Jim Kaufman – A Capital Region Timekeepers Interview

Jim Kaufman – A Capital Region Timekeepers Interview – by OP Callaghan.

As I sat down to write up this month’s edition of Capital Region Time Keepers, I decided to reach out to my friend Howard Glassman to get his opinion on drummer Jim Kaufman. “Jimmy the Kid,” exclaimed Howard. “Solid as Sears, when Sears was actually … well, solid! I can’t remember him missing a beat or losing his composure live. He’s a machine. No really, I think he’s part cyborg.”

Hot Cousin lead vocalist Nicole Monroe tells me, “Jimmy is an incredible, almost mythical, drumming beast. I gave him the nickname “sawdust” because that’s what he makes out of his drumsticks. When he packs up at the end of a show, I have to vacuum the wood shavings from under the set!  He is an incredible bandmate and one of my best friends. He is a Cousin through and through and I love him.” So please welcome Jim Kaufman!

RRX: How did you get started playing drums?

JK: Legend has it that when my mother was pregnant with me, I’d kick along to the beat in the womb whenever she’d go see my dad’s band practice or play live. My parents bought a kit off a distant family member when I was seven and I started banging away then.

RRX: Did you take lessons? What was your first kit?

JK: It was a black Ludwig 4-piece, probably early-‘80s model. I took lessons a few years later from a family friend and local gigging drummer Rob Cenci. He taught out of the old Drome Sound on Central Ave. I think I took two years’ worth of lessons from him. After that, I spent most of my time playing along with the radio, CDs, or tapes. I’d spend countless hours by myself learning all the songs across various stations and genres. Some drummers spend hours practicing rudiments and technical stuff, but for me, I really want to vibe with other players. I never cared to be the greatest technical player. What I like the most is playing with other people, which can’t be taught, just learned through experience. I may not be the most proficient player, but I know how to interact with other musicians on the fly whether it’s in front of a live audience or at rehearsal, prepping for the next gig.

RRX:  Do you come from a musical family? Do you play any other instruments?

JK: Yes, my father is a guitar player and I remember hearing him rehearse with various groups over the years when I was very young. He used to have practice in our basement when I was very young, and I’d stay up to hear them play. Later on, I would accompany him to a band member’s house while they rehearsed. I took up saxophone in grade school because they didn’t offer drum kit as an option; only percussion. I later picked back up with drum lessons in the second half of my tenure at the College of Saint Rose.

RRX:  Who were some of your early influences? What about now?

JK: Classic rock was always my go-to for inspiration; Bonham, Peart, etc. But I really dig the session guys from that era; Russ Kunkel, Gary Mallaber, Jeff Porcaro, Jim Gordon, Kenny Buttrey, Hal Blaine, etc. I love the diversity that each of them has shown over a career in session work.

As for the past several years, I’ve been listening to a ton of jazz, metal, and prog. I’ve always been fascinated with the stuff I can’t play. Whether it is a completely different approach and style than what I’m versed in, like jazz, or extreme heavy metal that employs insane double-kick patterns and lightning-fast fills that I just drool over, or the complicated time changes and technicality of prog greats like Bill Bruford.

RRX: Tell me about some of the bands you’ve played with.

JK:How much space do I have? 😉

Currently, there’s Hot Cousin, whom I’ve been with for the better part of 21 years. Throughout that time, I’ve done numerous projects like Plastic Jesus, Horror Business (the world’s best Misfits tribute), Grainbelt with Howe Glassman, and Hillbilly Horns, which started out as a horn-driven party cover band and evolved into a horn-driven country cover band with a few originals. An indie rock band before Hot Cousin was the Highsocks, which I joined out of college and went on to tour across the U.S. twice. I got to play in a cover band with my dad called FOG (five old guys) for a few years, which was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And then there are a bunch of smaller groups here and there, not to mention several sit-ins with various acts and a lot of session work.

RRX:  What do you do for fun?

JK: I collect vinyl. It’s been my hobby and passion for the past 30+ years. I’ve amassed a collection of over 15,000 records.

RRX:  That’s a lot of vinyl! What are you playing for a kit now?  What is your current setup?

JK: I like to keep it really simple. I play a five-piece Yamaha; two crashes and a ride. And the occasional cowbell. I can adjust to what the music demands, so adding or subtracting toms or another kick isn’t out of the question.

RRX:  Any gig horror stories?

JK:Oh yeah, tons. Most recently, I had a snare stand break on me mid-set. I had to prop it up with my leg until the set break. I’ve had drum risers separate while I’m playing, almost being eaten alive by the stage. I’ve had cymbals blow over at an outside show. I drove all the way to NYC once and forgot my snare, so I had to go to Guitar Center in the middle of Manhattan traffic to buy another one. And then there are all the times I was supposed to use another person or the club’s kit just to arrive and find out it was missing something essential or just a piece of junk.

RRX:  That sounds terrible! If you could play drums in any band, who would it be, and why?

JK: A lot of people dream of being rock stars but I’d be happy behind the scenes doing session work or backing a touring musician rather than be the superstar myself. But in all likelihood, I’d like to play in front of as many people as possible who are gonna be receptive to whatever style I’m playing, whether it be covers or originals. I’ve done large festivals and played in front of crowds of varying sizes, and nothing is more exciting from my point of view than people totally immersed in the music, whether they’re dancing or singing along, or moshing and stage diving. That kind of crowd reaction is what I live for, so if I can do it for larger audiences, that would be my goal.

RRX: Where can we see you playing next?

JK: Hot Cousin is headlining Rockin’ on the River in Troy, on Wednesday, July 10. We’re sharing the bill with the legendary Chris Busone and his band, and the Albany Rock Pit which I’m most excited to see because they’re kids who are learning to rock out at a young age. I love watching young talent develop, whether it’s a middle school band or a virtuosic teenager who is blowing people away. It’ll be a great time with some great musicians all around. And I’m looking forward to sharing the stage with you which will be a first for me 🙂

I’m looking forward to it too, Sawdust!

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