James Dreier
Lecturer
Jazz Studies
Office: 1059 VMB
james-dreier@uiowa.edu

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James Dreier

James Dreier is a drumset, Latin percussion and jazz educator, clinician, and performer. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and a Master of Arts degree in music theory from The University of Iowa. He has studied with such master drummers as, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Enrique Pla, Bobby Sanabria, Giovani Hildalgo, Pascoal Meirelles, Michael Spiro, Joe Hunt and Alan Dawson.

Mr. Dreier has performed with such jazz notables as George Garzone, Phil Wilson, Jimmy Mosher, Tim Haggens, Steve Swallow, Carla Bley, Victor Mendoza, Willie Pickens, Anthony Cox, Robin Eubanks, Benny Wallace and Kenny Wheeler.

For four years, he performed and traveled with Brazilian pianist Rafael Dos Santos, including a residency at the Conservatorio Pernambucano de Musica in Refice, Brazil. Mr. Dreier also attended an Afro/Cuban rhythm and dance workshop in Matanzas, Cuba, where he studied with the legendary Rumba group Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, and master drummer Jesus Alfonzo.

Mr. Dreier is a founding member of the Latin/jazz group "Orquesta Alto Maiz" who have released six CDs. They were a featured group at the 1997 International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Chicago and performed at the 1998 Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2002 the group toured the Pacific Northwest and performed at the daVinci Days Art and Technology Fair in Corvallis, OR, and other venues throughout the region.

Other recording credits include "A Fungus Among Us," "Odds and Ends" and "Lost Art Café" with his jazz group Odd Bar Trio, John Rapson's "Water and Blood, The Billy Higgens' Improvisations" both on the 9 Winds label (Beverly Hills), and "Before My Life" with Tim O'dell on the Southport Records label (Chicago).

A Lecturer in Jazz Studies at the University of Iowa, Mr. Dreier teaches Jazz Improvisation for Drum Set, Small Jazz Ensembles, Jazz Band Techniques, Hawkeye Jazz Ensemble (big band), directs the Latin/jazz Ensemble and co-leads the Afro Cuban Drum and Dance Ensemble. He also performs with the UI Jazz faculty group "Oftensemble."

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Last updated 19-jun-07