BIO
Drummer Darian Gray‘s precise, deep-pocket style has made him a first-call session and touring pro — not just in his home state of California, but across North America and beyond.
Supporting such luminaries as Cee-Lo Green, Booker T. Jones (of Booker T and the MGs), Ledisi, and Goapele, Gray has appeared on The Jay Leno Show and Live With Kelly and Michael (Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan).
Gray’s international tours with artists such as Anthony Hamilton, Lyrics Born, and the Grammy-winning Fantastic Negrito have taken him to Australia, Japan, South America, and dozens of European countries.
His rock-steady, right-on-the-money grooves earn Darian Gray those in-demand gigs, and they are grounded in deep roots. He developed those hard-earned beats over decades of Sundays playing in the church. He picked up the sticks at age two, and was out gigging by the time he was six. He keeps his gospel chops sharp to this day, laying down the bedrock for the Oakland Center for Spiritual Living (OCSL) and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC)
Atop that solid foundation, Darian Gray has continued to innovate and expand his music repertoire. As an MC, he is able to rap while drumming – and not just straight fours, but in remarkably syncopated and sophisticated rhyming styles. Gray also sings, and he earned a degree in classical piano and percussion from Cal State East Bay. With his own band, Dynamic, Gray writes, raps, and sings. This multi-faceted approach to the drum throne gives Grey a dizzying variety of options across different genres
His other touring gigs have run the gamut stylistically – from banjo-driven country rock with Tony Furtado, to classic soul with Sugar Pie DeSanto, to future-funk with Martin Luther, to scrappy, high-energy rock with Jack West. Gray takes pride in being a quick study. His ability to learn detailed, varied, multi-set shows quickly and accurately has helped spread his reputation among managers and musical directors. Whether you need a rock-solid ringer in soul, funk, rock, gospel, or pop, Darian Gray is the first drummer you want to call.