Sebastian 'Charlie' Whittaker

"The biggest idea we're trying to lay on people's minds," says drummer Sebastian Whittaker, "is that you don't need to become a non-conformist to have new and fresh music, because so much roadwork has been laid by the forefathers. So I'm trying to keep the legacy alive."

On his debut Justice release, First Outing, Whittaker did exactly that with a set of mostly original tunes that recalled the Blue Note Records sound of the '50s and '60s. With Searching' For The Truth, his second release, he continued to pay homage to that era. With his third, One For Bu!, Bash focuses on, Art Blakey, while on his fourth The Valley Of The Kings, his focus is on both Blakey and John Coltrane. Art Blakey is a name that comes up frequently in Whittaker's conversations. "One thing I get from Art," Bash says, "is the feeling of family that all his bands had, and that is a characteristic I've borrowed in constructing my band. A lot of people put together a band of all-stars, but it doesn't sound like a family. Sometimes the true definition of "band" gets lost in the flash and pyrotechnics that they are putting across."

The Valley Of The Kings, Sebastian's most recent release for Justice Records, is unquestionably the drummer and bandleader's most intimate record to date, a confluence of intense personal strife, spiritual mission, jazz education and raw sonic energy. Drawing upon the lessons "Bash" absorbed while studying John Coltrane's great spiritual quartets, the Houston drummer applies his own hard earned emotional truths to Trane's modal approach. What's more, Bash remains faithful to his own hard-bop instincts, crafting a singular session that combines Art Blakey's intensity with Coltrane's purity of feeling.

The study of jazz forefathers has been a lifelong pursuit for Sebastian. Born in 1966 in Houston, Texas and blinded at the age of one by retinal cancer, "Bash" began playing drums at age three. After attending Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, he continued his musical studies at the University of Texas and at William Patterson College in New Jersey. Besides drums, Whittaker made it a point to acquire a working knowledge of piano and to pursue his interest in composing.

"Bash" is no mere "keeper of the flame," content with only reproduction. Along with the "Creators," he pays homage to the man he calls his "foundation," while further establishing himself and the Creators as exquisite players and composers of their own merit. The group follows the road map charted by their forefathers, but their travels take a fresh, modern turn.

Sebastian Whittaker and his band the Creators are available for concerts, festivals, clubs engagements as well as educational activites including master classes, and clinics.

For booking information:
(281) 931-5355
E-mail: info@upfrontmanaging.com
Visit Sebastian Whittaker's website at: www.upfrontmanaging.com