CHICAGO, IL - JULY 30: Jimmy Chamberlin of the Smashing Pumpkins performs with Jane's Addiction, ... [+]
As drummer of alternative rockers Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Chamberlin has sold over 30 million records worldwide since 1988, establishing himself as one of the greatest drummers of his generation through his playing on seven Pumpkins studio albums, including classics like Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
While best known for his playing in the rock realm, Chamberlin was actually trained in the jazz tradition, a passion which has seeped into his solo recordings on a pair of albums as the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, in addition to work alongside Grammy winning Chicago-based saxophone player Frank Catalano on six albums (including Tokyo Number 9, which topped the Billboard jazz chart in 2017.)
For the 2005 Complex debut Life Begins Again, Chamberlin recruited guest vocalists like Smashing Pumpkins colleague Billy Corgan, Catherine Wheel singer Rob Dickinson and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, moving to more ethereal sounds on the instrumental followup The Parable in 2017, working with producer, multi-instrumentalist and longtime collaborator Billy Mohler throughout.
(Left to right) Billy Mohler, Jimmy Chamberlin and Sean Woolstenhulme of the Jimmy Chamberlin ... [+]
On September 25, 2020 Chamberlin will release the latest Jimmy Chamberlin Complex record Honor via MAKE Records.
The album once again sees the drummer teaming with Mohler, Catalano and guitarist Sean Wollstenhulme in addition to Adam Benjamin (keyboards), Ben Wendell (tenor sax) and Shane Endsley (trumpet) of eclectic fusion group Kneebody.
The new album’s first single “Humility,” premiered exclusively by Forbes below, finds Chamberlin at the top of his game. The song builds in intensity, a pummeling drum solo paired with fevered sax to close the song in a beautiful cacophony of sound.
“The song ‘Humility,’ like the rest of the record, is a document of an afternoon spent with good friends - in this case incredibly talented friends,” Chamberlin told Forbes of the new track. “The titles are representative, to me, of what we engage when we try to live at our highest level.”
“I really love playing with Jimmy and The Complex because it allows me to play in a jazz meets rock fashion,” added Catalano. “And you can definitely tell by my solo at the end. That long, screaming, hangover high note - that’s not typically something that would happen on a jazz track,” he continued, noting his playing on “Humility.”
Each of the four new pieces on the Honor album - “Integrity,” “Humility,” “Service” and “Grace” - expand upon the idea of honor itself, concepts Chamberlin observed to be in perhaps short supply in modern society.
Saxophonist Frank Catalano performs at the 41st Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. Saturday, August 31, ... [+]
“I definitely think music is more important than ever. Because in a time of uncertainty and craziness, to be able to kind of center yourself as a human - and reflect and have your thoughts - is really important,” said Catalano. “And, for me, that happens largely when I’m listening to passionate music or when I’m performing. This track is not phoned in. Everyone is definitely throwing down and putting their heart and soul into it.”
“My relationship with the drums is the oldest relationship I have outside of my family,” said Chamberlin in a press release touting his latest solo effort. “Since I was 8 years old, I’ve had this incredibly intimate relationship that’s taken me on a journey predicated on the ability to play this instrument. That has to be rooted in accountability and honor, so I just wanted to pay homage to that while making a subtle commentary on what’s going on today.”
