Conversations with Eddie Layman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Layman.

Hi Eddie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Newton Falls, Ohio. I started playing piano at eight years and started drums at 10 years old. Studied privately at Youngstown univ with Joe Parlink from 14 till 19. I did the chitlin circuit with sax player Ramon Morris and pianist James Weidman from 1977 to 78. Lived in Santa Cruz, ca for a year in 1978 and played the cooper house with Don Mccaslin and Cornelius Bumpus, moved to New York from 1979 to 1990 where I honed my jazz skills with tons of great players. Toured Sweden with the Ray and Tom Kennedy Trio in 1983 for three months and recorded with David Sanborn with them. I played all the jazz venues in the NYC/5 Boroughs and Long Island for 11 years.

Lived in San Clemente, CA from 1990 till 93 where I worked with people like bassist Max Bennett and saxophonists Doug Webb and Eric Marienthal and many others and also did some touring with the Pontiax Blues Band. I did 2 three months gig at the somerset jazz club in Singapore where I moved to in 1993. I worked in Thailand, Malaysia and Bali for a while till I landed the drum seat at Harry’s Jazz Club in Singapore where I did a 15 years, 6 nights a-week jazz gig with “The Chromazone Band” featuring bassist Christy Smith, originally from Compton, from 1995 till 2010, I lived in Singapore and South East Asia from 1993 doing jazz fests in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur/Bali/Taiwan/India till I relocated to Oxnard, CA where I live now. Doing various jazz gigs as a leader and side man at the Grape Ventura and other blues venues with “Delta By The Beach” a blues project that I’ve been involved in with Doc Ventura and Milo Sledge.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been good and bad. Asia is a lot more user-friendly for musicians as far as treatment and just making a living in general. The states are and always have been a struggle for musicians…

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a freelance jazz/blues-based musician but can play whatever is handed to me… here’s some accolades; performed with:

Albert Daily Eugene Pao Ralph Moore
All-4-One Jack McDuff Ray Kennedy
Art Davis Jackie Byard Richard “Groove” Holmes
Benny Green Jeremy Monteiro Rob Mullins
Bob Conte Joe Lavano Ron Eschete
Bob James Joe Ramano Spiro Gyra
Canned Heat John Beasley Stanley Turrentine
Clarence Palmer John Ore Steve Bailey
Claressa Monteiro John Patton Steve Grossman
Dave Burns Junior Cook Tal Farlow
Dave Panichi Karl Denson Taramasa Hino
Dave Striker Lou Donaldson Todd Coleman
David Liebman Louis Pragasam Tom Kennedy
David Sanborn Marcus Printup Tommy Turrentine
Doug Webb O’Donel Levy Valery Ponomarev
Eddie Monteiro Paul Quinichette Vanessa Rubin
Eric Marienthal Ralph Lalama Randy Brecker
Walter Blanding Stanley Jordan Dave Samuels
Greg Glassman Wynton Marsalis Wes Anderson
Eli Degibri Brian Lynch Eldee Young
Keith Loftis Aaron Goldberg Gabriel Hernandez
Joey Calderazzo Roy “Little Jazz” Eldridge Kenny Barron
Kirk Lightsey Magos Herrera James Morrison
Coco Montoya
Debbie Davies

RECORDINGS:

[LP] Billy Williams, “A Happying For Sweden”, Seson Records, Sweden
[LP] Richard “Groove” Holmes, “A Swedish Lullaby”, Seson Records. Sweden
[CD] “Live At Harry’s”Vols.1 & 2, Recorded at Harry’s International, Boat Quay, Singapore.
[CD]Big Mitch, “Larger Than ‘Live”, Recorded at Harry’s International, Singapore, for Surreal Studios, Alaska.
[CD] Christy Smith, “The Time Is Now Sessions”, Recorded at Lions Studio, Singapore
[CD] Mei Sheum, Mei Mei & Friends”Come With Me”, Sangaji Music, Indonesia
[CD] Mei Sheum, Mei Sheum & Friends “I Remember You”, Sangaji Music, Indonesia.
[CD] Tanya Chua, “Jupiter”, Recorded at Forum Studios, Singapore.
[CD] “Jazz In Singapore”, Kingsworld Management, Singapore.
[CD] Claressa Monteiro, “Now And Then”, EmArcy Records, Universal Music.
[CD] Marina Xavier, “When The World Was Young”, RDH Music Group, Singapore.
[CD] Claressa Monteiro, “Words Can’t Describe”, EMI Music.
[CD] Peppi Kamadhatu, “You Don’t Know Me”, Sangaji Music, Indonesia.
[CD] Marina Xavier, “I Thought About You”, Rain Song Productions, Singapore.
[CD] Syaharani, “Sayaharani”, Sangaji Music, Indonesia.
[CD] Nathan Hartono, “Nathan-Let Me Sing”, Yellow Music, Singapore.
[CD] Keith Loftis, “The Music of Keith Loftis Quartet”, Blake Records, New York.
[CD] Rick Smith, “The Liminal Man”, Singapore.
[CD] Alemay Fernandez, “Hard To Imagine”, Singapore

RECORDED “LIVE” WITH;

Billy Williams, St.Louis, Missouri – NYC, New York – Sweden
David Sanborn, NYC, New York
Kenny Barron, Rutgers University New Jersey
Rufus Reid, Rutgers University, New Jersey
Tom Kennedy, St.Louis, Missouri – NYC, New York –Sweden
Ray Kennedy, St.Louis, Missouri – NYC, New York –Sweden
Jeremy Montiero, Singapore – Bombay, India

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’m also an avid surfer and a vegetarian for 30 years now…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eddielayman.wixsite.com/mymusic?fbclid=IwAR1seOc1dK4M130lYmQ9LpMYbHlkEDFkNTURd7fsDfquRzg-YeOoB9Tk1ns
• Instagram: EDDIELAYMAN MUSIC
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eddie.layman.5
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eddielayman3465

Image Credits:
KALA LAYMAN