Hi, I’m Chris Baker. I grew up in Warwickshire with British and Guyanese roots and have spent over thirty years working as a drummer, percussionist, and music educator across performance, production, and teaching.
I started young on drum kit and trombone, coming up through Youth Jazz Orchestras where I learned the value of ensemble playing, rehearsal discipline, and showing up prepared. As a teenager I studied with Nigel Thomas (LSO, The Blue Nile) and Paul Brook (Greg Lake), and later with Bob Armstrong at Masterclass Studios in London. In my twenties I moved to Los Angeles to immerse myself in the groove, feel, and work ethic of American players, studying with Joe Porcaro, Ralph Humphrey, and Steve Houghton.
Since then, I’ve performed across Europe and the Americas in venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Arena di Verona, Ronnie Scott’s, and the 100 Club.
My studio work includes sessions at Olympic, BBC Studios, Livingston, Townhouse, Battery, and Jacobs, spanning jazz, rock, funk, Latin, pop, and more. I’ve worked with producers such as Warne Livesey, Mike Hedges, and Martin Rushent.
Teaching has always been a constant thread. I’ve led courses at London FE colleges, the University of East London, and London Metropolitan University, earning Outstanding Ofsted grades along the way. The most rewarding part has always been watching students develop their own sound, confidence, and direction.
I’m a strong believer in the power of quality one-to-one teaching. Institutions come and go, but nothing replaces real human guidance. I respect qualifications, but I’m not defined by them. Some of the most compelling musicians I’ve met have taken non-traditional routes. Curiosity and hard work still count for a lot.
Outside the classroom and the stage, I founded headhandsnfeet to make music more accessible and to explore rhythm as a tool for wellbeing. I’ve also researched music-for-wellbeing practices in collaboration with REMO.
At the core of everything I do is groove, connection, and the human side of sound. Technique matters, but the heart always comes first.