Modern Drummer Magazine

“My motto has always been to keep growing both artistically and personally,” Jerry Marotta says. “If I didn’t, I’d probably fall asleep.”

The bands Billy Ficca is most commonly associated with are all pretty different from each other. Television had those lean, anxious guitar jams that sound as ahead of their time today as they did back in the mid-to-late ’70s. The Waitresses were an art-y band that flirted with Top 40 success (yes, that’s Ficca you hear on “Christmas Wrapping” each year around the holidays).

The original set player in the most famous Latin-rock band of all time has always placed a dedication to the larger musical picture well above any attempts at stylistic authenticity.

Ash Soan has built an enviable studio drumming career—topped by a Grammy win with Adele—a burgeoning social-media presence, and his own recording studio. Housed in a 200-year-old windmill located on his property, the striking, round-shaped studio has recently found Soan producing drum tracks for the likes of James Morrison and Jeff Lorber.

His recent autobiography tells a fascinating tale of rock ’n’ roll survival, navigating ups and downs and twists and turns with seminal British acts like Argent and the Kinks. As usual, constant work and artistic growth provide the fuel for a still-active career.

When the rhythm ace with the enormously popular yet unclassifiable Puerto Rican band Calle 13 began working on singer iLe’s much-anticipated solo debut, he found that a no-rules approach worked best.