A mean drummer and a dancer to boot -- you should have seen him do the handkerchief waltz -- bandleader Alvin Atkinson Jr is the quintessential full of life jazz man. Originally from North Carolina, he has played with greats like funk and soul jazz saxophonist Maceo Parker and trumpet player Cecil Bridgewater. Atkinson, who teaches Jazz Language and Rhythm Studies at Jazz at the Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy in New York, has also played at the White House for United States President George W Bush.
Atkinson had the audience in splits with his on-stage antics, making complex rhythmscapes look as easy as cracking a joke. Check out what he said about playing in India.
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