Chris Dave and the Drumhedz

One of the world’s most sought-after drummers, Chris Dave makes a rare appearance at Ronnie Scott’s, performing alongside his Drumhedz, a quartet completed by saxophonist Marcus Strickland, James Fancies on Hammond organ and keyboards and Bayron Lacy on bass.
Drummer of choice for mainstream stars like Beyoncé and Adele, Dave is perhaps best known for his work in hip hop and R&B where he has played with everyone from D'Angelo and Erykah Badu to Maxwell, Mos Def and Lupe Fiasco. But jazz has always been his first love. He was raised on a diet of Miles Davis and John Coltrane and has since played with greats such as Sonny Rollins and Wynton Marsalis, along with an impressive roster of newcomers that includes pianist Robert Glasper.
A crossover group in the true sense of the word, the Drumhedz tap into both jazz and more mainstream traditions, showing Dave at his brilliant best. ‘Drumhead-tight’ in the words of Guardian jazz critic John Fordham, their 2013 appearance at Ronnie Scott’s was a sell out and featured bold reworkings of jazz classics like Coltrane’s Giant Steps and Wayne Shorter’s Nefertiti, over which Dave conjured drum breaks and grooves of astonishing complexity and precision.
The Drumhedz are in town for one night only and, with a touring schedule as packed as Dave’s, who knows when they’ll be back. More akin to studio trickery than anything you’d expect to hear live, the drummer’s playing has to be seen to believed, so catch him while you can.