Benny Greb is a skilled German drummer and teacher known for blending jazz and rock styles. He has taught at schools like the Hamburg School of Music and the Popakademie in Mannheim. Born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1980, Benny started playing drums at six and took formal lessons at twelve. He first enjoyed punk music but later explored jazz and rock, studying these styles in Augsburg and Hamburg. After finishing school, Benny played with artists like Stoppok, Ron Spielman, and Bobby McFerrin. He also leads his own projects, releasing albums such as “Grebfruit” (2005), “Brass Band” (2009), “Two Day Trio” (2013), “Moving Parts” (2014), and “Grebfruit 2” (2017).
Benny has created educational materials for drummers, including “The Language of Drumming,” “The Art & Science of Groove,” and “Effective Practicing for Musicians.” He works with companies like Sonor Drums, Remo Drum Heads, Vic Firth, and Meinl Percussion. With Meinl, he helped design the Byzance Vintage Series cymbals, such as the “Sand Ride” and “Sand Hats,” which have a special sandblasted finish. In 2012, Meinl added “Sand Crash” and “Sand Crash/Ride” cymbals to this series.Benny uses Sonor Vintage Series drums.
Photos by George Burrows at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC).
