San Antonio native Michael Waskiewicz first joined The Jim Cullum Jazz Band as its regular drummer in 2000. He took two years off to work in New Orleans, and then rejoined the Band in 2004. Mike’s first instruction on the drums came from long-time Cullum Band drummer Ed Torres. Louis Armstrong is his main musical inspiration, citing “the way he plays, the time and the swing of it.” Mike describes his first encounter with The Jim Cullum Jazz Band like this, ”I was fifteen years old and was just kinda hanging out downtown. Walking along the Riverwalk, I saw this place called The Landing. [Pianist] John Sheridan was playing outside, so I decided to get a cup of coffee. I sat there the rest of the afternoon, and from then on, I showed up every night.”