Kevin Shea
"Kevin Shea’s drums are filled with joyous diablerie — like the subservient
foundation of a no-wave saxophonist’s hankering for bebop, he simultaneously
disrupts and reinforces the ensemble/song until all that remains is the avant-garde
concept of world peace.” - Telegraph Harp
Kevin Shea is valued as being a vital and original artist in the contemporary music
scene. Shea’s originality is manifested not only by his personal approach to his
instrument, but also throughout his constant search for new musical horizons
unifying all the bands he has been involved in despite the parameters set for
musicians by genre definition, or by historical icons.
The plurality of rigorous artistic aspirations and creative engagement that distinguish
the discography of Kevin Shea are not the product of chance or merely taking
advantage of opportunities -but the result of labor, strong convictions, and a strong
conceptual support- a deliberate search for transitional territories away from the
dogmas of boring and unnecessary conventions.
Shea’s artistic interests are rooted in reevaluating what a band/ music/ musician/
performer/ artist/ audience can and should. Splitting the difference between passion
and song, Shea plays multi-dimensional utopian sound in which opposing musical
forces integrate to form a new sustainable recipe for sound and social implication.
Remaining devoted to his belief that the application of sonic diversity is paramount
to the appreciation of human diversity, Shea’s ultimate goal has been to wed
disparate ideologies through proficiency, controversy, inquiry, and compassion -an
approach perpetuating audiences, listeners, and sometimes fellow band members,
to face, question, define, and attempt to defend their own level of tolerance and
compassion head-on, no–holds–barred.
Through this carefully planned direct method in the round, Shea’s sonic
investigations emphatically traverse the mobius strip highway of refurbished
canticles, perpetually climaxing between Sadean semelparity and Platonic
resurrection. At the heart of Shea’s dialectical core, unabashed artifacts of rhythmic
iconoclasm conjoin with anthemic melody gestures and modern memory loss to
create a vital force that gives us bittersweet contemplation and empathy.
As a youth, Shea moved throughout the States many times, transforming any of his
formal expectations into a joyous foundation of constant flux. He learned that
intuition and customs had to be constantly re-evaluated and negotiated rather than
held as sacred. This process of questioning is central to Shea's music. To him, sound
is a result of a broader process rather than formulas tied to notions of predictable
emotional response. Shea sees sound and music, not as a prize, but a simple aspect
of banal daily life.
Kevin Shea has over 25 years of experience as a professional drummer, composer
and performer. He has recorded on over 100 albums in a mish-mash of contexts and
has performed in over 40 countries. His training started in public elementary school
and continued steadily through his college years at Berklee College of Music.
"An innovative and free-minded drummer, Shea has always imbued his playing with
a humor and flexibility that few in the jazz world have been able to match. While
perhaps best known for his work with the band Mostly Other People Do The Killing,
Shea has played on a host of other projects in the Avant-Garde, Jazz, and other
genres, including works by Rhys Chatham, People (with Mary Halvorson), Peter
Evans Quartet, Alan Wilkinson, and the group Talibam!" - WKCR 89.9FM NY
Additional recording/performing with legendary Fluxus artist Yasunao Tone, CooperMoore, Tatsuya Yoshida, Jim Black, Yoshimi, Susie Ibarra, Storm & Stress featuring
Ian Williams, Brian Chippendale,Thomas Heberer, Micah Gaugh, Michael Moore,
Mick Barr, Zach Hill, Lukas Ligeti, William Hooker, Charles Evans, Nate Wooley,
Jean-Marc Montera, Vernon Reid, Jim O’Rourke, Colin Stetson, Tim Dahl, Wolter
Wierbos, Fritz Welch, Steve Albini, Dan Peck, Steven Bernstein, Briggan Krauss,
Tomas Fujiwara, Max Johnson, Marc Ribot, Chris Pitsiokos, Jim Sauter, DJ Olive,
Brian Chase, Mike Pride, Sarah Lipstate, Bern Nix, Adam Lane, Frank Gratkowski,
Hans Tammen, Kyp Malone, James Cammack, Weasel Walter, Jason Ajemian, Tom
Blancarte, Curtis Hasselbring, Danton Boller, Asmus Tietchens, Michael Evans, Yoni
Kretzmer, Jaime Fennely, Josh Roseman, Matt Nelson, Steve Gunn, Nebadon
Contemporary Music Ensemble, Peeesseye, J.D. Parran, Nick Millevoi, Philip White,
Hey!Tonal, Daniel Carter, Sam Kulik, Daniel Blake, Tyondai Braxton, ad nauseum. In
recent years, Shea has also performed as part of renowned choreographer Karole
Armitage’s Armitage Gone! Dance company.
Kevin Shea has performed at some of the most highly acclaimed festivals -such as
The Newport Jazz Festival, Sharjah Art Biennial, Taipei Arts Festival, ATP Festival,
The North Sea Jazz Festival, The Vancouver Jazz Festival, Moers Festival near
Dusseldorf, Berlin Jazz Fest, Portalegre Jazzfest, Sant'Anna Arresi Jazz Festival,
Egersund Visefestival in Norway, Jazz em Augusto Festival in Lisbon, Jazzatlier
Kaleidephon Festival in Austria, Bergen Jazz Festival, Dance Ukmbrella, Bordeaux
Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, Suoni Festival in Montreal, Tampere Jazz Festival,
Meteo Jazz Festival, Kraak Festival in Belgium, Whartscape Fest in Baltimore, ZXZW
Festival in Tilburg, Lollapalooza, Enjoy Jazz Festival in Mannheim, Azorean Islands
Jazz Festivals, Ottawa Jazz Festival.
"Best Drummer in New York City 2012 awarded to Kevin Shea." - Village Voice