Michael Towne Sarin (born 20 September 1965) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer noted for his work in New York City's avant-garde jazz scene.

Early life and education

Born in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

, Sarin moved as a child to the

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...

region. He studied percussion privately before attending the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

and

Cornish College of the Arts Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) was a Private college, private art school, art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914 by music teacher Nellie Cornish. The college's main campus is in the Denny Triangle, Seattle, Denny Triangle ...

in Seattle, where he focused on jazz and classical drumming techniques.

Career

In the early 1990s, Sarin relocated to New York City, joining the downtown jazz and improvisation community. He collaborated with saxophonist

Thomas Chapin Thomas Chapin (March 9, 1957 – February 13, 1998) was an American composer and saxophone, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. His music spanned the full range of 20th century creative music, from his time as Lionel Hampton's bandleader ...

and trumpeter

Dave Douglas David or Dave Douglas may refer to: Entertainment * David Douglas (director) (born 1953), Canadian cinematographer, director and writer * Dave Douglas (trumpeter) (born 1963), American jazz trumpeter * Dave Douglas (drummer) (born 1979), American ...

Musical style and influences

Sarin's drumming blends precise rhythmic frameworks with free improvisation, noted for its dynamic textures and polyrhythmic complexity. Influences include Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, and global percussion traditions.

Collaborations

* Member of Dave Douglas's core ensemble (1996–2002), featured on ''Five'', ''Convergence'', and ''Witness''. * Collaborated with pianist

Myra Melford Myra Melford (born January 5, 1957) is an American avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. A 2013 Guggenheim Fellow, Melford was described by the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' as an "explosive player, a virtuoso who shocks and soothes, and who can m ...

on ''The Same River, Twice'' and ''Above Blue''. * Drummer on Tony Malaby / Tom Rainey / Michael Sarin / Drew Gress's ''Apparitions'' (2003). * Member of Anthony Coleman's Sephardic Tinge. * Formed the trio Open Stream and the pandemic group Relative Motion.

Teaching and workshops

Sarin has conducted masterclasses at the New York Jazz Workshop and contributed to drumming podcasts.

Discography

With

*''

Five 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. Humans, and many other animals, have 5 digits on their limbs. Mathematics 5 is a Fermat pri ...

'' (Soul Note, 1996) *''

Convergence Convergence may refer to: Arts and media Literature *''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen *Convergence (comics), "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics: **A four-part crossover storyline that ...

'' (Arabesque, 1999) *''

Witness In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or claim to know. A witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jur ...

'' (RCA, 2001) With

*'' The Same River, Twice'' (Gramavision, 1996) *'' Above Blue'' (Arabesque, 1999) With Tony Malaby / Tom Rainey / Drew Gress *''Apparitions'' (2003) With

Anthony Coleman Anthony Coleman (born August 30, 1955) is an American composer and avant-garde jazz pianist. During the 1980s and 1990s he worked with John Zorn on ''Cobra'', ''Kristallnacht'', ''The Big Gundown'', ''Archery'', and '' Spillane'' and helped push ...

*''Sephardic Tinge'' (date unknown) With The Other Quartet *''The Other Quartet'' (date unknown) With Relative Motion *''Relative Motion'' (pandemic-era trio; date unknown)

References

*Steve Smith, "Michael Sarin". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed.

Barry Kernfeld Barry Dean Kernfeld (born August 11, 1950) is an American musicologist and jazz saxophonist who has researched and published extensively about the history of jazz and the biographies of its musicians. Education In 1968, Kernfeld enrolled at ...

. American jazz drummers Jazz musicians from California Musicians from Stockton, California 1955 births Living people 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Drummers from California {{US-jazz-drummer-stub