Gregg Bissonette - 1998 "Gregg Bissonette"

One of Bissonette's first recordings was Brandon Fields' The Other Side of the Story in 1985. It featured David Garfield on keyboards. A few years later Bissonette would start playing shows with Fields, Garfield and Steve Lukather on guitar and with John Peña on bass as Los Lobotomys. These shows took place at the Baked Potato, a jazz club and restaurant in Los Angeles, California, playing rock, Latin, and jazz.

Bissonnette got his big break joining former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth. The band included guitarist Steve Vai and future Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan. During 1985-1992 Gregg appeared on all three US Billboard 200 hit albums Eat 'Em and Smile (no.4) Skyscraper (no.6) and A Little Ain't Enough (no.18)[1] and the subsequent world tours.[2]

In 1990 and 1993, Bissonette released drum videos Private Lesson[3] and Playing, Reading & Soloing with a Band,[4][5] respectively. Private Lesson covers a variety of topics including double bass drumming, rudiments (with a backsticking technique from the snare drum solo Tornado[6] by Mitch Markovich), playing with a metronome and brushes.

From 1994 to 2004, he played on the musical interludes for every episode for the TV show Friends.[7]

In late 1995, Toto was beginning their Tambu tour when Simon Phillips developed back problems. Phillips asked Bissonette to fill in for him during the tour's first leg.

He played drums on Santana's album Supernatural (1999).[8] In 2007, he recorded on the album La La Land by Daniel Glen Timms.[9]

In 2001 he was set to play on the Electric Light Orchestra's Zoom Tour Live with his brother Matt on Bass. The tour was cancelled after one televised performance at the CBS Television City on PBS

Bissonette can be heard on a number of rock instrumental and progressive rock albums, including The Extremist by Joe Satriani, Temporal by Shadrane, Deep Forest by Deep Forest, Bass Invader by Martin Motnik, Inner Galactic Fusion Experience by Richie Kotzen, Shadow King by Steve Fister, Revolution Road by Rocket Scientists, In the Eye of Time by Vox Tempus, Bug Alley and the soundtrack to the movie The Endless Summer II by Gary Hoey.

In 2012, Bissonette played drums on several tracks featured on Docker's Guild's album The Mystic Technocracy: Season 1: The Age Of Ignorance, the progressive rock space opera masterminded by the French-American musician, teacher, and ethno-musicologist Douglas R. Docker.

Frankenstein is a highlight with a drum solo that captures a number of recognizable beats including Honky Tonk Women, In-a-gadda-da-vida, etc. (who can name them all??). Other highlights are the Andy Summers contribution, and the Tribute to Tony (Williams?).

What can you say about Gregg, he's as great a drummer as he is a person. This album showcases his many talents and diversity of his playing. One of the best players in the world Greggs album is full of his talents, personality and style. Along with Matt (his brother) on bass it's a ripping colletion of great drum featured music with groove galore. A great person, a great cd.. If you drum you must buy this album

Tracklist

1     Common Road    
2     Teenage Immigrant    
3     Dr. Toulak    
4     Frankenstein    
5     Wildwood    
6     Vulgar Boatman    
7     Tribute To Tony    
8     You Kill Me    
9     Frybrain    
10     1920 Shady Dr.    
11     No Matter What

Personnel:

Gregg Bissonette – percussion, drums, vocals, piccolo trumpet
Matt Bissonette – bass, violin, cello, backing vocals
George Bernhardt – guitar
Doug Bossi – guitar, vocals
Paul Gilbert – guitar
Scott Henderson – guitar
Steve Lukather – guitar
Mike Miller – guitar
Andy Summers – guitar
Ty Tabor – guitar
Michael Thompson – guitar
Steve Vai – guitar