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.
Art Blakey Excerpted from the September 1984 issue
The first rays of dusk suffuse Art Blakey’s Greenwich Village apartment with shards of amber gray light, and as the shadows dance upon his brow, Blakey’s face takes on a totemic grace. The snow-white hair fades out of the foreground…
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 is perceived to be a sullen,…
Jon Farriss Excerpted from the October 1988 issue
Innocently and completely unexpectedly, Jon Farriss poses the question, “Are you really sure that drummers want to read about me?” It was a definite “first” within my realm of experience as a music journalist. Yet, as strange as the question…
Larry Mullen A candid interview with the drummer
Excerpted from the August 1985 issue Let me say first of all that I don’t do interviews, ever. I did them when the band started, and then 1 stopped because I didn’t enjoy them. I’ve seen issues of Modern Drummer.…
Stewart Copeland
Excerpted from the October 1982 issue How did the Police come about? I was on tour with Curved Air. We had a night off and a local journalist took me around to see his favorite local group, which was a…
Martin Chambers
Excerpted from the July 1982 issue The single biggest influence in Martin Chambers’ onstage attitude and playing considerations was Keith Moon. “He was a very good player and a very talented free player, much like Mitch Mitchell. But the thing…
Nick Mason
Excerpted from the November 2011 issue How do you feel about your drumming on the many classic Pink Floyd cuts? I’ve always been a bit disparaging of my own playing. I tend to listen to things and wish I’d done…
Carl Palmer
Excerpted from the June/July 1980 issue How did you first meet Keith Emerson and Greg Lake? It just so happened at the time in London when Emerson and Lake were getting together I was kind of the only guy in…
Alan White
Excerpted from the February/March 1980 issue Yes is one of the few bands who combine exploration of musical art forms with the vitality of rock music. Their arrangements are impeccable and their playing skills, superb. What’s more, those guys can…
Phil Collins
Excerpted from the March/April 1979 issue Phil Collins’ muscular arms are flowing as his hands snap out the illusive 6/8 beat. The music swells around and through him while his piercing eyes look inward, directing his movements. Collins is an…
Bill Bruford
Excepted from the January/February 1979 issue Bill Bruford has never attained the widespread fame of Carl Palmer or Billy Cobham. But whenever Bruford’s name is mentioned, it is almost invariably prefaced by the term ‘’drummer extraordinaire” or ‘’precise percussionist.” Bruford,…
Neil Peart Elected to Hall of Fame in 1983
Excerpted from the April/May 1980 issue How did you become involved with Rush? The usual chain of circumstances and accidents. I came from a city that’s about 60 or 70 miles from Toronto. A few musicians from my area had…
Keith Moon Elected to Hall of Fame in 1982
Excerpted from the September 2003 issue In his last interview, published posthumously in October 1978, Keith told International Musician and Recording World, “You can’t work out things too much. We do certain build-ups and things, but you can run into…
John Bonham Elected to Hall of Fame in 1981
Excerpted from the John Bonham tribute issue, July 1984 John Bonham played, for the most part, a very simple drumkit, consisting of a 14×26 bass drum, a 12×15 small tom—at first mounted on a snare stand and later on the…
