Biography

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Wayne Maureau was exposed to the vast musical diversity of the city at a very young age. At 5 years old, he had his first drum lesson, but it was in high school, under the tutelage of rudimental snare drum master Marty Hurley, that his talent began to emerge. During his junior and senior years, he led the marching drum line and consistently won LMEA (Louisiana Music Educators Association) and All-State competitions. In 1987, Wayne left New Orleans to attend Louisiana State University on a full music scholarship. While there, he performed with the LSU Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Quintet, Symphonic Band, and Marching Band as well as in the local club scene. In 1991, he entered the Percussive Arts Society International Drumset Solo contest and was the State winner in Louisiana. After earning a Bachelors Degree, he continued his education at Drummers Collective in New York City, studying with Ricky Sebastian, Pete Zeldman, Kim Plainfield, and Rich Thompson. Returning to New Orleans in 1992, Wayne quickly became one of the most “in demand” drummers in town, covering a wide variety of gigs from Jazz and Blues, to Latin, R&B, and Funk.

Throughout his career, Wayne has performed in many cities around the United States and overseas. He plays the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the New Orleans French Quarter Festival annually, as well as appearing at festivals around the world. Among the numerous local, national and international artists with whom he has shared the stage are:  Lee Thornberg (Tower of Power), Byron Strippling (Count Basie, GRP Big Band, Carnegie Hall Big Band), Bobby Shew (Woody Herman), Bill Summers (Herbie Hancock, The Headhunters),  Philip Manuel (Maxjazz recording artist), Irvin Mayfeild (New Orleans Jazz Orchestra), Sachal Vasandani, Maria Marquez, Peter Sprague, Keely Smith, Los Hombres Caliente, Allen Tousaint, Luther Kent, Marcia Ball, Maria Muldaur, Decon John and many others.

Currently, Wayne performs with legendary R&B, Blues and Funk band Walter Wolfman Washington and the Roadmasters. In 2013 they released their first live recording, Howlin’ Live at dba, and received the Big Easy award for best R&B band in New Orleans. Wayne is also a member of the Joe Krown Trio, Mia Borders Band, The Wolfman Trio, Trifuncta and The Funky Uncle All Stars. He also maintains a busy freelance sideman schedule often performing with John Papa Gros, Luther Kent, The Garden District Piano Trio, The Jeff Lashway Trio, Lena Prima, The John Mahoney Big Band and Brazilian guitarist Geovane Santos.

In recent years, Wayne has become known for his expertise in Brazilian music and is the first call drummer for artists from Brazil visiting New Orleans. To date, he has performed with Jovino Santos Neto, David Ganc, Marcos Nimrichter, Carlos Malta, and a joint performance with Brazilian drummer, Marcio Bahia.

Wayne founded TriFunctA in 2006, an instrumental funk project based on the organ trio concept. TriFunctA’s first release, Hangin’, features guest artists George Porter Jr. of the Funky Meters, Mark Mullins of Bonerama and Steve Masakowski of Astral Project. The CD features some of Wayne’s original compositions. In addition to live performances, Wayne is frequently in the studio and has been featured on many recordings. In May, 2002, Wayne released Sidewalk Safari, his self-produced CD of original compositions and Latin arrangements of jazz standards. He has also performed on movie soundtracks and jingles for radio and television and made an appearance on TV series NCIS New Orleans, Treme and in the motion picture, Ray.

Wayne has served as adjunct faculty percussion instructor at Loyola University in New Orleans since 2001. His duties include teaching private lessons to jazz and popular music program students, instructing and arranging for the Afro-Cuban Percussion Ensemble and performing in the Loyola Faculty Jazz Sextet. From 1997 to 2016 Wayne was the jazz drum instructor at Delgado Community College and also at Tulane University from 2002 till 2005. He has also provided private instruction to students from NOCCA (New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts) . In recent years he has conducted drum clinics at universities and high schools around the Southeastern United States and on the west coast and in spring 2005, released The Multi-Stylist Drummer, a method book based on his approach to the drumset. On several occasions Wayne has been guest performer with the Baton Rouge Symphony and as a member of the house trio for the International Trumpet Guild convention in 1991 and the International Clarinet Convention in 2001, he performed with featured musicians from around the world.

Wayne proudly endorses Fortune Drums, Bosphorus Cymbals and Aquarian Drumheads.