The Greats

Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.

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John Tempesta: Heavy With Testament, Zombie, And Beyond

John Tempesta has worked his way to the top of heavy metal drumming, but his first inspirations and influences to pursue the instrument came via Ringo Starr in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night and Dennis Davis supporting David…

Modern Drummer
Oct 26, 2010

Kenny Aronoff: In Constant Demand

Kenny Aronoff is one of the world’s busiest session and touring drummers, working with a hugely impressive list of major artists including John Fogerty, Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Etheridge, Rod Stewart, Avril Lavigne, Willie Nelson, and the gig he first came…

Modern Drummer
Oct 18, 2010

Ed Thigpen: “Mr. Taste"

Ed Thigpen, an important element in the music of jazz luminaries including Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald, was known as “Mr. Taste.” Thigpen was most noted for his brush technique and articulate sense of pulse and swing. Thigpen was born…

Modern Drummer
Oct 5, 2010

Jim Capaldi: Traffic’s Reluctant Drum Wonder

Jim Capaldi, best known as drummer, singer, and lyricist with the British band Traffic, was one of the most identifiable and multi-talented musicians to come of age at the tail end of the British Invasion of the mid-’60s. Hooking up…

Modern Drummer
Sep 29, 2010

Richie Hayward: Little Feat’s Timeless Drum Hero

Richie Hayward, the drummer in the band Little Feat since their inception in 1969, was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, and was influenced by rock ’n’ roll pioneer Earl Palmer and big-band jazz drummer Sonny Payne. In 1966 he moved…

Modern Drummer
Sep 25, 2010
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Shadow Wilson: Unsung Hero Of ’40s/’50s Jazz

Though not a major influence in the same sense as Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, Shadow Wilson was nonetheless in considerable demand during the ’40s, and he fit in admirably with all the groups he played with during his relatively…

Modern Drummer
Sep 16, 2010

Stewart Copeland: Exotic Rocking And Ambitious Orchestrations

When British rockers the Police launched onto the American airwaves in 1979, by way of the quirky new wave hit “Roxanne,” the rock drumming community was introduced to one of its most innovative, controversial, and influential figures of all time.…

Modern Drummer
Sep 3, 2010

David Garibaldi: Perpetually Hip With Tower Of Power

In the ’70s, David Garibaldi’s drumming with Tower Of Power was a revelation. Not only did he lay down some of the baddest beats ever played, the master drummer expanded the vocabulary of the instrument. Give a listen to some…

Modern Drummer
Aug 16, 2010

John Bonham: The Soul Of Rock Drumming

The greatest rock ’n’ roll drummer in history was a soul drummer. Despite all the deserved attention paid to his brilliant soloing ideas, his rhythmic sophistication, or his bass drum prowess, John Bonham was, above all else, a groover. Drummers…

Modern Drummer
Jul 26, 2010

Vinnie Colaiuta: Unlike Anybody Else

Ask fifty drummers about Vinnie Colaiuta, and you’re likely to get the same answer: “There’s Vinnie, and then there’s everyone else.” Vinnie Colaiuta’s career is a testament not only to his immeasurable talent, but also to his ability to maneuver…

Modern Drummer
Jul 22, 2010

Peter Erskine: Taste, Skill, And Artistic Ambition

Peter Erskine, one of the most articulate, enduringly popular drummers of the past few decades, has played drums since he was four, graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and studied under famed percussion instructor George Gaber at Indiana…

Modern Drummer
Jul 20, 2010

Dave Tough: Different—And In Demand

The inimitable Dave Tough controlled every band in which he worked with near-perfect timekeeping and his own distinct, buoyant style. Very much influenced by Baby Dodds, his primary concerns were musicality, maintaining an unwavering pulsation, and integrating the ensemble performance.…

Modern Drummer
Jul 16, 2010
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Dave Weckl: Continuously Astounding

In April of 1984, Modern Drummer ran an “Up And Coming” article on a young drummer from St. Louis who’d just landed his first high-profile gig, on the Simon & Garfunkel reunion tour. His name was Dave Weckl. He came…

Modern Drummer
Jul 7, 2010

Rat Scabies: The Damned’s Explosive Drummer

When it comes to punk bands, the Damned may be the most influential of them all, and their original drummer Rat Scabies among the most stylishly destructive sticksmen ever. Formed in 1976 in the U.K., the Damned is credited as…

Modern Drummer
Jul 5, 2010
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