Robby Ameen

Robby Ameen (born December 7, 1960) is an American drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator who resides in New York City. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban style he has created. He is regarded as one of the world's most prominent drummers in the area of Latin Jazz.

In 1985 he became a member of Ruben Blades’ Seis del Solar band. Other long-term band memberships include Dave Valentin, Conrad Herwig’s “Latin Side of… All Stars", Kip Hanrahan, and Jack Bruce and the Cuicoland Express. In 2011 Ameen won a Latin Grammy for best Salsa record with Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar, “Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 1 and 2.” As a sideman he has recorded on other Grammy winning records including Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar’s “Escenas” and Brian Lynch’s “Simpatico”. In 2012, Ameen was the subject of an episode of the Emmy Award-winning Detroit Public Television series “Arab American Stories”.

Early life and education

Ameen was born in 1960 in New Haven, Connecticut.

Studied drum set with Ed Blackwell and classical percussion with Fred Hinger.

BA Literature, Yale University, 1982

Career

As a sideman, Ameen has recorded extensively with such artists as Ruben Blades, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Paul Simon, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, Conrad Herwig, Carly Simon, Mongo Santamaria, Hilton Ruiz, Kirsty MacColl, and many others. As a session musician Ameen has recorded numerous jingles, film scores, and TV music, including the popular HBO series Sex and the City.

As an educator, Ameen is the co-author with bassist Lincoln Goines of the best-selling instructional book “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums” (Alfred Music), and the follow-up DVD, “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums” (Alfred Music). He is an international clinician and percussion/drum festival participant, including the Modern Drummer Festival and PASIC. He is currently on the faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Discography

As a leader

• Robby Ameen Diluvio (2020) Origin Records
• Robby Ameen Days in the Night (2015) Two and Four Records
• Robby Ameen Days in the Life (2009) Two and Four Records

As a co-leader

• Horacio "el Negro" Hernandez and Robby Ameen Robby and Negro at the Third World War (2006) American Clave/Enja
• El Negro and Robby Onto the Street (2003) EWE
• El Negro and Robby Band Live at Umbria Jazz (2004) Il Manifesto
• Seis del Solar Decision (1992) Messidor
• Seis del Solar Alternate Roots (1995) Messidor
• Overproof Three Guys Walk into a Bar (2004) EWE

As a sideman (selected)

• Dizzy Gillespie New Faces (1984) GRP
• Dizzy Gillespie Endlessly (1988) MCA
• Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar Escenas (1985) Elektra-Asylum
• Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar Agua de Luna (1986) Elektra-Asylum
• Ruben Blades Nothing But the Truth (1988) Elektra-Asylum
• Ruben Blades Ruben Blades y Son del Solar...Live! (1990) Elektra-Asylum
• Ruben Blades and Son del Solar Caminando (1991) Sony
• Ruben Blades and Son del Solar Amor y Control (1992) CBS Records
• Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 1 (2011) Ruben Blades Productions
• Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 2 (2011) Ruben Blades Productions
• Paul Simon Songs from the Capeman (1997) Warner Bros. Records
• Dave Valentin Kalahari (1984) GRP
• Dave Valentin Jungle Gardens (1985) GRP
• Dave Valentin Light Struck (1986) GRP
• Dave Valentin Mind Time (1987) GRP
• Dave Valentin Live at the Blue Note (1988) GRP
• Dave Valentin Two Amigos (1990) GRP
• Dave Valentin Musical Portraits (1991) GRP
• Dave Valentin Red Sun (1992) GRP
• Dave Valentin Tropic Heat (1992) GRP
• Dave Valentin Primitive Passions (1996) RMM Records
• Dave Valentin Sunshower (1999) Concord Vista
• Dave Valentin World on a String (2005) HighNote Records
• Dave Valentin Come Fly with Me (2006) HighNote Records
• Dave Valentin Pure Imagination (2011) HighNote Records
• Eddie Palmieri El Rumbero del Piano (1998) RMM/Universal
• Eddie Palmieri Palmas (1994) Nonesuch
• Eddie Palmieri Sueno (1982) Intuition
• Conrad Herwig Another Kind of Blue: The Latin Side of Miles Davis(2004) Half Note
• Conrad Herwig Que Viva Coltrane (2004) Criss Cross
• Conrad Herwig Sketches of Spain y Mas: The Latin Side of Miles Davis (2006) Half Note
• Conrad Herwig The Latin Side of Wayne Shorter (2008) Half Note
• Conrad Herwig The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock (2010) Half Note
• Conrad Herwig The Latin Side of Joe Henderson (2014) Half Note
• Kip Hanrahan Crescent Moon Waning (2018) American Clave
• Kip Hanrahan Shadow Nights, Vol. 2' (1999) American Clave
• Kip Hanrahan A Thousand Nights and a Night(Shadow Night (1997) American Clave
• Kip Hanrahan All Roads Are Made of the Flesh (1995) American Clave
• Kip Hanrahan Exotica (1992) American Clave
• Kip Hanrahan Days and Nights of Blue Luck Inverted (1988) American Clave
• Kip Hanrahan Tenderness (1990) American Clave
• Jack Bruce Live at the Milkyway (2011) EMI
• Jack Bruce More Jack Than God (2003) Sanctuary
• Jack Bruce Shadows in the Air (2001) Sanctuary
• Carly Simon This Kind of Love (2008) Hear Music
• Steve Swallow Swallow (Xtra Watt, 1991)
• Mongo Santamaria Mongo Returns! (1998) Milestone
• Hilton Ruiz Strut (1989) Novus
• Kirsty MacColl Electric Landlady (1991) BMG/Union Square Music
• Bill O'Connell Wind off the Hudson (2019) Savant
• Bill O'Connell Jazz Latin (2018) Savant
• David Byrne Rei Momo (1989) Sire/Luaka Bop
• Brian Lynch Simpatico (2006) Artist Share
• Deep Rumba A Calm in the Fire of Dances (2000) American Clave
• Deep Rumba This Night Becomes a Rumba (1998) American Clave
• Michael Reissler Big Circle (2012) Intuition
• Michael Reissler Honey and Ash (1998) Enja
• Michael Reissler Momentum Mobile (1995) Enja
• Conjure Bad Mouth (2006) American Clave
• Conjure Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon (1995) American Clave
• Daniel Ponce Chango te Llama (1991) Mango
• Milton Cardona Cambucha (1999) American Clave
• Silvana DeLuigi Yo (2004) American Clave
• Earl Klugh Midnight in San Juan (1990) Warner Bros.
• Eva Cortes Crossing Borders (2017) Origin