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.
The World Of Henry Adler
JD: How did you start playing drums? HA: Both my brother and sister played instruments. I was the youngest, I loved music, and I had a feeling for drums. I grew up during the Depression, so it was very tough…
Pre-Gig Calibration
Being an employable drummer in 2018 carries more demands than it did in 1918, especially when it comes to melding live performances with the variety of A/V technology being used by most pop, rock, and R&B artists these days. And…
Remembering Pat Torpey, Learning to Read Music, the 1978 Issue, Roy Burns, and Dropped Beats
Remembering Pat Torpey Thank you for your article on the Nashville Drummers Jam tribute to the late Pat Torpey . For the longest time I felt like I was the only drummer who considered Pat to be a huge influence.…
Joe Magistro on the Magpie Salute’s High Water I
Long-running relationships, veteran perspectives, and killer tones power the first studio release from a collective of seasoned pros.
Drumming And Automatic Learning
Why is it so difficult to break a bad habit? Why is it so difficult to learn a new skill after some years of playing? Why do players get “stuck” on certain patterns, and play them over and over again…
Conrad Choucroun with White Denim
The longtime Austin drumming workhorse reflects back on touring and recording with the stylistically diverse rock band.
Perfect Beings’ Sean Reinert
Sean Reinert made his name drumming up a storm with experimental death metal bands Death and Cynic—playing with fire, precision, and a serious level of technical facility. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Bernard Purdie
On every track of his new album, Cool Down, the iconic R&B drummer burns like a house on fire in a live-in-the-studio setting. “And would you believe,” the pretty one adds, “with no overdubs at all!”
Jonathan Barber, Kobie Watkins Grouptet, Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, Jack DeJohnette, and more!
We take a look at the latest music featuring Jonathan Barber, Kobie Watkins Grouptet, the Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, Jack DeJohnette, and more! TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
John “Jabo” Starks: 1938-2018
“He had that ‘stop-your-heart’ groove.” That’s how Fred Wesley, former bandleader for the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, describes the drumming of John Starks, who died this past May 1 at the age of seventy-nine. And the description is apt.…
Jethro Tull’s Stand Up
As the drummer for the progressive/folk/hard rock band Jethro Tull in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Clive Bunker infused the group’s music with a frenetic, raw energy. Body twitching, using the butt end of his sticks, Bunker beautifully brutalized…
The “Bam Bam” Kit
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based drummer Patrick “Pattycake” Morris custom ordered this 3.1 mm aluminum-shell drumset from Trick Drums. The kit features a unique pine-tree wrap, which the drummer specifically requested from the manufacturer. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Mel Lewis
The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and the Village Vanguard just seem to go together. For one thing, they both represent longevity. The Vanguard is the oldest club in New York City; Mel’s band has one of the longest- running gigs…
Mark Brzezicki Big Country Beat
A lot has been written about Big Country’s guitar sound, almost to the exclusion of everything else about them. While it’s undeniable that the band’s guitar sounds have captured a lot of people’s attention, their drummer is not exactly out…
