Johnny Vidacovich

Johnny Vidacovich
Johnny Vidacovich in 2008
Background information
Born	New Orleans, Louisiana
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums
Associated acts	Astral Project, The Trio

Johnny Vidacovich is a jazz drummer from New Orleans, Louisiana, who is a member of the band Astral Project.

Playing since the early 1970s with Astral Project (which includes James Singleton, Tony Dagradi and Steve Masakowski), he has become renowned as a prominent and sought after New Orleans musician. He has been recognized by OffBeat magazine in its Best of the Beat Awards as "Best Drummer/Percussionist" numerous times, the Big Easy Entertainment Awards, with praise in Downbeat, The New York Times, and NPR's Jazz Profiles by Branford Marsalis. He has played with Bobby McFerrin, Stanton Moore, Charlie Hunter, Willy DeVille, Robert Walter and New Orleans musicians Johnny Adams, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Alvin "Red" Tyler, and Mose Allison. Vidacovich has been a member of the faculty at Loyola University's School of Music.

Drummers who have cited Vidacovich's influence include Stanton Moore, Kevin O'Day and Brian Blade.

In the late 1960s Vidacovich performed with the Ronnie Dupont Quartet, featuring Warren Luening at The Bistro Nightclub in New Orleans. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Vidacovich drummed for Al Hirt. In the mid-1990s he fronted his own jazz trio at the Windsor Hotel in New Orleans.