Jo Whitaker has made a habit of looking into the future. A rock ‘ *’ roll drummer since 1978, he figured out that there wasn’t much of a future in it, so he began learning to play jazz. Today he drums with three local jazz pianists – Danny Sample, Roddy Noll and David Walters – and stays busy in the process.
He does still get to feed his rock jones with Lumbar Five, and he is part of the Shock Theater Orchestra. He said he is excited that an album he did with Somnambulist in 2001, “The Paranormal Humidor,” continues to thrive in some avant-garde circles around the world.
“Our best review came from Uzbekistan,” he said. “That’s been my running joke. They love us in Uzbekistan.”
He said a follow-up album is being discussed.
Whitaker has worked in the mental-health field for more than 30 years. A few years ago, Whitaker took a job with Joe Johnson Mental Health Center. He went back to school and in 2009 earned his degree in psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.