Tony Williams
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.
TONY WILLIAMS : FRED
Few musicians reach such iconic status that their first name alone—Billy, Vinnie, Dennis—is enough to identify them. Tony Williams, one of the earliest drummers to achieve this, stands out among them. His influence on drumming is profound, impacting not only…
Why Influencers Matter
The Drummers Who Forged Charlie Watts’ Style As a teenager in early ‘50s London, Charlie Watts discovered the American jazz art form and was transformed. He became obsessed with anything and everything regarding the American jazz movement—including the fashion and…
Interview with Jazz Musician Tony Williams
Just what is a Tony Williams? Many of his admirers have described his style as: “Free,” “He doesn’t really play rudimental things,” “He’s loose,” “There’s something out of the ordinary about what he does,” and, “It’s different.” If those descriptions…
I’ve learned probably the most from bass players -Tony Williams
I’ve learned probably the most from bass players. Drummers have to work closely with bassists, and I’ve been trying to understand bass players. It’s not just playing your instrument, getting off on how good you are alone. It’s also seeing…
Avenues to Excellence
15 MD Cover Artists Reveal the Big Ideas That Put Them on the Road to Success The abundance of educational material online, as well as great teachers to mold your passion and enthusiasm into technique and musicality, are massively beneficial…
Tony Williams at a Jazz Crossroads
During his years with Miles Davis, beginning in 1963 at age seventeen, Tony Williams radically changed jazz drumming.
What’s Your Favorite Tony Williams Album?
In this month’s Jazz Drummer’s Workshop, the Brooklyn-based drummer and educator Mike Alfieri demonstrates ways to develop unique ride patterns inspired by the jazz great Tony Williams. To coincide with the piece, we asked our readers and social media followers…
Roy Haynes, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette
It was a jazz drumming summit of epic proportions. Roy Haynes, the last of the great drummers of the bebop era; Jack DeJohnette, the most recognizably artful and exploratory drummer of modern times; and Terri Lyne Carrington, TO READ THE…
The 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time
Whose playing endures through the decades? Whose music do we reach for when we want new ideas? When we want to practice? When we want to laugh? Who inspires and delights us most? TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
Studies In Style: Part II - Tony Williams
Tony Williams joined Miles Davis in 1963, setting levels of drum technique, musicality and interaction which are models for drummers today. On Miles’ Four and More, the tightness of the rhythm section seems to give Tony the confidence and the…
Jazz in the 21st Century
Many scholars argue that jazz, which was first documented on record one hundred years ago by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, is America’s greatest musical gift to the world. I couldn’t agree more. I mean, what other art form encapsulates…
