Bio: Ed Mays began playing piano at the age of nine and took up drums in 1967 in the Seattle area where he studied for several years at the Keith Purvis Drum Shop with Gary Kieth. In his late teens he began playing professionally in commercial rock bands for private parties and High School & Jr. High Dances. He played his first club date at the Flame Tavern in Burien at the age of 19. In 1972 he became interested in Jazz. Inspired by the fusion bands of that era such as the Headhunters, Weather Report, Return to Forever, and Tower of Power, he began to add funk and jazz bands to his roster of rock and show bands and to pursue an understanding of linear funk and classic Be-Bop techniques. He was aided in this endeavor by many friends and mentors, most notably his teachers Otis (Candy) Finch the late great NY Be-Bop era drummer and 7 year veteran of Dizzy Gillespie’s bands and Keith Purvis, teacher and father figure to countless extraordinary NW drummers. Ed learned the principals of linear sticking techniques in the mid 70’s from Mike Clark, one of the primary conspirators in the linear funk revolution. Like Mike Clark, Steve Gadd, Dave Garibaldi, and so many of his heroes, Ed developed his hands playing in marching bands. Traveling all over the country in the early 70s he became drum section leader. This culminated in 1976 when he led his drum section in the NY Bi-Centennial parade. Spanning a lifelong professional career, Ed has played with countless rock, country, R&B, and jazz groups here and coast to coast, including NW rock-n-roll legend Tiny Tony, award winning artists such as blues man Tom Boyle, and extraordinary female vocalists such as Diana Ruiz, LJ Porter and So. Texas Blues great Trudy Lynn. Ed spent most of the 80’s in Texas where he worked for 4 years in various incarnations of the Big Otis Show Band -a 60’s R&B/funk horn band and on the road playing the hotel circuit. He formed his own jazz group with Gary Dorsey of the Boogie Kings -the Park Avenue Quartet and spent the summer of ’85 playing full time at the prestigious Villa Restaurant in Woodlands TX. Coming back to Seattle, Ed continued to play full time up until the mid 90’s when he got tired of commercial music and turned his attention to teaching and recording. He teaches drums at A Sharp Music, Eckstein MS, Roosevelt HS and at his home in North Seattle. He taught for 6 years at the Kennelly Keys stores on Stone Way and Bellevue Square, as well as Center Stage Music, and The Donn Bennett Drum Shop. He taught 3 years at Lakota MS in Federal Way, as well as Cedar Heights Jr.Hi. in Kent and McClure MS in Seattle. Ed strongly believes that teaching is learning and has never stopped studying, most recently with the phenomenal Terri Lyne Carrington and Weather Report veteran Alex Acuna. He now plays with his own band- Stacey's Kitchen, the Jack Becker Blues Band, Jazz Montage, The Diana Ruiz Show Band, Jimmy Free's Friends and The Yoginis –Limitless Sky recording artists. Ed plays a Pearl Masters Custom kit and Roland V-Drums. He uses Zildjian & Sabian Cymbals, vintage Gretsch & Yamaha brass snare drums, and Ghost pedals.