Very few percussionists have parlayed their skills into major success once their original group dissolved, yet Phil Collins and Don Henley achieved precisely that, as has self-taught acoustic-and-electronic specialist Pat Mastelotto, born in Chico, California, in September 1955. His initial opportunity arrived when Pages evolved into Mr Mister; under Richard Page’s leadership Mastelotto supplied the drumming for three albums and the chart-topping singles “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie.” When RCA consigned a planned fourth album to its vaults, he accepted an offer to anchor both XTC and Cock Robin, the latter project showcasing especially striking contributions. The early nineties brought further high-profile engagements, notably with the Rembrandts and an assortment of other acts. Cock Robin’s Peter Kingsbery subsequently asked his colleague to perform on and co-produce the solo debut A Different Man, an assignment Mastelotto fulfilled by tailoring distinctive sonic palettes to each song. Although he had missed the initial sessions, he located the management for David Sylvian and Robert Fripp, auditioned successfully, and joined the Road to Graceland tour, later documented on the limited-edition release Damage. That collaboration prompted King Crimson’s double-trio reconfiguration, in which Mastelotto shared drumming duties with Bill Bruford. Membership in one of experimental rock’s most renowned ensembles has not curtailed his freelance schedule, which has included dates with Jude Cole, Tina Arena, and Michael Penn; he also appears on the Friends theme song. With that extensive résumé behind him, Mastelotto’s own band MasticA has now released its debut album, while King Crimson’s The ConstruKction of Light and the related PROJEKCT X are scheduled for mid-year.
