British drumming god Gary Husband came to international acclaim on such 1980s Allan Holdsworth albums as Metal Fatigue, Atavachron, and Sand. Husband’s steamroller drumming has also graced the music of Jack Bruce, Gary Moore, Level 42, and most recently, fusion maestros Gongzilla. Their latest release, East Village Sessions, shows Husband to be as tasteful and astute as ever. Gary insinuates a clever backwards Bonham groove for “Aquila,” adds graceful textures to “Ging Gong,” and goes tribal on “The News.”

“Gongzilla goes for real group performances,” Husband explains. “It’s quite a grilling! I would’ve preferred to work with a click track, but they wouldn’t hear of it. This is all live’the real deal.”

Husband endorses Drum Workshop, but played a Tama Starclassic set for East Village. However, according to Gary, gear doesn’t figure as much into one’s growth as does practice. “I just started practicing again after twenty years or so,” he admits. “I was never too interested in pursuing drums from a premeditated standpoint. It was just “The moment” I wanted. Now I’m aiming for more consistency, independence, and control.” Advertisement

Husband’s upcoming projects include performances with his Force Majeure group (including Randy Brecker and Jim Beard), a piano trio album called Gary Husband & Friends’ Aspire, and a solo piano album of John McLaughlin material. Husband can also be heard on the Julian Siegal Quartet’s Close Up, Steve Toppings’ Late Flower, and two recordings from Allan Holdsworth: Bring To Light and Then.