulful music of varied traditions has led him to perform with jazz, blues, and gospel groups--as well as calypso, samba, and Cuban jazz ensembles. Between 1988-96, Jeff studied fine art, and music in Leeds, England. He studied percussion and drum set with Dave Hassel, calypso with steel drum master Dudley Nesbitt, and later Brazilian percussion with Jesse Bannister. In Leeds he first worked as a percussion accompanist for dancers at the Northern Contemporary Dance School; The Phoenix Dance Company and The Northern Ballet. Now based in Seattle, Jeff continues this work for the Cornish College of the Arts, and for Janelle Keane's Afro-Brazilian dance classes at the University of Washington Experimental College.

In 1997, Jeff spent six months in Brazil and studied with a variety of percussionists including Edmilson Costa Teixeira, Gilo do Pandeiro, and Mestres Memeu and Lazaro from Olodum. In 1998 Jeff returned to Brazil and had the opportunity to play and perform with the Jovino Santos Neto group which included drummer Marcio Bahia, bassist Arismar do Espirito Santo, and saxophonist Hans Teuber.

Currently Jeff continues to perform with a variety of groups in the Seattle area including the Jovino Santos Neto quinteto; Cuban jazz groups Rumba Abierta, and Tumbao led by pianist Julio Jauregui; and Cuban dance band Mango Son, led by Roberto Sanchez. He is the drummer at First AME church, and also plays for pianist Kent Stevenson, and gospel singer Patrinell Wright.

Jeff continues to teach percussion to people of all ages both privately and in schools and universities. He is currently the recipient of a King County Arts grant for a recording project entitled 'Drums and Voices - Contemporary Spirituals' which is a collaborative effort with gospel singer Patrinell Wright.