Jon McCracken

Not only is this one of my favorite Beatle songs, but it’s also on my favorite album in recorded history AND it’s one of my favorite drum recordings. The tone of the drums, the tom melody Ringo plays during the main riff, this drum track is what I would refer to as audio porn. Of course, it’s also my favorite Beatle song to play.

Now, before you start to comment “yOUr PlaYINg iT wrOnG!!” I am fully aware this is not how Ringo played his part on the album. I’m also aware he had two rack toms on his kit during the Abbey Road sessions. I’m also also fully aware this is the internet which is a steaming cesspool of judgemental out-of-work musicians. However, because of this clip: https://youtu.be/vl9188EPdLI?si=p_pVsxS2e3pUMc-h, which shows Ringo playing the part how I do in this video, I would say this version is allowed and cannon. And let’s face it, Ringo is correct even when he’s not. So I’m putting the warning out there, if you still comment that I’m playing the part wrong, you will be made fun of for your lack of reading abilities. But I digress…

This live version of “Come Together” was recorded on 10/31/2023 with the Beatles tribute act Isle of Lucy at the Marine Room in Laguna Beach, CA!

It’s been a little while since I last posted. Oops! To make up for the lack of videos, I’m releasing a good’n.

In the past year, Joshua Jones (The Fab Four), Christian Hernandez (Wild Child), and I have been working on a new project that, quite honestly, started as a joke. Now we present The Police Academy! No, not the movie, but America’s greatest tribute to THE POLICE!

Stewart Copeland is easily in my top 3 favorite drummers. He’s even one of the reasons I learned traditional grip. So I’m thrilled that this band formed and that we get to perform these great songs. It took some getting used to playing in golf gloves, but it is so much fun playing nothing but Police songs. So I’ll get over it. Not to mention the wardrobe of a t-shirt and jeans is pretty easy to play in. Short shorts may or may not be coming soon…

This clip is from our 2nd ever show, filmed live at Campus Jax in Newport, CA. The whole show was a blast, and we SOLD OUT!!! What made the show even more special was our special guest. The incredible Gwen Stefani tribute artist from the No Doubt tribute act, No Duh, Andrea Martinez!

I set up the drum cam for another Jumping Jack Flash performance. This time from the incredible Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bills in Primm, NV! It was pretty crazy getting to perform at this massive 6500-seat arena. There was more stage than we knew what to do with. But the show went amazingly well, and I got a TON of great footage out of it!

Honky Tonk Woman has to be one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs. Not just to play, but in general. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. It’s fun to play because I get to just sit and groove with the bass (even though there is no bass in the verses…). Anyway, this performance was also great because we had the full band with us. Seen in the background are Zoe Infante on background vocals, and Matt Kalin on Sax!

It’s time for a special edition of Jon’s Drum Cam, featuring The Who Experience at Farnsworth Park Amphitheater in Altadena, CA! It’s special because it’s a DUAL cam this time! Not only do I have my Zoom Q2n on the right side, but I also have the “B Cam” on the left. Not “B” as in second, but “B” as in Brianne who also happens to be the greatest person ever and the love of my life.

This one is also special because it’s a part of my last performance with The Who Experience. Well, not “last” last, but it’ll be a little while I’m guessing. I absolutely LOVE performing as Keith Moon, and I’m so glad I was able to. Before joining the band in 2018, I always thought about how much fun it would be to be in a Who band. So when the opportunity did come up, I immediately said yes!

Keith Moon is, and always will be in my list of top three favorite drummers, and this song is easily one of my favorite Who songs to play. It’s the perfect mix of fun groove and Keith’s “controlled chaos.” It is a fact that while Ringo Starr was why I chose to play the drums, Moon is why I stuck to it. While I never wanted to follow in his personal life footsteps, his playing was a major inspiration in my early playing. In sessions I did early in my career, my playing was a mix of Keith Moon, Stewart Copeland from The Police, and Roger Taylor from Queen. By that I mean I stole a lot of their drum fills.

I’ve got another full song for you all on this edition of Jon’s Drum Cam. This is once again with my Rolling Stones tribute band, Jumping Jack Flash, but this time it’s one of my favorite Stones songs to play, “Miss You” off of Some Girls! Performed live on May 19, 2023, at the Old Town Temecula Theater in Temecula, CA.

One of my favorite things to do on drums is lay a great groove with a great band. This song allows me to do just that. Especially when the band has one of two of my favorite bass players to play with, Mr. Matt Quilter. I think this song and “Honky Tonk Woman” are my two favorite Stones songs to play. They both let me do what I enjoy doing the most, grooving!

If you’re wondering why this version of “Miss You” is so long, our singer likes to go through and dance with the audience during the solo section. Sometimes he’s back in 30 seconds, sometimes he’s back in 6 minutes. It just depends on the size of the venue. So as you can see by how long this version is, this was a nice-sized venue! Enjoy!

For this edition of Jon’s Drum Cam, we’re going to the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, CA. An amazing theater where I’ve seen many shows, including a few featuring my little sister! That’s because I spent half of my childhood and teens in San Pedro. So when Jumping Jack Flash got hired to perform the closing night of the theater before renovations, it allowed me to cross the Warner Grand off my venue bucket list.

Because it was such a special night, Jumping Jack Flash brought our full show. And when we do, we get to do incredible Stones songs like this one. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” on Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones was a song I LOVED before I even joined JJF. So getting to play it in the greatest Rolling Stones tribute band in a venue I grew up near was a dream come true. AND I remembered to film it!

Here’s Jumping Jack Flash’s full performance of “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” from the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, CA. Filmed live on 6/10/2023.

I brought the Zoom Q2n 4K with me to a couple recording sessions I had at Ardent Audio Productions in Torrance, CA. I was there over the course of a few sessions to lay the drums down for the second gospel album by my good friend Jerry Warner.

Jerry is the nephew of the Chambers Brothers and took over on bass and vocals in 1980 when George “Pops” Chambers retired. So needless to say, I met Jerry when I joined the Chambers Brothers. He is, without a doubt, my favorite bassist to play with. One of two. So when he asked me to play drums on his first album in July of 2022, I didn’t hesitate and joined the project. Which was also the case for the second album.

The first album, God Bless America, sounds AMAZING and was recorded in the same studio with the same band. Unfortunately, I didn’t own the Zoom yet. But you can hear that album here: https://music.apple.com/us/album/god-bless-america/1663370366

This next album is going to be just as good, and I can’t wait to hear the end result! Until then, these are a few clips from the sessions that took place on 7/7/2023 and 7/12/2023.

Here are clips of me as Charlie Watts in the national touring Rolling Stones tribute band, Jumping Jack Flash! Filmed live at the Old Town Temecula Theater in Temecula, CA on 5/19/2023.

For this edition of Jon’s Drum Cam, check out this behind-the-kit shot of me performing “Forever Young” in the Stones & Stewart show, presented by Jumping Jack Flash and featuring Martin Andrew as Rod Stewart! This took place at the Gaslamp Music + Bar + Kitchen in Long Beach, CA on July 8, 2023.

I had the honor of channeling the legendary Ringo Starr with the SoCal Beatles tribute band, Ticket to Ride! Filmed at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA on 5/14/2023.

It’s time for another edition of Jon’s Drum Cam! This time I’m at the Marine Room in Laguna Beach, CA with the Beatles tribute band, Isle of Lucy! The band features premier players from Beatlemania, Rain, and The Fab Four.