Departments
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.
Ricky Wellman
Ricky “Sugarfoot” Wellman may be most widely known as jazz master Miles Davis’s last touring drummer, but perhaps more important is his role in the genesis of go-go music, a marathon funk style indigenous to the Washington, D.C., area. TO…
Ronald Shannon Jackson
“As you know, this is only about having fun,” Ronald Shannon Jackson told the audience in his warm Texas drawl at the 1991 Skopje Jazz Festival, a performance archived on YouTube. “We’re here to have a little pleasure and bring…
A Slingerland Unmasked
After purchasing and restoring the 1950s Slingerland bass drum pictured in this month’s featured kit, Marc Membreno was overtaken by the urge to flesh out the setup with other vintage Slingerland tubs. “I started with a 1958 blue sparkle bass…
The 2017 Hollywood Custom and Vintage Drum Show
Drum enthusiasts from around the globe convened at the Glendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California, this past October 7 to check out informative clinics and a plethora of new and vintage drumming gear. The stellar performance lineup included Jason McGerr…
The Chick Corea & Steve Gadd Band, Arturo O’Farrill and Chucho Valdés, Good Tiger, Quartet NL, and more!
In a highly anticipated reunion, keyboardist Chick Corea and STEVE GADD co-lead a top-flight band in a mix of electric and acoustic jazz excursions with echoes of their mid-’70s brotherhood. Corea crafted most of the double disc’s original compositions with…
Ulysses Owens Jr.
During his long tenures with the jazz stars Christian McBride and Kurt Elling, Ulysses Owens Jr. aspired to build his own standing as a leader. The dazzling and seriously swinging drummer has taken another strong stride in that direction on…
Remembering Ben Riley, Frank Capp, Grady Tate, and Chuck Blackwell.
Ben Riley This past November 18, the American jazz-drumming great Ben Riley passed away at the age of eighty-four. A brief list of Riley’s credits includes Alice Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Ahmad Jamal, Kenny Barron, the New…
Marty Beller With They Might Be Giants
The drummer and composer stokes an already roaring blaze underneath a raucous group’s latest worldwide trek.
John Convertino on Calexico’s The Thread That Keeps Us
A presidential election, a trip west to the coast, and an immersion in nature invigorate the indie mainstay’s latest foray into Tex-Mex-infused Americana bliss.
Drum Fills: Keep It Simple, or Shred?
Drummers have to consider plenty of options when choosing an appropriate fill to play in a given situation. Factors such as voicing, subdivision, density, and speed comprise just a few of the choices. While keeping these options in mind, we…
Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart: 1961-2017
It seemed that Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart existed to dispel the moronic clichés informing most drummer jokes. The dude could seemingly do it all. Killer drummer. Great singer. Amazing songwriter. He was also a supremely talented visual artist who designed…
Appreciation and Gratitude
Happy New Year! It’s that time again, when we reflect back on the past year and appreciate all the wonderful opportunities we’ve been blessed with. Time has always fascinated me. Maybe being a drummer has something to do with that.…
Rufus "Speedy" Jones
Jazz has often been called the true American classical music, finding its most immediate roots in the blues. Although the blues sang out against physical hardship and mental depression, its simple, haunting rhythms would most always convey a jubilance and…
