Biography

Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. He began playing the drums at the age of four. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, then studied percussion at Indiana University.

His professional career started in 1972 when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. After three years with Kenton he joined Maynard Ferguson for two years. In 1978 he joined Weather Report, joining Jaco Pastorius in the rhythm section. After four years and five albums with Weather Report and the Jaco Pastorius big band Word of Mouth, he joined Steps Ahead. His big band recordings with the Bob Mintzer Big Band are modern big band jazz/funk performances studied by many students of drums and drumming.

He was featured on Kate Bush's 2005 album Aerial, where Erskine teamed with bass player Eberhard Weber. Diana Krall, Eliane Elias, Queen Latifah and Linda Ronstadt, as well as Scottish and Finnish Classical Orchestras, have had Erskine perform as a featured musician.

Erskine splits his time as a musician and that of a professor at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.

In 1983, he performed on the Antilles Records release Swingrass '83.

In 2011 he appeared on stage at the Royal Opera House, London in the new opera Anna Nicole.

Discography

As leader

• 1982 Peter Erskine (Contemporary)
• 1987 Transition (Denon)
• 1988 Motion Poet (Denon)
• 1989 Aurora (Denon)
• 1990 Big Theatre (Ah Um)
• 1991 Sweet Soul (Novus, reissued on Fuzzy Music)
• 1992 You Never Know (ECM)
• 1993 Time Being (ECM)
• 1994 History of the Drum (Interworld)
• 1995 As It Is (ECM)
• 1995 From Kenton to Now (w/ Richard Torres) (Fuzzy Music)
• 1998 Lava Jazz (Fuzzy Music)
• 1998 Behind Closed Doors, Vol. 1 (Fuzzy Music)
• 1998 Juni (ECM)
• 2000 Live at Rocco (Fuzzy Music)
• 2002 Badlands (Fuzzy Music)
• 2003 Cologne (w/ Bill Dobbins and John Goldsby) (Fuzzy Music)
• 2005 The Lounge Art Ensemble: Music for Moderns (Fuzzy Music)
• 2016 Dr. Um (Fuzzy Music)
• 2016 Side Man Blue (Fuzzy Music)

As sideman

With John Abercrombie

• Current Events (ECM, 1985)
• Getting There (ECM, 1987)
• John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine (ECM, 1988)
• November (ECM, 1992)
• The Hudson Project (2000)

With Warren Bernhardt

• Warren Bernhardt Trio (1983)

With Randy Brecker/Michael Brecker

• Some Skunk Funk (2005)

With Gary Burton

• Times Like These (GRP, 1988)
• Reunion (GRP, 1989)
• Cool Nights (GRP, 1991)

With Kate Bush

• Aerial (2004)

With George Cables

• Cables' Vision (Contemporary, 1980)

With Pino Daniele

• Passi d'autore (2004)

With Eddie Daniels

• Benny Rides Again (1992)

With Al Di Meola

• Orange and Blue (1994)
• The Infinite Desire (1998)

With Yelena Eckemoff

• Cold Sun (L & H Production, 2010)
• Flying Steps (L & H Production, 2010)
• Glass Song (L & H Production, 2013)

With Marty Ehrlich

• Relativity (1999)

With Eliane Elias

• Cross Currents (1987)
• So Far So Close (1989)
• A Long Story (1991)
• Fantasia (1992)
• Paulistana (1993)

With Joe Farrell

• Sonic Text (Contemporary, 1979)

With Maynard Ferguson

• Conquistador (1977)
• New Vintage (1977)
• Carnival (1978)

With Alessandro Galati

• Jason Salad! (1997)

With Jan Garbarek

• StAR (ECM, 1992)

With Giorgio

• Party of the Century (2010)

With Gordon Goodwin

• Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band XXL (2003)

With Don Grolnick

• Hearts and Numbers (1985)
• Weaver of Dreams (1990)

With Joe Henderson

• Relaxin' at Camarillo (Contemporary, 1979)

With Bobby Hutcherson

• Un Poco Loco (1979)

With Marc Johnson

• Bass Desires (ECM, 1985)
• Second Sight (ECM, 1987)

With Rickie Lee Jones

• Flying Cowboys (1989)

With Stan Kenton

• National Anthems of the World (1972)
• Birthday in Britain (1973)
• 7.5 on the Richter Scale (1973)
• Stan Kenton plays Chicago (1974)
• Fire, Fury, and Fun (1974)

With Diana Krall

• The Look of Love (2002)
• The Girl in the Other Room (2004)

With Rolf Kühn

• Internal Eyes (2003)

With Christof Lauer

• Christof Lauer (1989)

With Nguyên Lê

• Miracles (1996)
• E_L_B (2004)
• E_L_B - Dream Flight (2008)

With Manhattan Jazz Quintet

• Funky Strut (1991)

With Mike Mainieri

• American Diary (1994)

With Vince Mendoza

• Start Here (1990)
• Jazzpaña (1992)
• Sketches (1993)

With Bob Mintzer

• Incredible Journey (1985)
• Camouflage (1986)
• Departure (1991)
• I Remember Jaco (1991)
• Quality Time (1998)

With Joni Mitchell

• Mingus (1979)
• Both Sides Now (2000)

With Jaco Pastorius

• Word of Mouth (1981)
• Twins I & II (1982)
• Invitation (1983)
• The Birthday Concert (1995)

With Gary Peacock

• Guamba (ECM, 1987)

With Thomas Quasthoff

• Watch What Happens (2007)

With Linda Ronstadt

• Hummin' to Myself (2004)

With Steely Dan

• Alive in America (1995)

With Mike Stern

• Time in Place (1988)

With Rod Stewart

• Merry Christmas, Baby (2012)

With Steps Ahead

• Steps Ahead (1983)
• Modern Times (1984)
• Magnetic (1986)

With Christoph Stiefel

• Ancient Longing (1994)

With Richard Torres

• From Kenton to Now (1995)

With Ralph Towner

• Open Letter (ECM, 1992)

With Mark-Anthony Turnage/John Scofield

• Scorched (2004)

With Various Artists

• Who Loves You: Tribute to Jaco Pastorius (2000)

With Weather Report

• Mr. Gone (1978)
• 8:30 (1979)
• Night Passage (1980)
• Weather Report (1982)
• This is This! (1986)
• Live and Unreleased (2002)
• Forecast: Tomorrow (2006)

With Kenny Wheeler

• Music for Large & Small Ensembles (ECM, 1990)
• The Widow in the Window (ECM, 1990)

With Joe Zawinul

• Weather Update (2005)

With Dewa Budjana

• Samsara (2003)
• Home (2005)
• Joged Kahyangan (2013)

Books

• Time Awareness
• The Erskine Method for Drumset
• My Book
• The Drum Perspective
• Drum Concepts and Techniques

DVD

• The Erskine Method for Drumset (Alfred Publishing Company)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]