Feature Stories
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.
Mike Zeoli of Del Castillo
They would either "Make magic together" or become "The biggest train wreck Austin, Texas has ever heard." That was what multi-percussionist Rick 'the Rev" Holeman told drummer/percussionist Mike Zeoli when the two teamed up in Del Castillo, an Austin sextet…
Steve Houghton
Many Musicians Institute alumni know Steve Houghton as one of the most passionate and challenging instructors in P.I.T.'s history. But Steve is also an accomplished player, earning performing and recording credits with Woody Herman, Billy Childs, Freddie Hubbard, Toshiko Akiyoshi,…
Bobby Jarzombek
After viewing the newly released DVD Performance & Technique (Warner Bros.) from monster prog-metal drummer Bobby Jarzombek, it's easy to see why he was chosen by metal's flashiest frontman, Rob Halford, for the metal god's solo project a few years…
Mark Johnson
Do those canary-yellow drums look familiar? That's because they belonged to the late Tony Williams, who gave them to trumpeter Wallace Roney. Today Wallace allows Mark Johnson, his current drummer, to use them for rehearsals. A lefty on a right-handed…
Elvin Jones
by Rick Mattingly On the eve of his seventy-fifth birthday, Elvin Ray Jones exhibits the relaxed demeanor and lean physique of a weathered--but still dangerous--championship athlete. When he smiles, which is often, he still looks like he's twenty-five. His sense…
Adam Topol with Jack Johnson
Adam Topol doesn't see platinum success with Jack Johnson as any reason to relax. Actually, he's leaving no stone unturned in search of musical tidbits he can add to his arsenal. "All the bands we've toured with have sick drummers,"…
Kevin March of Guided by Voices, Shudder to Think, and The Dambuilders
"On my ride home from the last show, that's when I really started thinking, 'What am I going to do next?'" Kevin March is reflecting on the recent retirement of Guided By Voices, the immensely prolific, critically heralded indie rock…
Sean "The Rick" Rickman
In viewing the Compositional Drumming DVD by Washington, DC born Sean Rickman, one is immediately taken aback by his advanced drumming skills. No question, he is in a league with fusion greats Dennis Chambers, Steve Smith, and Dave Weckl. Rickman,…
Phil Jordan of The Music
When Phil Jordan sits down behind the kit for his band, UK rockers The Music, he has one goal in mind: making people dance. Jordan says the secret is in the dynamics. "You want to build, get the tension, and…
Jeff Kathan
Six-foot-four powerhouse drummer Jeff Kathan and his two bandmates carefully step into position on the dark stage. The audience ignites, and the announcer introduces one of rock's legendary singers: Paul Rodgers. All night long Kathan passionately kicks the band into…
Stacy Kerber of The Moto-Litas
"'Not Pretty Today' is one of our newer songs," says Stacy Kerber of The Moto-Litas. "We learned it just before we went into the studio, and arrangement-wise, it's perfect. I like the opening, which I played on the ride cymbal.…
Billy Kilson
At a 1999 Birdland performance with The Dave Holland Quintet, Billy Kilson led band and audience in a rousing chorus of drum worship. Holland, one of jazz's most celebrated bassists and composers, has played with all the innovators, from Tony…
Skeebo Knight
Skeebo Knight loves drumming. Yet the pain he must endure simply to sit behind his kit and lay down a groove is staggering. Knight suffers from Scleroderma, which he describes as a connective tissue disorder that causes a variety of…
Kris Kohls
A musical education can be had from a variety of sources. You could rent how-to instructional videos for just about every style and genre you're trying to master. You could sit for hours with headphones and over-analyze every fill and…
