Tim Carman is a Nashville-based drummer, author, and educator known for his deep pocket, soulful touch, and command of blues, soul jazz, and roots music. Dubbed the “Shah of shuffles” by Jazzwise Magazine, he brings a modern perspective to traditional styles with a focus on feel, sound, and song.

Originally from the Boston area, Carman built his reputation on the New England music scene as a first-call sideman and session musician, backing artists such as Julie Rhodes and Peter Parcek and leading his own jazz project, the Tim Carman Trio, with whom he has released two records. His versatility and musicality led to a Boston Music Awards nomination for Session Musician of the Year in 2021.

From 2018 to 2024, he toured internationally and recorded with GA-20, a three-time Billboard #1 blues artist on Colemine/Karma Chief Records, helping the band earn repeated Boston Music Awards for Blues Act of the Year.

Now based in Nashville, Carman records and tours with Parlor Greens, an organ trio on Colemine Records, and continues to be an in-demand session drummer and bandleader. His playing draws on vintage electric blues grit, organ-jazz lineage, and a shuffle vocabulary that has made him a go-to voice for artists seeking deep feel and stylistic authenticity.

Alongside performing, Carman is an active educator, offering lessons, clinics, and online content that connect technique to real-world musical situations for working drummers and emerging players alike.

Carman is the author of six drum books, including The Shuffle Book Vol. 1 (2026), Philly-ISM (2023), and Haynes-ISM (2022), with the latter two nominated by Modern Drummer for Educational Product of the Year. His other titles include Groove Systems (2021), Shape Beats (2020), and Shape Beats for Kids (2017).