Drummer Karl Latham's career has spanned the globe performing, recording and producing with Grammy Award winning artists, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members and multitude of internationally acclaimed musicians. Karl is included in the Drummerworld Top Drummers list. "Latham offers a blaze of freshness, invention, adventure and new, exciting ways of understanding the connections between alternative jazz and rock." Karl Latham “Living Standards” group is a culmination of both Latham’s protean imagination for transformative musical projects: aka “Jazz for Everyone”.
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Price Range: $800-$2000
Gig Length: 60 - 180 minutes
Languages: English
Insurance: $2,000,000 - Commercial General Liability
Unions: AFM
We tailor our offering for each event including song/style selection, group members, instrumentation, wardrobe and any other consideration to provide a musical experience which will enhance any gathering. We are consummate professionals and enjoy providing intimate background music, dance music or performing as a feature presentation.
Karl Latham – Biography
Karl’s career has spanned the globe performing, recording, and producing with Grammy Award winning artists, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members and multitude of internationally acclaimed musicians. Karl is known for his exceptional ability to dig into a variety of musical styles, playing with acclaimed artists in funk, rock, R&B, Latin-Jazz, modern jazz, straight-ahead jazz, avant-garde, and Broadway.
As a freelance drummer Karl has performed with notable artists including: John Lee (Executive Director Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Groups); The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars; Paquito D’Rivera with the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience, The Fantasy Band (Dave Valentine, Dave Samuels, Chuck Loeb, Noel Pointer, Victor Bailey, Cornell Dupree, Roy Ayers, Larry Coryell); Claudio Roditi; Slide Hampton; Clark Terry; The Bernie Worrell Orchestra; Charlie Elgart; Michal Urbaniak; Andy Snitzer; Edgar Winter; Johnny Winter; The Shirelles; Howard Paul, President Benedetto Guitars (with guests Tom Scott and Anat Cohen ); Ali Ryerson; Wolfgang Lackerschmid (with Atilla Zoller, Ed Cherry, Cameron Brown, and Ronnell Bey). Karl has subbed on the Broadway productions of “Bring It On”, “Hamilton”, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, and “Ain’t Too Proud”. Karl is included in the Drummerworld Top Drummers list.
Karl is co-leader of Big Fun(K) with saxophonist/composer Don Braden and co lead with Mark Egan the “2016 BMW Welt Jazz Award” nominated group “Constellations” and Alex Collins/Ryan Berg/Karl Latham “Together” (2021).
As a sideman, Karl has appeared on countless recordings. To date Karl has released three CD’s as a leader: “Dancing Spirits” (1999) and “Resonance” (2007) and Karl Latham “Living Standards” with Mark Egan and Vic Juris.
Karl is an endorsing artist for Paiste Cymbals, Yamaha Drums, ProMark Drumsticks, Evans Drumheads, Big Fat Snare, AEA Microphones, Radial Engineering, Heil Sound, ProLogix Percussion and RME.
Karl is a current member of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee.
Karl received a B.S.S. from Ohio University and studied music performance at Rutgers University, Ohio University and Berklee College of Music, including private studies with drumming greats Gary Chester, Michael Carvin and Joe Morello.
Karl is an Adjunct Professor in percussion/drum set at:
• Drew University since 2015- present
• County College of Morris 2007-present
• Passaic County Community College 2001-present
• Raritan Valley Community College 2023- present
• Blair Academy 2023- present.
Depending on the event type and location we can provide our own instruments and public address system for events within 60 miles of NYC where a public loading zone is accessible.
We are available for travel events globally a full backline rider is available upon request.
Carry On
Low Rider
Layla
Taxman
Day Tripper
Us and Them
Matte Kudasi
Magic Carpet Ride
Break on Through
Rock and Roll Woman
Little Wing
Here are two reviews which summarize well the group's influences:
THE JW VIBE
Music That Sticks To My Soul
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KARL LATHAM, Living Standards II
Though veteran drummer Karl Latham has an enviably eclectic jazz resume that includes The Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars/Afro Latin Experience, Paquito D’Rivera and the Bernie Worrell orchestra, it’s his time with the Winters (Edgar and Johnny) and growing up in the classic rock era that has allowed him to bless us with two of his greatest gifts as a solo artist.
In 2016, vibing with the trio of bassist Mark Egan and guitarist Vic Juris, Latham re-imagined 11 iconic rock tunes as spirited, improvisational funky and meditational jazz jams on Living Standards. With Juris having passed away just before the pandemic, Latham’s glorious revisiting and expansion of the concept on Living Standards II has a slight bittersweet edge. Keeping the foundation of his camaraderie with Egan, the drummer brings on board guitarist Mitch Stein (Tania Maria, Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn), keyboardist and B3 master Henry Hey (Bill Evans, David Bowie, Tedeschi/Trucks) and percussionist Roger Squiitero (Dave Valentin, Spyro Gyra), with vibraphonist Wolfgang Lackerschmid billed as a special guest.
With that kind of fresh firepower on board, Latham offers a blaze of freshness, invention, adventure and new, exciting ways of understanding the connections between alternative jazz and rock. The freewheeling spirit of the album is introduced on the opening track, as the ensemble – led by Stein’s plucky, distorted guitar comingling with Egan’s trippy bass and Lackerschmid’s shimmering vibes – opens with nearly ten minutes of dynamic mood swinging through The Doors’ “Break On Through (To The Other Side),” whose original version runs only two and a half minutes. It’s almost as if they took the “Riders on the Storm”/”The End” aesthetic and applied it to another of the band’s classics.
Another fascinating, ultra creative stretch-out is the downright mystical, mind-bending approach Latham and company take to CSNY’s “Carry On,” which comes in two parts totaling nearly 12 minutes. Stephen Stills’ compositional genius is also represented well by a funky romp through the obscure Buffalo Springfield tune “Rock and Roll Woman,” another potent showcase for Stein’s cracking guitarisma.
Beyond the defiant anything goes sonic spirit, Living Standards II is notable for putting super-familiar, still frequently played hits (Eric Clapton’s “Layla,” Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride” with lesser known gems by Led Zeppelin (“What Is And What Should Never Be”) and King Crimson (“Matte Kudasai”). As leader, Latham often lets his band mates take the reins as he funks and sensually glides the groove along, but his practically tribal 50 second solo at the start of the breakneck speeded “Layla” is an infectious, ear-popping delight.
Contemporary Fusion (link hidden)
Karl Latham Living Standards II
pleasant rock memories Karl Latham – Living Standards II
December 14, 2024
pleasant rock memories Karl Latham – LIVING STANDARDS II: It doesn’t happen often, but on this upcoming release (17 January, 2025) from drummer Karl Latham, I was immediately flooded with pleasant rock memories of cruising down the road to Cullman, Alabama in my (first) 1966 GTO (pictured below):
You can get a preview of what Karl’s fantastic group (Mark Egan – bass, Mitch Stein – guitar, Henry Hey – keyboards, hammond B3, Roger Squitero – percussion, with special guest: Wolfgang Lackerschmid – vibraphone) produced for your listening enjoyment in the clip below…
Karl has several other videos (over 100) from various albums and performances posted there, too; be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Karl Latham YouTube channelwhile you’re there.
Rock classics abound on the release… one of the hottest was the band’s performance of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride“; 6:25 minutes of red-hot smokin’ R&R that will have you playing it over and over (and OVER) again!
The inclusion of Wolfgang’s excellent vibraphone talent on “Break On Through“, by The Doors, was sheer genius… it only took 4 or 5 bars for me to know with certainty that this was my personal favorite of the eight excellent tunes offered up for your listening pleasure and groove.
I give Karl and his mates a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.98 for this superb trip down memory lane. You can purchase the CD direct from Karl, or visit Karl’s Spotify page a little closer to the release date…
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