Buddy Rich — Unstoppable
When Buddy Rich took charge behind the kit, the air crackled. Buddy aimed to excite, to give audiences…
Gregg Potter
No two drummers’ stories are exactly alike. From heavy rotation on MTV in the heyday of ’80s hair…
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's John Riley Chats With VJO Sub Paul Wells
When you take over the drum chair associated with a bona fide legend, there’s a huge responsibility to…
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's John Riley Chats With VJO Sub Paul Wells
When you take over the drum chair associated with a bona fide legend, there’s a huge responsibility to…
News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp Announces July Edition in NYC
If you've ever wanted to live out your rockstar dreams, Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp is here to make that possible. Taking place in New York City, Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp will go down from July 13th-16th, 2023. You'll have an opportunity to…
Terri Lyne Carrington's Debut TLC & Friends To Receive First-Ever Wide Release
Terri Lynn Carrington, photo by Bob Campbell Accomplished drummer and Modern Drummer's April 2023 cover star Terri Lyne Carrington will be giving her 1981 debut, TLC & Friends, a wide release for the first time. The album will hit streaming…
Kirk Arrington, Longtime Metal Church Drummer, Dead at 61
Longtime Metal Church drummer Kirk Arrington died Monday, May 22nd, at the age of 61. The band shared the news of Arrington’s passing in a social media statement on Monday night, writing, “We just received the sad news, Kirk Arrington…
Nandi Bushell Performs Her Top Rock and Metal Drum Intros of All Time: Watch
Music prodigy Nandi Bushell, who turns 13 this Friday (April 28th), recently posted videos of her performing her Top 5 rock and Top 5 metal drum intros of all time, paying tribute to songs by Nirvana, Black Sabbath, System of…
Videos
Rig rundowns, play-throughs, interviews, and more featuring your favorite drummers
Mike Portnoy: The Winery Dogs' Tour Kit Rundown
Join The Winery Dogs drummer and Modern Drummer's May 2023 cover star Mike Portnoy as he gives us a rundown of his drum kit. Portnoy is currently on tour with The Winery Dogs, and in typical Portnoy fashion, his kit…
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
DW Launches the Alex Gonzalez DW ICON™ Snare
Drum Workshop, Inc. is proud to present the Alex Gonzalez DW ICON™ Snare; a tribute to the legendary drummer of Latin pop icons Maná. Alex Gonzalez and his band, Maná, are one of the biggest pop/rock bands in the world.…
Your Sonic Universe Awaits with Evans Hybrid and Sensory Percussion
EVANS Drumheads, maker of the most technologically advanced drumheads on Earth, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Sunhouse Technologies Inc. Building upon Sunhouse’s foundational Sensory Percussion technology, the joint venture features completely redesigned versions of both the hardware…
PDP Concept Metal Snare Drums Brushed Aluminum, Copper, and Brass Shells
Pacific Drums and Percussion (PDP) was formed by Drum Workshop (DW) in 1999 to provide a more affordable premium quality brand of drums, pedals, and hardware. PDP features “boutique-inspired, player friendly features, and best-in-class build-quality to more drummers around the…
Latin Percussion Launches Tito Puente Signature Timbale and Cowbell Sets
Latin Percussion is proud to launch the limited-edition Tito Puente Signature Timbale and Cowbell sets to mark the centennial of the birth of ‘El Rey del Timbal’. Famed composer, band leader, and percussionist, Tito Puente, had a career that spanned…
Roland TD-27KV2 Another V-Drum offering
Having already experienced some of Roland’s recent upgrades to their V-Drums lineup, I was eager to get ahold of their TD-27KV2 model. The TD-27KV2 is Roland’s mid-level kit, which is a step up in features (and price) from their TD-17KVX2.…
WFL III Drums Birdseye Maple Snare Classic Maple Mahogany Shell with a Modern Twist
William F Ludwig III, WFL III Drums chief drum designer, sent Modern Drummer one of their new G2 shell series, Birdseye Maple snare drums for us to put through the paces. WFL III Drums have been upping their game considerably…
Kit of the Month
Sonor and Paiste Beauty from the UK
For this month’s Kit of the Month, Modern Drummer brings you London, England’s Arnaldo “Arnie” Rogano’s drum set that he uses with his band Madre Sun. His drums are Sonor, his cymbals are…
Continue ReadingPodcasts
Host John DeChristopher goes in-depth with the biggest names in drumming
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Vinnie Colaiuta
From the archives, this episode of Live From My Drum Room With Vinnie Colaiuta! originally aired on January 29, 2022. John’s guest is legendary drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta! John and Vinnie discuss Vinnie's years at Berklee College of Music and living in…
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Cindy Blackman Santana
John’s guest is the incomparable Cindy Blackman Santana! Cindy talks about her formative years as a drummer and hearing Max Roach for the first time, and shortly after, the great Tony Williams and the influence Tony has on her playing.…
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Jeff "Tain" Watts
John’s guest is legendary Jazz drummer, composer, band leader and seven-time Grammy winner, Jeff “Tain” Watts. John and Jeff talk about when they met in 1980 while Jeff was attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Jeff’s background in Classical…
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room - Remembering Lennie DiMuzio
A special episode of Live From My Drum Room remembering Music Industry icon and Artist Relations pioneer, Lennie DiMuzio! Lennie is best known for his 40+ years working at Zildjian, most notably in Artist Relations, as well as other key…
Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
Gene Krupa Elected to Hall of Fame in 1979
Excerpted from the October/November 1979 issue “I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a highpriced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.” The above quote of drum master Gene Krupa…
Buddy Rich Elected to Hall of Fame in 1980
Excerpted from the January 1977 issue When it comes to interviewing Buddy, one must learn to expect the unexpected. You can end up with a first rate story, or no story at all. He’s a very intense human being, with…
John Bonham Elected to Hall of Fame in 1981
Excerpted from the John Bonham tribute issue, July 1984 John Bonham played, for the most part, a very simple drumkit, consisting of a 14x26 bass drum, a 12x15 small tom—at first mounted on a snare stand and later on the…
Keith Moon Elected to Hall of Fame in 1982
Excerpted from the September 2003 issue In his last interview, published posthumously in October 1978, Keith told International Musician and Recording World, “You can’t work out things too much. We do certain build-ups and things, but you can run into…
