Bio

A Drummer from the Start

Chris was born in West Virginia in 1972. He started playing drums at the age of 7, landed his first professional job at age 13 and played professionally throughout his junior and senior high school years.  While drum set was his first love, Chris mastered all aspects of percussion and had the honor of being chosen Outstanding Male Musician of Kanawha County his 9th grade year.  He performed with the George Washington High School Band at Carnegie Hall in New York as well as in concert with Frank Gambale of the Chick Corea Electric Band at West Virginia State University before studying at Interlochen.

Chris graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, MI – a private high school for performing arts in 1990. At IAA, he was chosen for the drum set chair in the IAA Jazz Band and had the distinct honor of being the only senior in the jazz department selected to perform a Senior Recital for faculty and students.

Chris continued his music education at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he performed with the nationally renowned Chris Potter, Joel Frahm, Julian & Murali Coryell, Dave Allen, Bill McHenry and Ben Waltzer.  While in New York, he studied with John Riley, Kenny Washington, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Jamey Haddad and Portinho – a master at Brazilian drum set technique.

Upon his return to Charleston, Chris entered the music scene performing with the Steve Himes Connection where he has been the group’s drummer since its inception in 1996. He currently performs in eight diverse bands in the local area playing all genres of music. His past credits include appearances with Frank Gambale, Ed Uribe, Vince Lewis, Mike Richmond, Bob Thompson and Robert Shafer.

In addition to performing, for the past 17 years Chris has taught and continues to teach students of all ages privately at Gorby’s Music in South Charleston, WV. 

Chris is best known for his versatility in playing all styles of music which is exemplified on the latest CD of both C2J2 and the Ryan Kennedy Trio. Through his diverse performance experiences, he has developed a mastery of jazz, rock and blues, as well as a sensitive understanding of Latin and Brazilian rhythms.

After experiencing a concert for the Charleston Jazz Series, Johnathan Rogers of the Charleston (WV) Gazette wrote: “Hudson is clearly in love with every sound his drums make. He was simply marvelous. How he has remained in the area and not been gobbled up by a national rock or jazz band is a complete mystery to me.”