Ricky Sebastian

Music Instructor / Drummer / Clinician

Personal Biography

Ricky Sebastian is one of the premier musicians and music instructors in the New Orleans area.  Born in Opelousas, Louisiana, Ricky started taking drum lessons at the age of eight and excelled due to the tutelage of two great band directors: Carl DeLeo and Carl Schexnayder.  Ricky spent years as the section leader for the drum line in every school he attended into college.  He also started piano studies at the age of 16.  He attended the University of Southwestern  Louisiana on a full scholarship and later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on a partial scholarship.  Ricky returned to New Orleans in 1976 and started working professionally with all the great musicians in every musical genre that the city had to offer.  In the next six years, he gained experience playing different styles of music such as Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Traditional New Orleans music, Carnival music, Brazilian, Reggea, Calypso, Funk, Rock, R&B, Cajun, and Zydeco.  Ricky moved to New York City in 1983 as most of his musical idols lived there.   Over the following 18 years, Ricky built a career as an in demand recording and touring artist with a who’s who in the Jazz, Latin, Brazilian, Funk, and Fusion genres. He moved back to New Orleans in 1998 and was the head percussion instructor at the University of New Orleans under the direction of Ellis Marsalis for the following six years.  He is currently an adjunct instructor there.  He is also on the faculty of the Don Jamison Heritage School of Music. He released his first CD as a leader in 2001 entitled “The Spirit Within” on STR Digital Records featuring the likes of Donald Harrison Jr., Bill Summers, Steve Masakowski, Randy Brecker, and Peter Martin.  He has also released a drum set instruction book/CD entitled “Independence on the Drum Set”, published by Hal Leonard in 2005.  He is an active clinician for Zildjian cymbals, LP percussion, Remo drumheads, Audix Microphones, and Pro-Mark drumsticks.

Ricky has also taught private lessons and group classes (many of which he implemented and created the course material) for the infamous “Drummer’s Collective”, and “The New School for Social Research”, both located in New York City.

While at UNO, Ricky spearheaded “The World Music Ensemble” and “The UNO Percussion Ensemble”.  In both classes, Ricky wrote much of the music that each ensemble performed at the end of the semester, and continues the tradition with a drum school that he’s started in New Orleans, The Crescent City Drum School.  He was awarded a grant for the school in 2011 from the Jazz and Heritage Foundation.

 Performances

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown                                    Mike Stern

Jaco Pastorius                                                              Exuma

Paul Butterfield                                                          Dori Cayimi

Les McCann                                                               Michael Franks

Nnenna Freelon                                                           Harry Belafonte

Dr. John                                                                      Charles Neville

Emily Remler                                                              Jerry Gonzalez

Dave Valentin                                                             Chico Freeman

Larry Coryell                                                               Dianne Reeves                       

David "Fathead" Newman                                          Ellis Marsalis

Vanessa Rubin                                                            Claudio Roditi

Blood, Sweat, & Tears                                                John Lucien    

John Scofield                                                              BobbyMcFerrin          
Charles Fambrough                                                     Othello Molineaux

George Porter                                                              Herbie Mann

Leni Stern                                                                   Cornell Dupree

Tania Maria                                                                 Kevin Mahogany

Carlos Malta                                                                Donald Harrison Jr                 
Los Hombres Calientes                                               Wardell Qezuergue

Patrick DeSantos                                                        Jon Cleary      

Recording Credits

1. Ron Cuccia and the Jazz Poetry Group
2. Steve Masakowski "Mars" & "What it Was"
3. Ramsey McClean "History Makes Every Moment"
4. Exuma "Exuma Universal"
5. Delmar Brown "Bushrock - State of Mind"
6. Lawrence Seiberth "Shadow Love" & "Heartstings"
7. Gil Evans "Color of Money Soundtrack"
8. Herbie Mann "Opal Essence", "Caminho de Casa" , "Peace Pieces" , "Live at the Blue Note - 65th Birthday Celebration", “America/Brasil”
9. Emily Remler "This is Me"
10. Tribute to Emily Remler "Just Friends Vol. 1 & 2”
11. Steve Barta “Blue River”
12. Alex Foster “Beginnings...Goodbye”
13. Bill O’Connell “Signature” & “Lost Voices”
14. Charles Fambrough “Blues at Bradley’s” & “City Tribes”
15. Adela Dalto “A Brazilian Affair” & “Papa Boco”
16. Jack Lee “Magnolia Blossom”
17. Mark Bingham “I Passed for Human”
18. Mary Wilson “Rhythm Romance”
19. Daryll Dobson “The Mind Electric”
20. Tania Maria “Outrageous”, “No Comment”, “Live in Europe”
21. Rusty Cloud “Walkin’ the Night”
22. Nneena Freelon “Listen”
23. Norman Hedman “Flight of the Spirit”
24. Cornell Dupree “Boppin’ Blues”
25. Manhattan Reggea Unit “Come Spring”
26. Luiz Simas “Recipe for Rhythm”
27. Prime Crime “Animal Rites”
28. Dianne Ponzio “Day In – Day Out”
29. John Lucien “Endless Love”
30. Harry Belafonte “Harry Belafonte & Friends”
31. Blood, Sweat, & Tears “Bloodlines”
32. Steve Sacks “First Dream”
33. Cubanismo “Mardi Gras Mambo “
34. Los Hombres Calientes “Vol 3, New Congo Square”, “Vol. 4, Vodou Dance”, and “Vol. 5, Carnival”
35. Samira Evans “Give me a Moment”
36. Les Go (Maate Keita, Awa Sangho, Alama Kante) “Dan Gna”
37. Ricky Sebastian “The Spirit Within”
38. Bernadette Brown “Love Life”
39. Troi Bechet “Vo-Du Bleu”
40. Romero Lubambo “Rio de Janeiro Underground”
41. Elin Melgarejo “Lazy Afternoon”
42. Harold Battiste “Lagniappe: The 2^nd 50 Years”

Endorsements

• Zildjian Cymbals
• Pro-Mark Drumsticks
• LP Percussion
• Audix Microphones
• Remo Products
• Pearl Drums

Education \ Teaching Experience

• Began studying snare drum at age eight
• In middle and high school, Ricky studied all of the classical percussion instruments for the symphony orchestra winning many All State, All Parish, and Sight Reading Awards
• Attended the University of Lafayette (classical theory, composition, solfege, and was the section leader for the drum line
• Attended Berklee College of Music in Boston (composition, arranging, jazz harmony, vibraphone, piano, and drums
• Instructor at the world renowned Drummers Collective for 16 years (NYC)
• Instructor at the New School for Social Research for 5 years (NYC)
• Head of the percussion department at the University of New Orleans from 1998 – 2004
• An active clinician at universities, music schools, and music stores throughout the United States.
• Has and continues to give clinics / master classes at venues in Europe and Japan.
• Leader of the group “Cayenne”
• Invited as one of many clinicians at the world famous Percussive Arts Society International Convention, held in Nashville in 2004
• On the faculty of The New Jazz School with Donald Harrison Jr. in 2008 and 2010, held at Isidore Newman in New Orleans
• Currently on the faculty of the Don Jamison Heritage School of Music
• Currently an adjunct instructor at the University of New Orleans

Video and Television Appearances

• Appeared on PBS, 1996/1997, with Harry Belafonte.
• Appeared on various television broadcasts in Europe and Japan, 1991 - 1998 with Tania Maria.       
• Appeared on various television broadcasts in Europe, Japan, and the US, 1989 -1998 with Herbie Mann.
• Appeared on various television broadcasts and NPR in Europe and the US, 1996 -1998 with Dianne Reeves.
• Laser Disc recording with Charles Fambrough, 1994, entitled “Blues at Bradley’s”.
• Appeared on Louisiana Jukebox with his own group, “Cayenne” 2002.
• Appeared on Louisiana Jukebox with “Los Hombres Calientes” 2002.
• Appeared on “Los Hombres Calientes Live” DVD recorded at the House of Blues, New Orleans 2003.
• Appeared on Herbie Mann’s DVD, “Jazzil Brass”, recorded in Germany in the early 90’s

Ricky can be reached by email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ricky’s Official Web Site: www.rickysebastian.com