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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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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

by Jeff Potter
May 3, 2018

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…

by Adam Budofsky
May 3, 2018

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

Modern Drummer
May 3, 2018

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

by Hank Shteamer
May 3, 2018

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…

by Adam Budofsky
Apr 26, 2018
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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

by Jeff Potter
Apr 26, 2018

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…

Story by Jeff Potter | Photos by Alex Solca
Apr 26, 2018

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…

Story by Ken Micallef |Photos by Ebet Roberts
Apr 26, 2018

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

by Bob Girouard
Apr 26, 2018

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…

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

Heart’s Michael Derosier

Remembers Dog & Butterfly

by Patrick Berkery
Apr 25, 2018

Rick Marotta

For the drummer, who’d built a sterling session and live career for nearly ten years with artists including John Lennon, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, James Taylor, and Steely Dan, 1978 was yet another super-busy year. In the studio, on the…

by Billy Amendola
Apr 25, 2018
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Peter Criss on Peter Criss

"When we were planning our solo albums, I knew I might never again get the chance to do what I wanted, with horns and strings and singing. I’m a soul singer; I grew up with James Brown, the Ronettes, the…

by Billy Amendola
Apr 25, 2018

Foreigner’s Dennis Elliott

“I was blessed to land a gig as life-changing as Foreigner,” the London-born drummer Dennis Elliott says. “It was a band I totally believed in.” Elliott played with the group for seventeen years, powering solid-gold tracks like “Urgent,” “Feels Like…

by Robin Tolleson
Apr 25, 2018
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