Seattle, WA––A true professional and working drummer in the very best sense of the word, Jeff Kathan’s exceptional career has included tours with Paul Rodgers, and work with Howard Leese of Heart, Ronnie Montrose, and Randy Hansen among others.
Kathan’s powerhouse style mixed with a multifaceted blues and funk edge, has made him a touring and recording legend with leading bands in Seattle and the Northwest over the years. His drumming first got the attention of Paul Rodgers’ manager when Jeff was recommended to him and Jeff brought in Howard Leese’s solo band Brigade for an audition to back Rodgers up in 1998. Jeff’s toured with Rodgers for 11 years since then, first partnering with Leese (formerly of Heart), along with bassists Jayson Boyleston and later Kathan’s longtime collaborator Lynn Sorensen.
These days, Jeff constantly works Seattle concert halls and casinos with a number of different bands: Spike and the
Impalers (a raucous 13 to 15-piece rock review affiliated with local FM market leader KJR Clear Channel’s popular Bob Rivers Show), plus other classic rock mainstays like the Fabulous Johnsons and Magic Bus. Kathan also tours and records with Sex and Violins, a unique musical partnership with bassist Sorensen that features all original material.
When not working live shows, Jeff records with all of these bands and a variety of other local artists, maintaining a ferocious work schedule that underscores his reputation as the “big man� of rock drumming.
Asked about his equipment, Kathan says, “I use a DW kit custom made for me. The kick drum is 26″ by 18″ with a 26″ by 10″ woofer, and used correctlyâ€? it will take your head clean offâ€?’ he says with a smile. “I also use 12″, 14″ and 16″ toms with a 14″ by 5″ Edge snare, plus Sabian cymbals and Remo heads.
Jeff’s kit features a complement of CAD drum mics, including a CAD D12 kick mic in each of his bass drums, a CAD TSM411 in my snare, rack tom and first floor tom, a KBM412 in the large floor tom, plus an Equitek E70 on Hi Hat, an ICM417 or M9 Cardioid (powered tube) condenser mics on overheads, depending on the situation. CAD mics give me the combination of power, clarity and warmth I need for all the different styles of music I play.�
In the studio, Kathan has become a big fan of CAD’s DH100 drummer isolation headphones. As he explains, “they’re phenomenal because the sound you get is so clear and clean. You hear the click really well and all of the important things on the track that can make a big difference in terms of your performance. I’ve used every kind of headphone over the years, and these DH100s are totally awesome for playing drums in the studio. I totally depend on them because they sound so great in any playing situation!�
For more information about CAD Audio/Astatic Commercial, please call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com
