In this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with legendary session drummer Paul Leim, whose six-decade career quietly powers a staggering piece of the soundtrack to our lives. Paul has played on more than 12,000 songs across over 2,000 releases, with 1,400+ silver/gold/platinum certifications, and global sales topping 540 million units. His discography encompasses over 150 combined GRAMMY nominations and wins, as well as 40+ major film/TV awards, and credits on more than 150 films and 100 television specials and series. If you’ve heard Lionel Richie, Shania Twain, Lyle Lovett, Kenny Chesney, Whitney Houston—or cues from Dirty Dancing, Smokey and the Bandit II, The River, or even Return of the Jedi, you’ve likely heard Paul.

We trace the arc from East Texas clubs and Dallas jingle mills to late-’70s Los Angeles, where a “typical” week meant two complete drum rigs leapfrogging between Lionel Richie sessions, network TV soundstages, film dates, and award shows. Paul talks mentors and “angels” (band director Neil Grant, Robin Hood Brians, Doc Severinsen), lifelong friendships with the TCB family (Ron Tutt, Jerry Scheff), and lessons that still anchor his playing—especially dynamic control and “letting the mics work.” We get inside the high-wire reality of studio life. Paul calls it “95% boredom and 5% sheer terror”, including how to read conductors, when to lead the time, and when to ride it, and what it’s like to move from live kit to orchestral percussion with John Williams.

There are great shop-floor stories: cutting Lionel’s “Truly” and counseling Lionel at the fork-in-the-road moment of leaving the Commodores; discovering that Lyle Lovett’s “The Blues Walk” was gloriously vocal-free; and a deep dive into the precision world of Mutt Lange and Shania, ending bass notes just before the snare for mix “air,” the chrome-over-brass “important” snare, and the on-the-fly invention of tom “Mutt flaps” for short, open fills. Paul also shares a personal fork he chose differently: turning down a James Taylor tour to be home with his young family, only to hand JT the final serial-numbered Leim signature snare decades later at the White House.

Today, Paul is still very much in motion: bandleading the TCB Band in Europe, steering The Tennessee Four with Thomas Gabriel to carry the Cash legacy, and jumping into Million Dollar Quartet shows—proof that the hang, the humility, and the groove endure. It’s a conversation about craft, friendship, stewardship of a gift, and the choices that shape both a career and a life.

Music from the Episode:
Pick it Apart (Mark O'Connor)
Truly (Lionel Richie)
The Blues Walk (Lyle Lovett)

Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

Theme music: "Playcation" by Mark Mundy

In this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I reconnect (30 years later!) with bassist and singer Trish Imbrogno. We apparently shared the same summers at the Chautauqua Institution as teens, then each took “classical first” career paths before veering joyfully into other sounds. Trish tells the story of leaving a busy classical schedule to become a bluegrass/Americana bassist and bandleader and why she’s never looked back. We explore topics such as discipline, groove, ensemble trust, the debate between purists and progress, and the thrill (and terror) of starting over in a new musical language. We also preview her debut EP Bluegrass Love Songs, Vol. 1 (out Nov 7) and the monster lineup that played on it.

To learn more about Trish, visit her website.

Music from the Episode:
Think of What You've Done (Trish Imbrogno)

Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

In this episode, I reconnect with drummer and percussionist Wayne Viar, a true chameleon equally at home on rudimental snare, timpani, orchestral percussion, hand percussion, and straight-ahead drum set grooves. Raised in Richmond, Virginia, Wayne followed his older brother into the school band and studied at East Carolina University under the guidance of Mark Ford. He marched in the early 1990s with Santa Clara Vanguard in the front ensemble. Those years sharpened the two traits that still define his playing: refined touch and a highly trained ear. Wayne shares how timpani work shaped his sound concept, tuning, touch, and intent, and why those lessons transfer to every instrument he plays.

We trade stories from the North Carolina Triangle scene to Atlanta’s deep pool of drummers, reflecting on what makes a rhythm section feel great: listening, placement, and serving the song. Wayne describes his approach to subbing as studying a band’s center of gravity while giving them the feel they expect. He also shares what he learned playing percussion alongside Atlanta stalwarts such as Joe Lee, Scott Meeder, and Jon Chalden. He contrasts the football-team edge of earlier drum corps with today’s more dance-oriented productions. He explains why he writes parts that are musical, supportive, and grooving, using as much as needed but no more, instead of cramming in notes for flash.

These days, Wayne splits his time among theater and tribute productions, including A1A, the long-running Jimmy Buffett show he loves for its surprising stylistic range, occasional ABBA productions with original bassist Mike Watson, and writing and teaching for high school programs. Throughout our conversation, we keep coming back to process over product, rehearsing well, building reliable systems, and teaching skills that outlast any single show. It is a deep dive into musicianship, adaptability, and being the kind of player and hang people want to call again.

To learn more about Wayne, visit his website.

Music from the Episode:
Who's Been Talking (Shannon Wickline, Wayne Viar, & Brad Williams)

Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.