As a composer, drummer and percussionist, John Hadfield’s dedication to music has taken him from his native Missouri to clubs and concert halls across the world. Currently living in Paris, France, He has released six albums and numerous singles and EP’s of his own compositions and has composed for many collaborative projects, including Heard By Others, a duo project with Lenny Pickett, Speaking in Tongues, a duo project with Rachel Eckroth, Believers a trio with Brad Shepik and Sam Minaie, and For James a duo with Ron Blake. Hadfield also composed and performed in Apologue 2047, a multimedia performance art piece directed by Zhang Yimou which explored themes of the relationships of humans and technology. In addition, Hadfield’s music was used in the feature-length documentary After Spring, and he can be heard playing percussion on numerous movie soundtracks including The Goldfinch, Gemini Man and Drive Away Dolls.
John’s diverse abilities have allowed him to perform with the Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Abel Selaocoe and the Seattle Symphony, and the Silk Road Ensemble. He has collaborated on more than 100 recordings, including GRAMMY award winning and nominated albums.
John’s work has received significant critical acclaim and Time Out New York has noted “John Hadfield’s percussion is so impeccable”. Modern Drummer featured him in an article stating, “Hadfield delivers a fluid groove, strong yet never intrusive, punctuated by adroitly chosen accents. His skillful sound-weaving choices create the illusion of a seamless multi-percussion section.” The NYTimes called Hadfield’s composition God Particle “A pulsing minimalist chamber piece of rare amniotic warmth. Hadfield’s beats insistently percolate…suggesting the sound of life emerging and then gathering itself to thrive”.