Jesse

June 12th, 2019

For roughly half a decade, the Roman emperor Hadrian was in love with a man who was not his spouse. Between 125 CE and 130 CE, the Greek youth Antinous became a favorite of Hadrian, and for the final two years of the latter's life they were side by side touring the Roman empire.

After Antinous' surprise death on the Nile, Hadrian was devastated and, in his grief, proclaimed his lover a deity, In turn, priests connected Antinous to the Egyptian god Osiris, lord of the underworld, afterworld, and rebirth.

Et voilà:

Nearly 2,000 years later we have Antinous as Osiris, the latest album by Ann Arbor jazz drummer Jesse Kramer.

June, 2014

I begin with Jesse Kramer's Acacia (www.jessekramerdrums.com). Kramer is one of the most in-demand drummers in our area and plays regularly with musicians of various generations and stylistic preference. On his debut CD, he has focused on an eclectic kind of modern jazz influenced by various African and African-American idioms...

October, 2014

For a shy, young quiet guy, the drums might seem a bit overpowering. But for jazz drummer Jesse Kramer, it was just the opposite.

"I think I was attracted to the energy and the power and the volume compared to how shy I was," says the Ann Arbor native, who has been playing drums since he was five.

July, 2014

Jesse Kramer is a jazz drummer, and a graduate of the University of Michigan. In a short time, Kramer has become popular. In May, he became a session leader with the release of the fine debut “Acacia,” with Detroiters saxophonist Marcus Elliot, trumpeter Kris Johnson, bassist Damon Warmack and keyboardist Glenn Tucker. Kramer is one of the more tasteful jazz drummer’s working on Detroit’s scene.