Chris Wabich

Chris Wabich is a highly versatile drummer, composer, producer, and world-renowned steelpan artist known for his original voice on the drumset. A mainstay on the Los Angeles jazz scene for years, he has collaborated with an eclectic range of legendary artists including Sting, Leonard Cohen, Ludacris, and Stanley Jordan. His diverse discography spans jazz, world music, and beyond, featuring projects such as the PANic All Stars (including albums "LOUD", "PANic", and "Shoeless" with Robert Greenidge), and the long-standing duo Wahid with Dimitris Mahlis, a collaboration spanning over 15 years. Wabich's extensive recording history includes "What We Do" and "Jazz Revisation Society" with Boogsie Sharpe, "Be Bop Bahama" with Tom Liston, "Caribbean Standards" and "Solid Chrome" with Kirkwood Coakley, and "Sheltering Ska" with Jerry Watts and Rufus Philpot. His work with the steelpan is particularly notable; he is a builder and tuner of the instrument and created the "Steel Drums, Style Collections" for Yamaha Disklavier, one of their top-selling projects of all time. Other solo and collaborative steelpan works include "Soundscape In Steel", "Tradewind Melodies", and "Pan and Harmony". Whether performing at international venues like Blue Note Taipei or recording sublime instrumental jazz with his trio featuring Josh Nelson and Dan Lutz, Wabich continues to make a significant impact on contemporary music through his warm, infectious style and deep melodic sensibility.