If there’s a drummer I tried to have in mind over the past few months as I’ve been retrofitting my hand technique, it’s Gianlucca Pellerito.
And the Italian instagram sensation has a message - drums are meant to be played in real life. One can make a career out of “content”, he says, but it’s important to play with humans. (If you follow the channel, you know this is something I’ve been getting back into myself.)
In addition to recounting stories from his mentors, like Tony Royster, Dennis Chambers, and Ron Bruner, Gianlucca joins me in a semi-deep-dive on hand technique. As a leftie, Gianlucca built his unconventional style based on what “felt best”, and though he credits his teachers with some great lessons, it’s clear he’s done a lot of “problem solving” on his own.
Finally, we speak about different approaches to improvisation, what we might call “in the grid” vs “ambient”, and Gianlucca’s love for the freedom of his jazz fusion heroes like Ron Bruner and Andy Prado.
Overall, it was just fun to spend an hour with Gianlucca, because his vibe is relentlessly positive, and obsessed with the drums.
Know you’ll enjoy this one!