Dave Abbruzzese

Dave Abbruzzese
Born	(1968-05-17) May 17, 1968 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Drummer
Years active	1991–present
Known for	Drummer for Pearl Jam (1991–1994)

David James Abbruzzese (; born May 17, 1968) is an American drummer best known for his tenure with the rock group Pearl Jam between 1991 and 1994. He took over drumming duties from Matt Chamberlain in 1991, just prior to the release of Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten. Abbruzzese played a key role on the band’s following records, Vs. and Vitalogy.

Early life

Born in Stamford, Connecticut, Dave Abbruzzese grew up in Mesquite, Texas, attending Vanston Jr. High School. His early interest in percussion began by drumming on his father’s tackle boxes. Prioritizing music, he left North Mesquite High School before graduation. Abbruzzese performed with several Texas-based groups such as Segueway, Flaming Hemorrhoids, and Course of Empire. Additionally, he co-founded Dr. Tongue, a funk-inspired trio active within the music communities of Dallas and Denton.

Pearl Jam

In 1991, after drummer Matt Chamberlain departed from Pearl Jam, he recommended Abbruzzese as his replacement. Subsequently, Abbruzzese relocated to Seattle and officially joined Pearl Jam, debuting live with the band on August 23, 1991. Although initially hesitant about committing full-time, he soon embraced the role completely—even commemorating bassist Jeff Ament’s stick figure from the "Alive" single with a tattoo on his shoulder. He toured extensively during the Ten era and made his recording debut with the reworked single "Even Flow" released in April 1992. During this time, the band also recorded two tracks for the Singles Soundtrack along with the b-side "Dirty Frank." Pearl Jam's popularity surged amid the burgeoning Seattle grunge movement.

With Abbruzzese behind the drums, Pearl Jam released their sophomore album Vs. in 1993. The record set a new benchmark for first-week sales and remained at number one on the Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album, while "Daughter" and "Go" were nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Hard Rock Performance respectively. Abbruzzese was credited as a primary songwriter on tracks including "Go," "Last Exit," and "Angel." He supported Vs. with extensive touring and appeared on Saturday Night Live. In 1994, Pearl Jam initiated a widely publicized boycott against Ticketmaster.

Abbruzzese contributed to Pearl Jam’s third studio effort, Vitalogy, but was dismissed from the band in August 1994—four months before the album’s official release—due to interpersonal conflicts. Band members cited difficulties in communication and personal disagreements; although Abbruzzese did not agree with the Ticketmaster boycott stance, he did not harbor lasting bitterness and expressed a desire to have recorded more music during his time with the group.

When Pearl Jam was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, only former drummer Dave Krusen was included among those inducted. Abbruzzese publicly voiced his dissatisfaction with this exclusion and encouraged recognition of his contributions to the band’s legacy. Subsequently, Pearl Jam extended an invitation to all former drummers to attend their induction ceremony through an open letter posted on Facebook.

Other musical projects

On September 30, 1997, Abbruzzese's group, the Green Romance Orchestra, unveiled Play Parts I & V, highlighting his abilities in songwriting and production. This album was released through Free Association Records, a label Abbruzzese established in 1996. During 1997, he participated in rehearsals with Axl Rose while working on Guns N' Roses' 2008 release, Chinese Democracy, although none of his input made it to the final version.

Subsequently, Abbruzzese contributed to Hairy Apes BMX by mixing, producing, and engineering their 2000 album Out Demons, as well as playing drums during their Midwestern tour. In early 2016, he joined Jara Harris, Stevie Salas, and Bernard Fowler for the IMF tour. Additionally, he collaborated with Shawn Smith of Brad and Satchel, releasing the track "Like the Child of The Water I Am" online in December 2015, with intentions for more releases.

Abbruzzese is also a member of the Indian grunge ensemble Pseutopia, which includes Laji George (vocals), Shyam Narayan (bass), and Mithun Raju (guitars). Their initial song featuring Abbruzzese was a tribute to Chris Cornell titled "Seasons," published on YouTube in December 2018. Pseutopia followed up with their second release, "Brother," in May 2022.

Musical style and influences

Abbruzzese has acknowledged influences such as John Bonham, Sly & the Family Stone, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His distinctive style is characterized by prominent use of splash cymbals, employing the double-stroke roll, and maintaining a rapid right foot technique. Rather than utilizing two bass drums or a double-kick pedal, he concentrated on perfecting his single pedal skills. Known for his powerful playing approach, Abbruzzese reportedly experienced carpal tunnel syndrome due to his intense drumming.

Equipment

Prior to the Vs. album, including sessions like the Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and the "Even Flow" video shoot, Abbruzzese played on Ludwig drums. Starting with Vs., he became an endorser of Drum Workshop drums and used Sabian cymbals, showing a preference for an 8x12 Brady snare drum. He also had a signature series of drumsticks produced by Pro-Mark, although this particular model has since been discontinued.

Personal life

Abbruzzese wed Laura Whisman on September 2, 2006; the couple eventually parted ways.

Pearl Jam discography

Year	Title	Label	Track(s)
1992	Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack	Epic	"Breath" and "State of Love and Trust"
1993	Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams	Thirsty Ear/Chaos	"Crazy Mary" (featuring Victoria Williams)
	Judgment Night: Music from the Motion Picture	Epic	"Real Thing" (collaboration with Cypress Hill)
	Vs.	Epic	Complete album
1994	Vitalogy	Epic	Entire album except for "Bugs", "Satan's Bed", and "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me"
1998	Chicago Cab: Soundtrack	Loosegroove	"Hard to Imagine"
1999	Movie Music: The Definitive Performances (Included in the box set, Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century)	Columbia/Epic/Legacy	"State of Love and Trust"
2000	Wild and Wooly: The Northwest Rock Collection	Sub Pop	Live version of "Even Flow"
2003	Lost Dogs	Epic	Tracks: "Hard to Imagine" and "Dirty Frank"
2004	Riding Giants: Music from the Motion Picture	Milan	"Go"
	rearviewmirror	Epic	Includes: "Even Flow", "State of Love and Trust", "Animal", "Go", "Dissident", "Rearviewmirror", "Spin the Black Circle", "Corduroy", "Not for You", "Breath", "Daughter", "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town", "Immortality", "Better Man", and "Nothingman"
2019	MTV Unplugged	Legacy	Entire album

Green Romance Orchestra discography

Year	Title	Label
1997	Play Parts I & V	Free Association Records

Contributions and collaborations

Year	Artist/Group	Title	Label	Track(s)
1992	Course of Empire	Course of Empire	Volcano	"God's Jig"
1995	Corey Glover, Eric Schenkman, Billy Cox, and Dave Abbruzzese	In From the Storm: Jimi Hendrix Tribute	RCA	Title track, "In From the Storm"
	Doug Pinnick, Eric Schenkman, Noel Redding, and Dave Abbruzzese	In From the Storm: Jimi Hendrix Tribute	RCA	"Burning of the Midnight Lamp"
1996	Nicklebag	12 Hits and a Bump	Iguana	"Sweet Thang"
1997	Stevie Salas	Alter Native Gold	Pony Canyon	Complete album
	Nicklebag	Mas Feedback	Lizard Group	Track: "Sweet Thang"
1998	Stevie Salas	The Sometimes Almost Never Was	Pony Canyon	Selected tracks
2000	HairyApesBMX	Out Demons	Free Association/We Sell Soul	Some tracks
2006	Bernard Fowler	Friends with Privileges	Peregrine	Song: "Pop That Thang"
	Stevie Salas	Be What It Is	R&C Ltd.	Selected songs
2007	Stevie Salas	The Sun and the Earth, Vol. 1	Arbor	Various tracks
2015	208 Talks of Angels	Made in Hell	208 Talks of Angels label	Track: Angle of View