Wally Gator Watson and Lionel Hampton sit down to a tribal Jam with the Nez Perce Tribe in Lewiston Idaho

Wally Gator Watson is a powerhouse when it comes to playing the drums. This talent has lead his client list to include names such as Whitney Houston, Ashford & Simpson, and the wicked Wilson Pickett. His years as the driving force behind the Lionel Hampton Big Band, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Count Basie Band, and the Cab Calloway Orchestra have made him one of the front runners of Big Band drumming. Having entered the professional entertainment field at age 15, Gator is celebrating more than 30 years in the business. His experience as a drummer and a clinician has touched upon every aspect of the business - from the famed New York City nightclub scene, to the Broadway Theater venues. His career spans radio, TV, and film (both as a player and an air personality), to the most famed concert halls and arenas in the world - all while touring with some of the most well known and respected names in music. Gator has recorded a tribute album to Hamp, "Together in Spirit," with his new band, A Trio of Four, with co-band members Christian Fabian on bass, and Kuni Mikami on piano. Gator is also the C.E.O. of a nonprofit organization, E.E. M.C.D., Inc., through which he presents drum clinics and motivational seminars to students and teachers around the world. (www.eemcd.org)