Cindy Blackman Santana

Jazz drummer Cindy Blackman was raised in a musical family and trained as a classical percussionist in school. She got her professional start in the early 1980s playing with the likes of Sam Rivers, Freddie Hubbard, and later, on a regular basis, Jackie McLean. Heavily influenced by Tony Williams, Blackman plays in a post-bop style with an emphasis on versatility and color. Her dates as a leader include her debut ARCANE (‘87), TELEPATHY (’92), and MUSIC FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM (2004), all of which represent her unique brand of sophisticated percussion. Blackman’s highest profile gig has been as the recording and touring drummer for Lenny Kravitz’s band, a post she held from ’93 to ’04.