Drummer Cindy Blackman has been on the cutting edge of jazz for the last 20 years. She’s been the drummer for rocker Lenny Kravitz and has always recorded jazz music. But being under the shadow of this famous musician took time away from her true passion, which is playing her own music. Her latest disc “Another Lifetime” pays tribute to her mentor, drummer Tony Williams; a project she’s been wanting to record for ten years.Cindy was throughly influenced by Tony Williams. So, it was hard to pick music from the late drummer’s catalog to record for this project.

While growing up, she attended a drum seminar hosted by the late Tony Williams of the Lifetime and Miles Davis days. She and Williams shared the same interests and later became her mentor up until his death. Her latest disc “Another Lifetime” is a tribute disc featuring the music of Tony Williams. This is a project that’s been in her head for some time and she enlisted musicians as diverse as organist Doug Carn to saxophonist Joe Lovano. Cindy and I sat down after her performance at The Highland Ballroom in New York City and elaborated on the impact Tony had on her life.

Born on Nov. 18, 1959 in Yellow Springs, Ohio, but raised in Connecticut, Blackman knew at an early age she was going to be a drummer. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and studied with Alan Dawson, formally of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. After leaving college, she moved to New York City during the early 1980’s where she became a street performer. Its was also this same period where she became friends and was schooled by her heroes, including Art Blakey, Elvin Jones and Tony Williams.

On her latest disc, Cindy adds new life to Lifetime compositions including “Vashkar,” “Where,” “There Comes a Time” and “Wildlife".”  The Next Lifetime Quartet features Marc Cary on keyboards, Felix Pastorius  on bass, and Aurelien Budynek on guitar.

Cindy Blackman’s latest disc “Another Lifetime” is available on Four Quarters Entertainment and is available on i Tunes and at Amazon.com. To find out upcoming tour dates visit Cindy on the web at myspace.com/cindyblackmanmusic.