Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

drummer who was a member of the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

groups

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and voca ...

and

Steps Ahead Steps Ahead is an American jazz fusion group. History The group arose out of spontaneous sessions at Seventh Avenue South, a jazz club in New York City owned by saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter brother Randy Brecker. The first three al ...

Early life and education

Erskine was born in

Somers Point Somers Point is a city that is the oldest settlement in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was settled by Europeans in 1693 and was incorporated as a borough in 1886. Somers Point was incorporated as a city in 1902. As of the 2 ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, U.S. He began playing the drums at the age of four. He graduated from the

Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City. In ...

in Michigan, then studied percussion at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

Career

His professional music career started in 1972 when he joined the

Stan Kenton Orchestra Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

. After three years with Kenton, he joined

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

for two years. In 1978, he joined

, joining

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

in the rhythm section. After four years and five albums with Weather Report and the Jaco Pastorius big band's ''

Word of Mouth Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...

'', he joined

. In 1983, he performed on the

Antilles Records Antilles Records was a record label founded as a division of Island Records. It began as a jazz label, recording Joanne Brackeen, Biréli Lagrène, and Phil Woods, though its catalogue did expand to include eclectic musicians like Brian Eno and R ...

release ''

Swingrass '83 ''Swingrass '83'' is a 1983 swing/ prog-bluegrass album featuring Andy Statman, Richard Greene, Marty Krystall, Peter Ivers, Fred Tackett, Peter Erskine and Buell Neidlinger. The same musicians, minus Fred Tackett, had previously recorded an album ...

''. He toured the US in 1992 with

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

. Erskine splits his time as a musician and a professor at the

Thornton School of Music The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los An ...

at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

. He was featured on

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

's 2005 album '' Aerial'', where Erskine teamed with bass player

Eberhard Weber Eberhard Weber (born 22 January 1940, in Stuttgart, Germany) is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, he is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing. Weber's compositions blend chamber jazz, European classical music, m ...

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, '' Billboard'' maga ...

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian jazz pianist, sin ...

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...

and

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

, as well as Scottish and Finnish classical orchestras, have had Erskine perform as a featured musician. In 2011, he appeared on stage at the Royal Opera House, London in the new opera ''

Anna Nicole ''Anna Nicole'' is an English opera in 2 acts and 16 scenes, with music by Mark-Anthony Turnage to an English libretto by Richard Thomas. Based on the life of American model Anna Nicole Smith, the opera received its première on 17 February 201 ...

''.

Honors and awards

In 1992, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Personal life

Erskine is married to Mutsuko Erskine. The two have two children, actress and writer Maya Erskine, and film editor and producer Taichi Erskine.

Discography

As leader

* 1982 ''Peter Erskine'' (

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

) * 1987 ''Transition'' ( Denon) * 1988 ''Motion Poet'' (Denon) * 1989 ''Aurora'' (Denon) * 1991 ''Sweet Soul'' * 1993 '' You Never Know'' ( ECM) * 1994 '' Time Being'' (ECM) * 1995 ''From Kenton to Now'' with Richard Torres (Fuzzy Music) * 1995 ''History of the Drum'' (Interworld) * 1996 '' As It Is'' (ECM) * 1997 ''Lava Jazz'' (Fuzzy Music) * 1999 '' Juni'' (ECM) * 2000 ''Live at Rocco'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2001 ''Side Man Blue'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2002 ''Badlands'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2007 ''Worth the Wait'' with

Tim Hagans Tim Hagans (born August 19, 1954) is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer. He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best Instrumental Composition for "Box of Cannoli" on ''The Avatar Sessions'' (Fuzzy Music, 2010); Best Contem ...

(Fuzzy Music) * 2010 ''The Interlochen Concert'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2011 ''Joy Luck'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2015 '' Dr. Um'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2016 ''Second Opinion'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2016 ''In Praise of Shadows'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2018 ''On Call'' (Fuzzy Music) Source:

As co-leader

* 1986 '' Current Events'' with John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson (ECM) * 1989 '' John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine'' (ECM) * 1991 ''Star'' with

Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław ...

Miroslav Vitous Miroslav may refer to: * Miroslav (given name), a Slavic masculine given name * ''Young America'' (clipper) or ''Miroslav'', an Austrian clipper ship in the Transatlantic case oil trade * Miroslav (Znojmo District), a town in the Czech Republic S ...

(ECM) * 1995 ''Traction Avant'' with Alessandro Galati,

Palle Danielsson Nils Paul "Palle" Danielsson (born 15 October 1946) is a Swedish jazz double bassist born in Stockholm, Sweden. From 1974 to 1979, he was a member of Keith Jarrett's quartet. He is the brother of pianist Monica Dominique. Career Danielsson's ...

(Via Veneto) * 1997 ''Jason Salad!'' with Alessandro Galati,

John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 12, he bought his first bass and decided on his career. He listened to bass parts in R ...

, Bob Sheppard (Via Veneto) * 1998 ''Live at the Baked Potato'' with Dirk K., Jörg Kleutgens (Kalle Fornia) * 1998 ''Turnage: Blood on the Floor'' with John Scofield, Martin Robertson, Peter Rundel (Decca) * 2000 '' The Hudson Project'' with John Abercrombie, Bob Mintzer, John Patitucci * 2002 ''Turnage: Fractured Lines'' with

Evelyn Glennie Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish people, Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015. Early life Glennie was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire in Sco ...

, Christian Lindberg, Leonard Slatkin * 2004 ''ELB'' with

Nguyên Lê Nguyên Lê (Vietnamese: ''Lê Thành Nguyên''; born 14 January 1959) is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays bass guitar and guitar synthesizer. He has released albums ...

, Michel Benita * 2008 ''Dream Flight'' with ELB (ACT) * 2009 ''The Trio Live @ Charlie O's'' (Fuzzy Music) * 2010 ''Scenes from a Dream'' with

Chris Minh Doky Chris Minh Doky (born 7 February 1969) is a Vietnamese- Danish jazz bassist. He is the younger brother of jazz pianist Niels Lan Doky. He released his first album, ''Appreciation'', in 1989 four years after picking up the instrument. As a si ...

Larry Goldings Lawrence Sam “Larry” Goldings (born August 28, 1968) is an American jazz keyboardist and composer. His music has explored elements of funk, blues, and fusion. Goldings has a comedic alter ego known as Hans Groiner. Life and career Golding ...

* 2011 ''Standards 2: Movie Music'' with Bob Mintzer, Darek Oleszkiewicz,

Alan Pasqua Alan Pasqua (born June 28, 1952) is an American rock and jazz pianist. He studied at Indiana University and the New England Conservatory of Music. His album ''Standards'' with drummer Peter Erskine was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008. As a ...

(Fuzzy Music) * 2015 ''Trio M/E/D'' with Palle Danielsson,

Rita Marcotulli Rita Marcotulli (born 10 March 1959) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer. Career Born in Rome, Marcotulli is the daughter of a sound engineer who collaborated with Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone, among others. She started playing piano a ...

(Abeat) * 2016 ''How Long Is Now?'' with Lars Danielsson, Iiro Rantala (ACT) * 2019 ''3 Nights in L.A.'' with

George Garzone George Garzone (born September 23, 1950) is a saxophonist and jazz educator from Boston, Massachusetts. Biography Garzone is a member of the Fringe, a jazz trio founded in 1972 that includes bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti. The ...

, Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles (Fuzzy Music) Source:

As sideman

With

Rez Abbasi Rez Abbasi (born August 27, 1965) is a Pakistan-born American jazz guitarist, composer, and record producer based in New York City. Biography Abbasi was born in Karachi, Pakistan. When he was four, his family moved to Los Angeles, and at eleven h ...

* 1995 ''Third Ear'' (Cathexis) * 1998 ''Modern Memory'' (Cathexis) With John Abercrombie * 1988 '' Getting There'' (ECM) * 1993 ''

November November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, the fourth and last of four months to have a length of 30 days and the fifth and last of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. No ...

'' (ECM) With David Benoit * 1989 ''

Waiting for Spring ''Waiting for Spring'' is an album by American pianist David Benoit released in 1989 and recorded for the GRP label. The album reached No. 1 on the '' Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart. Track listing All tracks written by David Benoit except as n ...

'' (GRP) * 1992 '' Letter to Evan'' (GRP) * 2004 '' The Benoit/Freeman Project 2'' with Russ Freeman (Peak) With

Wayne Bergeron Wayne Bergeron (born January 16, 1958) is an American jazz trumpeter. Bergeron rose to prominence as a member of Maynard Ferguson's band in the 1980s. Since then, he has worked on over 400 TV and motion picture soundtracks. As a lead and studi ...

* 2002 ''You Call This a Living?'' * 2016 ''Full Circle'' With

Warren Bernhardt Warren Bernhardt (November 13, 1938 – August 19, 2022)''WBGO'', (Newark, NJ)"Warren Bernhardt, pianist with Steps Ahead, Steely Dan and other bands, dies at 83" August 24, 2022. Retrieved on August 24, 2022. was an American pianist in jazz, pop ...

* 1983 ''Warren Bernhardt Trio'' * 1987 ''Hands On'' * 1991 ''Heat of the Moment'' * 2003 ''Amelia's Song'' * 2003 ''So Real'' With

Randy Bernsen Randy Bernsen (born July 15, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Bernsen was born in Needham, Massachusetts and grew up in Florida. He attended high school in Plantation and was active in the clubs of South Florida, starting at age 1 ...

* 1986 ''Music for Planets People and Washing Machines'' * 1987 ''Mo' Wasabi'' With

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an award-winning American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album ''Impressions''. He was also nominated in ...

* 1999 '' Slowing Down the World'' (GRP) * 2002 ''

December December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is also the last of seven months to have a length of 31 days. December got its name from the Latin word ''decem'' (meaning ten) because it was or ...

'' (Columbia) With

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

* 1988 '' Don't Try This at Home'' * 2003 '' Some Skunk Funk'' With

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

* 2009 '' Crazy Love'' * 2011 ''

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

'' * 2018 ''

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

'' With

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

* 1988 '' Times Like These'' (GRP) * 1989 ''

Reunion Reunion may refer to: * Class reunion * Family reunion Reunion, Réunion, Re-union, Reunions or The Reunion may also refer to: Places * Réunion, a French overseas department and island in the Indian Ocean * Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado, U ...

'' (GRP) * 1991 '' Cool Nights'' (GRP) * 1993 ''It's Another Day'' * 1997 ''Departure'' With

Joey Calderazzo Joseph Dominick Calderazzo (February 27, 1965) is a jazz pianist and brother of musician Gene Calderazzo. He played extensively in bands led by Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis, and has also led his own bands. Early life Calderazzo was born ...

* 1991 ''In the Door'' * 1993 ''The Traveler'' With

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...

* 1980 '' Cables' Vision'' (Contemporary) * 1984 ''The Big Jazz Trio'' * 1985 ''

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

'' (Contemporary) * 1987 ''Whisper Not'' * 2002 '' Shared Secrets'' (MuseFX) With

Alex Cline Alex Cline (born January 4, 1956) is an American jazz drummer. Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Cline began playing drums with his twin brother, guitarist Nels Cline, at the age of 11. Their first band was called Homogenized Goo and in ...

* 1999 ''Sparks Fly Upward'' * 2001 ''The Constant Flame'' With

Pino Daniele Giuseppe Daniele (19 March 1955 – 4 January 2015), known as Pino Daniele, was an Italian singer, songwriter and musician. His influences covered a wide number of genres, including pop, blues, jazz, and Italian and Middle Eastern music. Biograp ...

* 1998 ''Yes I Know My Way (The Best Of)'' * 2001 ''Medina'' * 2004 ''Passi D'Autore'' * 2007 ''Il mio nome è Pino Daniele e vivo qui'' With

Eddie Daniels Eddie Daniels (born October 19, 1941) is an American musician and composer. Although he is best known as a jazz clarinetist, he has also played saxophone and flute as well as classical music on clarinet. Early life, family and education Daniel ...

* 1992 ''Benny Rides Again'' * 1993 ''Under the Influence'' * 1995 ''The Five Seasons'' With Al Di Meola * 1994 '' Orange and Blue'' * 1998 ''

The Infinite Desire ''The Infinite Desire'' is an album by jazz guitarist Al Di Meola that was released in 1998. Pianist Herbie Hancock plays acoustic piano on one pice, guitarist Steve Vai also plays electric guitar on another. Other guests include Pino Daniele on ...

'' * 2011 '' Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody'' With

Yelena Eckemoff Yelena Eckemoff is a Russian-born pianist, composer, poet, and visual artist. Her compositions blend classical music with jazz, and feature exploration and improvisation. Music career Eckemoff was born in Moscow, Russia, in the Soviet Union. He ...

* 2010 ''Cold Sun'' (L&H) * 2010 ''Flying Steps'' (L&H) * 2013 ''Glass Song'' (L&H) * 2018 ''Desert'' (L&H) With

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian jazz pianist, sin ...

* 1988 '' Cross Currents'' * 1989 '' So Far So Close'' * 1991 '' A Long Story'' * 1992 ''

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

'' * 1993 '' Paulistana'' With

* 1977 ''

Conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

'' * 1977 '' New Vintage'' * 1978 ''

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

'' With

Don Grolnick Don Grolnick (September 23, 1947 – June 1, 1996) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He was a member of the groups Steps Ahead and Dreams, both with Michael Brecker, and played often with the Brecker Brothers. As a sess ...

* 1986 ''Hearts and Numbers'' * 1990 ''Weaver of Dreams'' With Bob James * 1983 ''Foxie'' * 1983 ''The Genie'' * 1984 ''The Swan'' With Marc Johnson * 1985 '' Bass Desires'' (ECM) * 1987 ''

Second Sight Extrasensory perception or ESP, also called sixth sense, is a claimed paranormal ability pertaining to reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind. The term was adopted by Duke Universit ...

'' (ECM) With

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

* 1972 '' National Anthems of the World'' * 1973 ''Birthday in Britain'' * 1973 ''

7.5 on the Richter Scale ''7.5 on the Richter Scale'' is an album by American jazz musician Stan Kenton and his Orchestra that was released in 1973. Recording sessions for the album took place during August 1973 in Hollywood, California. Background Until ''7.5 on the Rich ...

'' * 1973 ''Live at the London Hilton 1973 Vol. 2'' * 1974 '' Fire, Fury, and Fun'' * 1974 '' Stan Kenton plays Chicago'' * 1992 ''Street of Dreams'' * 1994 ''Live at Carthage College Vol. 1'' * 1995 ''Live at the London Hilton 1973 Vol. 1'' * 1996 ''At Pavilion Hemel Hempstead England 1973'' * 1999 ''Live at Newport Jazz Festival'' * 2000 ''At the Arcadia Theatre 1974'' With

* 2001 '' The Look of Love'' * 2004 '' The Girl in the Other Room'' With Chuck Loeb * 1994 ''Simple Things'' * 2013 ''Silhouette'' With

Mike Mainieri Michael T. Mainieri Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American vibraphonist, known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead. He is married to the singer-songwriter and harpist Dee Carstensen. Biography Mainieri was born in The Bronx, Ne ...

* 1981 ''Wanderlust'' * 1995 ''An American Diary'' * 1997 ''An American Diary Vol. 2'' With

Vince Mendoza Vince Mendoza (born November 17, 1961) is an American composer, music arranger and conductor, and six-time Grammy Award winner. He debuted as a solo artist in 1989, and is known for his work conducting the Metropole Orkest and WDR Big Band K� ...

* 1990 ''Start Here'' * 1992 ''Jazzpaña'' * 1994 ''Sketches'' * 1997 ''Caribbean Night'' With Bob Mintzer * 1982 ''Source'' * 1983 ''Papa Lips'' * 1985 ''Incredible Journey'' * 1986 ''Camouflage'' * 1988 ''Spectrum'' * 1989 ''Urban Contours'' * 1990 ''The Art of the Big Band'' * 1991 ''Departure'' * 1992 ''Hymn'' * 1992 ''I Remember Jaco'' * 1995 ''The First Decade'' * 1998 ''Quality Time'' * 2003 ''Gently'' * 2012 ''For the Moment'' * 2016 ''All L.A. Band'' With

* 2005 ''My New Old Friend'' * 2007 ''Standards'' With

* 1981 ''

'' * 1983 '' Invitation'' * 1995 '' The Birthday Concert'' * 2000 ''Twins Live in Japan 1982'' * 2004 ''Guitar & Bass'' * 2005 ''Live in Japan'' * 2006 ''Introducing: Jaco Pastorius'' * 2006 ''The Word Is Out'' * 2007 ''Live and Outrageous'' * 2008 ''The Florida Concert'' * 2017 ''Truth Liberty & Soul'' With

* 1987 ''

'' * 1990 ''Sketchbook'' * 1994 ''Mistura Fina'' With

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...

* 1994 ''Summertime'' * 2001 ''Shortcuts 1995 Jazzpar'' With

* 1983 ''

'' * 1984 ''Modern Times'' * 1986 ''Magnetic'' * 2005 ''Holding Together'' With

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

* 1988 '' Time in Place'' * 1989 ''

Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...

'' With Sadao Watanabe * 1991 ''Sweet Deal'' (Elektra) * 1992 ''A Night with Strings'' (Elektra) * 2014 ''I'm with you'' (Victor) With

* 1978 '' Mr. Gone'' (Columbia) * 1979 '' 8:30'' (Columbia) * 1980 '' Night Passage'' (Columbia) * 1982 ''

'' (Columbia) * 1986 '' This is This!'' (Columbia) * 2002 '' Live and Unreleased'' (Columbia) * 2006 '' Forecast: Tomorrow'' (Columbia) With

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active ...

* 1990 '' Music for Large & Small Ensembles'' (ECM) * 1990 '' The Widow in the Window'' (ECM) * 1992 ''Kayak'' (Ah Um) Source:

With others

* 1979 ''

Mingus The name Mingus may refer to: * Charles Mingus (1922–1979), jazz composer and double bass player ** Sue Mingus, wife of the jazz composer ** ''Mingus'' (Charles Mingus album), 1961 album by Charles Mingus ** ''Mingus'' (Joni Mitchell album) ...

'',

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

* 1979 '' Relaxin' at Camarillo'',

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

* 1979 ''

Un Poco Loco "Un Poco Loco" is an Afro-Cuban jazz standard composed by American jazz pianist Bud Powell. It was first recorded for Blue Note Records by Powell, Curly Russell, and Max Roach on May 1, 1951. Musical characteristics "Un Poco Loco" is in thir ...

'',

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note album '' Components'', is one of his best-known compositions.Huey, Steve. "Components – Bob ...

* 1980 ''To Chi Ka'',

Kazumi Watanabe is a Japanese guitarist. Other guitarists such as Luke Takamura and Sugizo have cited him as an influence. Career Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. He released his first album ...

* 1983 ''

'', Various Artists * 1984 ''Bop City'',

Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer and ...

* 1984 '' Liquid Silver'',

Andy LaVerne Andy LaVerne (born December 4, 1947) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator. Education and musical career Born in New York City, LaVerne studied at Juilliard School of Music, Berklee College, and the New England Conservat ...

* 1984 ''Quartet'',

Bill Reichenbach Jr. William Frank Reichenbach Jr. (born November 30, 1949) is an American jazz trombonist and composer. He is the son of Bill Reichenbach, who was the drummer for Charlie Byrd from 1962 to 1973. He is best known as a session musician for television, ...

* 1985 '' Magic Touch'',

Stanley Jordan Stanley Jordan (born July 31, 1959) is an American jazz guitarist noted for his playing technique, which involves tapping his fingers on the fretboard of the guitar with both hands. Music career Jordan was born in Chicago, Illinois, United St ...

* 1985 ''Na Pali Coast'',

Peter Sprague Peter Tripp Sprague (born October 11, 1955) is an American jazz guitarist, record producer, and audio engineer. He owns SpragueLand Studios and the label SBE Records. He invented a twin-neck guitar with one neck from a classical guitar and one ...

* 1985 ''Train of Thought'',

Mitchel Forman Mitchel Forman (born January 24, 1956) is a jazz and fusion keyboard player. Biography and music career Mitchel Forman began studying classical piano at the age of seven. At 17 he entered the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) for three years of s ...

* 1987 ''

Guamba ''Guamba'' is an album by American jazz bassist Gary Peacock, with saxophonist Jan Garbarek, trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, and drummer Peter Erskine, recorded in 1987 and released on the ECM label.

'', Gary Peacock * 1987 ''Now You Know'',

Makoto Ozone is a Japanese jazz pianist. Career He was born in Kobe, Japan. He began playing organ at two and by seven was an improviser. He appeared on Japanese television with his father from 1968 to 1970. At twelve he switched to piano after being impre ...

* 1987 ''Short Stories'',

Bob Berg Robert Berg (April 7, 1951 – December 5, 2002) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Berg was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Berg started his musical education at the age of six when he began studying classical piano. He beg ...

* 1988 ''Facets'',

Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) a ...

* 1988 ''Street Dreams'',

Lyle Mays Lyle David Mays (November 27, 1953 – February 10, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and member of the Pat Metheny Group. Metheny and Mays composed and arranged nearly all of the group's music, for which Mays won eleven Grammy Awa ...

* 1989 ''

Flying Cowboys ''Flying Cowboys'' is an album by Rickie Lee Jones that was released in September 1989 and produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Background After the release of '' The Magazine'' in 1984, Jones retreated from the limelight. She married Pas ...

'',

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...

* 1989 ''

Minor Elegance ''Minor Elegance'' is a 1990 studio album by Joe Diorio and Robben Ford. Recorded live at the Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles and mixed at the MGI Records Studios, Munich. Track listing All compositions written by Joe Diorio except "Swank Thing" ...

'',

Joe Diorio Joseph Louis Diorio (August 6, 1936 – February 2, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist. He performed with Sonny Stitt, Hal Crook, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Horace Silver, Anita O'Day, and Freddie Hubbard. In recent ye ...

* 1990 '' Blue Pacific'', Michael Franks * 1990 ''Hope'',

Rick Margitza Rick Margitza (born October 24, 1961) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Margitza's paternal grandfather, a Hungarian Gypsy violinist, taught him to play the violin at the age of four. His father also played violin with the Detro ...

* 1991 ''Tell Tale Signs'',

Bob Sheppard Robert Leo Sheppard (October 20, 1910 – July 11, 2010) was the long-time public address announcer for numerous New York area college and professional sports teams, in particular the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (1951–2007), and ...

* 1991 ''The Promise'',

Wolfgang Muthspiel Wolfgang Muthspiel (born 2 March 1965) is an Austrian jazz guitarist and record label owner. He is the brother of musician Christian Muthspiel. Music career When he was six, he began playing violin, and at fourteen he moved on to classical gui ...

* 1992 ''

Open Letter An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. Open letters usually take the form of a letter addressed to an indiv ...

'',

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

* 1992 ''Cauldron'', John Beasley * 1992 ''

Through the Eyes of Love "Through the Eyes of Love (Theme from ''Ice Castles'')" (sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Looking Through the Eyes of Love"), is an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated ballad performed by American singer Melissa Manchester, from ...

'',

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, she has ap ...

* 1992 ''Walk Alone'',

* 1993 ''Arc'',

Jimmy Haslip James Robert Haslip (born December 31, 1951) is an American bass guitarist who was a founding member of the jazz fusion group the Yellowjackets, which he left in 2012. He was also an early user of the five-string electric bass. Early life and ...

* 1993 ''Dream Come True'',

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his ...

* 1993 ''Echoes of a Note'',

Tiger Okoshi Toru "Tiger" Okoshi (born March 21, 1950) is an American jazz fusion trumpeter born in Ashiya, Japan. After studying at Kwansei Gakuin University, Okoshi moved to the U.S. in 1972. In 1975 he completed studies at the Berklee College of Music. ...

* 1993 ''Michel Plays Legrand'',

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many son ...

* 1994 ''East Coast West Coast'',

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

* 1994 ''Storm Then the Calm'',

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 40 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop, and rhythm- ...

* 1995 '' Abandoned Garden'', Michael Franks * 1995 ''

Alive in America ''Alive in America'' is a live album by the American rock group Steely Dan, released in 1995. It is Steely Dan's first live album. The album comprises recordings from their 1993 and 1994 tours, which were the first live Steely Dan performances ...

'',

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

* 1996 ''New York Rendez-Vous'',

Didier Lockwood Didier Lockwood (11 February 1956 – 18 February 2018) was a French violinist. He played in the French rock band Magma in the 1970s, and was known for his use of electric amplification and his experimentation with different sounds on the electri ...

* 1996 ''Triangle'',

Martial Solal Martial Solal (born August 23, 1927) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Biography Solal was born in Algiers, French Algeria, to Algerian Jewish parents. He was persuaded to study clarinet, saxophone, and piano by his mother, who was an oper ...

* 1997 ''The Complete Rhyming Dictionary'',

Jon Herington Jon Herington (born Jonathan Reuel Herington on April 14, 1954) is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and session musician. Career Herington was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and grew up in West Long Branch, New Jerse ...

* 1998 ''From There to Her''e,

Kyle Eastwood Kyle Eastwood (born May 19, 1968) is an American jazz bassist and film composer. He studied film at the University of Southern California for two years before embarking on a music career. After becoming a session player in the early 1990s and lea ...

* 1999 ''A New Standard'',

Steve Tyrell ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

* 1999 ''Fields & Strings'',

Brandon Fields Brandon David Fields (born May 21, 1984) is a former American football punter who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Michigan State University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He ...

* 1999 ''Green Chimneys'',

Andy Summers Andrew James Summers (born 31 December 1942), is an English guitarist who was a member of the rock band The Police. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a band member in 2003. Summers has recorded solo albums, collaborated w ...

* 2000 ''

It's Like This ''It's Like This'' is an album by the American singer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, released in 2000. Like her 1991 album ''Pop Pop'', it is a covers record. The album was nominated for a 2001 Best Pop Traditional Record Grammy Award. Critical r ...

'',

* 2000 ''Les Incontournables'',

* 2000 ''London Concert'',

* 2000 ''

Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. First recorded by Judy Collins, it appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. The next year it was included on Mitchell's album '' Clouds'', and became one ...

'',

* 2001 ''Cruisin'', Marc Antoine * 2001 ''Different Times'',

Laurence Juber Laurence Ivor Juber (born 12 November 1952) is an English musician, fingerstyle guitarist and studio musician. He played guitar in the rock band Wings from 1978 to 1981. Biography Early life Born in Stepney, East London, Juber was raised and ...

* 2001 '' Flirting with Twilight'',

Kurt Elling Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran chur ...

* 2001 ''

Christmas Memories ''Christmas Memories'' is the second Christmas album and twenty-ninth studio release by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 30, 2001, by Columbia. Streisand recorded the album during July, August, and September 2001 in v ...

'',

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

* 2002 ''

Rit's House ''Rit's House'' is an album by American guitarist Lee Ritenour released in 2002, and recorded for the GRP label. AllMusic praised ''Rit's House'' as "among his more memorable and substantial efforts".Henderson, Rit's House AllMusic review/ref> Th ...

'',

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, United States. At the age of eight he started play ...

* 2003 ''Internal Eyes'',

Rolf Kühn Rolf Kühn (29 September 1929 – 18 August 2022) was a German jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. He was the older brother of the pianist Joachim Kühn. He lived in the United States from 1956 to 1959. John Hammond favourably compared him with ...

* 2003 ''

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

'',

Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...

* 2003 '' XXL'',

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece jazz orchestra that combines the big band swing of the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion. The band is led by Gordon Goodwin, who arra ...

* 2004 '' Accentuate the Positive'',

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

* 2004 '' Hummin' to Myself'',

* 2005 '' Aerial'',

* 2005 ''Got You Covered'',

Eric Marienthal Eric Marienthal (born December 19, 1957) is a Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres. Early life Eric Marienthal was born on December 19, 1 ...

* 2005 ''Home of My Heart'',

Chris Walden Chris Walden (born October 10, 1966 in Hamburg, West Germany) is a German composer, arranger, and conductor living in the U.S. He leads the Chris Walden Big Band, and was nominated seven times for a Grammy Award. He has written big band and or ...

* 2005 ''Weather Update'', Joe Zawinul * 2006 '' Back in Town'',

Matt Dusk Matthew-Aaron Dusk (born November 19, 1978) is a Canadian jazz vocalist. He has four certified gold albums: ''Two Shots'', ''Good News (Matt Dusk album), Good News'', ''Old School Yule!'' and ''JetSetJazz'', and two certified platinum albums; '' ...

* 2007 ''Eternal Licks and Grooves'',

Bob Florence Bob Florence (May 20, 1932 – May 15, 2008) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Career A child prodigy, Florence began piano lessons before he was five years old and at seven gave his first recital. Although hi ...

* 2009 ''

At Last "At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film '' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US ''Billboard'' po ...

'',

Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of th ...

* 2009 '' Crazy Love'',

* 2010 ''Live in Beverly Hills'', Dado Moroni * 2011 ''

What Matters Most ''What Matters Most'' is the thirty-third studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand released on August 23, 2011 by Columbia Records. Dedicated to the lyrics of her longtime friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the album was produced by Streis ...

'',

* 2012 ''Rhythm Sessions'',

* 2012 ''

Merry Christmas Baby "Merry Christmas Baby" is an R&B Christmas standard credited to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore. In 1947, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers recorded the tune, featuring vocals and piano by Charles Brown. Subsequently, many performers have recorded rend ...

'', Rod Stewart * 2012 '' The Absence'',

Melody Gardot Melody Gardot (; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer. At the age of 19, Gardot was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy, ...

* 2013 ''After Blue'', Tierney Sutton * 2013 ''Nightsongs'',

Janis Siegel Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is an American jazz singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Musical career In 1965, Siegel made her recording debut with a group called Young Generation on Red Bird Records. A ...

* 2013 '' Passione'',

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fr ...

* 2014 '' Partners'',

* 2015 '' Fountain & Vine'',

Sara Niemietz Sara Niemietz () (born June 7, 1992) is an American singer/songwriter and actress based in Los Angeles, California. She has performed on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, and the Grand Ole Opry. A substantial portion of her YouTube offerings ...

* 2016 '' Laura Xmas'',

Laura Pausini Laura Pausini (; born 16 May 1974) is an Italian singer. She rose to fame in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with her debut single "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an internat ...

* 2017 '' I Fall in Love Too Easily'',

Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. In May 2006, she rose to fame as the runner-up on the fifth season of ''American Idol.'' Her eponymous debut album was released on RCA Records on Janua ...

* 2018 '' It's the Holiday Season'',

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and reloc ...

Source:

Books

* ''Time Awareness'' * ''The Erskine Method for Drumset'' * ''My Book'' * ''The Drum Perspective'' * ''Drum Concepts and Techniques'' * ''No Beethoven: An Autobiography and Chronicle of Weather Report''

DVD

*''The Erskine Method for Drumset'' (Alfred Publishing Company)

References

External links

*
Podcast
featuring "Joy Luck" by Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2011) {{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, Peter 1954 births Living people Interlochen Center for the Arts alumni Jacobs School of Music alumni USC Thornton School of Music faculty People from Somers Point, New Jersey Musicians from New Jersey American jazz drummers American session musicians Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Grammy Award winners ECM Records artists Weather Report members Contemporary Records artists 20th-century American drummers American male drummers American male jazz musicians Steps Ahead members Yellowjackets members Free Flight (band) members 20th-century American male musicians