Nikki Glaspie

Nikki Glaspie Instagram – Man. This hurts. There are not that many drummers who had quite the impact that Russ did in my life, career, sound, ears, I mean everything. We met in around 2003 at the Funk Box (@the_8_x_10 ) in Baltimore. The Sam Kininger band opened up for Russell Batiste and Friends. He embraced me instantly. He was the kind of cat who took joy in sharing knowledge. One of my greatest teachers. In 2004 I went to New Orleans for the first time and he literally gave me the keys to the city. He would invite me to rehearsals and gigs and say “come play”. He had me play drums on his album. I would always question why one of the greatest drummers in the world would want me to play on his album. He was that guy. Always encouraging, always elevating. He brought me into the fold. I learned the “Russell shuffle”. I play it every chance I get. I don’t know what to say. He was like a drum dad. There will never be another like him. My condolences to everyone who knew and loved Russ. If you didn’t know him go on YouTube and look at every video you can find. Love you Russ! | Posted on 02/Oct/2023 00:29:32