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.
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
Stephen Belans
He never planned to become an expert in the field of roots drumming. But after twenty years as one of Austin’s most in-demand musicians—not to mention his participation in two recent Americana drum software packages—that’s how things seem to have…
Levon Helm May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012
Bob Dylan told the press that Helm “was one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation.” TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Doug "Cosmo" Clifford
Creedence Clearwater Revival achieved an unprecedented level of success in a short span of time with hits like “Travelin’ Band,” “Proud Mary,” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” helping to establish a down-home sound that has informed several generations worth of…
Ralph Molina
Rock 'n' roll bands don't get any more quintessentially American than Neil Young's longtime collaborative soul mate, Crazy Horse. What does the drum chair demand in this famously off-the-cuff combo? Guts, intuition, and a taste for spontaneity. TO READ THE…
J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell
Everybody's talkin' about the Tedeschi Trucks Band's dual-drummer team. As in all great relationships, though, communication between the two rhythmic igniters requires few words. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
What You Need to Know About Bass Drum Heads
In this article and subsequent ones in a series, we’re going to survey the various types of plastic-based drumheads available for each component of the kit to help you zero in on which models will get you closest to the…
