Drummer and composer Phil Raskin (June 10, 1957 – June 9, 2025) told me more than once
more than once he was on a mission, and this was to reach out to others, demonstrating the power of music and creating a positive force.
He lived up to this philosophy. Music has lost a gentle, generous man and a gifted musician, a drummer, percussionist, and producer, whose career took him to many parts of the world over more than four decades of professional engagements.
As a young man, Phil would go to open sessions in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He was mentored by guitarist Bill DeArango and joined the house band at The Smiling Dog Saloon. In this local jazz mecca, Phil got to play with luminaries including Joe Lovano, Billy Drewes, Skip Hadden, Jamey Haddad, Abe Laboriel, Kenny Werner and many more.
He studied with composer Halim El-Dabh before gaining a Berklee scholarship. At Berklee he collaborated with musicians on the Boston scene and developed his skills, including as a tutee of drum set master Alan Dawson. In New York, where Raskin relocated after Berklee, he was active in the loft scene, and in Greenwich Village he made lifelong connections.
His career took him to many countries, and he shared a stage with renowned performers including George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Roy Ayers, Pharaoh Sanders, Stan Getz, Gary Burton and Weather Report. His influences included Max Roach, Ornette Coleman, Duke Ellington, Joe Lovano, Wayne Shorter and Miles Davis, and also the cultures and rhythms of the countries he traveled in, particularly those in Africa.
Raskin founded a successful digital agency, but his passion lay in his career as a jazz musician and producer. He produced and worked with Bill Frisell, Scott Lee, Michael Bocian and Skip Hadden, and founded the Satya label.
Raskin also supported the underdogs, people without a voice, and marginalized people. He was involved in World Central Kitchen from the start in 2017 and was only too happy to discuss the experiences of communities that were less well-represented, like women in jazz music. He was a member of the Jazz Education Network, the educational and performance nonprofit founded in 2008, dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. His passion for music was apparent, and he wanted everyone to be involved and for music to be accessible.
This writer benefited from Phil’s generosity with his time and commitment to supporting others. He commissioned me to write sleeve notes for Satya, his incredible album with saxophonist Frank Doblekar and bassist Ratso Harris released in 2022 on his label, Resonant Artists, and was supportive of causes I worked for, including the work of women in jazz music.
Phil was a musician who had time for people. He spoke warmly of his family, but also created time in his busy schedule to comment on introductions for books, or an article or review I had written, so he made time for everyone.
Phil Raskin will be missed. He was a constant presence of support, and someone who quietly but resolutely worked to improve this world, both musically and by being a decent man to others. The greatest understatement is to say Phil Raskin will be missed, but I am saying it anyhow. Phil, music, and this world will miss you.
