With a body of work that spans across many genres, jazz drummer Jeremy Noller has proven himself a uniquely adaptable and versatile musician. Based in New York City from 2003-2019, Jeremy has performed and recorded with a wide array of some of the world’s top musicians. He is a graduate of both The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, and has studied with legendary drummers John Riley, Carl Allen, and Billy Drummond. Also a student of West African percussion for over 10 years, Jeremy has performed extensively with world-renowned musicians from Guinea, Mali, and the Ivory Coast. Jeremy spent two years performing and teaching in South Korea from 2019-2021, and quickly became a sought-after bandleader and collaborator on Seoul’s vibrant jazz scene. He currently resides in Chicago, IL.
In addition to numerous recordings as a collaborator, Jeremy Noller has released three albums as a leader. His debut album Music Notes (2010) flows seamlessly through musical landscapes, charting a distinctly accessible intersection between jazz and traditional West African rhythms. This too is the inspiration for his second album, NOLLER/SYLLA, a collaboration with Guinean percussionist Mangue Sylla. Their self-titled EP was released in 2019 by Outside in Music, and presents a unique outing that celebrates the beauty and complexity of five traditional West African songs. A marked departure from his previous works, Jeremy’s third album Passage (Mung Music, 2020) features original compositions that highlight the breadth of his previous experience while also providing a passage to a more open and improvised approach.
Originally from Libertyville IL, Jeremy began studying percussion at the age of nine. A standout musician in high school, he earned a music scholarship to the University of Illinois, where he studied classical percussion with William Moersch. He went on to the University of North Florida, where he explored his deepening love for jazz with Rick Kirkland, Charlotte Mabrey, Kevin Bales and legendary saxophonist/educator Bunky Green. While at UNF, Jeremy won numerous scholarships and awards including a Downbeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Instrumental Group in 2002. After graduating with honors in 2003, he was offered a scholarship to attend the Manhattan School of Music. There he completed a master’s degree in jazz studies under the tutelage of world-renowned drummer John Riley. In 2011, Jeremy was accepted on a full scholarship into The Juilliard School’s highly selective Jazz Artist Diploma program where he continued his studies with Billy Drummond and the program’s artistic director Carl Allen. While at Juilliard, Jeremy was co-winner of the arranging award at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam’s Keep An Eye International Jazz Competition, as well as the recipient of Juilliard’s Knowles Prize for Jazz upon his graduation in 2013.
The breadth of Jeremy Noller’s professional experience reflects his unique ability to support any musical situation. From the legendary jazz clubs and recording studios of NYC to the Broadway orchestra pit; from the fabled rock stages of Lollapalooza, to swing dance festivals around the world; from major jazz festival stages to touring with Malian singer/guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, Jeremy is constantly seeking new challenges and inspiration. Touring has brought Jeremy across the globe to 18 countries on 4 continents. He has performed and recorded alongside a growing roster of jazz legends and modern luminaries, including: Eddie Henderson, Dick Oatts, Rodney Jones, Jay Anderson, Ron Blake, Donny McCaslin, Hans Glawischnig, Kevin Bales, Jeb Patton, David Wong, Adam Birnbaum, Yasushi Nakamura, Linda Oh, Ricky Rodriguez, Jason Rigby, and Jon Irabagon. Jeremy’s peers and longtime collaborators in NYC include rising stars Matt Aronoff, Jesse Lewis, Chris Ziemba, Michael Thomas, Luke Sellick, Alex Wintz, Robert Sabin, and Aubrey Johnson.
An experienced music educator, Jeremy Noller has been teaching for over 20 years. While in New York he served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University, and on the faculty at the Bloomingdale School of Music. In South Korea Jeremy served on the adjunct faculty at Hanyang University in Seoul. As an Artist Diploma candidate at The Juilliard School, Jeremy developed and led community engagement workshops in schools throughout NYC, across the US, and around the world. This has since become an important part of Jeremy’s work as an educator. On behalf of Juilliard and through his own programs, Jeremy has had the opportunity to share music with thousands of New York City students, and has introduced jazz to audiences around the world. Jeremy is also the creator of Minute of Drums, an online lesson series that helps drum students develop their jazz vocabulary.