Damon Sawyer
Hundred Seventy Split drummer Damon Sawyer must be one of the busiest guys on the music scene.
His career started at the age of 11 by taking lessons from jazz players Alan Ganley, Bill Castle and Asia's Trevor Thornton. From the age of 13 he was already gigging and at the age of 18 was working with many bands including pit-work with touring musical shows - West Side Story for one - and playing with The Berkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra alongside Ben Castle and Don Weller.
The year 2000 was spent mostly in Brazil, where he hired a recording studio and session players to complete his first solo album "Struttin' South" inspired by his love of blues, funk and Latin.
Having run a very successful drum school based in at South Hill Park Arts Centre, where he taught all styles from rock and funk to jazz and Latin, Damon moved into recording and production and now operates his own state-of-the-art recording studio in Hurst, Berkshire.
Between his schedule of teaching, recording, and working with HSS, Damon has found time to guest with numerous blues namesm such as Sonny Black's Blues Band, and with Chicago blues acts Dave Spector, Detra Farr, Jimmy Dawkins and Mojo Buford from Muddy Waters' band.
He has also appeared with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings for Atlantic Records, Soul Review at the O2, and the Led Zep reunion gig backing Paul Rodgers, Sam Moore and others.
The Beat Goes On!
