Dennis Chambers is an American drummer who has recorded and performed with John Scofield, Carl Filipiak, Steely Dan, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, and many others. Despite a complete lack of formal training, Chambers has become well-known among drummers for his impressive technique and speed. Chambers is particularly regarded for his ability to play "in the pocket" but can also stretch very far out of the pocket which is also a hallmark of his technique. Chambers exhibits a powerful style that is technically proficient, yet highly musical and groove-oriented. He can play in a wide variety of musical genres, but is perhaps most notable for his jazz-fusion, funk, and Latin music playing Chambers began drumming at 4 years old, and was gigging in Baltimore-area nightclubs by the age of 6. In 1978 (at 18 years old) he joined Parliament/Funkadelic, and stayed with them until 1985. Since then he has played with most of the major figures in jazz fusion music. He is currently touring with Carlos Santana and makes appearances with his band Niacin.
Selected Discography
| Year | Constellation | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 All 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 |
| 1991 | Dennis Chambers | Big City | Glass House |
| 1992 | Carl Filipiak Group (Carl Filipiak, Dennis Chambers, Paul Soroka, Jim Charlsen, Victor Williams, George Gray, Dave Fairall, Rod Daniels) | Right on Time | Geometric Records |
| 1992 | Petite Blonde (Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman, Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers) | Live Recording | Lipstick Records |
| 1992 | The Return Of The Brecker Brothers | The Return Of The Brecker Brothers | GRP Records |
| 1992 | Dennis Chambers | Getting Even | Glass House |
| 1993 | Graffiti (Dennis Chambers, Haakon Grafe, Gary Grainer, Ulf Wakenius) | Good House | ESC Records |
| 1994 | John McLaughlin & The Free Spirits | Tokio Live | Japan Import |
| 1993 | Charles Blenzig (Mike Stern, Will Lee, Alex Foster, Dennis Chambers, Manolo Badrena, Michael Brecker) | Say what you mean | Big World |
| 1995 | Steely Dan | Alive in America | Giant |
| 1997 | John McLaughlin, Gary Thomas | The Heart of Things | Verve/Universum |
| 1999 | Victor Bailey | Low Blow | ESC Records |
| 2000 | John McLaughlin | The Heart Of Things / Live In Paris | Polygram |
| 2002 | Dennis Chambers | Outbreak | Esc Records |
| 2003 | Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers | Extraction | Tone Center Records |
| 2003 | Bireli Lagrene, Dominique Di Piazza, Dennis Chambers | Front Page | Sunny Side Records |
| 2006 | Dennis Chambers | Planet Earth | BHM |
| 2006 | Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, David Fiuczynsky, T Lavitz | Boston T Party | Tone Center |
| 2007 | The Carl Filipiak Group | I Got Your Mantra | Art of Life Records |
