Mario Calire"I started playing Vater when they were supplying the private label sticks to my local drum shop. I didn't know who made them but I knew I loved the feel and quality I was getting. Years later I count myself lucky to play the same great sticks as a part of the Vater family." Mario Calire's experience with drums goes back as far as he can remember. He grew up surrounded by music and credits his saxophone - and piano-playing father, Jimmy Calire, for teaching him the value of versatility. Armed with this perspective, Mario studied jazz, Latin, and world music at the highly regarded California Institute of The Arts. Over the past decade, Mario provided memorable beats to artists in a number of genres. In 1995, he hooked up with Los Angeles-based rock group The Wallflowers. The band experienced great success over Mario's eight-year stint, including gold and platinum albums and a Grammy. Mario has since lent his talents to a host of well-known artists, gigging and recording with Liz Phair, Rickie Lee Jones and many more. In 2003, Mario elected to explore a new musical avenue, joining up with L.A.-based Latin fusion heavyweights Ozomatli. After recording an EP entitled "Coming Up", the band embarked on a series of live dates. A full-length LP followed in 2004. "Street Signs" went on to win the 2005 Grammy for "Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album", as well as the Latin Grammy for "Best Alternative Album". Most recently, Mario worked alongside producer KC Porter and engineer Robert Carranza recording the new tracks for the upcoming Ozomatli album. He also contributed to projects from world-folk artist Brett Dennen and singer-songwriter Jessica Callahan. Mario's philosophy -- "serve the music" -- continues to serve him well through his varied career.
Discography 
"The 'Hitmaker' is a perfect fit for me- with a grip right on between a 5A and a 5B, I strike an ideal balance between power and finesse." Mario uses Steve White's Hitmaker |