Paul Wells began playing drums at the age of ten in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. He moved to the New York area to attend the renowned jazz studies program at William Paterson University, and has studied privately with John Riley, Kenny Washington, and Bill Stewart. Paul is currently touring internationally with Curtis Stigers, and is a member of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks. He has also performed and/or recorded with Deborah Harry, Joe Williams, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Randy Brecker, Mark Murphy, Nellie McKay, Marion Raven, Kristin Chenoweth, Ann Hampton Callaway, Norman Simmons, and Houston Person. He was also featured on the soundtracks of The Irishman, Joker, Boardwalk Empire, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Paul is a faculty member of The Juilliard School, a contributing writer for Modern Drummer magazine, and endorses Istanbul Agop Cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks. You can also see Paul featured in a pivotal scene alongside Robert DeNiro in the 2017 HBO film "The Wizard Of Lies."

Paul Wells
Curtis Stigers/Vince Giordano's Nighthawks
Paul
Wells
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Most memorable Next-Level Performance
Some of my most memorable gigs have been in rooms where we were forced to play much differently than normal because of difficult acoustics. This situation often leads to an increased sense of concentration and sensitivity, which I strive to bring to every performance. -
What Drives Your Creativity?
The extraordinarily rich history and heritage of jazz music is a never-ending source of inspiration and motivation for me. Also, any drummer that innovates, excels, or simply serves the music is an inspiration. -
Why do you choose Vic Firth?
Once I switched to Vic Firth, I no longer had to worry about warped or mis-matched sticks. The level of quality and wide variety of stick choices is simply outstanding and unparalleled.