Gregory Hutchinson is a renowned drummer known for his versatility and extensive collaborations with artists like Betty Carter, Roy Hargrove, and Joshua Redman. With over 200 recordings to his name, he emphasizes the importance of rhythm and support in music. His debut album, Da Bang, pays tribute to hip-hop, showcasing his broad musical influences. In his upcoming PASIC clinic, Hutchinson aims to communicate the joy of music and the significance of being able to play various styles, reinforcing the idea that all music shares a common pulse and soul.

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Gregory Hutchinson will go down in history as one of the quintessential drummers in music, having made over 200 recordings, ranging from Betty Carter in the late 1980s, to Ray Brown and Roy Hargrove in the 1990s, and into the present with Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and beyond. Check out the recent release of Roy Hargrove’s previously unheard 1993 live performance of The Love Suite: In Mahogany, from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records. You’ll hear a fiery Hutchinson alongside longtime Hargrove rhythm section bandmates Marc Cary and the inimitable Rodney Whitaker. 

Known simply as “Hutch” in the jazz world, Hutchinson is not easily definable. As a 53-year-old, he released his debut album, Da Bang, a tribute to hip-hop. Hutchinson’s indefinability is rooted in his deep understanding of what it means to be a rhythm-section player — a supporter. Hutch always puts the music first, making him one of the top-call sidemen in the world. This is part of Hutchinson’s fabric and a topic that he’ll cover in his PASIC clinic.

Colleen Clark: I’m so excited to speak with you. On behalf of PAS, we are over-the-moon thrilled that you have agreed to be at PASIC with us. 

Gregory Hutchinson: Thank you. I’m totally into it. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I do a lot of teaching, a lot of online lessons and such. So I have a way of communicating the joy and the love of what we do — especially what I’ve been able to do. 

You know, the business is so weird. I always feel like I’m putting myself in this underdog position because I love what I do. The thing that matters to me the most is the respect of my peers, which I have. Sometimes I just say, “That’s what it is.” I like what I’ve been able to do, the people I’ve inspired, and the generations of musicians after. So we have to keep the music alive, you know? That’s so important.

Clark: Could you provide some insight into the premise of your PASIC clinic and add a little more for the folks who won’t be able to attend PASIC this year?

Hutchinson: I’ve been fortunate enough to play music for a long time, and in doing that I’ve had the opportunity to play with Common, Ledisi, Harry Connick Jr., Joshua Redmond, Diane Reeves, Betty Carter, and so on, and the thing about music is that all music is the same. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It’s the pulse and the soul of it. In my clinics and play-alongs, I like to show that as a percussionist-drummer, I pride myself in being able to play any style of music. That’s what we should really gear ourselves towards.

Most people know me for playing a lot of straight-ahead, but we also are here to show people that you have to listen, understand how to program the MPC or the SP404, or whatever. At the same time, what I love is what I love. I’m a fan of the instrument. I try to show all sides of the instrument and how you can have a good time. I also like to talk about what it takes to be consistent. Consistency is the thing that separates a lot of people. You have to be consistent — not over a three-week period, but over a long period of time. It’s a long game. A lot of young people don’t understand that. The short game is for people whose minds aren’t able to deal with the fact that it’s a long game.

Clark: When you sit down to practice, do you have a specific goal or are you making sounds and then adjusting around that goal?

Hutchinson: I haven’t been able to sit down and practice in years. I’ve been so busy teaching and being on the road. But through my teaching and my students, I’m able to work out all the stuff I want to work out. I’ll have my best student do all the things I’m hearing and thinking and see how it sounds. And then I know how I’m going to apply it. Now when you see one of the Instagrams, I like to show how you have to go from zero to ten — how you have to be able to get on the stage and be right there. It’s not like I’ve been sitting down all day. I just put the camera on like, “Okay. Let’s go!” Whatever happens, happens. 

I practiced so many years growing up and in college, but practice is practice. If you can’t do what you’re trying to pull off in the moment, then why practice? My whole thing is to be able to do that stuff in the moment. Why sit in a room for seven or eight hours trying to do something when in the moment you freeze up? No, I’m about, okay, let me try this. Let’s see what happens. And if it doesn’t work the first time, I understand where it didn’t work. And then I come back. That’s something Tony [Williams] taught me. That’s something I learned from Elvin [Jones], [Art] Blakey, Art Taylor, being around of all these masters growing up in New York City.

Clark: What do you hope attendees will take away from your clinic?

Hutchinson: First, I want them to walk away understanding that the instrument is a beautiful thing. Second, it’s for everybody. Everyone can do it. Anything that you want to do in life — let’s forget about the music — are you disciplined enough to chase your dreams? That’s the thing I talk about. You’ve got plenty of people to talk about drums. The thing is, people who are successful are the ones who mentally have the capacity to pursue the dream and don’t give up when things don’t go the way that they hope they would go. I mean, all of friends can play. What separates one from the other? It’s just the mental capacity. That’s what I hope that the people take away, not a paradiddle or a flam. That’s not what’s it’s about. It’s about, “Am I showing you a way that mentally you could do what you want to do no matter what level you play the instrument on?” That’s the key. 

I don’t cater to people who can already play. I cater to the ones who are like, “I only have time to do it on the weekend,” and so then I’m going to teach them to be the best weekend drummers in the world. That’s how I play the instrument. We’re in the rhythm section, so we’ll talk about that, too. How do you play and do what you like to do, but not get in the way and just stay in the rhythm section? So we talk about the way it’s done in pop music and the differences of being in jazz music and doing it that way, which are two different things, but it’s all musical.

It’s not a mystery; it’s not magic. The time you put in is what you get back, but also the imagination you have is what leads you to be different. We have a lot of people who sound like each other, but when the day is done, do you want to say Greg Hutchinson sounds like so-and-so? No, Greg Hutchinson influenced these people, and Greg Hutchinson was influenced by these people. When he left, these are the people he influenced. So that’s what we want.