Jim Keltner Archives - Modern Drummer Magazine

Jim Keltner

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.

That Seductive Charlie Watts Groove

One Style I Could Never Mimic Charlie loved music of all kinds. One of the many things we had in common. And he loved all the same drummers I did—mostly the jazz guys. But we also agreed on how great…

By Jim Keltner
Oct 29, 2021

November 1981 — Jim Keltner

A few years ago, Emil Richards took me and my wife to see Buddy Rich play at a musician’s night in a restaurant in Glendale. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99 /year SAVE…

Feb 28, 2020

Remembering Hal Blaine

He helped pave the way for every great studio musician who came out of L.A., and his influence extends to this very day. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99 /year SAVE 15% Digital…

Aug 26, 2019

Matt Halpern on Periphery IV: Hail Stan

For a decade the prolific progressive metal drummer, educator, and entrepreneur has been powering Periphery’s wild time signatures and blazing riff s. We asked the sticksman all about the groundbreaking band’s first self-released title. MD: Where was Hail Stan recorded?…

by Willie Rose
Apr 30, 2019

Steve Jordan

It’s 4:00 in the afternoon, and the set of Late Night With David Letterman is crowded with people. Cameramen are setting up shots, electricians are adjusting lights, stagehands are moving things around, various assistants are checking innumerable details, and Steve…

by Rick Mattingly
Sep 6, 2018

L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 1

For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts…

by Robyn Flans
May 14, 2018

L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 2

For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts…

by Robyn Flans
May 14, 2018

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: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99…

by Jeff Potter
May 3, 2018

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: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99 /year SAVE 15% Digital Monthly Magazine…

by Jeff Potter
Apr 26, 2018

The Pros: On Bass Drums

Certain reader questions seem to repeat themselves. Several of them involve the ins and outs of bass drums. What size? What kind of heads? How do I tune them? TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month…

Nov 21, 2017

Jim Gordon Nothing But Music

This conversation took place one night while I was sitting at home in New Jersey and Jim was at home 3000 miles away in California. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99 /year SAVE…

Story by Scott K. Fish
Nov 8, 2017

Jim Keltner

Trying to establish a representative interview with Jim Keltner requires a sense of humor. The way he plays drums and the way he is seem to be so alike. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month…

by Scott K. Fish
Jun 8, 2017

On Ringo Starr

MD asked several world-famous musicians to describe the impact that Ringo's drumming had on them and to explain just how it represented the shock of the new. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99…

by Billy Amendola
May 31, 2017

August 2007 - Volume 31 • Number 8

Glenn Kotche, Neil Peart, Jim Keltner, Greg Saunier, Kim Plainfield, Seven Antonopoulos, Robin Diaz, Sam Loeffler, Shawn Glyde, Christian Welter, Chris Pennie, Yogi Horton, Roy Mayorga, Jack DeJohnette, Gavin Harrison, Jeff Hamilton, Stanton Moore TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG…

Aug 1, 2007

June 2006 - Volume 30 • Number 6

Chad Smith, Jim Keltner, Hal Blaine, Bill Bruford, Earl Palmer, Steve Hass, Ian Wallace, Terri Lynn Carrington, Andrew Hurley, Phil Maturano, Sammy Siegler, Russ Moy, Steve Smith, Thomas Lang, Zoro TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99…

Jun 1, 2006