
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, through a not-quite-ten-year career, has consistently demonstrated an ability to …

Part 2: The Go Between While some of his peers from the ’70s were content to rest on their laurels, our man never settled for settling down. Moreover, not only did his appetite for new sensations push his drumming into the future, it helped keep the genres of progressive rock …

Having recorded and/or toured with archetypal prog bands Yes, King Crimson, U.K., Genesis, and Gong, Bill Bruford has rightly earned his reputation as one of the founding fathers of British progressive rock drumming. Exhibiting a mastery of odd time signatures, a passion to experiment with electronic percussion, an instantly recognizable …

Vivid by Living Colour. Will Calhoun plays masterfully and with tons of power. It was perfect: playable but loaded with nuance.Scott Sparks Manu Katché on Peter Gabriel’s Secret World Live. I was around five, and it just blew my mind. That’s when I realized drumming was what I wanted to …

History tells us that the first drum star was Gene Krupa.

Whose playing endures through the decades? Whose music do we reach for when we want new ideas? When we want to practice? When we want to laugh? Who inspires and delights us most?

The ’70s were a drummers smorgasbord.

In the long list of accomplishments that led to Yes’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, Bill Bruford’s final statement with the band surely ranks as highly as any.
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.”

In which the prog-rock pioneer and fusion explorer contemplates the future of our art—and calls on us to determine it for ourselves.

The ’80s might not be anyone’s first reference point for the golden age of jazz, but a closer examination reveals wonders under the surface. Sure, traditional acoustic jazz was no longer in favor, though some of the established innovators of the ’60s and ’70s were still playing at a high …

Keith Carlock, Tony “Thunder” Smith, Jaki Liebzeit, Bill Kreutzmann, Stewart Copeland, Elaine Bradley, Paul Hawley, Patrick Carney, Bill Bruford, Jason Bittner, Tony Royster Jr., Sam Fogarino

Keith Carlock, Tony “Thunder” Smith, Jaki Liebezeit, Bill Kreutzmann, Stewart Copeland, Elaine Bradley, Paul Hawley, Patrick Carney, Bill Bruford, Jason Bittner, Tony Royster Jr., Sam Fogarino

Mike Portnoy, Bill Bruford, Chris Pennie, Nick D’Virgilio, Phil Collins, Dan Weiss, Gavin Harrison, Virgil Donati, Mark Zonder, Ian Mosley, Dave King, Pat Mastelotto, Aynsley Dunbar, Joey Jordison, Dom Famularo, Scott Rockenfield

Chad Smith, Jim Keltner, Hal Blaine, Bill Bruford, Earl Palmer, Steve Hass, Ian Wallace, Terri Lynn Carrington, Andrew Hurley, Phil Maturano, Sammy Siegler, Russ Moy, Steve Smith, Thomas Lang, Zoro

Thomas Lang, Longineu Parsons, Bill Bruford, Ringo Garza, Robertinho Silva, Brian St. Clair, Kent Ross, Gabriel Camacho, Graham Hawthorne, Eddie Bayers, Hossam Ramzy, Joey Jordison, Danny Carey, Shawn Pelton, Tony Verderosa

John Otto, Ron Spagnardi, Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford, Simon Phillips, Carter Beauford, Chad Cromwell, Tim Alexander, Josh Freese, Steve Smith, Stephen Perkins, Gary Husband, Gordon Heckaman, Jason Bittner, Martin Atkins, Tony Thompson, Thomas Lang, Matt Sorum, Abe Laboriel Jr.

Steve Smith, Terry Bozzio, Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette, Louie Bellson, Dave Weckl, John Dolmayan, Bill Bruford, Thomas Lang, Tommy Aldridge, Mike Mangini, Horacio Hernandez, David Garibaldi, Virgil Donati, Carl Palmer, Paul Doucette, Gavin Harrison, George Rebelo, Duduka Da Fonseca, Jim Keltner, Terry Santiel, Walfredo Reyes Jr.

Travis Barker, ?uestlove, Dean Butterworth, John Molo, Stacy Jones, Brian Nolan, Liberty DeVitto, Nigel Olsson, Matt Taul, Tony Thompson, Stephen Chopek, Terry Bozzio, Danny Carey, Tony Williams, John Bonham, Bill Bruford, Dave Krusen, Kenny Aronoff, Abe Cunningham, Clayton Cameron

Tyler Stewart, Hilary Jones, Billy Ward, Billy Mason, Chuck Sabo, Rob Ladd, Brian Burwell, Russ Miller, Mark Ambrosino, Ken Vogel, Rob Leytham, Roger Odell, Ed Breckenfeld, John Xepoleas, John Thomakos, Jeff Decker, Tim Earle, Mike Portnoy, Bill Bruford, “JR” Robinson

Charlie Watts, Jim Keltner, Steve Smith, Abe Cunningham, Elvin Jones, Richie “Gajate” Garcia, Gene Krupa, Phil Rudd, Billy Martin, Darrin Pfeiffer, Matt Walker, Brant Bjork, Gerry Hemingway, Danny Carey, Bill Bruford, John Riley

Omar Hakim, Shawn Pelton, Evelyn Glennie, Rich Watson, Mike Sipple, Todd Nance, Domingo Ortiz, Wilson Laurencin, Sam Bryant, Aaron Comess, Chris Parker, Bill Bruford, Max Roach, Bobby Rondinelli, Michael Lauren, Lome Entress, Chet Doboe, Mike De Simone, Hal Howland, Robin Tolleson

Peter Criss, Jimmy Cobb, Joey Shuffield, Andy Gangadeen, Mike Malinin, Tim Berkebile, Graham Lear, Barrett Deems, Hanna Fox, Kirk Covington, Clyde Stubblefield, Joe Daniels, David Light, Wallace Roney, Carter Beauford, Sam Wiley Jr., Bill Bruford, Dave Abbruzzese

Matt Chamberlain, John Guerin, Armando Peraza, Vinne Amico, Bill Bruford, Carl Palmer, Jacob Slichter, Mark Zonder, Kim Zick, Steve Johns, Randy Castillo, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl
Gregg Bissonette, Martin Atkins, John Kamoosi, Gregg Bendian, John Blackwell, Rich Hoak, Charlie Watts, Nick D’Virgilio, Peter Erskine, Bruce Cox, Brian Jones, Forrest Williams, Joey Baron, Cozy Powell, Carlos Vega, Dennis Charles, Bill Bruford, Bun E. Carlos

Mike Portnoy, Sonny Greer, Louie Benson, Sam Woodyard, Joe Sirois, Gavin Harrison, Bill Bruford, Hal Blaine, Safwan Javed, Joe Morello, Jim Chapin,

Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey, Billy Drummond, John Riley, Clyde Stubblefield, Ben Gillies, David Bowie, Billy Higgins, Mikkey Dee, Joe Daniels, Dave Barborossa, Bill Bruford, Marc Quinones, John Riley
In this Issue: Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto, Jamie Oldaker, Mike Shapiro

In this Issue: Adam Nussbaum, Jimmy Chamberlin, Bill Bruford, Tony Williams, Steve Smith, Billy Cobham, Ed Shaughnessy, Danny Gottlieb, Cactus Moser, Louie Bellsom

In this Issue: Bill Bruford, Simon Wright, Carl Palmer, Harvey Mason, Dennis Chambers, Peter Erskin, Steve Smith

Louie Bellson, Alan Dawson, Sly Dunbar, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Danny Gottlieb, Omar Hakim, Larrie Londin, Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Andy Newmark, Jimmy Bralower, Jules Moss, Bill Bruford, Gil Moore, Carl Palmer, John Bonham, Karen Carpenter, Nick Ceroli, Papa Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Roy Knapp, Shelly Manne, Kenny Clare, …

Chris Parker, Chris Slade, Mickey Roker, Neil Peart, Sandy Gennaro, Eddie Bayers, Paul Goldberg, Larry Iatarola, Billy Jones, Ted Greenberg, Harry Himles, Mike Pultro, Dean Witten, Roli Garcia Jr., Tim Laushey, Jim Keltner, David Robinson, Dom Famularo, Bill Bruford

Larry Mullen Jr., George Grantham, Frankie Dunlop, Chris Steffler, Roy Hanes, Herman Rarebell, Chuck Riggs, Bill Bruford, Omar Hakim, Nick Mason, Terry Bozzio

Sly Dunbar, Steve Schaeffer, Chico Hamilton, Ian Wallace, Gene Krupa, Kenny Clare, Kenny Clarke, Chester Thompson, Bill Bruford, Neil Peart

Roger Taylor, Rod Morgenstein, John VonOhlen, Nick Ceroli, Henry Adler, Jah Bunny, Steve Nesbitt, Drummie Zeb, Jim Brown, John Rae, Elvin Jones, Matt Frenette, Larrie Londin, Bill Bruford

Roger Taylor, Jerry Spieser, Les DeMerle, Bill Bruford, Max Roach, Liberty DeVitto, Terry Bozzio, Willie Wilcox, Phil Ehart

Levon Helm, Thommy Price, Bob Moses, Philly Joe Jones, Baby Dodds, Will Dower, Bill Bruford, Larrie Londin, Denny Carmassi, Stan Lynch, Gerry Speiser

Papa Jo Jones, Slim Jim Phantom, Lee Crystal, Rod Morgenstein, Jackie Santos, Larry Mullen Jr., Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Rayford Griffin, Paul Jamieson, Peter Erskine, Neil Peart

Phil Collins, Ndugu Chancler, Joe LaBarbera, Rick Allen, Sandy Nelson, Roger Hawkins, Bill Bruford, Les DeMerle, Neil Peart

Alex Van Halen, Phillip Wilson, Frank Beard, Stomu Yamash’ta, Ronnie Verrell, Ivan Conti, Steve Negus, Aron Kaminski, Alex Riel, James Black, Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Bruford, Paul Jamieson, Yogi Norton

Bill Bruford, Mike Clark, Mark Craney, Ed Thigpen, George Wettling, Kenny Aronoff, Jim Chapin, Terry Clarke, John Densmore, Gregg Bissonette, Carl Palmer, Russ Kunkel, Graham Lear

Earl Palmer, Chad Wackerman, Eli Konikoff, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Morello, Bill Bruford, Neil Peart, David Garibaldi, Phil Ehart

Jack DeJohnette, Artimus Pyle, Gary Chester, Joe Jackson, Simon Phillips, Carl Palmer, Bill Bruford, Russ Kunkel, Sheila Escovedo, Paul Humphrey

Aynsley Dunbar, Neil Peart, Alex Acuna, Bobby Colomby, Derek Hess, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Jake Hanna, Mel Lewis, Joe Morello

Max Weinberg, Narada Michael Walden, Danny Gottlieb, Prairie Prince, Hal Blaine, Gina Schock, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Bruford, Ed Shaughnessy

Peter Criss, John Bonham, Rick Marotta, Mel Lewis, Art Blakey, Rod Morgenstein, Bill Bruford, Jack DeJohnette, Don Lamond, Peter Hoorelbeke

Gene Krupa, Michael Shrieve, Bill Bruford, Irv Cottler, Herb Lovelle, Bob Moses

Bill Bruford, Max Roach, Les DeMerle, Ed Soph
Posted: September 5, 2020

Remembering Quiet Riot Drummer Frankie Banali
“My passion in continuing Quiet Riot has everything to do with the fact that drumming is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Quiet Riot’s Frankie Banali told Modern Drummer in a 2015 interview. “I worked very hard and struggled a lot to get to the point that we did with …
Posted: September 23, 2019

Video Premiere: District 97’s “Sheep”
Jonathan Schang, drummer and leader of the neo-prog band District 97, has graciously invited Modern Drummer to premiere the group’s video to the song “Sleep,” from their upcoming album Screens.
Posted: April 26, 2017
Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick branches out on solo debut, Palisades
This past April 21, Eric Slick, the drummer for the ’60s-influenced indie-rock band Dr. Dog, released his debut solo album, Palisades.
Posted: October 14, 2014
The Essence of Progressive Drumming
What is the rhythmic essence of progressive music? What makes prog so different from other genres? Does it require a specific skill set on the drumkit, or does the nature of the music make it open to interpretation? MD posed these and other questions to the drummers in Spock’s Beard, …
Posted: October 2, 2014
Drummer Blog: District 97’s Jonathan Schang on Mini-Rock Opera, Tours, and Upcoming Album
I’m the drummer and primary composer of the Chicago-based progressive rock band District 97 featuring 2007 American Idol female finalist, Leslie Hunt. You may remember me from the 2012 Modern Drummer Readers Poll, when I placed in the Best Up and Coming drummer’s category….
Posted: May 29, 2014
2014 Croatia International Drum Camp
Since its inception by camp director Petar Curic in 2007, this one-of-a-kind drum camp has featured such world-class instructors as Bill Bruford, Horacio “El Negro??? Hernandez, JoJo Mayer, John Riley, Gary Chaffee, Mike Mangini, Marco Minnemann, Benny Greb, Pete Riley, Pete Lockett, Gabor Dornyei, and Kim Plainfield. The weeklong camp …
Posted: October 1, 2013
Hidden Gems
Great Drum Performances Uncovered
The October 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine features an article in which seven MD Pro Panelists share some of their favorite “hidden gems.??? Here MD’s editorial staff weighs in on their personal favorites….
Posted: September 3, 2013
Steve Hackett Re-Revisits Genesis
The bandleader and longtime guitarist with the legendary British band discusses the great drummers he’s played with, as well as his latest release, Genesis Revisited II….
Posted: August 28, 2013
October 2013 Issue of Modern Drummer Featuring Mike Portnoy
October 2013 Issue of Modern Drummer featuring Mike Portnoy Contents
Posted: July 18, 2013
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Tuning (UPDATED)
We asked the members of the MD Education Team to share their thoughts on how they prefer to tune their drums. Here’s what they had to say….
Posted: May 10, 2013
Dwayne Scott of Alabaster
Hi, MD readers! I have had many firsts in the past year as the drummer for Alabaster….
Posted: November 15, 2012
Rög’s Talkin’ DrumZ TV Series
The Minneapolis-based music video network MetalKast has announced a new Internet radio and video streaming show, Rög’s Talkin’ DrumZ. Production for the first season is underway, with a few episodes complete. A Kickstarter fundraiser campaign was started on November 5 to help complete production for the first season. The campaign …
Posted: July 23, 2012
20 CLASSIC PROG ALBUMS
Odd times, intergalactic themes, and more tom-toms. Rock drumming gets interesting….
Posted: June 15, 2012
2012 Croatia International Drum Camp
The sixth annual Croatia Drum Camp will be held this August 5-12 at the Jeunesses Musicales International World Meeting Centre in Groznjan, Croatia. The picturesque backdrop of this 14th-century Mediterranean hilltop village overlooks sprawling vineyards surrounding the Adriatic Sea, making the camp one of the most unusual and geographically attractive …
Posted: March 19, 2012
Tim Walsh of the Stepkids
I’m Tim Walsh of the Stepkids, and I’m excited to be on here and hope to add to the wealth of knowledge that is MD’s awesome thirty-five-year history…
Posted: January 20, 2012
25 Great Double-Drumming Tracks
Two drummers working it out, face to face—trading licks, contributing to a massive groove, spurring each other on—it’s one of the great musical traditions, and surely it goes back to the very invention of the drumkit at the beginning of the last century. This group of tunes focuses on tracks …
Posted: October 18, 2011
Ian Paice: Influence
MD Pro Panelist Daniel Glass on the magic of Deep Purple’s Ian Paice.
Posted: October 6, 2011
New Bill Bruford Speaking Dates And Limited-Edition Autobiography
The recently retired drummer whose groundbreaking work has earned him the respect of generations of drummers, has announced additional dates for his ongoing speaking engagement tour. Bruford will be showing live performance footage and discussing his career and issues raised in his recent autobiography.
Posted: July 1, 2011
MD Readers Poll 2011 Results
Welcome once again to the MD Readers Poll, where the greatest drummers on the planet are honored by the most educated drum fans around. Let’s get right to it: the envelope, please….
Posted: January 28, 2011
Bill Bruford: The Autobiography
The Reasons To Love feature in the March 2011 issue of Modern Drummer is dedicated to progressive-rock and jazz-fusion icon Bill Bruford, who’s recently released his autobiography. Watch Bill talk about his fascinating new book here:
Posted: September 27, 2010
The Drummer: Classic Rock
An educated, entertaining, essential addition to every drummer’s library—and to the history of modern drumming—The Drummer: Classic Rock Collector’s Edition magazine builds on content from Modern Drummer’s Top-selling The Drummer book with expanded coverage of drumming royalty from the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll.
Posted: August 11, 2010
Bell Gardens’ Charlie Woodburn
Hello, Modern Drummer readers! I’m Charlie Woodburn, and I am a session drummer in Los Angeles, California. First, I would like to say thank you to Modern Drummer for letting me add to the blog because I have been reading the magazine since I was fifteen years old. MD has …
Posted: April 27, 2010
Marko Tarvonen of Moonsorrow/Barren Earth
We come from Finland and play epic melodic metal…
Posted: April 15, 2010
Ricc Sheridan of Earl Greyhound
Greetings, drummers and percussionists around the world! First I would like to send love and blessings to you all, wherever you may be. I am deeply honored to be writing this blog for Modern Drummer. My name is Ricc Sheridan, and I’m the drummer/percussionist for Earl Greyhound. We are about …
Posted: March 22, 2010
Pete Lockett: Horacio Hernandez And Bill Bruford Give Props
In this online exclusive, two drumkit legends, Horacio “El Negro??? Hernandez and Bill Bruford, talk about their collaborations with Lockett. Hernandez and Lockett played together for the first time at the 2009 Groznjan International Percussion Summer Camp in Croatia, in an stunning improvised duet that was one of the event’s …
Posted: March 5, 2010
Bill Bruford – On A Never-Ending Quest
Bruford has spent most of his playing career on a never-ending quest for new musical vistas….
Posted: December 10, 2009
Max Roach: Setting Standards And Raising Bars
If you were to ask any jazz historian to name who they feel is most responsible for setting the standards in bebop drumming, 99.9% of the time you’re going to get one name: Max Roach.
Posted: December 1, 2009
James “The Rev” Sullivan
The supercharged Avenged Sevenfold timekeeper keeps old-school metal alive with brute force, machine-like precision, and a flair for the dramatic…
Posted: September 1, 2009
Web Exclusive Interview with Drew Steen and Jerry Roe
Drew Steen has been the drummer for teen pop sensation Demi Lovato for a little over a year now, and Jerry Roe is the new beatkeeper for 2008 American Idol runner-up David Archuleta.
Posted: May 18, 2009
Ira Elliot: Nada Surf’s Vinyl Obsessive Gets Personal With MD
My own little record store, containing only albums I still like after twenty-five years–that’s suddenly what all my records look like splayed out across my room.
Posted: January 23, 2009
Marco Minnemann Update
Since his June 2007 MD cover story, German drumming sensation Marco Minnemann has played numerous clinics, drum festivals, and concerts worldwide, recorded two multi-instrumental solo albums, appeared on an animated TV series, and recorded performance segments for the Drum Channel Web site.
Posted: January 12, 2009
Great Drum Parts = GENIUS
The March issue of MD (out now) features Billy Ward’s fascinating conversation with Simon Phillips, Doane Perry, Marco Minnemann, Thomas Lang, and Jerry Marotta about the grooves that inspired them to play drums early on, and that continue to today. It seemed to make perfect sense for MD’s editors to …
Posted: November 20, 2008
Gavin Harrison: The Rhythmic Illusionist Is Now Elevating Two Bands, Porcupine Tree And King Crimson
“I stopped focusing on the muscles in my arms and started focusing on the big fat muscle in my head. That’s where the good stuff comes from.???
Posted: August 6, 2008
Bruce Burgess
I started off as a rock drummer, but over time I’ve evolved into classical, jazz, and world-music playing styles…
Posted: June 5, 2008
Chris “Gartdrumm” Gartmann
The resurgence of progressive rock has opened the door for younger drummers to rediscover the more technically challenging aspects of this classic art rock culture….
Posted: February 4, 2008
Dom Famularo
2007 was another jammed year of traveling. Fifteen countries, and many of them more than once! Here are some highlights….
Posted: January 16, 2008
Best Of ’07
I’m convinced that, ten years from now, we’re going to look back at 2007 as an unusually fertile time in music and in drumming.
Posted: October 19, 2007
Max Roach
Simply put, Max Roach brought jazz drumming into the modern age. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell revolutionized jazz with new melodies and concepts; Max matched these musical geniuses with startling rhythms and reactive, action-packed drumming that still influences drummers on a profound level today….
Posted: October 14, 2007
Drummer Blog: Billy Atwell
If there is one thing I feel pretty confident discussing, it’s the concept of adaptability. In terms of drum history I went from being a tri-tom field drummer in high school to playing a Brufordesque Simmons kit in a prog-core quartet Jello Biafra called “the ‘Rush of hardcore.”…
Posted: August 16, 2007
Mike Portnoy: In Constant “Progressive” Motion
Mike Portnoy may very well be the hardest-working drummer in the business. His recent three-DVD set, In Constant Motion, speaks for itself. The undisputed king of progressive metal never sleeps!
Posted: August 16, 2007
Bill Bruford: Our Prog Forefather
Progressive rock’s evolution from its nascent days in London’s university halls and local clubs to stadium-filling global phenomenon has its roots in the tumultuous melting pot of 1960s rock and psychedelia.
Posted: March 25, 2007
Aaron Harris of ISIS
A couple of years ago, legendary art-rock pioneers King Crimson were asked to share the bill with modern day prog-metal masters Tool. More recently, Tool invited young “art metal” explorers ISIS to tour with them….
Posted: December 15, 2006
Gavin Harrison: Porcupine Tree’s Grand Illusionist
Mind-twisting rhythms meet super-fat grooves? Gavin Harrison is a rare artist who knows how to do both…
Posted: May 18, 2005
Alan White
As Yes continues their world tour – featuring the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, signifying the reborn “classic” lineup – the band simply gets hotter and hotter. Drummer Alan White recently sat down with Modern Drummer, inaugurating the magazine’s brand-new Playback column, in which the world’s greatest players reflect on …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Brann Dailor of Mastodon
For Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor, playing in a band named after a huge prehistoric beast makes perfect sense. “When I’m performing or writing,” Dailor says, “I sometimes think, That definitely sounds like a Mastodon part.”
Posted: May 12, 2004
Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick recently celebrated twenty-five years together with the release of the appropriately titled Silver, a two-disc collection of hits and best-loved tunes recorded live in the band’s hometown of Rockford, Illinois….
Posted: May 12, 2004
Steven Drozd Interview
Like all the masters of psychedelic pop, The Flaming Lips blow your mind with the most ordinary of devices. These seem-to-be eccentrics, who’ve recently won a Grammy for the instrumental “Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia),” are really just a bunch of hard-working regular guys, using modest tools: a …
Posted: May 12, 2004

Drum Nation: Top Drummers Unite On New Recording
You may have spotted the advertisement for a unique CD titled Drum Nation. It represents the music of drummers, created outside of the constraints of record labels. Terry Bozzio, Josh Freese, Bill Bruford, Steve Smith, and Stephen Perkins are just a few of the top players involved….