#498 Adam Topol- Drummer, Educator, Producer, Band Leader, and More!
This week’s guest is Adam Topol. Prior to releasing records under his own name, Adam Topol built a considerable career for himself playing drums and percussion with Jack Johnson, as well as working with musicians like Joey Santiago, Ziggy Marley, David Gilmour and Jimmy Cliff.
Cuando is his newest full length. A collection of moody folk pop that merges his California indie roots and his passion for Latin rhythms.
Pairing up with musician/producer Matt Costa on Cuando allowed Topol the breathing room to explore these broad musical influences that were beyond the scope of some of his other peers. The two connected over a mutual taste for artists like The Cure, The Dirty Three, PJ Harvey, Spacemen 3 and The Velvet Underground, and within that shared musical language they were able to explore the occasional lyrical and thematic darkness of Topol’s work while still keeping the songs on the record fully rooted in their natural sweetness and emotional depth.
Adam currently resides in Los Angeles where he produces, teaches, records and does session work.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Richie “Gajate” Garcia! Richie, a Puerto Rican born in New York City, was raised on the island of Puerto Rico from the age of seven. Richie grew up with musical influences of his percussionist step father Doel Garcia and family friends like Tito Puente, Monchito Munoz and Armando Peraza.
Richie started his formal education at Springfield College and then went on to the Conservatory of Music in Chicago where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education. Since then, Richie has taught at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood and the Los Angeles Music Academy known as LAMA in Pasadena, California. He is one of the top clinicians worldwide and has become an ambassador to the world teaching and demonstrating the art of drums and percussion with over 700 clinics to his credit. Richie has performed, recorded and toured the world as a drummer/percussionist for several major artists including Phil Collins, Sting, Diana Ross, Hiroshima, John Denver, Tito Puente and the Boston Pops. His experiences transcend musical genres from classical to pop, jazz, salsa, country and hip hop.
Richie has authored instructional books which include play along cds. He pioneered instructional drum/percussion videos long before dvds existed and currently has instructional dvds on the market. Countless musicians have credit Richie with their musical successes including his son, Roland Gajate Garcia who was nominated percussionist of the year by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine.
Richie himself has held that title and many more distinctions in the music community including performances on grammy winning and nominated projects. He has been an advocate for music in public schools and spoke on an educational panel for Bill Clinton during his presidency. Richie has invented the gajate bracket distributed by Latin Percussion Inc. which has impacted the genre of multi percussion and taken indepence to a new level. Richie’s nickname is “el pulpo” which means “the octopus”.
Richie lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife of 30 years Mary. His two adult sons are thriving in the music industry playing regularly on tv and touring with legends. Richie is a trendsetter who continues to passionately perform while he educate and mentors worldwide.
Happy Birthday to Daniel de los Reyes! Daniel was born into a family that for three generations has been making a living at banging and shaking things to make music. His grandfather, Walfredo de los Reyes II, laid the family musical foundation by co-founding the famous Cuban orchestra, Casino de la Playa. His father, Walfredo de los Reyes III, went on to become one of Cuba’s most successful drummers/percussionists before moving to Puerto Rico and then the United States. As one of the first drummers to incorporate the drum set with congas and other percussion, Walfredo III blazed a wide path that many would follow. He continues to wow crowds with his drumming and percussion ability, extensive musical history, and incredible enthusiasm at the ripe young age of 79. Daniel and his brothers, Walfredo Reyes Jr. and Kamar de los Reyes, keep the torch burning brighter than ever as they consistently stamp the de los Reyes name all over the percussion and entertainment landscape.
Currently on tour with the Grammy award-winning Zac Brown Band, Daniel has performed with a virtual who’s-who of artists including Don Henley, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sting, The Killers, Sheryl Crow, Patti LaBelle, Peter Frampton, Jennifer Lopez, Don Omar, Stevie Nicks, Louie Vega, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Lionel Richie, Kenny Ortega, Steve Winwood, and many more.
Happy Birthday to Rolando Morales-Matos. Rolando is a well sought after Latin, Jazz and Classical percussionist. He is a band leader/vibraphonist/composer of Latin Jazz group Rolando Morales-Matos & Forward. He has toured worldwide performing at the major jazz festivals and venues as a member of Ron Carter Foursight Quartet, as well as appearing with artists such as Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Samuels, Dave Valentine, Willie Colon, William Cepeda, to name a few. Rolando has recorded with Ron Carter, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Birdland Big Band, as well as numerous film soundtracks and classical works. In 2006, Rolando was the recipient of Drum Magazine's World Beat Percussionist of the Year Award. Since 1997, he has been the Percussionist and Assistant Conductor of the Tony Award- winning Broadway musical The Lion King. Rolando has developed unique vocabularies of playing melodies on non-pitched instruments such as drums, cowbells, cymbals and more. His published works include the textbook “Techniques and Basic Patterns for Congas, Timbales, and Bongos” and over 20 compositions for percussion ensemble. In 2008, Rolando released his solo album “From The Earth” featuring the Hang Drum, and most recently, his Latin Jazz group’s debut album “Forward”.
Gig Alerts
The platform/website, Giggs.live has an opening for a country drummer out of Nashville.
The Ocean Way Festival is happening in Santa Monica, CA on Sept 26-27. -Article
Unfortunately, Susan Tedeschi has to have surgery. This means the Tedeschi Trucks Band will no longer be performing at Floyd Fest or the Newport Folk Fest.
Adam will be performing with his Quintet at Dreamland in Malibu, CA on Thursday July 23rd at 8pm.
Educational Spotlight
The 21 Drums Camp is happening in Tuscany, Italy hosted by Mike Johnston and the other coaches are Isac Jamba, Ash Soan and (friend of the show) Carter McLean.
The Drum Fantasy Camp is happening in Pasadena, CA Aug 15. The instructors are Gary Novak, Kaz Rodriguez, Steve Smith, and Dave Weckl.
You can apply by August 1st to be part of the 50 piece Heartland Marimba Orchestra at PASIC in November.
Videos from PASIC 50 are up and available to be viewed.
New Music
Following two 2026 GRAMMY wins as an accompanying percussionist (and friend of the show), Marcos Josam López Ayala, the Latin-GRAMMY-nominated producer, music educator, and recording multi-instrumentalist formerly known as “@marcstick” online, has stepped out of the sideman shadow into his rightful place as a solo artist with “el Veneno,” his debut single, out now on Bandcamp.
Marcos Josam, more of a project rather than a name, embodies a synthesis of tropical, plena, jazz, and experimental percussion, interwoven with dynamic analog synths, layered patterns, and folk rhythms, and has been in the works for over a decade. “el Veneno,” mastered by 3x Latin GRAMMY-winner Chris Gehringer, was recorded by renowned engineer Javier Raez, and features Marcos on lead vocals, synths, and percussion, supported by background vocals from Kárenly Michelle Nieves Fred and Danielle Cruz.
The FULL ALBUM is due on AUGUST 14th #savethedate.
Gear Talk
Friend of the show, Bill Summers has been, and continues to make chekeres. If you would like one made for you, email him at: bilsum10@yahoo.com. You can even choose your colors (of the beads on the skirt).
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording is “Go On Fool” by Smiley Lewis, from the album, ‘I Hear You Knocking’ with Hungry Williams on drums.
Music News
Indonesia prepares major changes to its laws that could make the country the first in Southeast Asia to incorporate AI into its copyright framework. -Article
The UK’s competition regulator is poised to investigate Live Nation and its domination of the country’s live music industry, echoing US moves. -Article
The star-studded halftime show at the FIFA World Cup was the first of its kind, featuring Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, Justin Bieber, and even the Muppets. Soccer purists bristled at the Super Bowl-style spectacle — though when in America, FIFA did what Americans do. -Article
Some history on the origin of the hit song performed by Shakira, “Waka Waka”.
Adam Topol Interview
The song leading into the interview is “El Chato” by Adam Topol, from the album, ‘Blue Painted Walls in Far Away Places’.
Damon mentions Banana Pancakes.
Damon talks about the start of this podcast.
Adam tours with Jack Johnson.
Adam grew up in Lake Tahoe, CA. He talks about his origins in music.
Adam attended Berklee College of Music.
Adam mentions traveling to Cuba through Caribbean Music and Dance. You can now visit via PlazaCUBA.
Adam talks about how he broke through in studying new rhythms and genres.
Shout-out to Jose Alario in Cuba as did Tre Cool of Green Day.
Adam talks about his world music journey. Shout-out to Tony Allen.
Adam talks about his upcoming quintet show.
Adam gets to try out new music at the club Lunetta in Los Angeles.
Damon mentions the documentary, Immediate Family.
Adam talks about playing live vs studio vs live TV.
Adam was a literature major in school.
Damon mentions playing to songs and lyrics vs playing great grooves.
You can check out more of Adam’s work and songwriting HERE.
Adam talks more about RootsEQ.
Adam is a great educator and you can sign up for lessons with him from his website.
Adam picks the iconic recording.
Damon talks about the Kallax shelves from Ikea that are in both his and Adam’s studios. They can be customized with doors or drawers or even baskets and other accessories.
Adam uses Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads, Yamaha drums, Gon Bops percussion, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, RootsEQ, and Dragonfly Beaters.
Shout-out to the late John Ramsey.
Adam mentions learning the rudimental ritual from Alan Dawson.
You can follow Adam on his Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The song leading out of the interview is, “Butter Nut” performed by The Sprout House Band (feat. Jack Johnson, Tommy Guerrero, Money Mark and Adam Topol) from the Sprout Soundtrack.
