Episode 7 with Kirk Covington (Joe Zawinul, Tribal Tech, Alan Holdsworth)

My guest today is Mr. Kirk Covington. 

You know, out of all the musicians that I can think of, there aren’t many that are as freakishly talented as Kirk. I mean I know guys can play a little of this and that on drums and keys, guitar , that kind of thing. But Kirk plays at such a ridiculously high level on drums, keys and vocals that it’s kinda not fair!….. One of my favorite bands and a huge influence on my own playing was the band Tribal Tech with Scott Henderson on guitar. Kirk was a member of Tribal Tech for many years and manned the kit on many of their best records. He also worked with legends like Joe Zawinul, Alan Holdsworth, his own band Capt. Kirk, and was a member of the band Volto with Tool drummer Danny Carey. 

Kirk has a larger than life personality and he is always laughing and joking. I always enjoy playing and getting to hang with him. I thought he would be a no- brainer for a guest on Riff Raff and he proved me right. In this episode we talk about his North Texas State training, his influences, how Elvis helps him play a funky groove, Bobby Caldwell and Captain Beyond, odd meter grooves, Tribal Tech stories, some great Allan Holdsworth stories and much much more. I think you’ll love this one even if you aren’t a drummer!

Om Podcasten

The Riff Raff started as an idea I had a few years ago just to sit and chat with my friends whom I consider to be inspirational to me in some way- whether it be as a musician, artist or whatever the case may be. Over the years, as a working musician, I’ve been lucky to work with many amazing people and musicians and would like to share some of their stories with you. I’m a professional musician. I like stories. I mean... I REALLY like stories. Oh, and I love jokes too. Luckily, I work with some of the best in the business, and they happen to have great stories (and usually great jokes as well). Anyway, i want to put these stories down for people to enjoy - it’s fun. Some people like to garden, or take photos, or collect magnets for the fridge… but me? I like to get these stories down for all to enjoy! So this is a podcast about the creative process and, yes, being a guitar player, we do occasionally talk shop, gear, etc., but I’m not going to limit it to that as I get this thing going. Oh yeah, we jam a bit too!