Drew Shoals profile picture

Drew Shoals

Drums/ New album available now at drewshoals.com!

About Me

Drew Shoals strives to say something new with his drums. Building off the foundation of his rock and funk origins, this Portland, OR native is furthering the musical dialogue of modern-jazz drumming. Calling on the primal pulse of hip-hop and the tension and release of mix-metered fusion, Shoals incorporates his love for the eclectic into every beat. The Willamette Week wrote, "Drew Shoals is possibly the most talented young drummer in the Northwest." Since earning a BA in African-American Studies from Whitman College and receiving the Outstanding Drum Soloist award at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 2005, Shoals has been fully immersed in the broader Portland music scene. He was Jazz Society of Oregon's Featured Musician in October 2006. The Oregonian wrote in December 2007, "Drummer Drew Shoals is on the verge. He is already known as the brightest young star in Portland’s music firmament, and national recognition is on the way. Behind the drum kit, he’s all arms and legs, moving his whole body and using cymbals as much as the drums themselves. You can draw comparisons to Jack DeJohnette and Tony Williams, but Shoals is coming from an entirely different place.He is as versatile as he is talented, having played in pop, blues and bluegrass bands, touring extensively over the past summer with Tony Furtado." Some of the other artists he has performed and/or recorded with include Pat Monahan (Train), Nu Shooz Orchestra, Curtis Salgado, Dan Balmer, Ohmega Watts, Stephanie Schniderman, John Nastos, Matt Sheehy, and Ben Darwish. He also composes for and leads the Drew Shoals Collective, which released their debut album “The Greatest Haven’t Been Born Yet” in December 2007 on Diatic Records. In February 2008, Shoals received a Portland Music Award for Outstanding Achievement in Jazz, and Ohmega Watts’ album “Watts Happening”, which features a track with Shoals on drums, won the PMA for Album of the Year.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/4/2006
Band Website: drewshoals.com
Band Members: The brand new Diatic Records release "The Greatest Haven't Been Born Yet" by the Drew Shoals Collective features:John Nastos - alto and tenor sax Nick Sweet - trombone Ben Darwish - nord electro Dan Duval - guitar Damian Erskine - electric bass Jeff Picker - acoustic bassEngineered and mixed by Gregg Williams Mastered by Kevin NettleinghamThe album just dropped in December 2007 and is available on CD Baby, iTunes, drewshoals.com, and diaticrecords.com. Pics by Cortney Erskine, artwork by Pyar Anderson
Influences: Brian Blade, Billy Kilson, Quest Love, Dave King, Jorge Rossy, Jeff Ballard, Billy Cobham, Jimmy Chamberlin, Alex Acuna, Carter Beauford, Radiohead, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Bill Frisell, Dave Holland, Anthony Jones, Reinhardt Melz, A Tribe Called Quest, Charlie Hunter, Brad Mehldau, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Stewart, Jason Marsalis, Terreon Gully, Matt Chamberlain, John Scofield, John Ellis, Steve Jordan, Kendrick Scott, Mike Moreno, Alan Jones, Eric Harland, Justin Blaze, Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Kanye West, Billy Martin, Israel Annoh, Todd Strait, Coffee, Breathing, Life
Record Label: Diatic Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

"The Greatest" reviewed on stereosubversion.com

"Album Rating: 9.5/10I first came into contact with Drew Shoals in between sets at a CD release show in Eugene, Oregon last year when he was playing drums for the non-vocal jazz group, the Ben Darwish...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:20:00 PST

Portland Music Awards

Here's a little bit of press about an award I just got. Good stuff."Outstanding Achievement in Jazz (Portland Music Awards 2008)Drew has played drums for bands of such a vast array of musical styles,...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:28:00 PST

Oregonian Article, CD Release Party

Happy Holidays!If you really want to give them the gift that counts, give that loved one my new album "The Greatest Haven't Been Born Yet." Our CD Release party is tomorrow night Sat, Dec 22nd at Des...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:03:00 PST

New album, live radio performances, CD release party

Hello Friends,I will be interviewed on 89.1 FM KMHD today (12/13) at 2:30PM about my new album "The Greatest Haven't Been Born Yet." I also will be appearing on 90.7 FM KBOO for a live studio perform...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:28:00 PST

On end of tour, upcoming album, and new website

Well I've been out for almost five weeks with Pat Monahan and now it's time to get on a plane back to Portland. The band and crew are a really great group of people and I hope we get to get out and do...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:17:00 PST

Touring with Pat Monahan

On the Road Again!I have the pleasure of touring with Pat Monahan, the lead singer of the grammy award winning band Train. We will travel the mid-west, east coast, and south for the next month promoti...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:01:00 PST

Almost home!

Well, the Tony Furtado spring tour is coming to an end. We've had a lot of fun in the sunny/glamourous Southwest, lost our mind looking for a place to eat in the land of Steve Nash, ate some delicious...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Thu, 10 May 2007 06:02:00 PST

On Nashville, the midwest, and not being in Kansas anymore:

Week five? I don't even know sometimes. I loose track of days and cities. The life of a transient (that intro was very film noir. Although, I haven't had much time to watch films, unforch). I am wr...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 03:17:00 PST

Week Three on Tour with Tony Furtado

I'm writing from the Continental Hotel in Santa Cruz, CA. It's pretty rainy and muggy outside (wet and get your wallet jacked, just kidding). We played the Attic last night. It was our first show back...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:03:00 PST

ON TOUR!

I am currently on the road with a crushing Americana/Roots Rock artist named Tony Furtado. For the past 20 years, Furtado has been ripping up the banjo and slide guitar all around the country, and I'm...
Posted by Drew Shoals on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:04:00 PST