Jason Reid Winikoff
Drums & Percussion
Official page of American drummer, percussionist, educator, and music scholar
Biography
Dr. Jason Winikoff is a drummer, percussionist, music educator, and music researcher. who is currently based in New Haven, CT. Though he was born in New Jersey, Winikoff is deeply connected to New Orleans, Zambia and Vancouver, Canada. He received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of British Columbia where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the sounds of Luvale spirit manifestation in Zambia. At UBC, he studied under Dr. Michael Tenzer and worked closely with Dr. J.S. Kofi Gbolonyo. Winikoff earned his M.A. in ethnomusicology from Tufts University where he studied under Dr. David Locke. He obtained his B.F.A. from Tulane University in New Orleans. In the Crescent City, Winikoff cut his teeth studying and performing Black American Music. His primary teachers were Jesse McBride, Geoff Clapp, and Jim Markway. He has since made a name for himself playing the music of New Orleans in Vancouver and Connecticut. Winikoff is an in-demand drummer in the traditional jazz and swing-dance communities and often leads bands in the Silverbook (modern New Orleans jazz) style. He has gained a reputation for his high-energy drumming, bouncy grooves, raspy vocals, and focus on the long-form repertoire.
Winikoff is also a dedicated cultural ambassador to Luvale communities in Zambia. He is a partner of the Likumbi Lya Mize Cultural Association and student to some of the most respected performers in the region. Among these are Kapalu Lizambo & Lenga Navo, Josephine Sombo Muzala Chipango & Likumbi Lya Mize Chibolya, William Vunda & Chota, and Douglas Mwila & Likumbi Lya Mize Western Province Mongu. He recently released an album of traditional Luvale music through the International Library of African Music. Winikoff frequently returns to Zambia to work with, study under, and perform alongside various dance troupes. In Vancouver, he occasionally leads a Zambian-jazz fusion outfit, his Postcards from Zambia.
Through tutelage with the late Damas "Fanfan" Louis, Winikoff also became an avid student of Haitian Vodou percussion and culture. He now splits his time between performing, researching, and teaching.