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.
Who Are the Hippest Drummers to Watch in 2021?
It looks like Daru Jones is the right answer. — Sam Brewer Ruy Adrián Lopez-Nussa is definitely a drummer to watch. He and his piano-playing brother have blended Cuban music with jazz improvisation and the dynamic compositional elements of orchestral…
Give the Drummer Some!
Hi, everyone! Welcome to the April 2021 issue of MD. I was hoping by the time I would be writing this editorial we’d be back to some sort of normalcy. Unfortunately, such is not the case yet. Fortunately, day-by-day, it’s…
Trixon: Reborn!
This vintage white marine pearl Trixon kit comes to us from Chicago-based reader Jim Murray, who explains that the set was custom-built for him by superior craftsman Bain Creasy, of Huntington, WV, who has been restoring drums for over fifty…
CRITIQUE
RECORDINGS Oz Noy Snapdragon The exploratory guitarist and composer calls upon three drumming legends to cultivate this colorful crop of groovy, multicultural material. This smorgasbord of styles and sounds on Oz Noy’s Snapdragon—jazz, R&B, funk, rock, Latin, boogaloo—provides a bounty…
Vinnie Colaiuta on Bromberg Plays Hendrix, Session Work, Retirement, and More
Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix passed away fifty years ago. This seems unimaginable, as his music, message, and influence are just as powerful and relevant today as they were during his few short years leading a musical revolution for freedom of…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
A few of Bun E.’s Ludwig bass drums. Over the last three decades, Bun E. Carlos assembled one of the largest and most renowned collections of Ludwig drums in the world, with over 200 snares and drumsets dating from the…
Gretsch, 64 Audio, DW, Malletech, Dust Palace, Craviotto
In 2011, Gretsch introduced the special-edition Renown 57 drumset, which had a unique look borrowed from classic car colors and the chevron logo. Ten years later, the company revived the series for a limited run of drumsets and snares featuring…
The Legendary Chick Webb
A Profile in Courage For this month’s From the Past article, my focus is on the great Chick Webb, an astoundingly fine player and bandleader from the mid 1920s and ’30s. Chick was a special person who had to overcome…
Practice Like a Pro
How to Maximize Your Time Behind the Kit The purpose of the article is to share some helpful practice tips that I’ve picked up over the years. These ideas work amazingly well when you’re learning new material for a gig.…
Creative Fills
Stepping Up Without Stepping On the Song “When doing fills around the drumset, the most important thing is the inner clock and that you’re relaxed,” says legendary session drummer John “JR” Robinson while filming a course for DrumChannel.com. “But also,…
Table of Time
This month’s Strictly Technique column features an excerpt from legendary jazz drummer/educator Joe Morello’s classic book Master Studies, called “Table of Time.” This exercise will help your development of the single-stroke roll, and also help you develop the ability to…
Gene Hoglan
The Man, the Machine, the Atomic Clock Gene Hoglan has been raising the bar in extreme metal drumming for decades. The list of iconic metal bands he’s played with is ridiculous: Death, Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Dark Angel, Old Man’s…
JR Robinson
Always Ahead of the Curve and Deep Inside the Pocket These days, with all the insanity surrounding us and COVID-19 impacting every facet of our lives, it’s a wonder how anyone can keep focus on creative pursuits. Not only maintaining…
Quiet Riot’s Frankie Banali
Frankie Banali was born in Queens, New York, to Italian immigrants Jack and Martha Banali. In 1975, he moved to Los Angeles, where he spent years honing his craft with many bands on the local scene. In time, he went…
