Tom Chapman
“Hand-crafted, ear-catching instruments that are full of character - these are some serious cymbals! I couldn’t be happier with my selection of Dreams. They have transformed the sound of my setup.”
Tom Chapman is a drummer and percussionist based in the UK. In the short time since graduating with a first class degree from Birmingham Conservatoire's jazz course in 2007, Tom has enjoyed a wide and varied career of international touring and recording. Although he has worked as a percussionist and drummer in many spheres, taking in Jazz, Flamenco, Pop, Hip Hop, Bhangra, Rock and Classical, it is for his pioneering work as a cajonero and percussion setup player on the contemporary folk scene that he is best known. Tom's two major full-time projects are critically - acclaimed folk acts The Old Dance School and The Urban Folk Quartet. He has also worked with artists as diverse as Violent Femmes, Chris While and Cerys Matthews.
The cajon is a traditional instrument from Peru that has evolved over two centuries to become a mainstay of Afro-Peruvian, Flamenco and other "world" musics. The instrument has rapidy grown in popularity in other settings over recent years, due to its versatility. Its ability to play the role of a drum kit has made it the first choice of many drummers when in acoustic settings, but as one festival compere commented, "Tom Chapman is not just another boy on a box". He was one of the first UK players to use his drumset and hand percussion background to take the cajon on as a serious first instrument and he places it at the heart of any music he plays. Tom was featured in Paolo De Gregorio’s groundbreaking 2006 documetary “Los Caminos Del Cajon” alongside other artists on the DG roster, such as Stewart Copeland, Sheila E, Zakir Hussain and many others.
Tom's style has been described as "hybrid", mixing elements and techniques from European folk, flamenco, and Afro-Peruvian music with jazz and rock drum set approaches.
"masterful cajon playing"
Norman Chalmers, Scotland On Sunday
"check out a performance that inspires me by Tom Chapman"
John Sparrow, Modern Drummer Magazine