KCC Productions and the Van Dyke Cafe present The Andrew Atkinson Quartet’s release of their latest CD, “Keep Looking Forward”
Thursday April 28, at 9 PM
The Van Dyke
846 Lincoln Road
South Beach.

For more information, call 305-534-3600 or visit thevandykecafe.com.

Andrew Atkinson didn’t always plan on being a drummer, but in his own words, “Once I got those sticks in my hands and started playing I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” He was 14.
Over time, he’d start experimenting with the rhythms of his island homeland, and by his senior year in art school, he was occasionally playing with the renowned New World Symphony under the direction of acclaimed conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. Already, a wide array of influences were taking hold of him.
After graduation, Andrew became one of the most in demand young drummers in Miami, playing with every type of band imaginable, including the reggae-ska band, The Monjees, opening for James Brown in 2002. He has also taught drums at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
In 2006 Atkinson became the drummer for Othello Molineaux, former steel pan player for the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorious. It was in 2006 that the many influences came together as the Andrew Atkinson Quartet.

Featuring musicians from all over the globe who are just as comfortable with all kinds of amorphous rhythms, Atkinson’s Quartet is a true extension of his international zeal. They have recently played at the Jazz Gallery and Small’s in New York, and saxophonist Tivon Pennicott has recorded with Esperanza Spalding on her latest CD.

The Quartet’s latest CD, “Keep Looking Forward”, has just been released in 2011.