Bobby Jarzombek
| Robert Jarzombek | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Bobby Jarzomek |
| Born |
September 4, 1963 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | progressive metal, heavy metal, power metal, hard rock |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Associated acts | Riot, Sebastian Bach, Halford, Spastic Ink, Fates Warning, Arch/Matheos, Demons and Wizards, Iced Earth, Rob Rock, John West, Juggernaut, Crush 40, Jun Senoue |
Bobby Jarzombek is an American heavy metal/progressive metal drummer of Polish ancestry for who has worked with Halford, Sebastian Bach and Riot. He has also recorded and toured with Fates Warning, Arch/Matheos, Iced Earth, Rob Rock,John West,Spastic Ink, and Juggernaut, among others. He is noted for, somewhat uniquely, positioning cymbals behind him, usually over his left and right shoulder.
Jarzombek was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in a very musical family of Polish descent. Picking up the drums at age 10 after his mother bought him a $14 kit from Sears for Christmas, Bobby soon started jamming with his two brothers, Ralph and Ronnie, and eventually hit the club scene by the time he was a high school senior. Quickly developing into one of the hottest drummers in town, he then joined local up-and-comers, Juggernaut, with whom he made his official recording debut, aptly titled Baptism Under Fire, in 1986. As a member of Riot, Bobby toured throughout the US, Europe, and Japan and recorded a total of six studio and a pair of live albums, including The Privilege of Power (1990), an eclectic semi-concept album featuring the Tower of Power horns and guest vocals by Joe Lynn Turner, Nightbreaker (1994), and 1998's Shine On!, recorded live in Japan. Bobby took leave from the band early into the Brethren of the Long House sessions but was persuaded to rejoin in time for Inishmore (1997).
In 1993, he also reconnected with his younger brother, noted guitarist Ron Jarzombek of WatchTower fame. Joined by Riot bassist Pete Perez, the duo formed madcap tech/prog metal outfit Spastic Ink whose 'anything goes'-approach owed as much to the spirit of Frank Zappa and cartoon music icon Carl Stalling as it did to the brothers' early prog heroes such as UK and Rush. The band went on to release two highly acclaimed albums, Ink Complete (1997) and Ink Compatible (2004). In the fall of 1999, he was asked to submit a package to former Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford whose new project was deep into the pre-production phase for their debut album. Bobby became the drummer for Halford and has subsequently been part of every recording - including Resurrection (2000), Live Insurrection (2001), Crucible (2002), and the Fourging The Furnace EP (2003) - and tour, highlighted by an appearance in 2001 at the massive Rock In Rio III festival in Brazil in front of a quarter million fans. Halford went on indefinite hiatus when Rob Halford rejoined his former band, Judas Priest, in 2003. Halford would re-active his solo career in 2009 with Halford III: Winter Songs, a heavy metal Christmas album, followed by the release of Halford IV: Made of Metal in the summer of 2010 which also saw the band appear on the main stage at Ozzfest as well as co-headlining the Loud Park festival in Japan. The show was filmed for the 2011 Live At Saitama Super Arena DVD.
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