"...the excellent Katie Patterson" - John Fordham, The Guardian Feb 2020
Photo Pete Gavin
Katie Patterson is a freelance drummer and educator based in London, England, from rural Nova Scotia, Canada. Katie has made a name for herself for her reliability, flexibility in her work and commitment to music. She prides herself in being well prepared and always brings a positive attitude. She has performed at notable venues such as Wembley SSE Arena, Ronnie Scott’s, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Roundhouse (London), Love Supreme Festival, The Arches (Glasgow), and further afield at National Arts Centre (Canada), DeLaMar Theater (Amsterdam), Molde (Norway) Jazz Festival and Tuscia in Jazz Festival (Italy) where she received ‘Best New Talent’ award. Katie currently works with many bands including Rafe’s Dilemma, Charlie Pyne Quartet, Ilario Ferrari Trio, L'Esprit du Jazz and is MD for Soul Street Productions ‘The History of Rock’ show. Katie has a BA(hons)Jazz from Leeds Conservatoire (formerly Leeds College of Music), studying drums under Dave Walsh.
Awards: Jazz North Futures Scheme with Rafe's Dilemma 2020 Best New Talent Tuscia in Jazz 2014 Jazz Yorkshire Young Musician of the Year Award 2012 Jazz Yorkshire Futures Scheme 2012 John Scheerer Prize for Kit Drums 2011 Sam Hood Rosebowl for Outstanding Performance 2011
Her drumming has been praised in Jazzwise Magazine by Brian Priestley (Feb 2011) and John Newey (June 2011). From 2006 to 2016 Katie was the leader of The Allsorts Band – a 5 piece ensemble playing her original music and arrangements. Also check out her Steely Dan Big Band, her four piece pop/rock function band - Up All Night, her jazz and outreach trio, and her quirky Sci-Fi Cantina 4tet.
Performance Work Katie feels lucky that music has enabled her to travel. Before moving to the UK in 2008, Katie toured throughout Canada and USA, namely with the DRUM! show. In 2010, she worked for Holland America Cruises, travelling to Alaska, Mexico and Hawaiian Islands. In 2011 she spent the summer in Germany and Norway (including performing at the Molde Jazz Festival) with WoCalling. In winter 2011, she toured in Holland with Icon Theatrical’s ‘The Tenors’. In winter 2014 she returned to Holland for Icon Theatrical's brand new show - The Sopranos vs The Tenors. Locally, Katie has performed at the 606 club in London with the Andrew Linham Jazz 4tet, Manchester United Grounds with her own trio, Wakefield Jazz with The Allsorts, The Arches in Glasgow with Linder Sterling’s ‘The Darktown Cakewalk’, Camden Fringe Festival with the Kathy Kirby Show, Hull Freedom Festival with Omar Puente Quartet and countless other venues with various groups.
Katie was Part Time Lecturer on the Evening and Community Music course at Leeds College of Music in 2011 and also teaches private drum lessons out of her home studio. Katie believes that everyone should have access to live music, no matter his or her circumstances. From 2011 to 2017 Katie’s work with her trio on the Live Music Now scheme has enabled her to bring jazz and improvised music to special schools, day centres, care homes, residential units, and hospitals throughout Yorkshire and the north of England. Katie also worked as a freelance musician for Doncaster Community Arts (darts) delivering drum/percussion workshops to children and adults with special needs, adults in residential rehabilitation units, pupil referral units, and more. From 2013 to 2015 Katie taught classroom drums/percussion at Stone Hill School in Doncaster. Katie is also available for freelance workshops. Past clients include Leeds College of Music, Leeds Morley District Scouts & Rangers, Musical Arc, Grimsby Jazz and Doncaster Music Education Hub. Katie enjoys and values the educational vein of her work and finds it extremely rewarding.
The Longer Story.....
Katie was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1988. She was very lucky to have attended high school at Cobequid Educational Centre in Truro, NS with its nationally recognised band program led by Paul Barrett and Rick Waychesko. Music developed into a way of life for Katie, and the music at CEC took her to many band competitions and festivals across the country. Katie learned about orchestral percussion, latin music, big band drumming, jazz, funk and fusion drumming and much more. Katie auditioned and was accepted as a percussionist to play with the National Concert Band of Canada (winning Most Outstanding Percussionist in 2006) and the National Youth Band of Canada where she performed in such venues as the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada. After Katie graduated from high school, she moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to pursue a professional career in music, along with deciding where she would continue her studies.
Katie lived in Halifax from 2006 until 2008. In that time she was fortunate to be a busy working musician. She started her own band, The Allsorts and began composing material for that group. They played at the Atlantic Jazz Festival, Stayners Wharf and other venues in and around Halifax. She studied classical theory part time at Dalhousie University and also played in the Dalhousie University Big Band. Katie began working with a number of artists on the Halifax scene and developed a reputation for being a dependable, reliable, professional and extremely competent drummer. She gigged with Andrea Somers and recorded on her debut album. She was busy working with Modern Citizen, also The Dorothies and recorded on their debut album. Katie played with Alana Yorke and the New Oceanographers, and played on Doug Robertson's debut album, she worked with Maddison Avenue, The Jon Matheson Band, and others. Katie also kept very active on the educational side of music. She was on teaching faculty of Nova Scotia Honour Jazz, Acadia University Jazz Camp, The Parrsboro Upstream Sessions and taught private drum and percussion lessons. Katie was a showcase performer at the Cape Breton International Drum Festival in 2008 and 2009 and also was a side woman for many function gigs.
In 2008 Katie came to the UK to study at Leeds College of Music and has been living in England ever since. She feels so lucky to have had a wealth of support from her family in the past and also in this new chapter in her life.
When not playing music, you will probably find Katie cooking in the kitchen, or making friends with the neighbourhood cats.