Features
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.
Kenny Clarke — Jazz Pioneer
The truth of the matter is, Kenny Clarke is perhaps more responsible for the evolution of modern jazz drumming than any other single individual. The man is, in fact, the ultimate pioneer. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Stan Lynch — Heartbreaking Rhythm
With $100 in his pocket, Stan Lynch drove his dad's VW bus from Florida across country to L.A. in 1974. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Carl Allen
Some people get all the breaks. They're the ones who just happen to be in the right place at the right time and luck out with the glamour gigs that every aspiring musician dreams of. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
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. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
Slim Jim Phantom — The Aesthetics of Bangin' and Yellin'
The first thing you notice about Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats—aside from the tattoos that seem to crawl up and down both arms—is, well, his slimness. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 1
For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts…
L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 2
For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts…
Jackie Santos: No Labels, Please
I first met Jackie Santos when his group, Tavares, was playing the Copacabana in New York City. The band was excellent. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Abbey Rader
SF: You’re a musician who’s referred to as an expatriot who started his career in the U.S. and then moved to West Germany. What prompted the move? AR: I moved in about 1978. I’d been living in New York and…
Ignacio Berroa and Daniel Ponce
In Verna Gillis’ apartment in Greenwich Village’s west side, the doorbell rings with a special rhythm—the clave; the beat that underlies almost all Cuban music. And if Verna’s phone could ring to that rhythm, it would because she owns Soundscape,…
Buddy Rich — Unstoppable
When Buddy Rich took charge behind the kit, the air crackled. Buddy aimed to excite, to give audiences their money’s worth with precision, sophistication, and world-class quality. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Gregg Potter
No two drummers’ stories are exactly alike. From heavy rotation on MTV in the heyday of ’80s hair metal to his current role as the driver of the Buddy Rich Band, it’s clear that very few drummers’ career trajectories are…
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's John Riley Chats With VJO Sub Paul Wells
When you take over the drum chair associated with a bona fide legend, there’s a huge responsibility to get it right. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Steve Shelton
To the self-styled number cruncher with Confessor and Loincloth, if he’s communicating an “unbalanced” feel with his drumming, he’s doing something very right. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
