Drum solos aren’t exactly what comes to mind when thinking of church on a Sunday morning. But Berklee percussion star Bell - nicknamed “Bam Bam” - draws his divine inspiration on the drums from a childhood spent honing his craft at Ministries of Reconciliation church.



“First and foremost, it anointed me,” says Jovol Bell. He began playing at age 5 at the church, where his mother, Judy, was a minister and his father, John, an overseer. “It provided a gift that was more spiritual than anything, to be able to play with conviction and spontaneity and passion,” adds Jovol Bell.



In Jovol Bell’s four years at Berklee, his talent has made him a standout figure. His ability to cross over from highly technical jazz drumming to hard-driving hip-hop beats and other styles has landed him gigs playing alongside such luminaries as percussionist Ed Thigpen, a former collaborator of legendary jazz pianist Oscar Robertson.



But Jovol Bell acknowledges that it’s the gospel music of his childhood that he feels the closest to, both sonically and spiritually.