Peter Erskine
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.
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…
Gallery of Groove
Photos from the 2021 Modern Drummer Festival For the second year in a row, the global pandemic chased the Modern Drummer Festival to an online venue. But we were unbowed. Presented by the MD team and produced by Thom Mozloom’s…
Ex Libris
“Ex Libris” means “from the library of.” There are many words whose first two letters are “ex:” excellence, excess, extra, extravagance, and expedience. And it would seem that much of our energies are expended towards adding one or another of…
Peter Erskine
Excerpted from the January 1983 issue If Peter Erskine isn’t careful, he’s going to start giving jazz, musicians a good name. I mean, we all know about the reputation jazz players have with the general public, right? The stereotypical jazzer…
Remembering Neil
Some of the worlds greatest drummers and industry members share their memories of what Neil Peart has meant to them. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99 /year SAVE 15% Digital Monthly Magazine 47…
Dave Weckl’s Master Plan
By 1990, Dave Weckl was the talk of the drumming world. A headlong dive into the New York jazz scene in the early ’80s yielded recognition from a variety of musicians.
Led Zeppelin book, Carl Palmer DVD, Peter Erskine, Todd Sucherman, and more!
I’m a little anal about reading the introductions and prefaces of books before I even flip through the rest of the pages. Their purpose is to set a tone, establish the credibility and character of the writer, and encapsulate the…
Peter Erskine
If Peter Erskine isn't careful, he's going to start giving jazz, musicians a good name. I mean, we all know about the reputation jazz players have with the general public, right? TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access…
Playing Melodically - Part 2: Freddie Hubbard’s Solo on “Make It Good”
Last month we took a jazz melody, Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce,” and implied its melodic rhythm on the snare. This month we’ll phrase trumpet great Freddie Hubbard’s solo on “Make It Good” from the 1967 Duke Pearson album The Right…
Playing Melodically - Part 1: “Billie’s Bounce”
In this new series I hope to present my thoughts and pass along some experience and insights on playing jazz. These lessons will largely deal with the symbiotic relationship between playing what the mind hears versus what the hands and…
The 2017 Modern Drummer Readers Poll Winners
The universally lauded multi-genre legend joins Hall of Fame, another contemporary giant sweeps three categories, and Neil Peart returns. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99 /year SAVE 15% Digital Monthly Magazine 47 Years…
