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.
Gene Krupa 1909-1973
"I'm happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a high priced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz." TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Krupa and the Small Groups: A Lesson In Individuality and Swing
The overwhelming majority of both jazz historians and laymen remember Gene Krupa as primarily, a big-band drummer. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Reflections on Gene Krupa
In 1939, I first met Gene. I started at the Hickory House in 1938. So Gene and I had been friends for over 30 years. I guess that everything that has been said about the man has been said before…
Michael Shrieve: Transcendence
I can remember being 16 years old, listening to 17-year-old Mike Shrieve on the first Santana album. It was released soon after Santana's stunning performance at the Woodstock Festival. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Andrew Cyrille: An Aesthetic Endeavor
Andrew Cyrille has always been interested in the interpretive power of drums and percussion, and he has shown various aspects of this in contexts ranging from the Cecil Taylor Unit, to solo percussion albums and concerts. Here, he shares his…
Saul Goodman The Master Tympanist
With every instrument, there are certain players who, through their musicianship, manage to raise everyone's consciousness about how that instrument can he played. Often, these players also become involved with instrument design, in an effort to reduce the physical limitations…
Portraits: The Oak Ridge Boys’ Fred Satterfield
I've been traveling and playing for money since I was about 14. I'm 25 today. I started out playing in some gospel/rock bands on the West Coast. Much of my fatback, heart and soul comes from that music, and working…
Up and Coming: Butch Baron
Butch Baron was raised on Long Island, New York, but has spent the last few years on the West Coast. He has taken the seeming "adversity" of being a drummer with only one leg and turned it into an "opportunity."…
Michael Carvin: Spreading The Word
One might nickname Michael Carvin "Man Of 1,000 Albums." He's played drums on many albums, including 100 jazz albums. The artists with whom he's been associated run the gamut of jazz— bebop, traditional, to the avant-garde and soul-tinged. TO READ…
Bob Moses: Beneath the Surface
If I were asked to make a list of the most underrated drummers. Bob Moses would be the first name that would come to my mind. I first met Moses through Charlie Perry at a jazz drumming workshop Perry was…
Barriemore Barlow
Since their 1972 album "Thick As A Brick", Jethro Tull's music has become more and more layered, intricate, and demanding on both players and listeners. Also, since that time, Barriemore Barlow, a 29-year-old Scotsman, has been their percussionist. TO READ…
Danny Seraphine: The Rhythm of Chicago
"I loved to watch my uncle who was a drummer, when I was young, but he only played weekends because in those days, most of them didn't really devote their lives to it. It was such a long-shot," says Danny…
Roberta Crain - Navy Drummer
Roberta Crain is a rock drummer, currently employed by the United States Navy. Crain explains the competition she faced entering the Navy's music program and the prejudice encountered because she is a drummer. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
Alan White - Yes-Man
As the drummer for the popular British rock group Yes, Alan White has many definite ideas concerning the position of the drummer within a rock band. White talks about the importance of the bass drum, the studios and writing for…
