Daniel Dufour, based in Austin, Texas, is a freelance percussionist who has performed nationally and internationally with extensive teaching and performance experience across the region. Daniel earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from Sam Houston State University and a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from The University of Texas at Austin.

As a bandleader, Daniel has released many recordings in the recent years. Distance (2017), Silsbee (2019), and Convergence (2020) feature all-original compositions; Daniel’s 2020 release Standards (2020) begins/ends with free improvisations that settle into a curated collection of classic repertoire. As a sideman, Daniel has been a part of many albums, notably Red Willow by Sean Michael Giddings (2021), Standard by Aubrey Logan (2021), and Caminando Con Papi by Pete Rodriguez (2013).

Daniel is an artist for Salyers Percussion, Aquarian Drum Heads, Zildjian Cymbals, and Canopus Drums.

Focuses on using stickings, re-orchestration, and grid exercises to discover/create jazz accompaniment vocabulary. These exercises are intended not only to develop a drummer's jazz accompaniment skills, but to also define and strengthen their ride cymbal beat.

Clinic handout: https://artists.pasic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Daniel-Dufour-Drum-Set-Clinic-Handout.pdf