Joe Syrian is a veteran jazz drummer, bandleader, arranger, and producer best known as the founder and leader of the Motor City Jazz Octet, a Detroit-rooted ensemble devoted to hard bop, soul-jazz, and large-ensemble jazz arranging. Drawing from both classic jazz repertoire and American popular song, Syrian has developed the Octet into a flexible “little big band” featuring musicians from Detroit, New York, and beyond.

The Motor City Jazz Octet’s recent recordings include 2024’s Secret Message and 2026’s A Blue Time. The group’s repertoire blends jazz standards with inventive treatments of material by artists including the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Leon Russell, and Fleetwood Mac. Syrian has described the band’s approach as taking familiar songs and reshaping them through a modern jazz vocabulary while preserving strong melodies and groove.

Over the years, the Motor City Jazz Octet has featured a wide range of respected jazz artists, including vibraphonist Joe Locke, saxophonist Tim Ries, guitarist Paul Bollenback, trombonist Doug Beavers, vocalist Kenny Washington, pianist Adam Birnbaum, and percussionist Luisito Quintero. Syrian features arrangers who emphasize ensemble color, swinging rhythm sections, and accessible but sophisticated interpretations.

Critics have noted the group’s balance of hard bop tradition, soul-jazz warmth, and contemporary polish, with Syrian serving as both the musical anchor and organizational force behind the ensemble. Through the Motor City Jazz Octet, he has cultivated a sound rooted in straight-ahead jazz while remaining open to pop, Latin, funk, and crossover influences.

Syrian has written educational articles for Modern Drummer and Percussive Arts Society. His drum book, The Traveling Left Foot — concerned with playing two bass drums and hi-hat — was endorsed by Louis Bellson, Jim Chapin and Dom Fomularo.

Gear

Yamaha drums