Robby Ameen (born December 7, 1960) is an American

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, bandleader, and educator who resides in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural ele ...

style he has created. He is regarded as one of the world's most prominent drummers in the area of

Latin Jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, whic ...

. In 1985 he became a member of

Ruben Blades Reuben or Reuven is a Hebrew Bible, Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben (son of Jacob), Reuben was the Reuben (son of Jacob), firstborn son of Jacob. Variants include R� ...

’ Seis del Solar band. Other long-term band memberships include

Dave Valentin David Peter Valentin (April 29, 1952 – March 8, 2017) was an American Latin jazz flautist of Puerto Rican descent. Life and career Valentin was born to Puerto Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Mu ...

Conrad Herwig Lee Conrad Herwig III (born 1959) is an American jazz trombonist from New York City. Biography Herwig began his career in Clark Terry's band in the early 1980s and has been a featured member in the Joe Henderson Sextet, Tom Harrell's Septet and ...

’s “Latin Side of… All Stars",

Kip Hanrahan Kip Hanrahan (born December 9, 1954) is an American jazz music impresario, record producer and percussionist. Personal life Hanrahan was born in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx to an Irish-Jewish family. His father left when he was 6 m ...

, and

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disbande ...

and the Cuicoland Express. In 2011 Ameen won a

Latin Grammy The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...

for best Salsa record with Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar, “Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 1 and 2.” As a sideman he has recorded on other

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

winning records including Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar's “Escenas” and Brian Lynch's “Simpatico”. In 2012, Ameen was the subject of an episode of the

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

Award-winning Detroit Public Television series “Arab American Stories”.

Early life and education

Ameen was born in 1960 in New Haven, Connecticut. Studied drum set with CJ Everett,

Ed Blackwell Edward Joseph Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for his extensive, influential work with Ornette Coleman. Biography Blackwell's early career began in New Orleans ...

, and classical percussion with Fred Hinger. BA Literature, Yale University, 1982

Career

As a sideman, Ameen has recorded extensively with such artists as

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. Early life Pal ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Thin ...

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, and many others. As a session musician Ameen has recorded numerous jingles, film scores, and TV music, including the popular HBO series ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...

''. As an educator, Ameen is the co-author with bassist

Lincoln Goines Lincoln Goines (born 1953) is a double bassist and bass guitarist from Oakland, California. Biography A mainstay of the New York City jazz/Latin/studio scene since the early 1980s and noted for his versatility and fluid style, Goines' extensive ...

of the best-selling instructional book “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums” (Alfred Music), and the follow-up DVD, “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums” (Alfred Music). He is an international clinician and percussion/drum festival participant, including the Modern Drummer Festival and PASIC. He is currently on the faculty at

Mason Gross School of the Arts Mason Gross School of the Arts is the arts conservatory at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is named for Mason W. Gross, the sixteenth president of Rutgers. Mason Gross offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Theater, Digi ...

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

Discography

As a leader

* Robby Ameen ''Diluvio'' (2020) Origin Records * Robby Ameen ''Days in the Night'' (2015) Two and Four Records * Robby Ameen ''Days in the Life'' (2009) Two and Four Records

As a co-leader

* Horacio "el Negro" Hernandez and Robby Ameen ''Robby and Negro at the Third World War'' (2006) American Clave/Enja * El Negro and Robby ''Onto the Street'' (2003) EWE * El Negro and Robby Band ''Live at Umbria Jazz'' (2004) Il Manifesto * Seis del Solar ''Decision'' (1992) Messidor * Seis del Solar ''Alternate Roots'' (1995) Messidor * Overproof ''Three Guys Walk into a Bar'' (2004) EWE

As a sideman (selected)

* Dizzy Gillespie ''New Faces'' (1984) GRP * Dizzy Gillespie ''Endlessly'' (1988) MCA * Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar ''Escenas'' (1985) Elektra-Asylum * Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar ''Agua de Luna'' (1986) Elektra-Asylum * Ruben Blades ''Nothing But the Truth'' (1988) Elektra-Asylum * Ruben Blades ''Ruben Blades y Son del Solar...Live!'' (1990) Elektra-Asylum * Ruben Blades and Son del Solar ''Caminando'' (1991) Sony * Ruben Blades and Son del Solar ''Amor y Control'' (1992) CBS Records * Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar ''Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 1'' (2011) Ruben Blades Productions * Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar ''Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 2'' (2011) Ruben Blades Productions * Paul Simon ''Songs from the Capeman'' (1997) Warner Bros. Records * Dave Valentin ''Kalahari'' (1984) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Jungle Gardens'' (1985) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Light Struck'' (1986) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Mind Time'' (1987) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Live at the Blue Note'' (1988) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Two Amigos'' (1990) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Musical Portraits'' (1991) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Red Sun'' (1992) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Tropic Heat'' (1992) GRP * Dave Valentin ''Primitive Passions'' (1996) RMM Records * Dave Valentin ''Sunshower'' (1999) Concord Vista * Dave Valentin ''World on a String'' (2005) HighNote Records * Dave Valentin ''Come Fly with Me'' (2006) HighNote Records * Dave Valentin ''Pure Imagination'' (2011) HighNote Records * Eddie Palmieri ''El Rumbero del Piano'' (1998) RMM/Universal * Eddie Palmieri ''Palmas'' (1994) Nonesuch * Eddie Palmieri ''Sueno'' (1982) Intuition * Conrad Herwig ''Another Kind of Blue: The Latin Side of Miles Davis''(2004) Half Note * Conrad Herwig ''Que Viva Coltrane'' (2004) Criss Cross * Conrad Herwig ''Sketches of Spain y Mas: The Latin Side of Miles Davis'' (2006) Half Note * Conrad Herwig ''The Latin Side of Wayne Shorter'' (2008) Half Note * Conrad Herwig ''The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock'' (2010) Half Note * Conrad Herwig ''The Latin Side of Joe Henderson'' (2014) Half Note * Conrad Herwig ''The Latin Side of Horace Silver'' (2021) Savant * Kip Hanrahan ''Crescent Moon Waning'' (2018) American Clave * Kip Hanrahan ''Shadow Nights, Vol. 2' (1999) American Clave * Kip Hanrahan ''A Thousand Nights and a Night(Shadow Night'' (1997) American Clave * Kip Hanrahan ''All Roads Are Made of the Flesh'' (1995) American Clave * Kip Hanrahan ''Exotica'' (1992) American Clave * Kip Hanrahan ''Days and Nights of Blue Luck Inverted'' (1988) American Clave * Kip Hanrahan ''Tenderness'' (1990) American Clave * Jack Bruce ''Live at the Milkyway'' (2011) EMI * Jack Bruce ''More Jack Than God'' (2003) Sanctuary * Jack Bruce ''Shadows in the Air'' (2001) Sanctuary * Carly Simon ''This Kind of Love'' (2008) Hear Music *

Steve Swallow Steve Swallow (born October 4, 1940) is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar. ...

Swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

'' (Xtra Watt, 1991) * Mongo Santamaria ''Mongo Returns!'' (1998) Milestone * Hilton Ruiz ''Strut'' (1989) Novus * Kirsty MacColl ''Electric Landlady'' (1991) BMG/Union Square Music * Bill O'Connell ''Wind off the Hudson'' (2019) Savant * Bill O'Connell ''Jazz Latin'' (2018) Savant * David Byrne ''Rei Momo'' (1989) Sire/Luaka Bop * Brian Lynch ''Simpatico'' (2006) Artist Share * Deep Rumba ''A Calm in the Fire of Dances'' (2000) American Clave * Deep Rumba ''This Night Becomes a Rumba'' (1998) American Clave * Michael Reissler ''Big Circle'' (2012) Intuition * Michael Reissler ''Honey and Ash'' (1998) Enja * Michael Reissler ''Momentum Mobile'' (1995) Enja * Conjure ''Bad Mouth'' (2006) American Clave * Conjure ''Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon'' (1995) American Clave * Daniel Ponce ''Chango te Llama'' (1991) Mango * Milton Cardona ''Cambucha'' (1999) American Clave * Silvana DeLuigi ''Yo'' (2004) American Clave * Earl Klugh ''Midnight in San Juan'' (1990) Warner Bros. * Eva Cortes ''Crossing Borders'' (2017) Origin * Doug Beavers ''Sol''(2021) Circle 9 Records

External links

Website

Discography on All Music

Credits on All Music

IMDB

Latin Grammys

Biography

References

Modern Drummer April ’94, January 2004, January 2010, DrumHead issue #22 Downbeat March 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ameen, Robby American jazz drummers Living people 1960 births Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Jazz musicians from Connecticut 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Origin Records artists