Drummer & Singer Steve Dow: Professional Biography

Steve Dow (aka "Jolt") has been playing kit drums, percussion, and lead & backing vocals for over 15 years. He's toured throughout the U.S. with the original jump blues band "The Persuaders", as well as throughout the northeastern U.S. with the rock band, "Safety In Numbers", and performed with many other cover and original bands. He is comfortable creating and playing in the genres of Jazz, Fusion, Big Band, Latin, R&B, Motown, New Country, Funk, Classic Rock and Progressive Rock.

Early on, he studied with Bobbi Clarke (a touring drummer with Joan Baez, and a pioneer in the development of Jazz-Rock Fusion Drumming). Bobbi had a great deal of influence on Steve's approach to drumming style, as well as his approach to the business side of music. Steve has performed alongside some great musicians through the years, and as a result, his singing and drumming talents have grown over a wide range of genres (although he loves rock, funk and fusion drumming the best). He's also become a respected session and live performing player in the northeastern U.S.

Steve has shared the stage with artists such as Delbert McClinton, Farrenheit, Albert Collins, Joan Jett, Till Tuesday, The Joe Perry Project, Molly Hatchet, and many others. He's also done sessions and/or performed with musicians who have recorded and/or performed with artists such Alison Krauss, Artie Shaw, Maynard Ferguson, MC5, Buddy Rich, Albert Collins, Albert King, Bo Diddly, and more. He also plays with well-known local New England musicians including Jon Abrams (keyboard player and singer on the the "Moving Out, Third National Tour" - a Billy Joel musical tribute), John Davies, and Don Goupil - to name a few.

Currently, Steve is mainly freelance drumming, recording and singing. He recently recorded with multi CMT award winner and JUNO award nominee; new country artist Joan Kennedy, and is recording with Jon Abrams. He's also involved presently with a Jazz-Fusion project called "Shuffle Monk" (with John Davies on bass and band leader Brian Thompson from the Maynard Ferguson "Little Big Band"). But no matter what the project, "Jolt" always creates "great grooves”, "nails the pocket", and offers up a wide range of fills and solos from a large "bag of tricks" developed through the years. He also writes and arranges.

At the "World's Fastest Drummer" Regional Qualifier (at Berklee College of Music) with "cool guy", judge, professor, and current "World's Fastest Drummer"; Mike Mangini.

Steve also has an "Outstanding Musicianship" award from the NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators), shares an ASCAP song writing award (earned while touring with the original rock band, "Safety in Numbers"), and placed third at the 2004 "World's Fastest Drummer" competition - held at the NAMM Show in California. Steve's current "unofficial” maximum speed for single stroke rolls in 60-seconds is 1069; but who's counting? Groove is where it's really at!