Drums

Drummer, percussionist and composer Jon Wikan was born in Petersburg Alaska and raised in
Seattle, Washington.
Jon spent summers in Alaska engrossed in the fishing industry while working out his drum
technique on the back of a fish boat rail, using the money he made fishing to purchase his first
drum set.
Jon’s drumming life began in his teenage years with his heavy metal obsession, followed by
years of Soca band playing in Seattle and finally resolving into the jazz idiom upon discovering
the deep pocket swing of Jeff Hamilton.
Jon has since emerged as a true master and individual on his instrument, bringing sounds and
elements of all of his world influences and extended skills that reach into more worlds than just
the musical one.
From backing the most illustrious singers in the Jazz idiom, and to swinging hard in highly
modern hard hitting formats, Jon has created a niche for himself that makes him one of the most
flexible and in demand drummers on the New York scene.
He plays an integral role in the creation and performance of Darcy James Argue’s Secret
Society Big Band, having held the drum chair from the inception of the band, adding layers of
percussion and additional sounds to each album that the band has created.
His dossier is loaded with names of legends and masters of whom he has accompanied over
the years. From his early days with Herb Jeffries and the Mills Brothers, to providing some of
the essential cajon sounds on Maria Schneider’s recordings and more.
Ernestine Anderson, Mark Murphy, Maria Muldaur, Karrin Allyson,Dee Daniels, Dena
DeRose,The New York Voices, Denise Donatelli, Kurt Elling and Nancy King, are just some of
the accomplished names with whom Jon has played with over the years. Not to mention backing
up superstar Ann Wilson while covering the drum chair in the long running Seattle based
Theatro Zinzani show.
The instrumentalists and bands that he has lifted with his powerful pocket and infinite groove
include: Project O, the Infinitude Project with the Jensen Sisters, Invisible Sounds with
Ingrid Jensen and Steve Treseler ,The Jim Knapp Big Band, Nordic Connect, the Geoffrey
Keezer trio, Darcy James Argues numerous Grammy nominated Secret Society albums
and the upcoming the Ingrid Jensen Organ quartet featuring George Coleman on tenor
saxophone.
Jon has toured the globe extensively with the Lincoln Center Abroad program and the Music/
Norland program with guitarist Bjorn Soli, touring all over Norway while providing jazz education
in the schools throughout the year. As well, while home in New York, Jon is in demand as both
an ensemble educator, a big band arranger as well as being a gifted private instructor on the
drums.