BIOGRAPHY

Paul Barrilles is a professional jazz musician based in Chicago, IL. Paul found his passion for drums when he was just 5 years old. The drums have been his family for 3 generations, and he picked up the drumsticks just like his father and grandfather did before him.

Barrilles holds an undergraduate degree in jazz studies from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree in jazz studies from DePaul University. In addition to his schooling, Barrilles has studied with today’s master drummers such as Kenny Washington, Gregory Hutchinson, Kendrick Scott, and Rodney Green.

Paul currently plays with many of Chicago’s notable jazz musicians including Lenard Simpson, Adam Larson, Reggie Thomas, Geof Bradfield, Clark Sommers, Julius Tucker, and Ethan Philion. 

Over the course of his career, Barrilles has been the recipient of many soloist awards from educational institutions such as Elmhurst College, Western Illinois University, Illinois State University, and Birch Creek Performance Center. Paul was also a semi-finalist for the YoungArts performance program in 2016.

In addition to his role as a sideman, Paul is now pursuing a new musical endeavor called The Paul Barrilles Trio. This group showcases original compositions and arrangements for piano trio.

You can find Paul performing at many venues around the United States including: Andy's Jazz Club, Fulton Street Collective, Bourbon on Division (Chicago, IL), Cliff Bell's (Detroit, MI), Jazz Central Studios (Minneapolis, MN), and Pausa Art House (Buffalo, NY)