Featured Stories

Archive of Featured Stories

  • Slingerland’s Radio King snare was revolutionary in that it made double-headed, tunable toms available to drummers for the first time.0May 27, 2011

    Slingerland Radio King Snare

    Slingerland’s Radio King snare was revolutionary in that it made double-headed, tunable toms available to drummers for the first time.

  • Modern Drummer’s 2011 Readers Poll Hall of Fame inductee is the late drummer/educator Jim Chapin, who passed away in 2009.1May 27, 2011

    Remembering “The Chapin Magic”

    Modern Drummer’s 2011 Readers Poll Hall of Fame inductee is the late drummer/educator Jim Chapin, who passed away in 2009.

  • Steve Fidyk’s tribute (video) to the late drummer/educator, whose life and career are honored in this month’s <i>MD</i>.0May 17, 2011

    Joe Morello: 1928–2011

    Steve Fidyk’s tribute (video) to the late drummer/educator, whose life and career are honored in this month’s MD.

  • Brian Chase burst onto the scene at the turn of the millennium with the indie rock/garage punk band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Chase first met vocalist/pianist Karen O while attending the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio in the late ’90s. Then, in 2000, Chase found himself in New York, stepping in as the drummer with...0May 13, 2011

    Brian Chase: Indie Invention, Jazz Heart

    Brian Chase burst onto the scene at the turn of the millennium with the indie rock/garage punk band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Chase first met vocalist/pianist Karen O while attending the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio in the late ’90s. Then, in 2000, Chase found himself in New York, stepping in as the drummer with…

  • Killswitch Engage drummer Justin Foley doesn’t quite fit in with the normal metal drummer stereotypes. For one, he’s classically trained, having received his undergraduate degree in percussion from the University of Connecticut and his master’s degree from the prestigious Hartt School of Music. When not touring he often plays with symphonies, cites the marimba as...0May 5, 2011

    Justin Foley: Killswitch Engage’s Rulebreaker

    Killswitch Engage drummer Justin Foley doesn’t quite fit in with the normal metal drummer stereotypes. For one, he’s classically trained, having received his undergraduate degree in percussion from the University of Connecticut and his master’s degree from the prestigious Hartt School of Music. When not touring he often plays with symphonies, cites the marimba as…

  • by Bob Girouard<br>It seems that since Danny Seraphine made a comeback of sorts of the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival, he’s kicked the current phase of his drumming career into high gear, appearing at events like Drummers for Jesus, the 2009 Chicago Drum Show, and a Terry Kath tribute, and making a memorable appearance at Donn Bennett’s Drum Shop in Seattle. Seraphine’s autobiography, Street Player: My Chicago Story, and new DVD, The Art of Jazz Rock Drumming, have also hit the shelves recently. MD sat down with the legendary drummer to find out more about his latest projects.0May 2, 2011

    Danny Seraphine: Update

    by Bob Girouard
    It seems that since Danny Seraphine made a comeback of sorts of the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival, he’s kicked the current phase of his drumming career into high gear, appearing at events like Drummers for Jesus, the 2009 Chicago Drum Show, and a Terry Kath tribute, and making a memorable appearance at Donn Bennett’s Drum Shop in Seattle. Seraphine’s autobiography, Street Player: My Chicago Story, and new DVD, The Art of Jazz Rock Drumming, have also hit the shelves recently. MD sat down with the legendary drummer to find out more about his latest projects.

  • On September 25, 2010, the thirtieth anniversary of the passing of John Bonham, Whitesnake’s Brian Tichy assembled a cast of eighteen top-notch drummers at Hollywood’s Key Club to pay tribute to the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer. According to Tichy, the uniqueness of the event, dubbed “The Groove Remains the Same,” prompted a number of drummers to go the extra mile to be involved. “I had Jason Bonham and James Kottak fly in from Florida and South America the night of show,” Brian says. “I had Vinny Appice drive up from San Diego after a clinic. And I had Kenny Aronoff get to rehearsal extra early before his recording session across town.”0April 15, 2011

    Brian Tichy: Bonzo Tribute

    On September 25, 2010, the thirtieth anniversary of the passing of John Bonham, Whitesnake’s Brian Tichy assembled a cast of eighteen top-notch drummers at Hollywood’s Key Club to pay tribute to the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer. According to Tichy, the uniqueness of the event, dubbed “The Groove Remains the Same,” prompted a number of drummers to go the extra mile to be involved. “I had Jason Bonham and James Kottak fly in from Florida and South America the night of show,” Brian says. “I had Vinny Appice drive up from San Diego after a clinic. And I had Kenny Aronoff get to rehearsal extra early before his recording session across town.”

  • Christoph “Doom” Schneider, drummer of the infamous Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, was born May 11, 1966, in Berlin, East Germany. His musical interests began in school, where he played the trumpet, but his true calling struck at age fourteen, when his brother gave him a drum made of aluminum cans. In his teen years,...1March 21, 2011

    Christoph Schneider: Exploding Expectations With Rammstein

    Christoph “Doom” Schneider, drummer of the infamous Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, was born May 11, 1966, in Berlin, East Germany. His musical interests began in school, where he played the trumpet, but his true calling struck at age fourteen, when his brother gave him a drum made of aluminum cans. In his teen years,…

  • by Michael Parillo Our May 2011 cover artist on his early drumming days and his fondness for big kits. The bulk of our conversations with Crover took place shortly before the Melvins headed off on a short winter tour of New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.0March 17, 2011

    Dale Crover: The Melvins’ Thunder King

    by Michael Parillo
    Our May 2011 cover artist on his early drumming days and his fondness for big kits. The bulk of our conversations with Crover took place shortly before the Melvins headed off on a short winter tour of New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

  • by Adam Budofsky We revisit a 2005 interview featuring memories of George Harrison, John Lennon, and Yes. As Yes continues their world tour – featuring the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, signifying the reborn “classic” lineup – the band simply gets hotter and hotter. Drummer Alan White recently sat down with Modern Drummer, inaugurating the magazine’s brand-newPlayback column, in which the world’s greatest players reflect on their historic recordings.0March 17, 2011

    Yes’s Alan White: Revisited

    by Adam Budofsky
    We revisit a 2005 interview featuring memories of George Harrison, John Lennon, and Yes. As Yes continues their world tour – featuring the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, signifying the reborn “classic” lineup – the band simply gets hotter and hotter. Drummer Alan White recently sat down with Modern Drummer, inaugurating the magazine’s brand-newPlayback column, in which the world’s greatest players reflect on their historic recordings.

  • Billy Ward is a unique force in the drum world—a technician of the highest order who can bring taste and creativity to a huge variety of musical situations, a clear and enthusiastic educator, and a notorious drumming thinker who is always ready with an unusual but pragmatic take on the work of rhythm-making...0March 4, 2011

    Billy Ward: Deep Thoughts, Deep Rhythms

    Billy Ward is a unique force in the drum world—a technician of the highest order who can bring taste and creativity to a huge variety of musical situations, a clear and enthusiastic educator, and a notorious drumming thinker who is always ready with an unusual but pragmatic take on the work of rhythm-making…

  • by Stephen Styles<br>More with the phenomenal drummer/educator, who was featured in the January 2011 issue of <i>MD</i>. His is one of the most closely observed careers in R&B, fusion, gospel, and pop drumming, with acts like Israel Houghton & New Breed, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, Randy Brecker, and New Kids On The Block peppering his résumé. We detailed Coleman’s amazing playing in the January 2011 issue of MD; here Chris recalls his upbringing and gives props to those who have helped him achieve his goals.0February 16, 2011

    Chris Coleman: Amazing Journey

    by Stephen Styles
    More with the phenomenal drummer/educator, who was featured in the January 2011 issue of MD. His is one of the most closely observed careers in R&B, fusion, gospel, and pop drumming, with acts like Israel Houghton & New Breed, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, Randy Brecker, and New Kids On The Block peppering his résumé. We detailed Coleman’s amazing playing in the January 2011 issue of MD; here Chris recalls his upbringing and gives props to those who have helped him achieve his goals.

  • Story by Billy Amendola<br>Between his appearance on this year’s Grammys and his upcoming performance at the Oscars, JR continues his conversation with MD about what a typical day in the studio is like, his early influences, his upcoming DVD, drum solos, reading charts, and taking a break from the studio to go on the road. Also, we hear from a few of the greatest bass players in the world on working with the studio legend. (read more)0February 16, 2011

    John “JR” Robinson: Web Exclusive

    Story by Billy Amendola
    Between his appearance on this year’s Grammys and his upcoming performance at the Oscars, JR continues his conversation with MD about what a typical day in the studio is like, his early influences, his upcoming DVD, drum solos, reading charts, and taking a break from the studio to go on the road. Also, we hear from a few of the greatest bass players in the world on working with the studio legend. (read more)

  • by Corrado Rizzi A conversation with the RX Bandits drummer, who goes from So-Cal ska to prog and beyond. It’s safe to say that you will never see RX Bandits drummer Chris Tsagakis play a song live the same way twice. Some of his parts certainly remain constant—his integral grooves, his cues to shift into a different section of a song.0February 16, 2011

    Chris Tsagakis: Gearing Up

    by Corrado Rizzi
    A conversation with the RX Bandits drummer, who goes from So-Cal ska to prog and beyond. It’s safe to say that you will never see RX Bandits drummer Chris Tsagakis play a song live the same way twice. Some of his parts certainly remain constant—his integral grooves, his cues to shift into a different section of a song.

  • Reedus was known for consistently lighting a fire under musicians of every stripe. “Tony was not only a great drummer who played with exceptional depth of feeling that was very danceable,” recalls esteemed jazz drummer Lewis Nash, “he was also very funny. He could have you cracking up in no time. Many musicians loved his...0February 15, 2011

    Tony Reedus: Influential Jazz Drummer

    Reedus was known for consistently lighting a fire under musicians of every stripe. “Tony was not only a great drummer who played with exceptional depth of feeling that was very danceable,” recalls esteemed jazz drummer Lewis Nash, “he was also very funny. He could have you cracking up in no time. Many musicians loved his…

  • Mike Wengren was born September 3, 1971, and started playing the drums around age ten. In 1996, before Disturbed achieved the rock stardom they enjoy today, they were known as Brawl and featured Wengren on drums, Dan Donegan on guitar, Steve “Fuzz” Kmak on bass, and vocalist Erich Awalt. After David Draiman replaced Awalt, they...0February 9, 2011

    Mike Wengren: Disturbed’s Storm-Bringer

    Mike Wengren was born September 3, 1971, and started playing the drums around age ten. In 1996, before Disturbed achieved the rock stardom they enjoy today, they were known as Brawl and featured Wengren on drums, Dan Donegan on guitar, Steve “Fuzz” Kmak on bass, and vocalist Erich Awalt. After David Draiman replaced Awalt, they…

  • Drumming pioneer, music retailer, author, and teacher Henry Alder was born in New York on June 28, 1915. His first professional playing job took place when he was fifteen years old at the Belmar Hotel in New Jersey. He subsequently worked in several pit orchestras in theaters, as well as for traveling big bands. He...0February 4, 2011

    Henry Adler : Legendary Drum Teacher

    Drumming pioneer, music retailer, author, and teacher Henry Alder was born in New York on June 28, 1915. His first professional playing job took place when he was fifteen years old at the Belmar Hotel in New Jersey. He subsequently worked in several pit orchestras in theaters, as well as for traveling big bands. He…

  • The Reasons To Love feature in the March 2011 issue of Modern Drummer is dedicated to progressive-rock and jazz-fusion icon Bill Bruford, who’s recently released his autobiography. Watch Bill talk about his fascinating new book here:1January 28, 2011

    Bill Bruford: The Autobiography

    The Reasons To Love feature in the March 2011 issue of Modern Drummer is dedicated to progressive-rock and jazz-fusion icon Bill Bruford, who’s recently released his autobiography. Watch Bill talk about his fascinating new book here:

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