Because of his tenacity and down to earth charm, Jarzombek is one of the most complete and versatile drummers out there. His newest releases: Sebastian Bach’s Kicking & Screaming, Riot’s Immortal Soul and Arch/Matheos’ Sympathetic Resonance, really shows his dedication to music. While cruising around his hometown of San Antonio one day, Jarzombek phoned me and talked about his many projects, his drumming technique and his future in the music business.
Kelley Simms: Your resume is quite impressive, more than any other drummer, I think. The list of great bands you’ve drummed for is just mind-numbing. What keeps you so in demand?
Bobby Jarzombek: Probably just being versatile. I have an upbringing of playing a lot of rock music. When I was younger, I was into progressive stuff like Rush and UK. I always try to stay to the roots of rock music. Sometimes you find guys that can only do one kind of a small section of that whole rock genre, more basic kind of stuff.
Or they’re really prog guys and they don’t really lay it down when you need to in a certain situation. Putting myself out there and being available for people. Being a team player for whatever the project or band might be. I think it’s the combination of having the ability to do the whole thing, and at the same time adapting to it.
The new Riot album Immortal Soul is the classic Thundersteel/Privilege of Power lineup. Was it natural writing together after the years being apart?
It was different. When Thundersteel was written, I wasn’t involved in any of the writing. That was pretty much Don and Mark, then Tony came in and wrote lyrics. Privilege of Power, we wrote that when we were hanging out in Texas when Mark was down here. Me, Don and Mark wrote the music for that, then Tony came in and wrote the lyrics and melodies around all of the music that we had already written.
This record was different. It was the same in the fact that we wrote everything: Mark came down to San Antonio and we wrote like 12 songs in two to three weeks, then we demoed some rough arrangements. Then we all went home and kind of refined them on our own, and through the internet file sharing network stuff and did little tweaks here and there. Then Don came up with some other songs he wrote after that and shipped it over the Net, so did Mike Flyntz. But Mike was also there when we did the writing session in San Antonio.
I’ve read that out of all your professional years in music, that Immortal Soul was your first project where you were involved with writing from the beginning. How did the whole process come about?
That’s cool that you asked that. As I mentioned, it was sort of similar to Privilege of Power for the fact that I was in the studio with Mark and Don from the beginning working on the arrangements and writing. Most of the records I’ve been involved with, a lot of the arrangements, things change somewhere in the studio just with the technology, people chopping parts.
With this record, after we did the initial rough arrangement, I was able to look at the songs. I think one of my strong points is with the arranging. I did a lot of that stuff, and when it came down to mixing we were all really active in the mixing process. That was totally different for me, I’ve never been involved with the mix as much.
And the record speaks for itself. It’s a great-sounding record and I think it shows when you’re listening to the record that everybody had a lot of input. It’s not just one guys vision, it’s a collective vision from all five of us. The cool thing is that it was a five-way split, all the way down to songwriting.
Mark’s been the leader of Riot and sole original member. It’s a band that always seems relevant after all these years, no matter the style of music or whichever Riot album it is. Yet Riot has only reached cult status in the States. Are you hoping that Immortal Soul takes the band up a notch as far as exposure?
Yeah, definitely. I think one thing that was important when we did Privilege of Power and Thundersteel. We knocked the record label at the time because the record didn’t have tour support. We saw a lot of bands around us that were getting a lot of attention with multiple videos and tons of airplay. But those records, because they were on Sony, got all over the world.
I think it was important that those records were on a big label. It was great that even one of those records was able to get us to cult status. That was important at that time. That’s why those records and in rock blocks, that Riot had this legendary status, especially that lineup — the five of us — Tony, Mark, Don, Mike and myself.
With this record, I think people are going to see that it’s the same sound. It’s what Mark did back then even before this lineup. And with Tony’s vocals, it’s so unique. It’s a combination of what Mark did back before and then bringing in the other guys. I think that when people hear this record, they are going to hear that again. They are really going to know the Riot sound. It’s definitely along the same lines.
When it comes to Riot vocalists, I lean toward Guy Speranza as my favorite because the first Riot album I heard was Narita. But I feel Tony represents the newer brand the best. Between Guy Speranza, Rhett Forrester, Mike DeMio or Tony Moore, in your opinion, who is the ultimate Riot vocalist?
The thing about Guy, that’s what I grew up on in the San Antonio area, that was the sound. There’s so many guys that have great voices that can sing circles around other guys, but I think the most important thing with vocalists is a unique sound. And Guy had that really unique sound. You definitely knew it was Riot, and I loved that. Unfortunately, you’ll never hear anymore from Guy (R.I.P.).
With Rhett, it was ok. It was so much reminiscent of the sort of raspy kind of thing which a lot of guys do. I sort of lost the band as a fan when they were doing that. Then Tony came in and I loved Tony’s voice, which was similar to Guy’s. DeMio, I liked his voice but I always thought his voice was a little different for the band. It took the band in a different area, a little more hard rock sounding, more Whitesnake.
Although I do like Mike’s voice, it never felt like it was the Riot as I envisioned it — the more of the high vocals and what Guy was doing, the melodic vocals and what Tony does. I thought the band changed a little bit for my personal liking.
This is your third stint with the band and you still play in several other bands, but is Riot your true home, as they say? Would you say it’s your full-time band now?
I don’t know if it’s my home. I guess it’s in my heart being that Riot was my first national band I was in. I always had that close relationship with the band, because that’s where it starts. Anytime where you feel that it’s the beginning, you’re always going to remember those days. I always feel that, and I guess everybody does, whatever their first band might be. Whenever I ever reference Riot, I always feel close to the band for that reason.
Your drumming style, as you mentioned, is fairly versatile, but what do you try to accomplish on each album?
I think just listening to the songs and knowing what’s right for the song for any particular band that I’m working with. I would never play the same way on a Sebastian record that I would on a Spastic Ink record. I’m not somebody who’s about making his mark on a song. I’ve done too many records to think like that. I don’t even remember feeling like that in the early days. It’s always been trying to play what’s right for the band. It changes with the band and it changes with the song. I just try to play the right thing.
You’ve always played your kit barefoot. Is this just a preference or does it really make your double bass technique faster or more controllable?
It’s one of those things when I was growing up in Texas. I always ran around barefoot. It’s hot in Texas and I just got so used to the feel of the pedals with bare feet. It just never felt right playing with shoes on. I take my shoes off every time, no matter what I’m doing ... when I’m doing a session. I never have to worry about wearing out a pair of shoes and getting another pair that feels different on my pedals. So it always feels the same.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that you play left-hand lead and not the cross over method. Ray Luzier of Korn is the only other rock drummer that I’m aware of who plays in this style. How did you come to perfect this style? Are you left-handed?
No, I’m right-handed. I do a couple of things left-handed; I bounce a basketball left-handed and I throw a frisbee left-handed. But everything else I do right-handed. I guess it was years ago during Privilege of Power, I did this song called “Storming the Gates of Hell,” that’s off that record. I remember there was something I heard in my head that I wanted to play and was playing this pattern.
Every time I would play right-handed, then I would go to that pattern and play it left-handed on the hi-hat and go around the toms with my right hand and I started thinking about it at that time. I was a big Simon Phillips fan growing up, still am, and he was always playing left-hand lead, open-handed. I just slowly started working on it day after day probably for 10 years. It took about that long before I completely switched and pulled the ride away from the right on every gig that I played.
The new Arch/Matheos album that you played on is incredible. Some of those songs were originally going to be on the next FW album. Where’s that put Fates? Jim says he still has stuff shelved. How involved will you be for the writing of the new Fates album?
Like most of the Fates stuff, Jim will write most of the record. There’s been a little bit of opportunity to come in and I might submit some ideas to Jim and see if he can work with them. A lot of people asked the same question about John coming in, that maybe it was going to be a Fates Warning record. When I was first approached by Jim about it, he mentioned that he had given some stuff to John Arch and he was coming up with some stuff.
I think both vocalists are great. I love the stuff that Ray does, but I grew up with listening to the John Arch stuff. I thought that either one would be great. I spent a lot of time working out the drumming for this CD. My favorite thing about drumming ... playing on stage, recording, whatever, is the creative part. When someone gives me something, I love sitting in my own space and think about how I will add to it, and make it sound and feel right. I know that Jim mentioned they will be working on the next Fates record next year, which is great.
You just played on Sebastian Bach’s Kicking and Screaming as well. You really get around, man.
I just stay busy. I like to be creative. I don’t worry about how much money I’m making. If you stay busy and stay working, you don’t have to worry about it. If you make yourself available and be true to people and try to keep all your options open. I welcome the challenges. I’ve done records that people don’t even know about.
In 2010, it was more of a touring year. I toured a lot with Sebastian and Halford, we did the Ozzy tour. This whole year has been more one-offs and short little runs here and there. So, this whole 2011 has been more of a recording year for me and that’s why I’m on so many new releases coming out at the end of the year. It just kind of worked itself out that way. If I’m home and people are asking me to record, I‘ve got to take the work, whether it’s studio work or whether it’s live work.
With your busy schedule and different bands you’re in, will you be able to do a full Riot tour or are you getting ready to do the Bach tour?
There are some Riot dates that we have booked overseas with Hammerfall. A month-long tour. Sebastian also has some stuff happening in October/November. I’m trying to coordinate things where I can do the Riot tour and then come back and do the Sebastian gigs. I try to keep an open communication with everybody.
You have Jim doing OSI, Arch/Matheos, Fates. Joey doing Armored Saint and Fates. Other players are involved with other bands. Everybody’s sort of in the same boat as far as trying to coordinate their schedules and stay busy. Everybody is pretty cool about it. A lot of times when you’re in a younger band and they say you can’t play with anybody else but their band. You get a lot of that attitude that I did too when I was young. That happens when you feel a little insecure and think your band is going to conquer the world and you don’t let people sort of breathe.
If you’ve been in the business as long as I’ve been in the business and a lot of the guys I play with, you sort of have an understanding with your profession as a musician. You’re a little more courteous to the guys around you and I think that just comes with experience.
What happened with the Iced Earth gig?
Jon Schaffer took a year off in between when I was playing with him and started working with Sebastian. I always had the intention of going back to Iced Earth and playing with them again. I did record the Demons & Wizards record with him and Hansi. What happened though, is I started playing with Sebastian and we had a tour opening up for Guns N’ Roses booked but Jon had some material he needed to start on for the Framing Armageddon record.
I wasn’t available for him and he wasn’t able to wait because of the record label, the timeline. Iced Earth is really coordinated. Those guys know what they’re doing a year from now, it’s already in the books. Where as some bands book two to three months ahead of time. Iced Earth isn’t like that. They have a full schedule planned and Jon wasn’t able to wait for me. It’s unfortunate that it had to happen that way, but that’s sort of life. We’re still friends and there’s no hard feelings, even though that’s been five years or more since that happened.
Given John Arch’s dislike for touring, which was the reason that led to his exit from Fates in the first place, Jim Matheos is leaving it up to him to decide on a tour or some dates. Are you optimistic on doing some Arch/Matheos dates?
We do have the Keep It True festival booked for April of next year. I am open to doing any date possible with Arch/Matheos. I love to go out and tour and go for longer periods of time instead of doing one-offs. I like to go out and play for multiple shows. I’m definitely welcoming whatever John wants to do.
You’ve had a great musical history and have maintained a longevity in the business. What’s next?
I like the fact that I get to play on records that are cool, progressive music that I can spend some time on. I wouldn’t feel comfortable if I got a lot of calls that were just for basic stuff and I felt like I couldn’t stretch out or do my thing. I like where I’m at. It’s a good balance of doing everything that I do. I just want to keep working and creating music. It’s really as simple as that.
There’s not much more to it, really. I want to stay busy. I’ll welcome any project if I can work it into my schedule. For me, it’s just being happy. It helps that I have an understanding wife and we have a great relationship, so I don’t have to worry about any of those personal problems that a lot of people are kind of stuck with. It’s just about creating music, staying happy and playing drums.
