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.
Garry Marshall: Hollywood Producer Reminisces
This is a Cinderella story that should bring comfort to any drummer who has feared leaving the music business. It's the story of a man who had to hang up his sticks because fate decreed that he should become something…
Backbeats: Ari Gold's Adventures Of Power
Actor/musician/writer/director Ari Gold (yes, that’s his real name) has had an obsession with air drumming since he was a kid listening to his sister’s Rush records. In the new comedy feature film Adventures Of Power, which he wrote, directed, and…
Krupa: A Musical Perspective
The work of the late Gene Krupa should be obligatory study for today's serious drum student and, indeed, may offer some refresher lessons for a few old pros. For initial study of Gene's drumming, I recommend the album, The Best…
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", "it's different." TO READ THE FULL…
Larrie Londin
A heavy-set, yet gentle and personable man, Larrie at age 34, has made more than a comfortable living sitting confidently behind his multiple tom, double bass drum set-up, backing a mind boggling array of musical personalities; Boots Randolph, Chet Atkins.…
David Garibaldi - Funk Stylist
If any one player stands out among the masses of funk style drummers, it has to be in the person of Mr. David Garibaldi. From 1970 through '75 David's colorful funk stylings were brought to the attention of numerous drummers…
The Continuing Experience of Mitch Mitchell
I didn't expect to find such a dapper-looking young gentleman. He was wearing a two-piece worsted suit and an expensive looking three-quarter length black sheepskin coat (he told me it was house-trained). This was Mitch Mitchell, and I had good…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Polyrhythms
What is usually meant when one hears a description of the term polyrhythm is a misinterpretation of the term polymeter. Polymeters are two or more meters usually related mathematically, and played simultaneously. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
On The Cover - Matt Gartska
The drummer with Animals as Leaders has gone about as deeply into the art as one man can, and he loves nothing more than sharing what he’s discovered. Here’s to the explorers! TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Branford Marsalis's Justin Faulkner On Tour & On Stage Making It Work On The Road
How does a teenage newcomer follow one of the most heralded drummers in modern jazz history? Follow the song, kid, follow the song. At the fresh-faced age of eighteen, Justin Faulkner has not only replaced one of the premier drummers…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop: A New Look At The Traditional Rolls
The standard rudimental open rolls, based upon the double-stroke roll, are standard knowledge to most drummers. If we begin the traditional double-stroke roll on its second note, we obtain an open roll with a distinctly different flavor. TO READ THE…
Catching Up With... Chad Smith
It’s apt that Chad Smith is driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in California as he catches us up on his recent activities. Smith recently returned to the West Coast after four years in New York City, and he’s excited…
Catching Up With... Willie Green
Willie Green’s artful grooving mesmerized fans of the New Orleans institution the Neville Brothers for over thirty years, during which time Green likewise elevated music by Dr. John, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, and Elvis Costello. The latest representation…
Catching Up With... Neal Smith
Known for his blistering attack on hits like “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen,” and “Billion Dollar Babies” by Alice Cooper, with whom he played between 1967 and 1974, Neal Smith has since expanded his skills to include producing and composing. TO…
