Reviews
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.
Kneebody The Line
In its sputtering rhythms and swirling melodies, Kneebody is a freely roaming polyglot touching on Live-Evil-era Miles Davis, Rudder (particularly the contemporary art-funk band’s drummer, Keith Carlock), the British prog band Gentle Giant, various aggregates of hip-hop, and jam-band hypnosis.…
Rush Clockwork Angels Tour
DVD (2) or BLU-RAY LEVEL: ALL $24.98 Next year will mark Rush’s fortieth anniversary. Judging by the energy the band puts forth on its latest live release, another forty doesn’t seem out of the question. Okay, maybe another ten—the point…
Taking the Reins
Camille Gainer-Jones A Girl From Queens The solo debut by Camille Gainer-Jones, a Steve Coleman, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Roberta Flack vet, sounds like a house party, with instruments and vocals delivering a sometimes raucous blend. There’s an old-school Marvin…
The Drummer’s Bible by Mick Berryand Jason Gianni
BOOK/CDS (2) LEVEL: ALL $34.95 Recently updated by its coauthors to include nearly a hundred more reference grooves, this ambitious 200-plus-page tome continues to inspire, offering a variety of rhythmic concepts, from polka patterns to reggae beats to variations on…
Gorden Campbell Secrets of the Working Drummer
DVD LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED $24.99 What makes a working drummer? Here, the top R&B player Gorden Campbell defines the gig in artistic and practical terms. Musically, he focuses on the importance of concepts like knowing song form and getting…
Paul Motian ECM
In the jazz world, where idiosyncrasy is embraced, Paul Motian is among the most idiosyncratic musicians. This box set is an ideal format to track the development of the drummer’s quirky, deeply personal compositional voice. Indeed, it’s a showcase for…
Love For Levon: A Benefit To Save The Barn
DVDS (2) LEVEL: ALL $24.99 When Levon Helm left us last year, mourners hoped to preserve his legacy by sustaining the Barn. In this beloved venue, Levon hosted the Midnight Rambles, where top musicians gathered for homespun concerts in a…
Joe Mccarthy’s Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along Series, Volume II
DVD LEVEL: ADVANCED $19.95 Discussing skills development, McCarthy sites “concentration” as an additional “limb” that requires equal exercise. And, man, this drummer’s fifth limb is muscle-bound. McCarthy’s astonishing independence and disciplined groove focus are a thrill to behold. Showcasing his…
The Running Jumps The Consciousness Set
The “about” section on this L.A. band’s Facebook page does well by comparing their music to the’60s psychedelic pop sounds of the Beatles and Zombies and ’90s indie-rock heavies such as Guided By Voices and Superdrag. They could easily add…
Jonathan Scales Fourquestra
The cover art’s mirror-reverse title script and fanciful imagery seem to suggest we’re down the rabbit hole. Maybe not Wonderland, but certainly an alternate universe. Inventive steel pan player Jonathan Scales delivers a disc that’s dazzling, shaded with surprising sonorities,…
Sublime 3 Ring Circus: Live at the Palace, October 21, 1995
Sublime is that rare band that enjoyed most of its success and acclaim after breaking up. Following the death by heroin overdose of vocalist and guitarist Bradley Nowell on May 25, 1996, the remaining members, drummer Bud Gaugh and bassist…
Queens of the Stone Age …Like Clockwork
After a six-year absence, Queens of the Stone Age are back with a new sound on their latest record, …Like Clockwork. The ten-track album came with its fair share of trials and tribulations, though. Complications from a knee surgery back…
Intronaut Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)
Prime musicianship and haunting melodies make excellent bedfellows, especially when mixed with mesmerizing polyrhythms and punishing heaviness. On Intronaut’s latest, drummer Danny Walker proves that he’s perfectly suited for whatever feel is waiting around the next corner. The infectiously jilting…
The Afro-Peruvian Percussion Ensemble: From the Cajon to the Drum Set
BOOK/DVD LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED $30 Recording artist and educator Hector Morales has contributed a rich and concise new look at an under-covered topic. A valuable addition to the library of world percussion, The Afro-Peruvian Percussion Ensemble provides us with…
