# Dennis Chambers

Dennis Milton Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American jazz fusion and funk drummer. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2001.

## Early life

Chambers was born on May 9, 1959, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. He began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in Baltimore-area nightclubs by the age of six. He was recruited in 1981 by the Sugar Hill Label to be their "house drummer." Chambers played on many Sugar Hill releases. Contrary to popular belief, he did not play on "Rapper's Delight" which was revealed in an interview with Drumeo on August 16, 2017.
In an interview by Bonedo in 2011, Chambers was asked who some of his influences and favorite drummers were and he mentioned Clyde Stubblefield, Al Jackson Jr., Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Husband, Jack Dejohnette, Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, and Tony Williams.

## Career

In 1978 (at 18 years old) he joined Parliament/Funkadelic, and stayed with them until 1985. In 1986 he joined the John Scofield band. Since then he has played with most of the major figures in jazz fusion music.
He has recorded and performed with Tom Coster, John Scofield, George Duke, Victor Wooten, Brecker Brothers, Santana, Steely Dan, Jeff Berlin, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, CAB, Greg Howe, and many others.
He has toured extensively with Carlos Santana, and is a member of the jazz-rock trio Niacin.
In December 2004, Chambers was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during the inauguration of former president Roger H. Brown. In 2013 Chambers recorded the album Groove and More, produced by Lino Nicolosi and Pino Nicolosi, for the Italian company Nicolosi Productions, published by Soul Trade.

## Equipment

He plays and endorses Pearl drums, pedals, hardware & racks, Zildjian cymbals, drumsticks & general accessories, LP percussion, Ddrum electronics and Evans Drumheads.

## Discography

| Year | Personnel | Title | Label |
| 1982 | Don Blackman | Don Blackman | Arista Records |
| 1983 | P-Funk All Stars | Live at the Beverly Theater in Hollywood | Westbound |
| 1986 | John Scofield | Blue Matter | Gramavision |
| 1987 | John Scofield | Loud Jazz | Gramavision |
| 1987 | John Scofield | Pick Hits Live | Gramavision |
| 1989 | Gary Thomas | By Any Means Necessary | JMT |
| 1990 | Bill Evans Group (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Jim Beard, Darryl Jones, Dennis Chambers) | Let the Juice Loose (Live at the Blue Note, Tokyo) | Bellaphon |
| 1990 | Gary Thomas | While the Gate Is Open | JMT |
| 1991 | Dennis Chambers | Big City | Glass House |
| 1991 | Gary Thomas | The Kold Kage | JMT |
| 1992 | Carl Filipiak Group (Carl Filipiak, Dennis Chambers, Paul Soroka, Jim Charlsen, Victor Williams, George Gray, Dave Fairall, Rod Daniels) | Right on Time | Geometric |
| 1992 | Petite Blonde (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Mitchel Forman, Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers) | Petite Blonde | Lipstick |
| 1992 | Brecker Brothers | Return of the Brecker Brothers | GRP |
| 1992 | Barbara Dennerlein | That's Me | Enja Records |
| 1992 | Dennis Chambers | Getting Even | Glass House |
| 1993 | Tom Coster | Let's Set The Record Straight | JVC Records |
| 1993 | Graffiti (Dennis Chambers, Haakon Graf, Gary Grainger, Ulf Wakenius) | Good Groove | ESC |
| 1993 | Charles Blenzig, Mike Stern, Will Lee, Alex Foster, Dennis Chambers, Manolo Badrena, Michael Brecker) | Say What You Mean | Big World |
| 1994 | Tom Coster | Forbidden Zone | JVC Records |
| 1994 | John McLaughlin & the Free Spirits | Tokyo Live | Japan Import |
| 1995 | Tom Coster | From The Street | JVC Records |
| 1995 | Steely Dan | Alive in America | Giant |
| 1995 | Barbara Dennerlein | Take Off | Verve Records |
| 1996 | Niacin (band) | Niacin | Stretch Records |
| 1996 | Mike Stern | Between The Lines | Atlantic Jazz |
| 1997 | John McLaughlin, Gary Thomas | The Heart of Things | Verve/Universum |
| 1997 | Niacin (band) | Live | Stretch Records |
| 1997 | Barbara Dennerlein | Junkanoo | Verve Records |
| 1998 | Niacin (band) | High Bias | Stretch Records |
| 1999 | Victor Bailey | Low Blow | ESC |
| 2000 | Niacin (band) | Live! Blood, Sweat & Beers | Magna Carta |
| 2000 | John McLaughlin | The Heart of Things: Live in Paris | Polygram |
| 2000 | CAB | CAB | Tone Center |
| 2001 | CAB | CAB 2 | Tone Center |
| 2001 | Brett Garsed, T. J. Helmerich, Gary Willis, Scott Kinsey | Uncle Moe's Space Ranch | Tone Center |
| 2003 | CAB | CAB 4 | Tone Center |
| 2002 | Dennis Chambers | Outbreak | Esc |
| 2003 | Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers | Extraction | Tone Center |
| 2003 | Biréli Lagrène, Dominique Di Piazza, Dennis Chambers | Front Page | Sunnyside |
| 2004 | Nick Smith (Guest Artists: Dennis Chambers, Stanley Clarke, David Sanchez) | It's Like That | Independent release |
| 2005 | Dennis Chambers | Planet Earth | BHM |
| 2006 | Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, David Fiuczynski, T Lavitz | Boston T Party | Tone Center |
| 2006 | True Spirit John Grant, Victor Williams, Dennis Chambers, Najee | True Spirit | Independent release |
| 2007 | Carl Filipiak Group | I Got Your Mantra | Art of Life |
| 2007 | Maceo Parker WDR Big Band Cologne, Michael Abene conductor, Rodney "Skeet" Curtis (bass) | Roots and Grooves | Heads Up |
| 2007 | Brett Garsed, T. J. Helmerich, Gary Willis, Scott Kinsey | Moe's Town (Uncle Moe's Space Ranch) | Tone Center |
| 2008 | Paul Hanson | Frolic in the Land of Plenty | Abstract Logix |
| 2009 | Dean Brown | DBIII: Live at the Cotton Club Tokyo | BHM |
| 2009 | Tony Bunn | Small World | ATP |
| 2010 | Greg Howe, Tetsuo Sakurai, Dennis Chambers | Vital World | Abstract Logix |
| 2014 | Dennis Chambers | Groove and More | Nicolosi Productions |
| 2017 | Victor Wooten | Trypnotyx | Vix Records |