Working Drummer

A native of France, Ben Lecourt spent his childhood studying percussion with George Van Gucht of the Percussion Of Strasbourg while at conservatory in the south of France. During this time, Ben simultaneously began his discovery of bebop through private studies with various drum teachers. Spending a decade based in Paris, Ben honed his playing nightly in jazz clubs and festivals such as Montreux Jazz.

He moved to LA late 2011 where he studied music production at UCLA Extension, and dove into the local music scene.

He has since been busy recording with the likes of Linda Perry, Mark Stoermer from The Killers, Cat Power, Rocco DeLuca as well as playing live with Denny Laine from Wings and The Moody Blues, The Wallflowers, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Nick Waterhouse, Roger Manning Jr amongst others.

He is currently on tour with Cat Power celebrating the 20th anniversary of the album “The Greatest”.

When not on the road, he can be found in his home studio, Rancho Magnolia.

In this episode, Ben talks about:

How to be a good tour-mate

Growing up in the south-east of France

Moving from France to Los Angeles, US

Building new friendships and relationships in a new place

Discovering American Jazz while growing up in France

Touring with Cat Power

Preparing for a tour

Performing with legends

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Jason Smay has been in Nashville for a decade and plays with his son, McKinley James. Prior to that, he was based in Rochester, NY and toured with JD McPherson, Los Strait Jackets, and others. He and McKinley are also part of the Nashville group The Tiger Beats with Patrick Sweany and Ted Pecchio.

In this episode, Jason talks about:

Thinking about longevity in terms of exercise and overall health

His roots drumming heroes

Forming a relationship as young drummer with fellow Rochester native Steve Gadd

Using one set of sounds for a whole record

Why he loves producers who were/are also drummers

His disposition toward the growing role of tech in all music

Learning how to pursue the right opportunities for the right reasons

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Christopher Williams was born to be a drummer. Throughout high school, Williams drummed for several rock, jazz, metal, funk and blues groups, as well as the Greenville South Carolina youth orchestra. In 2004 he toured the United States as a member of the Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle corps. Christopher won a gold medal during the annual individual & ensemble competition and retained the title until 2006. Since 2008 he has been based in Nashville, Tennessee where he has built a strong reputation within the music community.

During his school years, Williams was able to study with Paul Riddle of the Marshall Tucker band, Dr. Gary Robinson, Brian Tinkle of the cavaliers drum & bugle corps, Ed Shaughnessy, Jim Chapin, and Elvin Jones.

During April of 2015 it was announced that Christopher would join the legendary heavy metal band Accept. Since then the group has played hundreds of shows in more than fifty countries around the world. Christopher has received global media attention, being featured in magazines and press since joining the band. When possible he performs, records, and tours with other artists & bands in a variety of genres.

Some of the artists/groups he has worked with include: Gene Simmons Ace, Frehley, Accept, Andrew W.K,. Rex Brown, Derek St Holmes, John Corabi, Kaato, Mick Mars, Blackfoot, Lee Greenwood, Kid Rock, Peter Stroud, Her, A Thousand Horses, members of: Parliament Funkadelic, the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Slaughter, Cinderella, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Steppenwolf.

In this episode, Christopher talks about:

The origins of his woodworking skills

Managing life with a newborn son

Drumming for the legendary band Accept

How Christopher plans for recordings

The importance of being able to read & write notation

Inspiring experiences early in life

How he spends his time between tours

The financial realities of touring with a legendary band

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Jason Smay has been in Nashville for a decade and plays with his son, McKinley James. Prior to that, he was based in Rochester, NY and toured with JD McPherson, Los Strait Jackets, and others. He and McKinley are also part of the Nashville group The Tiger Beats with Patrick Sweany and Ted Pecchio.

In this episode, Jason talks about:

Bringing his son McKinley James up on the Rochester scene

Touring with JD McPherson from 2011 to 2020

Moving to Nashville because it was best for McKinley’s career

Entering the Nashville scene without expectations

Committing to what you love long enough for opportunities to come to you, rather than chasing trends or money gigs

How people have the power to make or break your experience, regardless of the music and the money

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Growing up in the church among talented and influential mentors, Kevin Watkins developed into a professional drummer and musician. Opportunities for recording, touring and even singing were readily available. His longest gig was with Country Gospel band, Brush Arbor. Although they were based in SoCal, they spent a lot of time in Nashville, recording and doing TV.

Later in life, Kevin’s drumming took a bit of a back seat to audio engineer and production work. He quickly became passionate about the other side of the glass in part because of his experiences as a player.

Even though live FOH and production opportunities kept him busy, drums always remained in focus. In early 2023, Kevin made it official and launched K-Wat Drum Co.

In this episode, Kevin talks about:

How he started building and restoring drums

What makes a “go to” snare drum

Creating a drum with character

The reasoning behind the names of his snares

The origin story of K-Wat drums

Growing up playing in church

Learning from Dave Williamson, Scott Williamson’s father

His long time affiliation with the Christian band Brush Arbor

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