Brian Doherty (drummer)

Brian Doherty is an American drummer, singer-songwriter, composer, music producer, educator, and podcaster based in New York City.

[2] These experiences helped Doherty to build up a network of musicians, and friends he made there introduced him to the work of Frank Zappa, and numerous session drummers in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

[2] He started attending as a college student in 1980[5] for both his undergraduate and graduate degree, studying under musicians such as Paul Price and Fred Hinger.

[2][6] What Doherty considers more important is his time playing with established and renowned jazz artists, such as Noel Pointer, Jonathan Butler, and Lonnie Liston Smith.

He remained with the Collective for thirteen years,[5] teaching private drum lessons primarily to novice drummers.

[2] In 1990, Doherty was performing in a backing band with Richard Ford, a bassist from England residing in New Jersey at the time.

After one performance, Ford informed Doherty that The Silos, a New York rock band that were already established at this point, were seeking out a new bassist and drummer.

[2] Doherty's contributions can be heard on the albums Hasta La Victoria (1992), Susan Across The Ocean (1994), and the compilation Long Green Boat (1997).

[2] The lineup (piano, bass, and drums), coupled with Ben Folds' more casual image, and the intense vocal harmonies, were very unusual at the time, and they were often met with mixed reception.

[17] By February 1996, the lineup had changed; Graham Maby replaced Tony Maimone on bass full-time, and Eric Schermerhorn joined as a guitarist.

[2] Archival TMBG recordings with Brian Doherty on drums appear on their 1998 live album Severe Tire Damage,[20] and on the 1999 compilation Long Tall Weekend.

[2] This session resulted in the song "Cherry In Your Tree", which was released as a one-off on the compilation soundtrack album Carmen Sandiego: Out Of This World, in 1994.

He also worked with M2M, Frank Black of The Pixies, Twyla Tharp, Freedy Johnston, Christy Thompson,[21] Madder Rose, Simone Hardy, Chip Taylor, John Platania, Sol Seppy, Guy Davis, Gary Lucas, Haruko Nara, and Jon Langford of The Mekons, Chip Taylor, John Platania, Jon Langford, Guy Davis, P.J.

Doherty has also produced a number of recordings, including Ms. Lum’s Airport Love Song, described by Billboard as "exquisitely wrought."

In addition to being a full-time music teacher, from 2000 to 2020, Doherty has also remained active as a drummer playing private events and Broadway shows.

[2] He also drummed in the debut of the Broadway show The Times They Are A-Changin' in October 2006 at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York City.

I wanted to create a collection of drum tracks similar to what you might expect from drummers like Mick Fleetwood or Jeff Porcaro, while remaining faithful to my style and musical instincts.

[2] Jordan Cooper and Dave Fox, hosts of a podcast about They Might Be Giants called Don't Let's Start, approached Doherty for an interview, and he agreed.

[2] Through this podcast, he has interviewed his former bandmates and fellow musicians such as Tony Maimone, Steve Sabet, Freedy Johnston, Graham Maby, and Eric Schermerhorn.

Doherty also got the opportunity to interview Stephan Galfas, who worked for Warner Bros. and produced a band called The Good Rats, and which Doherty felt deserved more recognition as the Good Rats had inspired more well-known heavy metal bands such as Twisted Sister and Ratt.

[2] In January 2024, Doherty appeared on Working Drummer, thanks to a fan who recommended him to the host of that podcast a long time before it was recorded.

[2] At the onset, Doherty and Sabet considered their songwriting and recording a productive "workshop" experience, and after editing and remixing, they decided their songs should be released commercially.

[2] As a drummer, Doherty cites Hal Blaine, Ian Paice, John Bonham, Buddy Rich, and Jim Gordon as significant influences.