Name: JoJo Mayer
Associations: The Screaming Headless Torsos, Chico Freeman, John Zorn, Harry Pepl
Instrument: Drums
Brands: Sonor, Sabian, Vic Firth, Evans
JoJo Mayer is best known for his role as drummer and band leader for his electro-jazz project, Nerve. Born in 1963 in Zurich Switzerland, JoJo Mayer went from picking up drums at the age of 2, to becoming a teenage touring drummer with Monty Alexander and being featured at major jazz festivals including North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and many others. In the process JoJo was given the opportunity to support legends like Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie.
JoJo Mayer has gone on to play with a near endless list of prominent musicians, in the process becoming an authority on drumming as he is featured as a performer and clinician at events including Modern Drummer Festival, Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship NYC, Montreal Drum Fest and many others.
JoJo has toured the work sharing his drumming expertise and inspiring performances while also writing and producing music. His band Nerve evolved out of an inventive event called PROHIBITED BEATZ which was a weekly party JoJo hosted in New York City, creating a platform for live Drum n’ Bass, Break Beats and Speed Garage.
The fusion of jazz and drum and bass that JoJo has brought to the forefront of the scene has defined JoJo Mayer. The style that has taken jazz methods of drumming and applied them to modern electronic music styles, has its roots in drummers like Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette and Buddy Rich.
The JoJo Mayer plays Sonor SQ2 Drums Set, Sonor S-Classix Drum Kit, Sonor Delite Drumset, Sonro Lite and Hilite Series Drum Sets. These JoJo Mayer Sonor drumkits are truly top quality, professional kits.
JoJo Mayer’s Drum Setup:
Sonor SQ2 Drums Set, Sonor S-Classix Drum Kit, Sonor Delite Drumset, Sonro Lite and Hilite Series Drum Sets
- Sonor 14×20 Bass Drum, Sonor 16×20 Bass Drums
- Sonor 13×5 Snare Drum with flanged hoops
- Sonor 14×4 Snare Drum with flanged hoops
- Sonor 14×14 floor tom
- Sonor 8×8 Rack tom
Cymbals: Sabian
- Sabian Vault Fierce Series Cymbals
- Sabian Omni Series Cymbals
- AAX Cymbals and HHX Cymbals
- Sabian Fierce Ride Cymbal
- Sabian Fierce Crash Cymbal
Sticks:
Vic Firth
Heads:
Evans Drumheads
Hardware:
- 2 x snare drum stand
- 1 x hi hat stand (complete with clutch, NO toe stop)
- 5 x cymbal stand with short boom arm
- 1 x rack tom holder (with mounting clamp for suspension from cymbal stand)
- 2 x X-hat (with mounting clamps)
- 2 x additional multi clamp
- Tama MC61 & MC67 fast clamps,
- Pearl AX -28
- Yamaha CSAT-924
- Sonor JoJo Mayer Perfect Balance Kick Drum Pedal
JoJo Mayer has performed and collaborated with:
- The Screaming Headless Torsos
- Meshell n’dege Occello
- Vernon Reid
- DJ Spooky
- Emergency Broadcast Network
- Vienna Art Orchestra
- Wolfgang Muthspiel
- Harry Pepl
- Gerald Veasley
- Monty Alexander
- Lunar Crush
- John Zorn
- James Blood Ulmer
- Chico Freeman
- George Adams
- Jamaaladeen
- Tacuma
- John Medeski
- Family of Percussion
- Hiram Bullock
- Leni Stern
- Depart
- Wolfgang Puschnigg
- The intergalactic Maiden Ballet
- Friedrich Gulda
- Harry Sokal
- Steve Coleman’s 5 Elements
- Passport
- Wah Wah Watson
