Vinnie Colaiuta: LA session canon, decoded
Vinnie Colaiuta is one of the most-recorded session drummers of the post-Gadd generation. Gretsch kit, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth Vinnie Colaiuta signature stick. Sting's touring drummer 1991-2003 and the LA session canon since the 1980s.
Session canon · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Vinnie Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956, Brownsville, Pennsylvania) is one of the most-recorded session drummers of the post-Gadd generation. Gretsch kit, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth Vinnie Colaiuta Signature drumstick (model SVC). Frank Zappa's drummer 1978-1980, Sting's touring drummer 1991-2003, plus thousands of LA session credits across Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Megadeth, Faith Hill, and the broader pop / jazz / fusion catalog. Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (2007). Among the most technically capable drummers in recorded music; widely cited as the post-Gadd benchmark for session drumming.
At a glance
Role
Also known as
Active
Affiliations
- Frank Zappa band (drummer, 1978–1980)
- Sting band (drummer, 1991–2003)
- Session canon (1980s–present): Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Megadeth, Faith Hill, countless others
- Gretsch Drums (long-documented kit endorsement)
- Zildjian (cymbal artist)
- Vic Firth (Vinnie Colaiuta signature drumstick)
- Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (multiple poll wins; inducted 2007)
Notable credits
- Frank Zappa, Joe's Garage (1979)
- Joni Mitchell, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977, contributing)
- Sting, Ten Summoner's Tales (1993)
- Sting, Brand New Day (1999)
- Megadeth, The System Has Failed (2004, session)
- Plus thousands of session credits across the 1980s–2020s
Who Vinnie Colaiuta is
Vincent Colaiuta, born February 5, 1956, in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, is among the most-recorded session drummers of the post-Gadd generation. After joining Frank Zappa's band in 1978 (and recording Joe's Garage in 1979), he moved to Los Angeles and became one of the city's most-booked session drummers across pop, jazz, fusion, and country contexts.
From 1991 through 2003 he was Sting's touring drummer, including the Ten Summoner's Tales (1993) and Brand New Day (1999) cycles. His session credits span Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Megadeth, Faith Hill, and thousands of other records.
Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (2007). Widely cited as the post-Gadd benchmark for session drumming at the highest technical level.
Style signatures
Three things across his session catalog you can identify as Colaiuta's:
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Linear hand-foot patterns at velocity. Post-Gadd inheritance of linear session vocabulary executed at high tempos.
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Odd-time-signature comfort. The Frank Zappa years required executing irregular-meter compositions with minimal rehearsal; the technique stayed in his vocabulary.
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Service-of-the-song discipline. Like Gadd, Colaiuta's fills are economical and his solos are rare. The session-drumming philosophy of subordinating technique to song needs is part of his legacy.
Related
The catalog. Frank Zappa, Joe's Garage (1979). Sting, Ten Summoner's Tales (1993) through Sacred Love (2003). Plus thousands of LA session credits.
Predecessor. Steve Gadd (the post-Gadd lineage Colaiuta is part of).
Sting bandmate (predecessor on the Police). Stewart Copeland.
Drummer hub. Drummers index.
Sticks Vinnie plays
Documented signature relationships.