#470 Malcolm Jackson- Percussionist, Educator, Composer, Producer and More!
This week’s guest is Malcolm Jackson. A multifaceted percussionist, Malcolm Jackson regularly performs recitals, concerts, and events that involve solo, chamber, and large ensemble works in various styles and music genres. Jackson also performs with many noted artists including Michael Burritt, Dennis Dotson, Jose Davila, Ron Raines, Chester Thompson and internationally renowned orchestral musicians.
He collaborates with composers of diverse concentrations that range from premiere solo to chamber ensemble works, including Toronto-based composer, improviser, vocalist, and violinist Tova Kardonne; Houston-based composers Dawson Dowdy and Roger Ramirez; and Nashville-based composer Sean Daniels. Malcolm has also collaborated and recorded with Northern Virginia-based International Hip-Hop recording artist Substantial, and Boundless Jazz Combo.
As a prolific composer, Jackson has several works ranging from solos and small ensembles to large ensembles. In regards to production, his debut instrumental album release, Thoughts When I Think Of… Summer, intertwines midi-production with composition scoring while boldly exploring acoustic boundaries to expand musical possibilities.
As an academic, Jackson is a proud alum of Houston’s prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). Upon graduation from HSPVA, he continued his studies at Fisk University and graduated from Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Music under Sean Daniels, and Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After briefly studying under the late Sebastian “Bash” Whittaker, he graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University, where he received his Master of Music under Brad Meyer. From student to educator, Jackson teaches private lessons and advocates for the inclusion of all aspects of music in curricula to develop the talents and interests of aspiring musicians.
Outside of formal study, Jackson is an active participant in research, attending conferences and seminars in Northern America including, HBCU National Band Director’s Consortium, National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Graduate Research Conferences, Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Jazz Institute at Brevard, and Waterloo Region Contemporary Music Sessions along with masterclasses by notable musicians.
Jackson is also a member of PSI CHI, The International Honor Society in Psychology, Southwestern Psychological Association, and the Percussive Arts Society.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Marcus Finnie! Marcus is a Grammy winning, world touring musician. With credits ranging from Charlie Hunter, Kirk Whalum, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Sheléa, Donna Summer, Jonathan Butler, India Arie, G Love, Jacob Whitesides and several others. His first project entitled Boundless featuring Kirk Whalum was released 2010. His latest project is a live studio recording Live From Layman Studios.
Happy Birthday to Paul Wertico! Hailed in the press as "One of the most versatile and musical drummers in music today", Paul Wertico was born January 5, 1953 in Chicago. He gained worldwide recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001. During his tenure with Metheny, Wertico played on ten recordings and four videos, appeared on numerous television shows, and frequently toured around the world. He also won seven Grammy Awards (for "Best Jazz Fusion Performance," "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance," and "Best Rock Instrumental Performance"), magazine polls, and received several gold records.
In recent years, Wertico has continued to tour and perform around the world, as well as around the Chicago metropolitan area, where he is based. This led to the creation of his own band (the Paul Wertico Trio) and collaborations with jazz notables such as Larry Coryell, Kurt Elling, and Jeff Berlin. These collaborations enabled Wertico to be featured on group recordings in a variety of musical genres, and also gave him an opportunity to produce records. In 2009, Wertico's trio joined forces with Marbin, which consisted of Israeli musicians Danny Markovitch (saxophone) and Dani Rabin (guitar). The group performed as Paul Wertico's Mid-East/Mid-West Alliance, and recorded an album for the Chicago Sessions label that received accolades from publications such as the Chicago Tribune, DRUM!, and Modern Drummer. Wertico's current group is Wertico Cain & Gray, featuring multi-instrumentalists David Cain and Larry Gray. A 2013 recording by Wertico Cain & Gray, entitled Sound Portraits, won "Best Live Performance Album" in the 13th Annual Independent Music Awards (2014).
When not touring, Wertico divides his career doing session work, producing, composing, and leading his own groups, as well as teaching. Among the musicians he has played with are: Eddie Harris, Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman, Sam Rivers, Bob Mintzer, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Roscoe Mitchell, Evan Parker, Jay McShann, Herbie Mann, Randy Brecker, Jerry Goodman, Ramsey Lewis, David Bowie, Charlie Haden, George Coleman, Diane Schuur, Nelson Riddle, Sonny Fortune, Ken Nordine, Tierney Sutton, and many others. Wertico was a member of the Larry Coryell Power Trio until Coryell's death in 2017. From 2000 to 2007, he was a member of the platinum-record-winning Polish progressive rock band, SBB. He is also the inventor of TUBZ, made by Promark, who also makes the “Paul Wertico Signature Hickory Wood Tip Drumstick” (TX808W ).
Happy Birthday to Tom Aungst! Tom is the Director of Percussion at Dartmouth Public Schools in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. His job includes teaching percussion students at all levels of the program, from the beginners starting in 5th grade, to the middle and high school students. Mr. Aungst has been in the Dartmouth school system for the past 24 years. Under Tom's direction, Dartmouth has participated in the WGI indoor percussion activity since 1998, capturing five World Class Percussion Championships (1998, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2014) and has consistently placed in the top three.
Mr. Aungst has also been involved in the drum corps activity for over 36 years. Tom has recently returned to The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps as the Caption Head and Arranger for the 2017 season. He was formerly the Caption Head for Carolina Crown in 2015 and 2016. Mr. Aungst got his start in drum corps in the late 70's by marching with the Reading Buccaneer's all-age corps, winning two DCA World Championships in 1979 and 1980. In 1981 Tom became involved with The Cadets, first as a member from 1981-1984, then as the Percussion Arranger and Caption Head through 2008 and later returning as a consultant in 2013. While with the corps, Tom was involved with capturing nine championships and seven percussion awards. Mr. Aungst has always remained actively involved in the drum corps activity, recently writing for the Cadets2 corps in 2013, and working with various groups like the Blue Stars, Pacific Crest, Hawthorne Caballeros, and the Connecticut Hurricanes. Tom is a member of The Cadets, Drum Corps International and the WGI Halls of Fame.
Mr. Aungst is a graduate of West Chester University, where he received his Bachelor's in Music Education and also has a Master's in Jazz Performance from Rutgers University. He is also a proud father to Alan Aungst and Noah Aungst.
Happy Birthday to Dr. Lamon Lawhorn! A native of Fort Worth, TX, Lamon Lawhorn graduated from Eastern Hills HS where he now has a percussion award named in his honor. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from Prairie View A&M University, where he studied under Professor Larry Jones. While at Prairie View, Lamon was a member of the Marching Band known as the “Marching Storm”, Principal Percussionist in the University Symphonic Band, Principal Percussionist in the University Marimba Ensemble, and also served as Student Conductor for the University Symphonic Band. Upon graduation, Lamon attended the University of Mississippi, where he received his Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance and was a Percussion Graduate student of Professor Ricky Burkhead. While at Ole Miss, he was the Principal Percussionist in the UM Wind Ensemble, and Drummer for the “Mississippians” Jazz Ensemble. In 2008, he won the UM Department of Music Concerto Competition with his performance of Paul Creston’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra becoming the first African-American and percussionist to win the competition. Under the direction of Dr. Kris Keeton, Lamon received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Percussion Performance, where his dissertation was entitled, "The Evolution of Contemporary Gospel Drumming." Additional teachers throughout his schooling include Dr. Neeraj Mehta, Dr. Eric Willie, Dr. David Carlisle, and Bruce Graves.
As a classical musician, Lamon has performed in various orchestral venues including Principal Percussionist for the L-O-U Symphony Orchestra, member of the Corinth Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, served as Artist in Residence at the FWISD Creative and Performing Arts Summer Music Camp, and performed in various theatre productions including "Cats", "Footloose," "Into the Woods" and many more. In addition to his orchestral experience, Lamon has performed with recording artist Matt MaGill, “Howlin’ Madd” Bill Perry, R.A. Hall, The Damnwells, toured with the Inner City All-Stars Brass Band, and the George Tisdale Band as a drum set artist.
Active within the Percussive Arts Society, Lamon currently serves as 2nd Vice President for the Executive Committee and a member of the Board of Directors. Lamon is a sought after clinician and adjudicator in drum set, marching and percussion ensemble performances. An avid promoter of educational instruction, Lamon has conducted clinics at the Mississippi and North Carolina Days of Percussion, multiple PASIC Conventions and states such as North Carolina, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia. In addition, Lamon served on faculty at the Austrian Percussion Camp in Ossiach, Austria, teaching marching percussion and gospel drum set techniques. Lamon is a composer within C. Alan Publications, as well as an endorsee of Pearl-Adams, Black Swamp Percussion, Drum Dots, Remo Drumheads, Vic Firth Sticks, Prologix Percussion, and Zildjian Cymbals.
Most recently, Lamon was appointed as the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Percussion Studies at Virginia State University where he will begin instruction this fall. Previously, Lamon served as Assistant Director of Bands at North Carolina A&T State University. His duties within the University Band Program included the coordination of all aspects of the University Band Percussion Ensembles in rehearsals and field instructions, including drumline and percussion ensembles. Lamon also taught courses within the music department, conducted the University Symphonic Band, oversaw the BGMM Media Team and recruitment activities of the University Band Program. The Cold Steel Drumline is an in-demand performing group, with performances all across the US, including a clinic presentation at the 2016 PASIC. Previously, Lamon served as Percussion Instructor at North Carolina Central University where his duties within the Department of Music included the oversight of Marching Percussion, conducting the MSM Percussion Ensemble, and providing additional private lesson instruction. In 2010, NCCU was rated as one of the Top 10 Best Drumlines in College Football by bleacherreport.com.
Lamon Lawhorn is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc., Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity and the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionist. He currently lives in Moseley, Virginia with his wife Sheena, daughter Kollyns and son Layden.
Gig Alerts
MICHAEL LEAGUE & FRIENDS - RESIDENCY at the Blue Note in NYC Jan 10th-11th. Between Two Drummers I featuring: (friend of the show) Nate Wood, Mark Guiliana, Wayne Krantz, and Rachel Eckroth
The NAMM show is happening in Anaheim, CA from Jan 20th-24th.
The Jazz Cruise is traveling from Tampa, FL to Cozumel, MEX, to Belize, to Costa Maya, MEX and back to Tampa between Jan 27th - Feb 3rd.
Artist submissions for PASIC 2026 are now open until Jan 26th. You can APPLY NOW HERE.
Educational Spotlight
The Sandbox Percussion Summer Seminar takes place in NYC at the New School between June 9th-15th. Deadline to apply is Feb 28th.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording chosen by Malcolm is, “Sculpture 3” by Rüdiger Pawassar. This performance is by the percussion trio, 3slag.
Music News
Instagram head Adam Mosseri says we should be fingerprinting real media instead of trying to track and identify the growing amount of AI slop online. -Article
MTV has shut down several music-only video channels across the UK, Australia, Poland, France, and Brazil after nearly 40 years. -Article
Malcolm Jackson Interview
The song leading into the interview is called, “Mbulu (Illustrious)” by Malcolm from the album, ‘Interchange’.
The interview starts with Damon mentioning Malcolm being on the PASIC recap part 3 with the M’Boom tribute ensemble.
Shout-out to Dr. Sean Daniels.
Malcolm talks about representation of African-Americans, specifically in the classical/contemporary space. Friend of the show, Raynor Carroll has an organization (ABOP) helping to push that forward.
Malcolm is from Houston Texas. Damon and Malcolm talk about collard greens. Shout-out to This is It, The Breakfast Klub, and some others.
Malcolm attended HSPVA for high school.
He talks about his family introducing music to him.
Malcolm talks about his nicknames EL coming from poetry and anime as well as M.P. Infinite.
Damon mentions Malcolm’s Samurai swords and martial arts.
Malcolm tells how he got his undergrad from Fisk University and Tennessee State University in both music and psychology.
Shout-out to Paul Smadbeck and his song “Rhythm Song”.
Malcolm talk about performing, teaching, composing, and producing as well as the balance.
Malcolm will be performing in Virginia with the artist Substantial doing a tribute to Nujabes.
Malcolm got his masters at Stephen F. Austin University.
Malcolm talks about being on the debate team for Stephen F. Austin University.
Damon mentions the Mehdi Hasan book about debating. Chris Voss also has a great book about negotiating.
Malcolm has an album called “Interchange” that you can get from Bandcamp (preferably on the first Friday of the month so he gets 100% of the royalties).
Jon Makes Beats was an inspiration for Malcolm and his album.
You can check out Malcolm’s compositions and merch on his website.
Malcolm talks about his plans for the new year, specifically in Houston.
Malcolm talks about being able to manage himself and his goals.
Malcolm chooses the iconic recording.
Shout-out to Patrick “P.K.” Kelly, Dr. Sean Daniels, Dr. Brad Meyer, and Substantial.
You can follow Malcolm on his Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
The song leading out of the interview is called “Myths, Stories” by Malcolm.
