Vinnie Colaiuta

by Scott YanowA very versatile drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta is impossible to pigeonhole as just a specialist in only one or two areas. He is capable of playing very credible pop-jazz, or recording with Buell Neidlinger and Marty Krystall in a post-bop quartet. Colaiuta's talents were obvious from an early age. After attending the Berklee School of Music, he worked with Frank Zappa (1978) and then performed with Joni Mitchell for several years. Settling in Los Angeles in 1983, Colaiuta worked for seven years as a very busy studio musician. In 1990 he went back on the road with Sting and in 1994 had his first record date as a leader, the self-titled Vinnie Colaiuta on the Stretch label.