“Phil Raskin is a musician on a mission - to reach out to others, demonstrating the power of music and creating a positive force.” -Sammy Stein

Phil Raskin is a world-renowned drummer, percussionist, and producer with over four decades of professional experience. His impressive career has taken him to more than 30 countries worldwide.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Phil began working in the music industry as a teenager, mentored by legendary guitarist Bill DeArango. He became a member of the house band at The Smiling Dog Saloon, a renowned jazz mecca in Cleveland, where he performed with talented musicians who would later become internationally acclaimed, including Joe Lovano, Billy Drewes, Skip Hadden, Jamey Haddad, Abe Laboriel, and Kenny Werner.

Phil has shared the stage with some of the greatest performers in jazz history, such as George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Roy Ayers, Pharaoh Sanders, Stan Getz, Gary Burton, and Weather Report.

Following study with composer Halim El-Dabh at the Center for Pan African Studies at Kent State University, he received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee he began collaboration with established musicians on the Boston scene including Mike Gibbs, George Garzone, Mick Goodrick, Rebecca Paris, and Bob Mover as well as many rising stars that went on to become industry leaders including, Wallace Rooney, Dave Kikoski, Scott Robinson, Santi Debriano, Stu Hamm, and Wayne Krantz among many others.

Phil supplemented his work at Berklee with private instruction from drum set master Alan Dawson. Although he was offered a scholarship to join the jazz masters program at the New England Conservatory by director Bob Moses, he chose instead to relocate to New York.

Once there, he became active on the loft scene and in the clubs of Greenwich Village, furthering his relationships with many of the great musicians he had worked with over the years and with which he remains strongly connected to this day.

Phil’s studies and extensive international travel have led to an infusion of global influences in his performances and compositions as he continually works to expand his cultural and spiritual knowledge, expanding his musical pallet and greatly influencing his ever-growing range of expression.