One day in late 2022, my phone rang, it was drum industry stalwart John DeChristopher telling me that fellow drum industry vet Colin Schofield was trying to get in touch with me. I emailed Colin only to learn about a brand new book and an author that (according to Colin,) I should know about. If it was good enough for Colin and Johnny D, it deserved a close look. The subject of the book was Phil Seamen, and the author was Peter Dawn. A few weeks later the book arrived, and I started reading! Even amongst some drummers, Phil Seamen is not a household name, but he should be. He is the patriarch of the British drumset tradition. His place in the annals of British modern jazz is paralleled only by the legendary saxophonist (and club owner) Ronnie Scott. Throughout the years, Seamen’s praises have been sung by everyone from […]