Pete Van Nostrand was born and raised in Binghamton, NY and has been playing the drums since he was 8 years old. Two years later he discovered Jazz and began to digest some of the most historically significant recordings by the likes of Art Blakey, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. A deep appreciation of Art Blakey led him to seek out all the great drummers and by the time he left home he had digested a wealth of music. While in Binghamton he started playing professionally at 12 years old, in various groups. 2 that just performed standards. It was a great foundation to learn standards and the basics of brushes. Soon afterwards he began performing in various Rhythm and Blues groups, as well as at the Gospel Church around the corner from his house. This led to a foundation that has carried him through numerous situations seamlessly.
After leaving Binghamton he attended Rutgers University where he studied with Ralph Peterson. He has been around New York since 2000 and performed with Steve Davis, Jeremy Pelt, Eric Reed, Aaron Parks, Gerald Clayton, Miki Hayama, Dan Nimmer, Jeb Patton, Jim Rotundi, Paula West, Sachal Vasandani, among many others. More recent notable gigs have been with Kenny Barron, Brian Lynch, and Mike LeDonne. He has travelled to Italy, Spain, South America, Central America, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Canada, as well as the greater U.S.A. He also holds an Artist Diploma degree from the Juilliard School. There he had the opportunity to study with Kenny Washington, Billy Drummond, and Carl Allen. Mr. VanNostrand is not only a sought after sideman he is also a budding bandleader and composer with various performances and recording projects in the works. He continues to learn from the masters like Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Alan Dawson, Louis Hayes, Clifford Jarvis, Jo Jones and Philly Joe Jones, among many more, but he has an open mind and prides himself on being part of the new generation of young forward thinking musicians. Known for his great feel and always present musicality, he continues to be one of the busiest young drummers in town.
