549 - Rich Malloy: Rediscovering a Passion for Jazz, His Duo Group - Counterparts, Developing Your Own Voice
Working DrummerShow Notes
Rich Malloy is a jazz drummer whose career has been built through consistent work in clubs, listening rooms, studios, and festivals.
He has worked across New York, New Jersey, Dallas, Nashville, Fort Worth, and New Mexico, performing straight-ahead, groove-based, and improvised jazz. His work includes performances with Carmen Bradford of the Count Basie Orchestra, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Brenda Lee, Country Music Hall of Fame member Lorrie Morgan, and Freedy Johnston, named Rolling Stone Songwriter of the Year. He has appeared at the New Mexico Jazz Festival in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and has toured throughout the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, and Italy.
His performance history ranges from small listening rooms such as the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and The Listening Room in New York City to national stages including the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and Late Show with David Letterman.
Malloy also performs in Counterparts, a fully improvised duo with John Funkhouser, and builds practical music tools including Form & Time, a metronome designed to keep tempo, time signature, and musical form aligned.
In this episode, Rich talks about:
Rediscovering his passion for jazz
Taking time away from music
Honoring the players before you but not replicating their style
His duo group - Counterparts
Discovering your own voice through improvised music
The power and responsibility of the drummer in improvised music
The App he developed for practicing - Form and Time
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