Andy Kravitz is an American drummer, record producer, audio engineer and songwriter, born in Philadelphia June 24 1966. 

Andy’s four-decades-long-and-still-going-strong career in the music business is credited to his solid work ethic and unwavering quest to create great music, combined with his production/engineering chops and vintage gear collection. Andy has worked on music for legends like The Rolling Stones “voodoo lounge”, Sting “fields of gold”, Andre’ 3000 “new blue sun”, The Police “message in a bottle”, Billy Joel “the river of dreams”, Taj Mahal “like never before”, Kurt Vile “pretty pimpin”, The Butthole Surfers “pepper”, and The Pretenders with Chrissie Hynde “my city was gone”. Andy has performed on over 5,000 recording sessions in his career.

Career Highlights and Hip Hop History;

At just 16 years old, Andy got his first big break when he was hired as a studio musician & engineer by legendary producers Joe and Phil Nicolo, aka the Butcher Brothers at Studio 4 Recording in Philadelphia.There, Andy quickly developed his studio skills and found his true calling as a multi-instrumentalist, writer, producer, engineer, beatmaker, percussionist and session drummer. He then went to work full time for Joe “the Butcher” Nicolo and Chris Schwartz founders of the Ruffhouse/Columbia/Sony Music records label as an A&R team member and full-time staff producer/engineer for the label and Studio 4 Recording. 

In the late 1980’s while at Studio 4 Recording, Andy helped establish rap and hip hop music as a viable genre and art form, working on Records that would create the Billboard Rap chart and earning the first ever Rap Grammy with his engineering and drumming for Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. His creative contributions, engineering and Beatmaking helped launch artists including Schoolly D, The Fugees, Kriss Kross, Cypress Hill Steady B, Tim Dog, Roxanne Shante’, Cool C, 3 X dope, C.E.B, The Goats, Boo Ya Tribe, 7A3, Dj Cash money,  Mellow Man Ace, and The Hilltop Hustler crew. These records were also “Inspiring” a new generation of groups Like, Run DMC and The Beastie Boys according to Mike D himself.

By 1990, Andy was Philadelphia’s number one, go-to, Engineer and session drummer and beatmaker. Playing and recording for artists including, Los Lobos, G-love and the Philly Cartel, making Joan Osborne’s “relish” The Grammy nominated album of the year, also working with Michael Franti’ and Spearhead co-writing producing and engineering “home” and “chocolate supa highway”. Andy Co-Produced, engineered and played drums on Urge Overkill ‘Saturation’. Then formed Madd Crop, discovering savant producer and keyboardist Scot Storch, working with Quest love from the Roots. He then discovered Bilal Oliver, and worked with The Philosopher Kings, Big Chief, Boys to Men, and the Legendary Bluesman, and Maestro Taj Mahal on “like never before” as his studio drummer, co-writer, world touring musician and videographer. 

In 1993, A to the K, The Philly funky Drummer as Andy was then known, branched out on his own and built his own Recording Studios, one of them in a 400 year old barn on the outskirts of philly. He was now was getting calls to engineer, produce, Remix, co-write, program, and play drums and percussion on records across the world for a Who’s Who of A-list artists and bands including The Rolling Stones, Sting, James Taylor, Aerosmith and Dishwalla, Life of Agony, Anthrax, Shawn Colvin, producing Julianna Hatfield’s album “beautiful creature”, Amanda Marshall “Tuesdays child”, Co Writing her chart topping single “If I didn’t have you’, also working with Legendary writer Desmond Child, and Robbie Williams, with Jon Bon jovi, Glenn Ballard and Biliy Idol. He has produced and co-written 2 albums with The Who Guitarist Simon Townshend, Produced Philly’s own Daryl Hall and John Oats on the world cup soundtrack and P.I.R legend Walter ‘Bunny’ Sigler.

Over the last three decades

Andy has collaborated in nearly every facet and genre of music, from blues legends Etta James, Solomon Burke, and Taj Mahal to R&B’s John Legend “Get Lifted”, Bilal ”move on”, Willie Chambers, and Luther Vandross. He added his talents to the legendary work of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Milk and Honey’ “living on borrowed time” Remix, Robbie Krieger of the Doors Grammy nominated solo album “singularity” and David Bromberg “use me”. He has worked with World music artists Peter Gabriel’s L.Shenkar engineering mixing and mastering “Chepleeri dream”, Pharaoh Sanders Dwight Trible, percussionists Carlos Nino, Leon Mobley, Fala Kuti’s Najite Agindotan and Dexter Story “bahir”. He has also worked with synthesizer pioneers Tangerine Dream, and The blue room with Peter Baumann, Edgar Froese and Paul Hasslinger. 

Andy has recorded with Jazz saxophone Legends Kenny Garret, Kamasi Washington, and Shabaka Hutchings. Contemporary Christian’s Amy Grant & Vince Gill and Jaci Velazquez co-writing her #1 single “Glory”.

Among his other collaborations are Lana Del Rey “Lizzy Grant“ “Come when you call me” and Imogen Heap “I–megaphone”, Chance the rapper and Dionne Warwick’s duet “nothings impossible”, Jurassic 5’s Cut Chemist “die cut” and co-writng rapper Biz Markee “moonlighting with Biz”, 2 albums with DigabIe planets Ishmael Butler aka Shabazz Palaces. Andy mastered Dionne Warwicks new album “she’s back!” and worked alongside her son and Reggae’ Artist Nomad with 6 straight #1 singles on I-heart radio. After making a record with Bob Marley’s mother Cedella Marley booker and Taj Mahal. He worked extensively with super producer David Kahne, Paul McCartney, Shawn Colvin. With Rick cherftoff played drums on Pee shy and the Largo project featuring Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko of The Band, Carol King, Cyndi Lauper, Irish legends the Chieftains and then Ullienn piper Davy Spillane and Sinead O’Conner. AK co produced Life of Agony “soul searching sun” and 5 albums with Mina Caputo. He also has worked with Frank Zappa Alumni, Tommy Mars, Arthur Barrow, Patrick O’Hearn, Bruce Fowler, and singer Ike Willis. AK rcently mixed tracks for Peter Gabriel’s Tony Levin on bass, and Genesis/Zappa drummer Chester Thompson.Scott Page from Pink Floyd, drummer Stephen Perkins of Janes Addiction and Norwood Fisher founder of Fishbone and Trulio Disgracias enjoy tracking with Andy at his Studio 4 west recording space in Venice Beach California. 

Movies, Books and Television;

Andy’s IMBD is impressive, has contributed and music for, and worked on Movie hits like Khalid “free spirit”, Tell it like a woman, Bad Santa 2, The Grammy winning “Desperado” soundtrack with Robert Rodriguez and Los Lobos, Dark Streets with Soloman Burke and Etta James,Immediate Family Feat: Keith Richards, Clueless, South park feat: Issac Hayes “Cheft”, The Bad Lieutenant, Small Soldiers, Adult Swim, King of new York, Wayne’s World 2, Gladiator, Flirting with disaster, Lemonada, Lawrence Kaplow creator of House, Khalil, Wild Honey, the Mindy Khaling show, Ghost House, Venice Neverland, and the Taj Mahal documentary Montaj. Additionally, his original music and tracks are featured on Netflix and HBO, He Co-produced Engineered and performed on the Children’s music Book “Earnest Hummingbird” with The Beatles manager/ Artist / Producer Peter Asher and Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer, Narration by Darius Rucker “hootie and the blowfish”. 

Most recently Andy was Nominated for an Oscar for his contributions to the Movie “Tell it like a woman’ featuring Jennifer Hudson and Eva Longoria, The film received a nomination at the 95th Academy Awards for Best Original Song for "Applause" by Diane Warren and Performed by Sofia Carson. Mixed and Mastered by Andy Kravitz. 

In 2022 and 2023 Andy Co-produced and mixed and Mastered Ivan Neville’s DumpstaPhunk “where do we go from here” album, Dionne Warwick & Chance the Rapper “nothings impossible”. His recording work with Kurt Vile surpassed 100,000.000 Streams on Spotify and brought him critical acclaim.

AK is Preparing to release his New Book~

coming soon…