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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.

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Legendary Blues Drummer Sam Lay Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and More

This past May 9, the Blues Foundation, a Memphis-based nonprofit organization that preserves and celebrates blues heritage, inducted their thirty-ninth class of Blues Hall of Fame members at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education in Memphis, Tennessee. This…

Modern Drummer
May 30, 2018

Jeff Hamilton live date, Gavin Harrison with Gleb Kolyadin, Kevin Haskins' Bauhaus coffee-table book, and more

RECORDINGS Dan Pugach Nonet Plus One Playful throwback jazz nudged beyond nostalgia by its drummer/leader. The primary factor that seems to separate the Dan Pugach Nonet (“nonet” in this context refers to a nine-piece collective) from so much contemporary jazz…

Modern Drummer
May 30, 2018

Adam Levin with X Ambassadors

The group’s founding drummer embraces hybrid roles in the studio and on the road with the alternative pop/rock stars.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Graham Fielder
May 30, 2018

John McEntire on the Sea and Cake’s Any Day

The multi-instrumentalist and Tortoise drummer ably anchors this Chicago indie-rock group’s outstanding new release.

Article by Ben Meyer | Photo by Andrew Paynter
May 30, 2018

What’s Your Favorite Simon Phillips Performance?

This month we check in with Simon Phillips, the U.K. jazz, fusion, and rock monster and former Toto drummer, who’s on the road in support of his latest solo project, Protocol 4. To find out which performances from the versatile…

Modern Drummer
May 30, 2018
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The Boys Are Back in Town!

Hi, everyone. It feels as though I was just wishing you a happy New Year and we were all freezing in the cold—especially here in the northeast—and now I’m saying, “Happy summer!” TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…

by Billy Amendola
May 30, 2018

Bubinga Behemoth

Drummer Matt Flacche, based in Marlton, New Jersey, custom-ordered and built this month’s monster setup, a 2017 Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit in satin natural cordia finish. With previous appearances in the September 2003, July 2007, and January 2009 issues, this…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

2017 Sydney Vintage and Custom Drum Expo

Australia’s finest craftsmen shine among celebrated international mainstays during a day of exhibits and performances.

Story by Bob Campbell | Photos by Michael Zaluzny
Apr 25, 2018

Ben Riley, Pat Torpey and Z’EV

Jazz drumming great Ben Riley died last November 18. He was eighty-four. Although best remembered for his high-profile 1964–67 tenure with the iconic pianist Thelonious Monk, Riley enjoyed a fruitful six-decade career supporting a lengthy roster of jazz luminaries, including…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Mike Mangini with Into the Great Divide, Legend of the Seagullmen with Danny Carey, and more

RECORDINGS Miles Davis & John Coltrane The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 Wes Montgomery In Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording Two releases of fabled, much-bootlegged European jazz concerts are finally given proper treatment with remastered sound and impressive…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

Diego Arcaute with Juana Molina

Whether playing odd-time indie electronica, contemporary pop, or folkloric acoustic music, the Argentinian drummer brings a seasoned sensitivity and open mind to the studio and the stage.

Article by Adam Budofsky | Photo by Mariko Miura
Apr 25, 2018

Dafnis Prieto on the Dafnis Prieto Big Band’s Back to the Sunset

The prolific Afro-Cuban and jazz connoisseur honors his musical heroes with a heavy ensemble.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Henry Lopez
Apr 25, 2018
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What’s Your Favorite 1970s Jazz or Fusion Drumming Album?

This month, as we delve into the music and drumming of 1978, we asked our readers and social media followers to name some of their favorite records from the entire decade. Here they weigh in on great ’70s jazz and…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

A Year in Transition

There have been numerous landmark events in music history that have made certain years seem more significant than others, such as the death of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1750, which signified the end of the Baroque period, or the dawn…

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018
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