Photo by Kory Thibeault

Today, renowned drummer Adam Deitch announced his latest sonic offering, Roll The Tape, the second LP in partnership with his soul-jazz project, The Adam Deitch Quartet, will be released on Nov. 10. In celebration of the announcement, Deitch, known for his virtuosity and versatility, dropped the project’s lead single, “Mushroom Gravy.”

Roll The Tape showcases the percussionist’s unwavering devotion to creating music from a wide spectrum of styles, drawing from his deep-rooted passion for rhythmic studies and groove, honed since his early days as a drummer. The quartet, featuring organist Wil Blades, Lettuce cohorts Eric “Benny” Bloom on trumpet, and Ryan Zoidis on saxophone, offers a fresh blend following other musical ventures by Deitch, including Lettuce’s eighth studio album, Unify and his hip-hop beats album, TAKE YOUR TIME, all within the span of just over a year.

“Mushroom Gravy” holds a special place in Deitch’s heart as a tribute to his Grandma Betty’s chicken mushroom gravy. Deitch credits his grandmother for playing a pivotal role in his development as a drummer, as her brother, his Great Uncle Dave, was the first drummer in their family, influencing his father, Bobby Deitch, to become a professional musician.

“It’s tremendous fun to play with the quartet because they fully understand where I’m coming from, and hopefully, I ‘get’ them the same way,” said Scofield, who has collaborated with Deitch since the early 2000s. “I think Adam and I have very simpatico concepts in music.”

Reflecting on their history together, Scofield added, “When I first played with Adam, I knew he was right for me. This kind of chemistry is hard to come by, and I’ve only had it a handful of times in my life. Eric Krasno recommended Adam. When we first played together, I liked it so much that I had to change drummers in the band immediately. The result was Uberjam. This period marked a new direction in my career, and without Adam, it wouldn’t have worked as well. He’s an excellent musician and one of the very best drummers, period.”

Roll The Tape resulted from dedicated effort following Lettuce’s recording sessions for their next full-length album. Blades joined Deitch, Bloom, and Zoidis for a recording session at Scanhope Sound in Colorado. The album is composed and arranged by Deitch in his home studio in Denver, showcasing his rigorous approach. The drummer provided demos for the band to learn on the spot, akin to the quartet’s debut LP, Egyptian Secrets.

Deitch expressed his excitement, saying, “Wil and I are both basketball fans and homies. He is highly skilled with the organ pedals and lefthand bass and is super smart and easy to work with. Zoidis and Bloom always balance each other out with Zoidis bringing a psychedelic vibe with his effects and Benny bringing his wild, crazy Benny attitude as a great musician with great showmanship.”

Listen to “Mushroom Gravy” below