JAZZ INSIGHTS
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.
The Next So-and-So!
I’m tempted to begin each of my new Modern Drummer columns by writing “With everything else that’s going on in the world…” because the unrelenting news cycles force me to question the relative importance of an artistic particular or a…
“Where Am I Going?”
More often than not, I preach precision while espousing specificity when it comes to expressing our ideas on the drumset. In simple terms, that adds up to, “saying what we mean and meaning what we say.” That approach, however, runs…
Peter Erskine-Lauren Ellis: Women in Drumming, Mentorship
This month’s Jazz Insights column focuses on my former USC student and teaching assistant Lauren Ellis. Her bio informs us that, “Lauren is a drummer, composer, and educator from Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand. There, she studied at the Te Kōki…
My Manne, Shelly
Shelly Manne was one of my first drum heroes, and he remains a hero to this day. A swinging drummer in any context, he personified eclecticism while remaining a singularly unique musician. Shelly could do it all. Since the term…
Going to the Movies, with Peter Erskine
Scene 1: Jam session, rehearsal, or a gig. Bandleader’s Line: Let’s play “Green Dolphin Street” … and… Drums, how about you play an intro? Spot Quiz: A.) Do you ask, “How long?”B.) Do you ask, “What tempo?”C.) Do you ask,…
Putting Ideas Into Action
My dear old friend, the late John Abercrombie, used to say when drinking his favorite breakfast beverage, “You know, there’s nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning … and this is nothing like a good cup of…
Words Versus Nuts and Bolts
I’m literally happy to be sitting in the jazz-drumming-column chair for Modern Drummer. It’s a well-worn seat that I’ve occupied from time to time over the years. If I stand accused of being too wordy, well, then I plead “guilty…
