Reinhardt Melz was born in Los Angeles, California and has been a resident of Portland,Oregon since the age of 9. At the age of 15, he started studying the drums with local legends Mel Brown,Israel Annoh, and Guy Maxwell, all the while under the guidance of stepfather/latin percussionist Bobby Torres. At the age of 17, Reinhardt started to work professionally as a drummer and was determined to get as good as possible and make a living as a freelance drummer/percussionist. In the last 27 years, he has done just that, becoming one of the top call drummers for several genres of music in the Portland area.
Amidst Reinhardt’s eclectic musical career, Reinhardt has shared the stage and/or recorded with notable artists such as Jeff Lorber, Earnestine Anderson, Buddy Guy, Earl King, Steve Miller, Les McCann, Javon Jackson, Shoshana Bean and Stevie Wonder.
Currently Reinhardt can be seen touring with Gino Vannelli, Jarrod Lawson,and most recently with Pink Martini.
