Tom Brechtlein grew up on Long Island and gravitated to drums after listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In junior high, his attention turned to big band jazz which led him to Dave Brubeck's drummer Joe Morello and then to modern giants like Elvin Jones and Tony Williams. "When I was 18," he recalls, "I saw Chick Corea's Return To Forever on PBS; and I remember sitting there thinking, ' I'm going to play with that guy someday.'" Two years later, in 1978, he auditioned with Corea and got the gig. He remained in the band till 1983, at which point he joined Wayne Shorter's band. There followed extensive roadwork with guitarist Al Di Meola and violinist Jean Luc Ponty before Tom finally hooked up with Robben Ford in 1986.  Tom plays Yamaha Drums, Remo Drum Heads, Sabian Cymbals, Regal Tip Sticks, Meinl Percussion and Shure Mics.