Jeff Ballard is one of the top drummers in the current international Jazz Scene, playing in the bands of such legendary artists as Chick Corea, Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau. As a Bandleader he has recorded The Jeff Ballard Trio Feat. Lionel Loueke and Miguel Zenon Sony (Okeh) which received rave reviews internationally. The recording, his debut, entitled "Time's Tales" was voted one of the top 25 recordings of 2014 in all genres by NPR (National Public Radio U.S.) Ballard was awarded Germany's prestigious "Echo Award" for Best Instrumentalist of 2014 in connection with this same recording. He is also Co-Leader of the highly acclaimed band "FLY" which records for ECM Records.
Deeply rooted in Jazz and having played with master musicians from an early age on, he developed his own musical language on the drum set and provides an immense energy and drive to any musical situation. As one critic of JazzTimes put it, "he has that gift that so many drummers crave but don’t achieve – he’s exceedingly shambolic on the surface yet always in the pocket below." Chick Corea says of Ballard: "He can play sensitive enough to blend with an orchestral string section, audacious enough to play as freely and unexpectedly as you could imagine, and basic enough to groove you into dancing your head off. He's got a great rhythm section blend. He's way more than just a 'jazz drummer'. He's a music painter."
These qualities, his ability of creating complex layers in response to his fellow musicians while providing a deep groove, his sensitivities in blending with the music, and his audacity in playing the unexpected, makes him the drummer of choice for the world tours and recordings of many of today's most relevant Jazz musicians.