It's been said that "timing is everything" - that the things you love to do the most and were created to express will somehow - and eventually - come pouring out of you. Ironically, these statements may be especially true for one such drummer, who not only believes that timing is everything, but also… only part of it. It's about the message.
For over 15 years, critically acclaimed drummer Les Falconer has been touring national and international stages, making live, television and recording appearances with some of the world's most celebrated and respected artists in music. Humbled by the success of new and exciting opportunities, the consummate sideman's future is not only looking brighter than ever, but is undoubtedly, "in-the-pocket".
Les' most recent involvement on five-time Grammy winner Robert Cray's recording project, In My Soul, gives credence to his signature "Les-is-more-than-you-think™" swagger on the drum kit, while setting the stage for unlimited possibilities in music. Debuting at #1 on the Billboard and iTunes Blues Charts, the album also features Les as a co-songwriter on "I Guess I'll Never Know", and as the first-ever co-lead on a Robert Cray project, singing on a remake of the Otis Redding classic, "Nobody's Fault but Mine". This lofty honor came just shortly after Cray overheard Les singing for the first time on the tour bus.
With an aggressive touring schedule in progress, playing to hundreds of sold-out crowds throughout the US and abroad, the Southside Chicago native has an approach to music that seems to keep working in his favor:
"I absorb it. I feel it. I listen to the song. I learn the lyrics and allow myself to be touched emotionally by them. Then, I do my best to communicate the message without overstating or overplaying."
Les' professional credits include appearances with Grammy award-winning artists Robert Cray, Keb Mo, and Toni Braxton; legendary artists, The O'Jays, Billy Preston, Johnny Guitar Watson, Norman Connors' Starship Orchestra, and bassist Michael Henderson; widely celebrated artists Troop, Evelyn Champaign King, New Birth, and Jack Mack & the Heart Attack. Album credits include: Robert Cray - In My Soul (2014); Jack Mack & the Heart Attack - Soul Meeting (2013); Bruce Conte - Live at Shaver Lake (2010); Keb Mo - Live & Mo (2009); Legacy Recordings - Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to Johnny Cash (2002); Cal Bennett - Stolen Moment (1996); Scott Hamilton & Friends - Live in Philadelphia (2002). Norman Connors - Eternity (2000).
Les is a proud endorser of Yamaha drums, Paiste cymbals, Remo heads, and Vic Firth sticks. He is an alumnus of the Musician's Institute of Hollywood, California, and currently resides in Southern California with his wife and family. Future aspirations include: recording a debut album, presenting inspirational drum clinics around the world, and hosting a radio show.
