As a youngster, Lionel Cordew and his brother performed every Sunday at the church where his father was the minister and his mother a singer in the gospel choir. The Cordew brothers gained a reputation which brought standing room only parishioners to the church.



The area of Queens where Lionel Cordew was raised, was home to an uncanny number of musicians, including James Brown, ILLINOIS Jacquet, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgearld, Lenny White, Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim, Najee, and many others/Cordew was fortunate enough to see many of them perform in his own back yard at block parties, neighbors homes and at local clubs.



Lionel Cordew played with Special EFX for more than four years. Heavy touring, recording, drum clinics, and Radio and television spots gave him exposure to many other artists on the jazz scene that he has toured with and continues to play with today.



Lionel Cordew is a versatile, high-energy drummer with an instinct for rhythms. He has broad musical interests and a particular zeal for contemporary Jazz, Funk, Fusion, R&B, Blues, and Rock.