John Riley is a renowned American Jazz drummer, a four-time Grammy award winner and 14-time nominee, and has worked with the world's leading Jazz musicians for over 40 years. Born in 1954 in Aberdeen, Maryland, he started playing drums at the age of eight after receiving a snare drum as a gift. With the support and backing of his parents, he began studying percussion privately and worked on rudiments, reading and coordination. At age twelve, John played in rock bands, heard his first jazz recordings and played his first professional gig only two years later. After having met the famous jazz drummer Joe Morello in a drum symposium in 1971, John became a student of him.

He studied at the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton and played, toured and recorded with the famous One O'clock Lab Band, the ensemble of the Jazz Studies Division of the UNT. Their “Lab 76” was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band". Jazz drummer Paul Guerrero had been one of his influential teachers there.

In 1976 John moved to New York City, joined the Woody Herman Band and began freelancing with a wide range of world-class musicians such as Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Gary Peacock, Mike Stern, Joe Lovano, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, John Patitucci, Bob Berg, and many others. 

John has a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz education from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music in jazz studies from Manhattan School of Music. 

Nowadays he teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and is “Artist in Residence” at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is the author of four workbooks: The Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming, The Jazz Drummer's Workshop, The Master Drummer DVD, and has taught master classes around the world.