When the first musician you ever sit in with is Rahsaan Roland Kirk, your first gig is at age 10, and names like Max Roach, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Haynes, Alan Dawson, and Jack DeJohnette are genuinely invested in your development… you know you’re off to a good start.
Terri Lyne Carrington is a GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer, composer, and bandleader with decades of experience.
Over the course of her career, she’s played with legends like Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, John Scofield, Lizz Wright, Terence Blanchard—and the list goes on. In this interview, we talk about how it all came together. We also explore the many styles of bandleaders she’s worked with, and how she herself approaches collaboration.
It was a true honour to speak with Terri—she’s an incredible person: down-to-earth, thoughtful, and super chilled. On the day we spoke, she was doing interviews for several outlets, including Jazzwise Magazine, so I’m especially grateful for the time she gave us.
During the Interview with Terri Lyne Carrington, You’ll Hear About:
- Terri’s background and musical upbringing
- Her amazing start in music and the many mentors who supported her early on
- The value of being social as a musician—being the kind of person people want to be around
- The different styles of bandleaders she’s worked with
- How she brings musicians together and builds musical chemistry
- Writing for people—crafting music that fits the personalities she’s working with
- Terri’s compositional process
- What and how she teaches at Berklee
- Terri’s music and The Mosaic Project
- The lasting value of musical fundamentals
"It’s a work in progress. We’re all a work in progress. In life and in music." — Terri Lyne Carrington
Some of the Items Mentioned in the Episode
Some of the Musicians Mentioned
Honestly, there are too many to list—but here are a few highlights:
- Alan Dawson
- Rahsaan Roland Kirk
- Clark Terry
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Elvin Jones
- Roy Haynes
- Max Roach
- Jack DeJohnette
- Brian Blade
- Danilo Pérez
- Wayne Shorter
