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.
Kwaku Dadey
Kwaku Dadey is the quintessential African master drummer. He comes from a family in Africa that has a rich musical background. There have been master drummers in Kwaku’s family for well over five generations. Kwaku is a musician who not…
Francis Clay
Francis Clay is one of a handful of drummers who helped to create and define blues drumming. Many rhythm section players get very little recognition for their contributions to the blues and other forms of American music. In the evolution…
Steve Nisbett of the Iconic Reggae Band Steel Pulse
He barely knew what to do with a reggae groove when he started his climb to the top of the pops with Steel Pulse. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler
Ndugu. The name in Swahili means "Earth Brother." In drumming, Ndugu Leon Chancler's aura is that of a powerhouse, with his head in the stars and his feet planted firmly in the groove—the pulse of the earth. TO READ THE…
Joe LaBarbera — Goal Achiever
Sometimes, jazz just seems to run in the family. There are the Joneses (Hank, Thad and Elvin), Chuck and Gap Mangione, Tootie, Percy and Jimmy Heath, the Brecker Brothers, the Brubecks (Dave, Darius, Chris and Danny), and the LaBarberas—saxophonist Pat,…
Sandy Nelson
For those who grew up in the '60s, Sandy Nelson needs little introduction. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Def Leppard's Rick Allen
Rick Allen carefully studies his hands, which are blistered already, just a few days into Def Leppard’s tour with Billy Squier. “Yeah, I’ve often thought about it,” he says, examining one especially calloused finger, “how playing the drums has totally…
Alex Van Halen
"To me, 'rock 'n' roll' is just a term that describes something because there is no better word to use. 'Rock 'n' roll' in the '50s meant something completely different from what it means today. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
Phillip Wilson — Beyond The Blues
You hardly have time to settle on a bag for Phillip Wilson when he pulls a rabbit out of his hat to confound all your preconceptions and expectations. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Drums Around The World
The stage of the small Georgetown club is crowded with equipment and players. Near the far corner, with a look of intense concentration on his face, Mike Shrieve provides locomotion behind his white Hayman kit. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
Frank Beard's Texas Rock
Frank Beard is a friendly, down-home sort of guy who makes you feel very comfortable talking with him. Even though he is a member of ZZ Top, a major rock band selling into the millions in records and concert tours,…
Pearl Jam/Soundgarden Drummer Matt Cameron Enlists David Bowie’s Blackstar Drummer, Mark Guiliana, for His Latest Solo Album
Matt Cameron may be widely known as the drummer with two iconic bands, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, but those who’ve followed his career closely know he’s also a multi-instrumentalist who occasionally releases music as a leader. For his latest album,…
M'Boom
When two or more drummers get together, traditionally, it's a battle. Or is it? What about in Africa, where a great deal of the music is performed by large drum ensembles, in which each member has a specific part to…
Eric Carr — The Kiss Of Success
In the summer of 1980, with the departure of original drummer Peter Criss, Kiss began a talent hunt that ended with the installation of Eric Carr in the drum chair. Unknown but far from inexperienced, he had served his…
