David Silliman

Drummer and percussionist David Silliman’s exciting rhythmic energies add color and mood to any musical performance. Highlights of his past work include concert tours with Al Di Meola, Cassandra Wilson, and Leslie Uggams, as well as four years in Blossom Dearie’s trio. He has also performed with Aretha Franklin in New York, including the 2001 VH1 Divas Live concert.

Silliman was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was exposed to a wide variety of music. His first studies were in the classical field, studying snare drum, xylophone, and timpani. Later studies exposed him to jazz, Latin jazz, funk, and Brazilian music. Silliman’s current setup, when needed, includes a standard American drum set augmented with a South American cajón; drums from the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean; and various other percussion (some his own creations).