Podcast

‘Rhythm Is Life’ With Vinnie Colaiuta

On the art of listening, collaborating, and celebrating the imperfection that makes music a human art

Playing for Team Human today, drummer and session musician, Vinnie Colaiuta. Vinnie joins Team Human to discuss the art of listening, collaborating, and celebrating the imperfection that makes music a human art. Douglas and Vinnie explore the difference between making music together, the biases of music-production technology, what Vinnie has learned from working artists like Frank Zappa, the importance of flow-state, and what it is like to be one of the most in-demand studio musicians.

Vinnie Colaiuta is an award-winning drummer based in Los Angeles. He famously worked for Frank Zappa as his principal drummer for studio and live performances. His performances on Zappa’s albums Tinsel Town Rebellion, Joe’s Garage and Shut Up ‘n Play Yer Guitar are considered by many drummers to be among the most astounding ever recorded. Joe’s Garage was named one of the top-25 drumming performances of all time in a 1993 Modern Drummer article.

After leaving Zappa, Colaiuta went on to work with a long list of notable rock and pop artists, including Sting, Gino Vannelli, Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand, Sandy & Junior, Clannad, Wang Chung…