Described as a 'percussive dervish' (Coda) Donald Robinson is a technical master of the drums. He is a stalwart of the of San Francisco bay area avant-garde jazz scene, playing and recording with many of the area's improvisational players, from saxophonists John Tchicai, Marco Eneidi and Larry Ochs to koto player Miya Masaoka and pianist Matthew Goodheart, and with prominent visitors like Cecil Taylor, Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, trumpeter Raphe Malik and Canadian pianist Paul Plimley. Much of this work has featured the combination of Robinson and bassist Lisle Ellis as rhythm section: 'the best bass-drums tag team on the scene' (Jazz Times). His longest musical association, dating from the 1970's, was with the late tenor saxophonist Glenn Spearman.

Born is Boston, Massachusetts in 1953, Robinson first studied classical percussion at the New England Conservatory. During the early 1970's he served his musical apprenticeship in the jazz world of Paris, studying with Kenny Clarke and playing with Alan Silva, Anthony Braxton, Oliver Lake and Bobby Few among many others. He first played with Spearman as a duet partner during this period in Paris, an association which continued through various configurations and many recordings until the saxophonist's death in 1998.

Robinson is currently playing in many configurations with a broad range of musicians throughout Europe and the US.

Partial Discography:

Title: Night After Night
Label: Musa-Physics
Recording Date: 1981
Catalog #: MP-0001
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Title: Creative Music Orchestra
Label: Music and Arts
Recording Date: 1995
Catalog #: CD-980
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Title: What We Live/ Quintet For A Day
Label: New World Records
Recording Date: 1998
Catalog #: 805532
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Title: What We Live/ Four
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date: 1994
Catalog #: 120156-2
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Title: Glenn Spearman's G-Force/ Let It Go
Label: Red Toucan Inc.
Recording Date: 1994
Catalog #: RT-9308-2
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Title: Free Worlds- Glenn Spearman
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date: 1994 and 1995
Catalog #: 120207-2
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Title: What We Live: Never Was
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date: 1996
Catalog #: 120169
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Title: What We Live/ Trumpets
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date: Vancouver 1996,1998 Albuquerque
Catalog #: 120189-2
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Title: Glenn Spearman Double Trio/Smokehouse
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date: 1993
Catalog #: 120157-2
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Title: Glenn Spearman Double Trio/Mystery Project
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date: 1992
Catalog #: 120147-2
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Title: Matthew Goodheart Sonoluminescence
Label: Nine Winds
Recording Date: 1995
Catalog #: NWCD-0186
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Title: India Cook/Red Handed
Label: Music and Arts
Recording Date: 1996
Catalog #: CD 951
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Title: The Don Robinson Trio/ Straight Line Skewed
Label: CIMP
Recording Date: 1999
Catalog #: 123
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Title: Eneidi, Robinson, Parker/Cherry Box
Label: Eremite
Recording Date: 1998
Catalog #:
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Title: Rova Plus/Ascension
Label: Black Saint
Recording Date:
Catalog #:
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Title: Paul Plimley/Density of the Love Struck Demons
Label: Music and Arts
Recording Date: 1995
Catalog #:
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Title: Lisle Ellis/ Elevations
Label: Victo
Recording Date: 1995
Catalog #: