Drummer News, Stories, Reviews | Modern Drummer Magazine
July 2013
July 2013
Features

Carter Beauford

Carter Beauford Story by Ilya Stemkovsky Photos by Rahav A full fifteen years after the Dave Matthews Band drummer’s last MD cover story, he and his mates remain as popular as ever. In that time, much has changed in Carter’s…

Carter Beauford
Features

Influences - Billy Higgins

Influences Billy Higgins The Great Facilitator by Marvin Patmos The year was 1959, and in New York City, Ornette Coleman’s quartet was creating a bona fide controversy with its six-week run at the Five Spot. The music was rhythmically loose…

Influences - Billy Higgins
Features

Brian Chippendale

Portraits Brian Chippendale by Hank Shteamer Pretty might not be what he’s aiming for. But when Lightning Bolt’s drummer sits behind the kit, people move, and they think. What more could you ask for?When you think of a drummer playing…

Brian Chippendale
Education

Strictly Technique - The Missing Stickings

Strictly Technique The Missing Stickings 12 Essential Patterns Not Included in Stick Control by Mat Marucci The inspiration for this article came from years of studying out of George Lawrence Stone’s Stick Control for the Snare Drummer. I’ve practiced that…

Strictly Technique - The Missing Stickings

News

Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more

Sonic Temple Festival 2023: Recap + Photo Gallery

Festival season for Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) continued with Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival (formerly Rock On the Range) throughout Memorial Day weekend (5/25-5/28). The festival returned to the Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH after a three-year hiatus…

Modern Drummer
Jun 8, 2023

Johnny Kelly Talks New Supergroup Eye Am, Debut Single, and Type O Negative Reissues

Johnny Kelly will not sit still, but he has a very good reason. In 2010, when Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele passed away, Kelly was confronted with both the loss of his best friend and possibly his career. It…

Consequence
Jun 5, 2023

Gretsch's 140th Anniversary Concert in NYC: Photo Gallery

On May 23rd, 2023, Gretsch drums returned to New York City for a remarkable 140th anniversary celebration. The South Carolina-based drum company organized a special one-night-only concert at The Cutting Room in New York City to honor the rich history…

Modern Drummer
Jun 1, 2023

Remembering John Bonham: Drummers Pay Tribute to the Led Zeppelin Legend

Heavy Consequence contributor Greg Prato is also the author of several rock books. His 2020 oral history, titled BONZO: 30 Rock Drummers Remember the Legendary John Bonham, pays tribute to late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Below he shares excerpts…

Consequence
May 31, 2023
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Videos

Rig rundowns, play-throughs, interviews, and more featuring your favorite drummers

Mike Portnoy: The Winery Dogs' Tour Kit Rundown

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…

Modern Drummer
May 30, 2023
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Gear

Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories

Tone Wings Add Some Focus to Your Drum Tone

Tone Wings Add Some Focus to Your Drum Tone

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first saw Tone Wings by Liquid Sound technologies. It’s not your every-day drum product. At first glance, you might think they fell off a piece of expensive furniture. However, garnering my…

By Jason Mehler
May 31, 2023
Evans Hybrid Sensory Percussion Sound System An Open Canvas for Sonic Expression

Evans Hybrid Sensory Percussion Sound System An Open Canvas for Sonic Expression

As a product that began as a successful Kickstarter campaign by Sunhouse Technologies, Sensory Percussion™ has matured and evolved thanks to a partnership with EVANS drumheads. The joint venture has created the new EVANS Hybrid Sensory Percussion Sound System. This…

By Jason Mehler
May 31, 2023
Outlaw Drums Sound Control Technology Snare  A Clean Sounding, Extremely Stable, Stave Constructed Snare Drum

Outlaw Drums Sound Control Technology Snare A Clean Sounding, Extremely Stable, Stave Constructed Snare Drum

Outlaw Drums are known as high quality stave construction drums that are built from centuries-old wood. They ooze with history. For anyone who owns one of these drums, they know how great they sound. Yet, in some circumstances and environments,…

By Brian Hill
May 31, 2023
beyerdynamic Reimagines its Classic M Series Microphones

beyerdynamic Reimagines its Classic M Series Microphones

beyerdynamic – the preferred audio brand for live music and studio professionals globally – is unveiling a redesign of its storied M Series mics at NAMM 2023. The iconic M Series, which has recorded Jimi Hendrix’s explosive guitar riffs and…

Modern Drummer
May 31, 2023
Latin Percussion Launch Panderos De Plena Folkloric Puerto Rican Drums

Latin Percussion Launch Panderos De Plena Folkloric Puerto Rican Drums

Latin Percussion is pleased to present its new Panderos De Plena, a collection of handheld drums to honor the rhythmic heritage and culture Puerto Rico. This further expands the brands extensive range of professional world and ethnic percussion instruments. Latin…

Modern Drummer
May 31, 2023
Gretsch Drums Launch Limited Edition 140th Anniversary Kit

Gretsch Drums Launch Limited Edition 140th Anniversary Kit

When Friedrich Gretsch opened a small music shop in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1883, no one expected his drums would become one of the most respected, iconic brands in music history. To celebrate, Gretsch is proud to present the Limited Edition…

Modern Drummer
May 31, 2023
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Kit of the Month

Taurus Lovely’s “Crown of Thorns” kit

Taurus Lovely is the touring drummer for the Tina Turner Broadway show entitled Tina. For Modern Drummer’s Kit of the Month, Taurus has brought us his Treehouse custom “Crown of Thorns” drum kit.…

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Podcasts

Host John DeChristopher goes in-depth with the biggest names in drumming

John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Simon Kirke

From the archives, this episode of Live From My Drum Room with Simon Kirke of Bad Company originally aired live on November 22, 2021. Simon joins John for a fabulous conversation including the London music scene in the 1960s, "Free"…

Modern Drummer
Jun 8, 2023

John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Cady Zildjian

John’s guest is Cady Zildjian. Cady is the Vice Chair Board of Directors for the Zildjian Company. She is the eldest of the 15th generation of the Zildjian Family and the daughter of Debbie Zildjian, granddaughter of Armand Zildjian and…

Modern Drummer
Jun 1, 2023

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…

Modern Drummer
May 25, 2023

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.…

Modern Drummer
May 18, 2023
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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…

Story by Karen Larcombe
Jan 10, 2022

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…

Story by Jim Warchol
Jan 10, 2022

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…

Story by T. Bruce Wittet
Jan 10, 2022

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…

Story by T. Bruce Wittet
Jan 10, 2022
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