EJ Strickland

​E.J. Strickland is a New York-based drummer and composer described by Downbeat Magazine as a force of “cumulative energy… latent with power like an oncoming storm.” A collaborator for jazz icons including Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, and Cassandra Wilson, Strickland has evolved from a master sideman into a visionary leader. Recently, he has been a driving force in the boundary-pushing ensembles of Lakecia Benjamin’s “Phoenix”, The David Weiss Sextet, and guitarist David Gilmore.

As a leader, he helms the E.J. Strickland Quintet, Transient Beings, and the innovative Pads N Loops, blending lyrical melodies with complex rhythmic foundations. A globally recognized educator, Strickland has served on the faculty of the Banff International Jazz Workshop,  conducted masterclasses worldwide, and has joined the jazz faculty at NYU, continuing to push the drum set into new expressive territories.