Papa Jo Jones
"I don't waste time," Papa Jo says, the words snapping upside my head like a malevolent rimshot, the eyes bugging out and his voice becoming as hard and sharp as flint. "Time is too precious. Sheeeeeetttt. I've never wasted time…
L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 2
Jim Keltner, Jeff Porcaro, Rick Marotta, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Craig Krampf Times have certainly changed. Circa 1964, the exposure of the Beatles altered the lives of most would-be musicians of that era. For those who fancied playing instruments, the dream…
L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 1
Jim Keltner, Hal Blaine, Shelly Manne, Craig Krampf, Vinnie Colaiuta Times have certainly changed. Circa 1964, the exposure of the Beatles altered the lives of most would-be musicians of that era. For those who fancied playing instruments, the dream…
Jackie Santos: No Labels, Please
Duke Ellington is credited with grouping all music into two categories: good and bad. And as humorous as it might be to envision record shops with all the records dumped into either a "good" bin or a "bad" bin, I…
News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Devo's Electrifying 50 Years of De-evolution Tour: A Night of Music, Outfits, and Iconic Moments at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle
Devo, one of the most iconic bands to emerge during the 70s, played at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA, as a stop on their 50 Years of De-evolution tour. The group was formed in 1973 in Akron, OH, with…
Jay Weinberg Undergoes Hip and Femur Surgeries Following Firing from Slipknot
Drummer Jay Weinberg revealed on Sunday (November 19th) that he underwent surgery on both his hip and femur this past Tuesday (November 14th). The stickman insisted that the medical procedures were long planned, and not related to his firing from…
George Brown, Kool & the Gang Drummer, Dead at 74
George “Funky” Brown, a founding member and longtime drummer of Kool & the Gang, has died at the age of 74. A representative for Kool & the Gang issued a statement to TMZ saying, “George Brown died November 16, 2023 in…
Los Angeles: Out Now - A Futuristic Drumming Collaboration by Lol Tolhurst, Budgie, and Jacknife Lee
An album that’s been in the works for over three years, finally sees the light of day today, and we here at Modern Drummer couldn’t be more excited that it’s finally out. It’s not often two iconic post punk drumming…
Videos
Rig rundowns, play-throughs, interviews, and more featuring your favorite drummers
Pat Steward - Bryan Adams - Tour Kit Rundown
When Bryan Adams came through South Florida, Modern Drummer met up with drummer and MD November 2023 Cover artist, Pat Steward for a rundown of the drums he uses on the So Happy It Hurts Tour. Pat Steward's rundown here:…
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
Ringo Starr’s “Now and Then” WFL Set
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Techra Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Sticks: The Ultimate Drumsticks
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DWe Drum Set: Acoustic-Electronic Drums with Ground-breaking Wireless Technology
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New and Notable December
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1928 Ludwig Rialto and 1933 Ludwig Pioneer Trap Kits
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Drum Workshop’s New Hybrid Purple Core Shells, Serious Low-End with Serious Durability
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Kit of the Month
Living Dead Drums
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Continue ReadingPodcasts
Host John DeChristopher goes in-depth with the biggest names in drumming
This Week's Episode!
Episode 140: My Top 10 most influential albums with Mark Guiliana
From the archives, My Top 10 with Mark Guiliana, Grammy-nominated American drummer, composer and leader of the band Beat Music. Mark G walks us thru his Top 10 most influential albums.
Episode 139: My Top 10 Solo Drum Albums with Glenn Kotche
From the archive, Glenn walks us thru his Top 10 favorite solo Drum & Percussion albums.
Episode 138: My Top 10 Drum Tracks
Oft-Overlooked Drum Tracks With Styx’s Todd Sucherman
Episode 137: David Frangioni With Benny Greb
From the archives, Thrill to "The Art of Groove" with Benny Greb with Host David Frangioni
Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
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…
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…
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…
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…
