Jost Nickel is one of the new breed of drummers emerging from Germany. A top session and tour player, like his friends and contemporaries Benny Greb, Marco Minnemann and the newly emerging Anika Nilles (one of Jost’s students), Jost is taking contemporary drumming in new directions.
His name appears within the credits of many hit records at home as well as abroad where Jost has played drums alongside Abe Laboriel Jr. and Manu Katché on many top-selling albums. Jost’s career received a major boost when he joined the German fusion band Matalex. He recorded all but one of Matalex’s albums – two of which featured Randy Brecker on trumpet, with the first record being the exception as that featured the one and only Steve Smith on drums before Jost stepped in on a permanent basis.
Jost’s career began to expand beyond his native homeland when he toured with guitar player Barry Finnerty, whose studio lineage and tenure with Miles Davis helped draw substantial audiences.
Currently, Jost is in a highly creative relationship with German super group Jan Delay & Disko No.1 whose CDs have all gone straight to number #1 in the charts, with the artist selling out venues and packing festivals wherever he tours.
In addition to touring and recording, Jost, who studied at Drummers Collective in New York, is a tutor at the highly acclaimed University of Pop in Mannheim and the Music Academy in Hamburg. He made his international debut as a clinician and educator with performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in America and the Montreal Drum Fest in Canada, as well as with feature articles and workshops in Modern Drummer (USA), Drummer (UK), Rhythm & Drums (Japan), Drums & Percussion (Germany) and other publications.
Jost is known for his punchy, articulate drum sound, which he counterbalances with a jazzy, exotic cymbal wash. His ‘light and shade’ vibe reflects a cutting edge drummer who keeps one foot steeped in tradition, with a pocket and groove that is undeniable and it is for that feel that Jost is rapidly becoming an in-demand session player on a global basis.
Jost has recently released through Alfred Publishing Jost Nickel’s Groove Book that offers a deep insight into his thoughtfully crafted playing and features a CD that includes more than 200 grooves and exercises that any drummer of any level will benefit from.
