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Donald Robinson Biography: Described as a 'percussive dervish' (Coda) Donald Robinson is a technical master of the drums. He is a stalwart of the of San Francisco bay area avant-garde jazz scene, playing and recording with many of the area's improvisational players, from saxophonists John Tchicai, Marco Eneidi and Larry Ochs to koto player Miya Masaoka and pianist Matthew Goodheart, and with prominent visitors like Cecil Taylor, Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, trumpeter Raphe Malik and Canadian pianist Paul Plimley. Much of this work has featured the combination of Robinson and bassist Lisle Ellis as rhythm section: 'the best bass-drums tag team on the scene' (Jazz Times). His longest musical association, dating from the 1970's, was with the late tenor saxophonist Glenn Spearman.Born is Boston, Massachusetts in 1953, Robinson first studied classical percussion at the New England Conservatory. During the early 1970's he served his musical apprenticeship in the jazz world of Paris, studying with Kenny Clarke and playing with Alan Silva, Anthony Braxton, Oliver Lake and Bobby Few among many others. He first played with Spearman as a duet partner during this period in Paris, an association which continued through various configurations and many recordings until the saxophonist's death in 1998. Robinson is currently playing in many configurations with a broad range of musicians throughout Europe and the US. Partial Discography: Title: Night After Night Label: Musa-Physics Recording Date: 1981 Catalog #: MP-0001 -------------------------------------------- Title: Creative Music Orchestra Label: Music and Arts Recording Date: 1995 Catalog #: CD-980 ------------------------------------------- Title: What We Live/ Quintet For A Day Label: New World Records Recording Date: 1998 Catalog #: 805532 ------------------------------------------- Title: What We Live/ Four Label: Black Saint Recording Date: 1994 Catalog #: 120156-2 ------------------------------------------- Title: Glenn Spearman's G-Force/ Let It Go Label: Red Toucan Inc. Recording Date: 1994 Catalog #: RT-9308-2 ------------------------------------------- Title: Free Worlds- Glenn Spearman Label: Black Saint Recording Date: 1994 and 1995 Catalog #: 120207-2 ------------------------------------------- Title: What We Live: Never Was Label: Black Saint Recording Date: 1996 Catalog #: 120169 ------------------------------------------- Title: What We Live/ Trumpets Label: Black Saint Recording Date: Vancouver 1996,1998 Albuquerque Catalog #: 120189-2 ------------------------------------------- Title: Glenn Spearman Double Trio/Smokehouse Label: Black Saint Recording Date: 1993 Catalog #: 120157-2 ------------------------------------------- Title: Glenn Spearman Double Trio/Mystery Project Label: Black Saint Recording Date: 1992 Catalog #: 120147-2 ------------------------------------------- Title: Matthew Goodheart Sonoluminescence Label: Nine Winds Recording Date: 1995 Catalog #: NWCD-0186 ------------------------------------------- Title: India Cook/Red Handed Label: Music and Arts Recording Date: 1996 Catalog #: CD 951 ------------------------------------------- Title: The Don Robinson Trio/ Straight Line Skewed Label: CIMP Recording Date: 1999 Catalog #: 123 ------------------------------------------- Title: Eneidi, Robinson, Parker/Cherry Box Label: Eremite Recording Date: 1998 Catalog #: ------------------------------------------- Title: Rova Plus/Ascension Label: Black Saint Recording Date: Catalog #: ------------------------------------------- Title: Paul Plimley/Density of the Love Struck Demons Label: Music and Arts Recording Date: 1995 Catalog #: ------------------------------------------- Title: Lisle Ellis/ Elevations Label: Victo Recording Date: 1995 Catalog #: CDs on which Donald Robinson appears:
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