Jerome Jennings

Drums | Tadataka Trio

Jerome Jennings is a drummer, activist, bandleader, sideman, and Emmy Award winning composer. His debut recording ‘The Beast’ is a reflection of the every day joys and traumas of black life in the U.S. It was named one of the top three Jazz releases by NPR, received a four star rating in Downbeat Magazine, and was nominated for the prestigious French ‘Grand Prix du Disque’ award for Album of the Year in 2016. Jerome’s sophomore recording, ‘Solidarity’, released November 2019 was recognized by NPR as best music that spoke truth to power of 2019. Jerome earned a MM from the prestigious Juilliard School in Manhattan NY. In 2014, he passed Jazz At Lincoln Centers Swing University 301 history course: The most comprehensive study of jazz from a nonperformance perspective, available. He was the Resident Director of The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra from fall 2017 to 2021. Jazz At Lincoln Center has Jerome Jennings on file as an accredited jazz scholar. He has composed music for and is musical director for Maurice Chestnut’s dance production Beat’s Rhymes and Tap Shoes. Jerome is a pertinent performer. To date Jerome has performed, toured and recorded with legendary musicians like Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones, Gerald Wilson, Christian McBride, Large Professor, Ron Carter, George Cables, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis (J@LC), The Count Basie Orchestra, Philip Bailey, Henry Butler, and countless others. He has also made recordings and shared the stage with contemporary musicians Sean Jones, Camille Thurman, Jazzmeia Horn, Tadataka Unno, Christian Sands, Charenee Wade, and Bokani Dyer to name a few.