wJp
CONTACT

SEEKING

Bagpipes, Trombone, Vocalist - Alto, Dobro, Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Other, Flute, Harmonica, Background Singer, Piano, Keyboard, Saxophone, Trumpet, Violin, Other Percussion, Drums, Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocalist - Soprano, Vocalist - Tenor, Vocalist - Baritone, Vocalist - Bass, Vocalist.

ABOUT

Wes has played music professionally and semi-professionally since he was 13. While he has been playing the North Central Ohio music scene for years, he has toured with several internationally touring religious pop acts as well including Native Deen, 786 and Zain Bhikha and has performed for audiences in Egypt, Jerusalem (and the West Bank, Palestine), United Arab Emirates, The UK, Tanzania, Australia, and across the U.S. and Canada. Outside of music Wes enjoys spending quality time with his wife Fardowsa and son Bilal, doing "outdoorsy" kinds of stuff like hiking, hunting etc... and he is a devout Muslim and serves as a regular preacher at Friday services for the Islamic Society of Ashland and the Islamic Society of Mansfield.

Screen name:
wJp
Member since:
Oct 08 2007
Active over 1 month ago
Level of commitment:
Touring
Years playing music:
13
Gigs played:
Over 100
Tend to practice:
More than 3 times per week
Available to gig:
6-7 nights a week
Most available:
Nights

Influences

Musically I have been greatly influenced by many many people. As I was growing I would just watch as many drummers as possible and if I seen something I liked I would absorb it. As a young lad I was brought up in country music (which I still love). So I really cut my teeth on people like Paul Leim, Eddie Bayers, Lonnie Wilson (the top session drummers in Nashville at the time). Around 14 I got into playing jazz and was subsiquently heavily influenced by people like Gene Krupa and Art Blakey, and then when I started playing in a rock band with my friends in high school I was also heavily influenced by people like John Bonham, Butch Trucks and Jaimo (Allman Bros.), Mitch Michell and others. I also love world music and especially African drumming, and many of those concepts also carry over into my drum set playing.

EQUIPMENT

I have a plethera of different equipment. I'm a firm believer that it's not the gear, but how you tune and play them. That being said I am very careful about tuning drums. I believe that a drum should sing like any other instrument and instead of packing a bass drum full of blankets or plastering a tom with duct tape it's better to take the time and tune them so they sing beautifully on their own. Other than that I don't particularly endorse any particular product. At least not yet ;) (hint for you artist relations people from drum, cymbal and stick manufacturers).

MUSIC