# Dennis Chambers

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American drummer (born 1959)

Dennis Chambers Background information Born Dennis Milton Chambers (1959-05-09) May 9, 1959 (age 67) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Genres Jazz, jazz fusion, funk, latin rock Occupation Musician Instrument Drums Years active 1978–present Label Sugar Hill Website dennischambers.com

Musical artist

**Dennis Milton Chambers** (born May 9, 1959) is an American [jazz fusion](/source/Jazz_fusion) and [funk](/source/Funk) drummer. He was inducted into the *[Modern Drummer](/source/Modern_Drummer)* Hall of Fame in 2001.[1]

## Early life

Chambers was born on May 9, 1959,[2] in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore), [Maryland](/source/Maryland), U.S. He began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore)-area nightclubs by the age of six when the bass player for a local jazz band called The Fingertips overheard his drumming while being stuck in traffic.[3] He was recruited in 1981 by the [Sugar Hill Label](/source/Sugar_Hill_Records_(hip_hop_label)) to be their "house drummer." Chambers played on many Sugar Hill releases.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Contrary to popular belief, he did not play on "[Rapper's Delight](/source/Rapper's_Delight)", which was revealed in an interview with [Drumeo](/source/Drumeo) on August 16, 2017.[4]

In an interview by Bonedo in 2011, Chambers was asked who some of his influences and favorite drummers were and he mentioned [Clyde Stubblefield](/source/Clyde_Stubblefield), [Al Jackson Jr.](/source/Al_Jackson_Jr.), [Steve Gadd](/source/Steve_Gadd), [Vinnie Colaiuta](/source/Vinnie_Colaiuta), [Gary Husband](/source/Gary_Husband), [Jack Dejohnette](/source/Jack_Dejohnette), [Billy Cobham](/source/Billy_Cobham), [Buddy Rich](/source/Buddy_Rich), [Elvin Jones](/source/Elvin_Jones), [Roy Haynes](/source/Roy_Haynes), and [Tony Williams](/source/Tony_Williams_(drummer)).

## Career

In 1978 (at 18 years old), Chambers joined [Parliament/Funkadelic](/source/Parliament-Funkadelic), and stayed with them until 1985.[5] In 1986, he joined the [John Scofield band](/source/John_Scofield_band). Since then he has played with most of the major figures in [jazz fusion](/source/Jazz_fusion) music.[6]

He has recorded and performed with [Tom Coster](/source/Tom_Coster), [John Scofield](/source/John_Scofield), [George Duke](/source/George_Duke), [Victor Wooten](/source/Victor_Wooten), [Brecker Brothers](/source/Brecker_Brothers), [Santana](/source/Carlos_Santana), [Steely Dan](/source/Steely_Dan), [Jeff Berlin](/source/Jeff_Berlin), [Parliament/Funkadelic](/source/Parliament%2FFunkadelic), [John McLaughlin](/source/John_McLaughlin_(musician)), [Niacin](/source/Niacin_(band)), [Mike Stern](/source/Mike_Stern), [CAB](/source/CAB_(band)), [Greg Howe](/source/Greg_Howe), and many others.[7]

He has toured extensively with [Carlos Santana](/source/Carlos_Santana), and is a member of the jazz-rock trio [Niacin](/source/Niacin_(band)).

In December 2004, Chambers was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from [Berklee College of Music](/source/Berklee_College_of_Music) during the inauguration of former president Roger H. Brown.[8] In 2013, Chambers recorded the album *Groove and More*, produced by [Lino Nicolosi](/source/Lino_Nicolosi) and [Pino Nicolosi](/source/Pino_Nicolosi), for the Italian company [Nicolosi Productions](/source/Nicolosi_Productions), published by Soul Trade.

## Equipment

Chambers plays and endorses [Pearl Drums](/source/Pearl_Drums), pedals, hardware & racks, [Zildjian](/source/Zildjian) cymbals, drumsticks and general accessories, [Latin Percussion](/source/Latin_Percussion), [Ddrum](/source/Ddrum) electronics and [Evans Drumheads](/source/Evans_Drumheads).[9][10][11]

## Discography

Year Personnel Title Label 1982 Don Blackman Don Blackman Arista Records 1983 P-Funk All Stars Live at the Beverly Theater in Hollywood Westbound 1986 John Scofield Blue Matter Gramavision 1987 John Scofield Loud Jazz Gramavision 1987 John Scofield Pick Hits Live Gramavision 1989 Gary Thomas By Any Means Necessary JMT 1990 Bill Evans Group (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Jim Beard, Darryl Jones, Dennis Chambers) Let the Juice Loose (Live at the Blue Note, Tokyo) Bellaphon 1990 Gary Thomas While the Gate Is Open JMT 1991 Dennis Chambers Big City Glass House 1991 Gary Thomas The Kold Kage JMT 1992 Carl Filipiak Group (Carl Filipiak, Dennis Chambers, Paul Soroka, Jim Charlsen, Victor Williams, George Gray, Dave Fairall, Rod Daniels) Right on Time Geometric 1992 Petite Blonde (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Mitchel Forman, Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers) Petite Blonde Lipstick 1992 Brecker Brothers Return of the Brecker Brothers GRP 1992 Barbara Dennerlein That's Me Enja Records 1992 Dennis Chambers Getting Even Glass House 1993 Tom Coster Let's Set The Record Straight JVC Records 1993 Graffiti (Dennis Chambers, Haakon Graf, Gary Grainger, Ulf Wakenius) Good Groove ESC 1993 Charles Blenzig, Mike Stern, Will Lee, Alex Foster, Dennis Chambers, Manolo Badrena, Michael Brecker) Say What You Mean Big World 1994 Tom Coster Forbidden Zone JVC Records 1994 John McLaughlin & the Free Spirits Tokyo Live Japan Import 1995 Tom Coster From The Street JVC Records 1995 Steely Dan Alive in America Giant 1995 Barbara Dennerlein Take Off Verve Records 1996 Niacin (band) Niacin Stretch Records 1996 Mike Stern Between The Lines Atlantic Jazz 1997 John McLaughlin, Gary Thomas The Heart of Things Verve/Universum 1997 Niacin (band) Live Stretch Records 1997 Barbara Dennerlein Junkanoo Verve Records 1998 Niacin (band) High Bias Stretch Records 1999 Victor Bailey Low Blow ESC 2000 Niacin (band) Live! Blood, Sweat & Beers Magna Carta 2000 John McLaughlin The Heart of Things: Live in Paris Polygram 2000 CAB CAB Tone Center 2001 CAB CAB 2 Tone Center 2001 Brett Garsed, T. J. Helmerich, Gary Willis, Scott Kinsey Uncle Moe's Space Ranch Tone Center 2003 CAB CAB 4 Tone Center 2002 Dennis Chambers Outbreak Esc 2003 Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers Extraction Tone Center 2003 Biréli Lagrène, Dominique Di Piazza, Dennis Chambers Front Page Sunnyside 2004 Nick Smith (Guest Artists: Dennis Chambers, Stanley Clarke, David Sanchez) It's Like That Independent release 2005 Dennis Chambers Planet Earth BHM 2006 Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, David Fiuczynski, T Lavitz Boston T Party Tone Center 2006 True Spirit John Grant, Victor Williams, Dennis Chambers, Najee True Spirit Independent release 2007 Carl Filipiak Group I Got Your Mantra Art of Life 2007 Maceo Parker WDR Big Band Cologne, Michael Abene conductor, Rodney "Skeet" Curtis (bass) Roots and Grooves Heads Up 2007 Brett Garsed, T. J. Helmerich, Gary Willis, Scott Kinsey Moe's Town (Uncle Moe's Space Ranch) Tone Center 2008 Paul Hanson Frolic in the Land of Plenty Abstract Logix 2009 Dean Brown DBIII: Live at the Cotton Club Tokyo BHM 2009 Tony Bunn Small World ATP 2010 Greg Howe, Tetsuo Sakurai, Dennis Chambers Vital World Abstract Logix 2014 Dennis Chambers Groove and More Nicolosi Productions 2017 Victor Wooten Trypnotyx Vix Records 2023 Oz Noy Triple Play Abstract Logix

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Modern Drummer's Readers Poll Archive, 1979–2014"](http://www.moderndrummer.com/modern-drummers-readers-poll-archive/#_). *[Modern Drummer](/source/Modern_Drummer)*. Retrieved 10 August 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The Trap Set"](http://www.thetrapset.net/059-dennis-chambers-pt-1-parliamentfunkadelic-mike-stern-santana/). *The Trap Set with Joe Wong*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Untold First Drum Stories From The Biggest Names In Drumming"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTsDnUNDXnA). January 2, 2026 – via YouTube.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Dennis Chambers: Legendary Tips For Modern Drummers"](https://www.drumeo.com/beat/dennis-chambers-drum-lessons/). *Drumeo.com*. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AAJ_5-0)** ["Dennis Chambers: Biography"](https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/dennis-chambers). All About Jazz. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110531025650/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=12052) from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2010-04-21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AM_6-0)** Wynn, Ron. ["Dennis Chambers: Biography"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p36848). Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["BILL EVANS BAND 25th Anniversary Tour of Petite Blonde II feat. DENNIS CHAMBERS"](https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/artists/bill-evans-band-25th-anniversary-tour-of-petite-blonde-ii-feat-dennis-chambers?performance=4512-bill-evans-band-25th-anniversary-tour-of-petite-blonde-ii-feat-dennis-chambers). *Ronniescotts.co.uk*. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Berklee College of Music Inaugurates Its Third President, Roger H. Brown"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170421093533/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/berklee-college-of-music-inaugurates-its-third-president-roger-h-brown-75670167.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/berklee-college-of-music-inaugurates-its-third-president-roger-h-brown-75670167.html) on 2017-04-21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Dennis Chambers"](https://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Dennis_Chambers.html). *Drummerworld.com*. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Dennis Chambers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190427002039/http://daddario.com/EvArtistDetail.Page?ActiveID=3551&ArtistId=19637&sid=5bc6be3f-3c7d-4f78-878b-8e923e0e06a9). *Daddario.com*. Archived from [the original](http://daddario.com/EvArtistDetail.Page?ActiveID=3551&ArtistId=19637&sid=5bc6be3f-3c7d-4f78-878b-8e923e0e06a9) on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Artists - Zildjian"](https://web.archive.org/web/20230602100547/https://zildjian.com/artists.html). *Zildjian.com*. Archived from [the original](https://zildjian.com/artists.html) on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

## External links

- [DennisChambers.com](http://www.dennischambers.com)

- [Drummerworld: Dennis Chambers](http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Dennis_Chambers.html)

- [Dennis Chambers Interview](https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dennis-chambers) NAMM Oral History Library (2020)

v t e Santana Carlos Santana Andy Vargas Benny Rietveld David K Mathews Karl Perazzo Paoli Mejías Ray Greene Tommy Anthony Cindy Blackman Santana Neal Schon Gregg Rolie David Brown Michael Carabello Michael Shrieve José "Chepito" Areas Tony Lindsay Francisco Aguabella Coke Escovedo Tom Coster Doug Rauch Marcus Malone Leon Thomas Leon Patillo Richard Kermode Leon "Ndugu" Chancler Armando Peraza Gaylord Birch Graham Lear Alex Ligertwood Alan Pasqua Orestes Vilató David Sancious Chester Thompson Alphonso Johnson Buddy Miles Walfredo Reyes Jr. Curtis Salgado Horacio "El Negro" Hernández Dennis Chambers Studio albums Santana (1969) Abraxas (1970) Santana III (1971) Caravanserai (1972) Welcome (1973) Borboletta (1974) Amigos (1976) Festival (1977) Moonflower (1977) Inner Secrets (1978) Marathon (1979) Zebop! (1981) Shangó (1982) Beyond Appearances (1985) Freedom (1987) Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) Milagro (1992) Supernatural (1999) Shaman (2002) All That I Am (2005) Guitar Heaven (2010) Shape Shifter (2012) Corazón (2014) Santana IV (2016) Power of Peace (2017) Africa Speaks (2019) Blessings and Miracles (2021) Live albums Lotus (1974) Moonflower (1977) Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993) Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997) The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) The Woodstock Experience (2009) Compilations Santana's Greatest Hits (1974) The Very Best of Santana (1981) Viva Santana! (1988) The Best of Santana (1991) The Definitive Collection (1992) Dance of the Rainbow Serpent (1995) The Ultimate Collection (1997) Best Instrumentals Vol. 2 (1999) The Best of Santana Vol. 2 (2000) The Essential Santana (2002) Ceremony: Remixes & Rarities (2003) Love Songs (2004) Ultimate Santana (2007) Multi-Dimensional Warrior (2008) Extended plays In Search of Mona Lisa (2019) Singles "Jin-go-lo-ba" (1969) "Evil Ways" (1969) "Black Magic Woman" (1970) "Oye Cómo Va" (1971) "No One to Depend On" (1972) "Samba Pa Ti" (1973) "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)" (1976) "She's Not There" (1977) "You Know That I Love You" (1979) "Winning" (1981) "I Love You Much Too Much" (1981) "Hold On" (1982) "Gypsy Woman" (1990) "Smooth" (1999) "Put Your Lights On" (1999) "Maria Maria" (1999) "Corazón Espinado" (2000) "The Game of Love" (2002) "Nothing at All" (2003) "Feels Like Fire" (2003) "Sideways" (2003) "Why Don't You & I" (2003) "I'm Feeling You" (2005) "Just Feel Better" (2005) "Cry Baby Cry" (2005) "No Llores" "Into the Night" (2005) "This Boy's Fire" (2008) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (2010) "Photograph" (2010) "Fortunate Son" (2010) "Under the Bridge" (2010) "Dance the Night Away" (2010) "Sunshine of Your Love" (2011) Other songs "Soul Sacrifice" (1969) Live performances 1960s–1970s Caravanserai Tour Welcome Tour 1980s Bob Dylan/Santana European Tour 1984 Spirits Dancing in the Flesh Tour A 25–Year Celebration Tour Never Ending Tour 1993 Supernatural Tour All Is One Tour Shaman Tour Latin American Tour 2005 Embrace Your Light Tour The Voice, The Guitar, The Songs Tour Supernatural Now Tour Miraculous 2020 World Tour Miraculous Supernatural Tour Carlos Santana solo albums Studio Love Devotion Surrender Illuminations Oneness: Silver Dreams Golden Realities The Swing of Delight Havana Moon Blues for Salvador Santana Brothers Live Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! Carlos Santana Live Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1988 Related articles Band members Discography Videography Awards and nominations Carlos Santana discography Category

v t e CAB Founding members Bunny Brunel Dennis Chambers Tony MacAlpine Other members Brian Auger Virgil Donati Dennis Hamm David Hirschfelder Alex Machacek Patrice Rushen Discography CAB CAB 2 CAB 4 Theatre de Marionnettes

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States France BnF data Czech Republic Israel Academics CiNii Artists MusicBrainz Grammy Awards People Deutsche Biographie Other IdRef Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dennis Chambers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Chambers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Chambers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.