Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jaylen Petinaud grew up playing in the church. He graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 2016 and earned a bachelor of music degree in jazz studies at SUNY Purchase College in 2020.
Petinaud currently tours domestically and internationally as a drummer with jazz icon Herbie Hancock. In addition to his work with Hancock, Petinaud is the drummer for Alicia Keys’ Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen”; he also worked on the Tony-nominated revival of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuff,” under the direction of Camille A. Brown.
He frequently plays with artists such as Keyon Harrold, Kenny Garrett, José James and Terrence Blanchard’s E-Collective. Endorsed by Gretsch, Zildjian and Vic Firth, he has established himself as one of today’s “top calls.” In 2024, he was nominated for best jazz drummer honors in Modern Drummer magazine’s Readers’ Poll; he also appeared on Keyon Harrold’s NPR “Tiny Desk” performance featuring Robert Glasper, PJ Morton and more.
His style blends jazz, gospel, pop, classical, hip-hop and R&B with world-beat rhythms and contemporary funk, creating a sound that is both soulful and explosive.
Fall 2025
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSOA by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
