Big Fat Five: Adolfo Torres (M.I.J.O.) Shares His Top 5 Influential Records

Drummers on Drumming

This week’s guest is Adolfo Torres. Adolfo's musical journey started in Cali, Colombia, and from a young age, his passion for music was evident, leading his parents to enroll him in drum lessons. This early start paved the way for his education at the Drummers Collective in NYC and later at Berklee College of Music on an American Tour Scholarship.

After his studies, Adolfo moved to Austin, TX, playing with artists like JT Coldfire and Jennifer B and the Groove Kings, where he learned about the life of a working musician. In 2013, he returned to Colombia, forming the band M.I.J.O, which blends Classic, Modern, and Progressive Rock. All that being said, I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time and go check out a few of his videos before you listen to our chat. It will set the stage for a lot of what we talk about. I hope you enjoy the five records that shaped Adolfo Torres into the musician he is today. Cheers!

---

Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

ADOLFO'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - The Inner Mounting Flame

Artist - The Mahavishnu Orchestra

Release Year f- 1971

Key Track(s) - The Noonward Race, Vital Transformation, You Know You Know

Drummer - Billy Cobham

-

Album - Paranoid

Artist - Black Sabbath

Release Year - 1970

Key Track(s) - War Pigs, Rat Salad, Fairies Wear Boots

Drummer - Bill Ward

-

Album - Red

Artist - King Crimson

Release Year - 1974

Key Track(s) - One More Red Nightmare, Starless

Drummer - Bill Bruford

-

Album - Badmotorfinger

Artist - Soundgarden

Release Year - 1991

Key Track(s) - Rusty Cage, Slaves & Bulldozers

Drummer - Matt Cameron

-

Album - Amputechture

Artist - The Mars Volta

Release Year - 2006

Key Track(s) - Tetragrammaton, Meccamputechture, Viscera Eyes, Day of the Baphomets

Drummer - Jon Theodore

-

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Band of Gypsys - Hendrix

Presence - Led Zeppelin

Bridge of Sighs - Robin Trower

Tony Williams Lifetime: The Collection

Master of Reality - Black Sabbath

10,000 Days - Tool

Deloused in the Commatorium - The Mars Volta

Down on the Upside - Soundgarden

Gretchen Goes to Nebraska - King’s X

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.