Damien Bassman  (Drums/Percussion)  Wrote/arranged/played the African/classical-percussion book at The Color Purple, and wrote/played the drum books for High Fidelity, Mario Cantone’s Laugh Whore, The Great American Trailer Park Musical.  He is a featured member of Absolute Ensemble (www.absoluteensemble.com), through which he has collaborated with artists like Paquito DiRivera, Peter Erskine, Mike Keneally, Marcel Khalife, and Joe Zawinul, and has soloed with orchestras through Europe and America.  He is a faculty member at Marymount Manhattan College and accompanies dance throughout NYC.  Damien plays drums for Kevin Cahoon and Ghetto Cowboy, Dan Lipton + Band, Michael Longoria, and The Tom Kitt Band.  He proudly plays Toca Percussion and Ziljian cymbals.