
Billy Cobham

Photos from the 2021 Modern Drummer Festival For the second year in a row, the global pandemic chased the Modern Drummer Festival to an online venue. But we were unbowed. Presented by the MD team and produced by Thom Mozloom’s crew at M Network, we were able to unleash one …

Excerpted from the August/September 1979 Issue Billy Cobham is one of the strongest innovative forces on the drumming scene today. Both his technique, and drum set up are awesome. We met at Starr Recording Studios where Cobham was to record an instructional tape for the Tama Drum Company. It took …

15 MD Cover Artists Reveal the Big Ideas That Put Them on the Road to Success The abundance of educational material online, as well as great teachers to mold your passion and enthusiasm into technique and musicality, are massively beneficial to those seeking proficiency on the drums. But even with …

The ex-Mahavishnu phenom was out to prove he had the drumming and writing chops to stake his own claim with his 1973 solo debut. By the early 1970s, Billy Cobham had spent time drumming with several legendary jazz artists, including Horace Silver, George Benson, and Milt Jackson. As the art …

Back Through The Stack with the August-September 1979 issue of Modern Drummer featuring Billy Cobham.

Armand Zildjian starts a lot of his sentences the same way: “I’ve got a cymbal that . . . ,” after which he describes the attributes of a particular cymbal in his private collection. His enthusiasm is evident as he expounds on whatever it is that makes the cymbal special …

Billy Cobham is widely regarded as the premier drummer of jazz-rock fusion’s golden era—and he remains a dynamic and revered player to this day.

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?

Some well-known drummers, who have never taken lessons, play very well. Other well-known drummers, who have studied for years, also play very well. Drummers who have not studied sometimes tend to be critical of those who have. The following defensive statements were taken from interviews of well-known drummers who have …

Mark Egan is one of the most highly regarded bassists in the history of electric jazz. Performing and recording with many of the prominent drummers of our time—a short list would include Steve Gadd, Jack DeJohnette, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Steve Jordan, Billy Cobham, and Dave Weckl—he’s gained rare …
Sheila Escovedo is striking and diminutive, and can spark a band with the flash of a smile or an outrageous, ingenious percussion lick.

The ’70s were a drummers smorgasbord.

Blues March From the album: Montreaux Summit Vol. I

Billy Cobham is one of the strongest innovative forces on the drumming scene today. Both his technique, and drum set-up are awesome.

Modern Drummer recently popped in on Vital Information drummer and 2013 Pro Panelist Steve Smith to chat about one of his favorite albums, the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Visions of the Emerald Beyond. The 1975 LP was the sophomore outing by Mahavishnu’s second lineup, which included drummer Billy Cobham’s replacement, Narada Michael …

Mike Bordin, Simon Phillips, Billy Cobham, Jerry Marotta, Peter Erskine, Carmine Appice, Ed Thigpen, Jeff Hamilton, Kenneth Schalk, Paul John Jr., Adrian Passarelli, Lynn Coulter, Grant Collins, Jose Pasillas, Danny Carey, Kenny Aronoff, Billy Kilson

Joey Waronker, Sheila E, Greg Eklund, John Hollenbeck, Matt Laug, Raymond Herrera, Jeff Sipe, Shane Evans, Todd Sucherman, Drori Mondlak, Billy Cobham, Gavin Harrison, Neal Busby, Ron Spagnardi, Osami Mizuno, Jennie Hoeft, Billy Ward, Rick Mattingly, Curt Bisquera, Pat Mastelotto, Ian Paice

Tré Cool, Wuv, Nicko McBrain, Dave Krusen, Phil Ehart, Trey Gray, Steve Gadd, Joe Morello, Rod Morgenstein, Peter Erskine, Neil Peart, Mel Lewis, Roy Burns, Mark Parsons, Rick Van Horn, Tony Williams, Buddy Rich, John Bonham, Tito Puente, Alan Dawson, Gary Chester, Eric Carr, Larrie Londin, Art Blakey, Philly Joe …

Adrian Young, Chad Sexton, Billy Cobham, Chet Doboe, Donny Brown, Phil Collins, Marc Quinones, Mike Portnoy, Travis Barker, J.D. Blair, TS Monk, Kenny Wolleson, Will Calhoun, Rod Morgenstein, Virgil Donati, John Tempesta, Narada Michael Walden

Billy Cobham, Giovanni Hidalgo, Matt Wilson, Max Roach, Bernard Perdie, Apt. Q-258, Jeff Sipe, Wayne Wilburn, Mike Portnoy, Andy Partridge, Patrick Fitzsimmons, Caroline Corr, Roger Earl, Les DeMerle, Denny Fongheiser, Kenny Aronoff, Danny Gottlieb

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: Lars Ulrich, Billy Higgins, William Kennedy, Deen Castronovo, Billy Cobham, Roy Haynes, Casey Scheuerell, David Garibaldi, Tommy Aldridge, Chuck Morris

Anton Fig, Connie Kay, Jerry Kroon, Neil Peart, Elvin Jones, Billy Cobham, Susan Evans, Steve Jordan, Kenny Washington, Buddy Williams, Barrett Deems, Gary Wallis, Butch Miles, Steve Smith

Billy Cobham, Tico Torres, Jeff Hamilton, Vinny Appice, Pete Magadini, Ed Soph, Gary Chaffee

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

Steve Gadd, Michael Shrieve, Myron Grombacher, Louis Bellson, Billy Cobham, Les DeMerle, Sandy Slavin

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

Buddy Rich, Clem Burke, Bruce Gary, Stan Lynch, Alan Myers, Louis Hayes, Alan Dawson, Joe Morello, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams, Danny Seraphine, Bobby Colomby, Lenny White, Billy Cobham, Roberto Petaccia, Les DeMerle, Hal Blaine, Charles Collins

Billy Cobham, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Don Lamond

Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson, Billy Cobham, Carmine Appice, Duffy Jackson, Roy Hanes, Duane Thamm
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: July 30, 2019

Carl Canedy of The Rods
Hi MD Readers! I’ve never been much of a self-promoter, as it’s always felt a bit self-serving. Having said that, I’m so thrilled to be doing this for MD (my favorite magazine for decades), so I’m going to make the exception and offer up some of my credits.
Posted: April 18, 2017
Steve Smith’s Acceptance Speech During Journey’s Induction Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
At Journey’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, drummer Steve Smith took the opportunity to, as we say, give the drummers some.
Posted: March 21, 2017
Billy Cobham Bringing Art of the Rhythm Section Retreat to the Mesa Arts Center
Drumming legend and jazz fusion pioneer Billy Cobham will bring his highly acclaimed Art of the Rhythm Section Retreat back to the Mesa Arts Center for its second year, offering an immersive educational program for drummers, bassists, guitarists, and keyboard players.
Posted: February 8, 2017
Legendary Bassist Nathan East on His New Album Reverence
On Nathan East’s second solo album, Reverence, he once again steps into the spotlight as bandleader. Produced by East and Yamaha Entertainment Group of America founder Chris Gero, it’s no surprise that shortly after its debut (less than one month ago), the album hit the number-one spot on both the …
Posted: January 25, 2017
Butch Trucks: 1947–2017
In a week that was already rocked by the deaths of Can’s Jaki Liebezeit and Spooky Tooth’s Mike Kellie, the drum world was shaken for a third time by news this morning of the passing of founding Allman Brothers Band sticksman Butch Trucks.
Posted: December 28, 2016
Alphonse Mouzon Playlist
Alphonse Mouzon was among the premier drummers associated with the jazz-rock fusion movement of the 1970s. The genre was largely inspired by jazz iconoclast Miles Davis, and was furthered by many of the instrumentalists associated with the trumpeter’s groundbreaking late-’60s albums such as Miles in the Sky and In a …
Posted: December 27, 2016
Alphonse Mouzon Passes
Alphonse Mouzon came to prominence in the ’70s as one of the top drummers on the burgeoning fusion scene, playing with premier acts like Weather Report and Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House.
Posted: October 14, 2016
On the Beat with Corky Laing of Mountain and West, Bruce and Laing: Looking Back and Facing Forward
Hi there MD readers, Corky here. As some of you may know, I have been a professional drummer for half a century. You might remember me from such bands as Mountain and West, Bruce and Laing.
Posted: August 1, 2016
Evan Chapman of Square Peg Round Hole: Juniper Album, “Name Not One Man??? Video World Premiere
With Juniper, instrumental and percussion-heavy trio Square Peg Round Hole unleashes pondering melodies, brooding harmonic landscapes, and forward-thinking rhythms. Here, the group’s main drummer, Evan Chapman, discusses the concepts and influences behind the record’s broad sonic spectrum….
Posted: April 15, 2016
Billy Cobham Live Master Class Webcast
One of the world’s all-time greatest drummers will offer a live master class webcast devoted to the “Art of the Rhythm Section.”
Posted: February 8, 2016
On the Beat With Shmu (Sam Chown) of Zorch: Playing, Recording, and Contributing
Hey MD, I’m a drummer/lead singer in a live scenario and in an animal spirit sense. I wear the Justin Bieber headset and I also trigger samples on my Roland SPD-SX drum sampler. People know me as Shmu, the solo artist, as well as the drummer, singer, and songwriter in …
Posted: November 17, 2015
News: Ronnie Scott’s to Live Stream the Steve Gadd Band to a Global Audience, November 18th
Steve Gadd is regarded as one the most influential drummers in contemporary music and is one of the most sought-after studio musicians in the world. This month, Gadd brings together a band of stellar musicians for a three night run at London’s Ronnie Scott’s. Joining him are Larry Goldings on …
Posted: November 2, 2015
Dom Famularo’s Teachers List
Over the course of his forty-year career traveling the globe to teach, perform, and conduct clinics, Dom Famularo has interacted with some of the finest drummers and drum instructors in the world. The following list contains many of those names, organized by country/continent. If you’re looking for top-notch drum instruction, …
Posted: August 27, 2015
October 2015 Issue of Modern Drummer featuring Ilan Rubin
See what’s in the October issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Ilan Rubin!
Posted: August 19, 2015
News: Wobeon Announces Addition of One-Day Jazz Fusion Festival
Wobeonfest returns to Ironwood Hall in downtown Austin this September, marking the third year of the homegrown festival with a global reach. This year, the festival organizers have added a Jazz Fusion Festival to the two-day gathering, which will feature a rare US performance by drum legend Billy Cobham (of …
Posted: May 8, 2015
Event: Sweetwater Presents GearFest 2015
Sweetwater, a top online retailer of music instruments and audio equipment in the US, is presenting GearFest 2015 on Friday, June 12, from 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, June 13, from 9 am to 5 pm, at the Sweetwater campus located at 5501 US Hwy 30 W in …
Posted: March 23, 2015
Omar Hakim Releases Video for “Walk the Walk???
Omar Hakim has released a video for the track “Walk the Walk??? from his recent solo album, We Are One.
Posted: February 24, 2015
News: Billy Cobham to Stream Live Concert from Ronnie Scott’s
With tickets to his sold out shows in such high demand, Ronnie Scott’s has announced that it will be streaming drum legend Billy Cobham’s full performance on Friday, February 27 at 11:15 pm BST….
Posted: January 30, 2015
Drummer Blog: Dre “Energy??? Boyd Checks in From Cirque du Soleil
Hi, Modern Drummer readers! This is Andre “Dre Energy??? Boyd. I’ve been on tour with Cirque du Soleil and playing cities like Zurich, Florence, Rome, Paris, Lisbon, Tenerife, and many more….
Posted: December 12, 2014
Cannibal and the Headhunters’ Robert Zapata Talks Influences, New Album, and Tour
I have been the drummer for Cannibal and the Headhunters for forty-six years now. For those who don’t know the group you might know the song “Land of a 1000 Dances.???
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: September 30, 2014
Drummer Blog: Gabor “Gabs??? Dornyei on Touring and Being True to Yourself
Hi there, Modern Drummer readers, it’s Gabor ‘Gabs’ Dornyei here from London, UK, and it’s great to be given the opportunity by MD to share some insights of my career with you….
Posted: September 29, 2014
Influences: Bill Stevenson
Drummer Bill Stevenson is among the most influential musicians associated with West Coast punk rock, on any instrument. After making his name with seminal hard-core band Black Flag in the ’80s, Stevenson proceeded to set a standard for punk drumming with the Descendants and All, later spreading his reputation even …
Posted: August 4, 2014
EVENT! Philly Drum Project “Beats, Brews, & Banter??? With C. Calvin Weston Tonight at 7 pm!
The Philly Drum Project recently moved its monthly “Beats, Brews, & Banter??? drum hang from the RBar to Boot & Saddle on 1131 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The next meeting takes place tonight, August 4th, at 7 pm and will feature free jazz and fusion drummer G. Calvin …
Posted: May 21, 2014
Fusion Great Billy Cobham’s “Art of the Rhythm Section??? Retreat, August 2014
Legendary drummer Billy Cobham is conducting an immersive learning program for experienced instrumentalists and band members….
Posted: March 26, 2014
May 2014 Issue of Modern Drummer Featuring Jim Riley
See what’s in the May 2014 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine featuring drummer Jim Riley…
Posted: February 24, 2014
Billy Cobham
Compass Point
Going back—but not too far—for some classic Cobhamisms.
Posted: August 1, 2013
Guitar Center Launches Its 25th Annual Drum-Off Competition
Guitar Center’s Drum-Off launches its 25th annual search for the next great undiscovered drummer.
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: June 5, 2013
Thomas Lang, Aaron Spears, Steve Smith, and Dave Weckl Appearing at Cleveland Drum Fantasy Camp
For the seventh consecutive year, Drum Fantasy Camp will allow drummers of all ages, playing levels, and musical genres to spend time in small classes with some of the world’s great drummers. This year’s camp will be held August 8 through 12 at the Hyatt Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio….
Posted: March 22, 2013
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Ergonomics
Click here to check out what the MD Education Team members have to say about setting up your drumset for maximum results….
Posted: March 11, 2013
“40 Years of Spectrum,??? Live Online Workshop with Billy Cobham
ArtistWorks, a leading provider of interactive online music lessons, has teamed up with Modern Drummer to present a live-streaming workshop with master drummer and ArtistWorks online teaching artist Billy Cobham….
Posted: March 11, 2013
Billy Cobham Online Workshop Live Stream
View the Billy Cobham “40 Years of Spectrum??? live-streaming event right here on March 16 at 9 am Pacific Standard Time….
Posted: January 3, 2013
Mark Egan On…
The star bassist reflects on 15 world-class drummers
The February 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine features renowned bassist Mark Egan sharing some of the lessons he’s learned from working with drumming royalty. Here he focuses the discussion on the unique qualities and skills each of these players brings to the table….
Posted: December 19, 2012
LAMA College For Music Professionals Hosts Drum Recording Workshop
LAMA College for Music Professionals has announced details for its upcoming drum recording workshop on February 2, 2013.
Posted: November 26, 2012
Emil Amos of Grails, Om, and Holy Sons
Growing up in the ’80s, one was forced to pound the pavement and hit up older record heads for information on obscure and creative bands.
Posted: September 21, 2012
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Traditional Grip
Is traditional grip a useful technique that drum students should learn? We asked the members of the MD Education Team if they think traditional grip is relevant in today’s teachings. Here’s what they had to say.
Posted: July 10, 2012
ArtistWorks Adds Bass Campus To Its Video Exchange Learning Site
ArtistWorks opens their Online Bass Campus. Bass players Nathan East, John Patitucci and Missy Raines break down their entire approach on HD video — in order — from the fundamentals to the extremely advanced….
Posted: May 29, 2012
R&B Drumming Legend Ray Lucas: Props From Peers
Ray Lucas is one of the unsung heroes of American music. An early accomplice of Jimi Hendrix, Lucas spent long hours jamming and performing on stage with the future guitar god. He also backed many of the top R&B and soul artists of the ’60s and ’70s, including Aretha Franklin, …
Posted: April 18, 2012
Shai Hulud’s Matt Covey
Hey guys, this is Matt Covey of Shai Hulud, the Suicide Dolls, and the Flaming Tsunamis. And the Hempsteadys. And the Franklin Brothers…and Young Pandas. About three and a half years ago, I was shocked to find myself on the road playing drums for a truly pioneering band….
Posted: April 11, 2012
Luis Conte Discusses Playing a 6/8 Feel With Thomas Lang
In this video Luis Conte and Thomas Lang demonstrate and discuss playing a 6/8 feel.
Posted: April 10, 2012
ArtistWorks Drum Academy Launches Luis Conte School of Percussion on April 11
The Grammy Award-winning master percussionist debuts an interactive, bilingual online music school.
Posted: March 21, 2012
Billy Cobham Colin Towns HR Big Band Meeting of the Spirits
The upcoming issue of Modern Drummer contains an Influences feature on fusion pioneer Billy Cobham. Here’s an encore review of a fantastic album on which Billy reprised his role in the legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra.
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: March 6, 2012
Back Through The Stack:
Simon Phillips, December 1986
This is an excerpt of an article that originally ran in the December1986 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.
Posted: March 5, 2012
Shaun Foist
Hello, fellow drummers! My name is Shaun Foist, and I’ve been playing drums for nineteen years. I got started at around age ten, when my father showed me how to play…
Posted: November 22, 2011
November Web Update News
Drumming news for the month of November complied in one place.
Posted: November 7, 2011
Atma Anur
Things have changed so much in the past ten years—in general, and for me personally, in the way I interface with the music industry. I feel like those ten years have progressed in a very different and far more varied way than the ten years that passed before them.
Posted: November 4, 2011
Preparing for Takeoff: Jack Irons on His Current Approach to Moving Solo Tracks to the Stage
MD Online recently spoke to Jack about the process of making his new EP, including the making of the video for the track “Outer Space Dream.???
Posted: November 3, 2011
Chris Gartmann of 3
Hey, everyone! This is Chris “Gartdrumm??? Gartmann from the band 3. I’m very excited to be blogging to you from the MD home page and also very much pumped about our new record, The Ghost You Gave to Me. Simply put, it’s our best yet!
Posted: October 24, 2011
Tommy Harden with Reba McEntire
Hi, fellow modern drummers! Life has been incredibly busy in Nashville lately, so I’ll try to give a short version of what’s going on in the “hamster wheel.???
Posted: September 21, 2011
September Web Update News
Mark Schulman has been touring with Foreigner all summer and is also on the band’s three-disc set Feels Like the First Time, containing two audio CDs and a live concert DVD. For more, visit www.foreigneronline.com. Also check out Mark’s article “Easy Drum Charts” in the October issue of MD, out …
Posted: August 1, 2011
Guitar Center’s Drum-Off, World’s Largest Drumming Competition, Kicks-Off
Guitar Center has announced the launch of the 23rd annual Guitar Center’s Drum-Off the nationwide search for the next great undiscovered drummer.
Posted: July 25, 2011
Chris St. Hilaire of London Souls
Hello! Ahh…drums! How else can you smash heads with a stick and not go to jail? I started playing at about fourteen years old, when my dad got me my first drumkit. It was a Groove Percussion kit, and I really beat the thing to a pulp…
Posted: July 20, 2011
Justin Wilson of Sleeper Agent
I play in Sleeper Agent. Our music is fast-paced and energetic punk-infused pop rock. We’ve been together for about three years now. Our sound is heavily influenced by Jay Reatard, the Strokes, the Beatles, and many others…
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: May 27, 2011
Remembering “The Chapin Magic”
Modern Drummer’s 2011 Readers Poll Hall of Fame inductee is the late drummer/educator Jim Chapin, who passed away in 2009.
Posted: May 16, 2011
Kurt Reifler of Kill Kurt Reifler
I play guitar and sing in Kill Kurt Reifler, a two-piece rock ’n’ roll circus of sorts. I write songs as a drummer (which is the instrument I really play) and translate the rhythms I hear in my head to the fret board. All of our sound is focused on …
Posted: May 2, 2011
Danny Seraphine: Update
by Bob GirouardIt seems that since Danny Seraphine made a comeback of sorts of the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival, he’s kicked the current phase of his drumming career into high gear, appearing at events like Drummers for Jesus, the 2009 Chicago Drum Show, and a Terry Kath tribute, and making …
Posted: January 20, 2011
Jason Ganberg of Purple Melon
I’m Jason Ganberg of the British rock band Purple Melon. Just dropping you guys a few lines about what I’ve been up to out in L.A. and how everything has developed for me since I started drumming back in England fifteen years ago!…
Posted: December 22, 2010

Gorden Campbell
Hey, MD readers! It’s your boy Gorden Campbell, and I’m back once again to give you an update on my travels around the globe! This has been a busy year for me. From the George Duke and American Idol tours, to recording my first instructional DVD, I’ve had a great …
Posted: October 1, 2010
Tosin Aribisala: Afrikan Rhapsody
Aye, MD faithful readers! My name is Tosin Aribisala. It is an honor for me to write a blog for this awesome drummers’ magazine. I have been an ardent reader and subscriber to Modern Drummer for over eleven of my twenty-three years playing the drumset….
Posted: September 29, 2010
Narada Michael Walden: Web Exclusive
by Billy Amendola More—way more—with the fusion and pop maestro. In a continuation of our interview with Narada Michael Walden from the November 2010 issue of Modern Drummer, the fusion and pop drumming/producing maestro reflects on his early days, teaching, spirituality, playing in odd time signatures, and coming full circle …
Posted: July 8, 2010
Andrea Vadrucci: Super Mario Bros. YouTube Video
Hey, what’s up, MD world! What a great honor to be here today! My name is Andrea Vadrucci (aka Vadrum), from Italy. Some of you might know me for my drumming videos on YouTube—the Super Mario Bros. theme, and classical-music drum arrangements. I would like to take this opportunity to …
Posted: May 4, 2010
Billy Cobham Update
Billy Cobham is a living legend of the drumset, revered for his ultra-dramatic, muscular, and bar-raising work with fusion pioneers the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
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 26, 2010
Dennis Chambers: Fiercely Comin’ At You From Multiple Directions
Dennis Chambers was born on May 9, 1959, and started playing the drums at the young age of four. By his sixth birthday he was already playing in nightclubs. Strictly self-taught, at the age of eighteen Dennis went straight from high school to playing with George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, where …
Posted: January 20, 2010
The Hue’s Brian Gilmanov
Growing up with musician parents, I was fortunate to be exposed to a wide variety of music, from classic rock and metal to jazz-fusion, quite early in my life. At age twelve I began watching videos of my favorite bands and teaching myself the drums and guitar, trying to emulate …
Posted: October 20, 2009
Drumming On TV
In celebration of the great, sometimes groundbreaking drumming performances of TV’s golden age, we present to you highlights along the illustrious Drumming On TV timeline…
Posted: August 20, 2009
Remembering Jim Chapin
The venerable drum teacher passed away this July 4, leaving behind thousands of acolytes–and a million great stories. In this companion to the In Memoriam in the October issue of MD, we hear from some of Chapin’s many friends and drumming disciples.
Posted: June 18, 2009
Stephen Perkins: Jane’s Addiction
Talking with Perkins, you get the vibe that the L.A.–based rocker’s life is way more than hitting the skins for the duration of a show or recording session….
Posted: May 23, 2009
Stephen Nicholson of This Is A Shakedown!
My name is Stephen Nicholson. I grew up in the city of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. I became interested in drumming around the age of nine….
Posted: February 26, 2009
Rhythmm Epkins
I am currently the drummer and backup vocalist for The English Beat in America.
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: January 8, 2009

Crown Of Thorns' Hawk Lopez
My name is Hawk Lopez and I’ve been with Crown Of Thorns since 1994, when I was recommended to Jean Beauvoir by Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo….
Posted: January 8, 2009
Crown Of Thorns’ Hawk Lopez
My name is Hawk Lopez and I’ve been with Crown Of Thorns since 1994, when I was recommended to Jean Beauvoir by Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo….
Posted: July 18, 2008
Thomas Pridgen: Turning Bedlam Into Beats
Twenty-four year old Thomas Pridgen unleashes the most rabid drumming in recent memory on The Mars Volta’s The Bedlam In Goliath. Of course, the band’s fans have come to expect madness and mastery from the innovative Long Beach, California group…
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: September 23, 2007
Justin Hanson from So They Say
Recording Life In Surveillance was a great opportunity to play more of what I enjoy as an artist and drummer. Matt has such great ideas, and my drum selection this time around was just outrageous….
Posted: September 12, 2007
Drummer Blog: Marc Norgaard
I've had the opportunity to play on everything from demos to jingles to complete albums, working with artists from around the world, right out of my own studio….
Posted: October 19, 2005
Mickey Curry
Not many people get to do exactly what they love and get paid for it – much less with two of the biggest artists in the world. Mickey Curry toured and recorded with Hall & Oates at the peak of their career, laying down a solid backbeat with perfect feel …
Posted: July 20, 2005
Tony Thompson
Not many drummers dictated the sound of the 80’s like Tony Thompson. That big, huge drum sound was everywhere: on classic recordings like Power Station’s “Some Like It Hot,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love,” the list goes on.
Posted: July 19, 2005
Damien Fahey
Damien Fahey has a dilemma: These days he’s having a difficult time finding the time to play his drums. You see, Damien hosts one of MTV’s most popular shows, Total Request Live, which airs weekdays at 5:00 P.M. EST to an audience of 50 million viewers.
Posted: May 19, 2005
Daniel Reyes
In between those gigs he’ll squeeze in a performance with Ricky Martin, Stevie Nicks, or Jennifer Lopez, among other top acts. But Danny’s brain is always thinking: How do I make my playing better? Equally important to him these days: How do I make the instruments I play better? Enter …
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
Prince’s John Blackwell: An Interview
John Blackwell always listened to his dad’s advice, and it’s paid off, big time. “Growing up, my dad used to tell me, ‘If you want to make any money in this business, play in the pocket.'”…
Posted: May 12, 2004
Adam Deitch with John Scofield
“He’s a bad boy, that’s for sure,” says guitar star John Scofield of his talented young sideman Adam Deitch. On the Sco gig, Deitch comes across like a composite of two great drummers that the guitarist has worked with before’the original funky drummer himself, Clyde Stubblefield, and highly regarded jazz …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Billy Kilson
At a 1999 Birdland performance with The Dave Holland Quintet, Billy Kilson led band and audience in a rousing chorus of drum worship. Holland, one of jazz’s most celebrated bassists and composers, has played with all the innovators, from Tony and Elvin to Jack DeJohnette and Billy Higgins. So you …
Posted: August 26, 2021

Welcome to MD’s #ThrowbackThursday Podcast with Sheila E.! We had a blast with Sheila and honored her with the announcement of winning the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame Award; picked by the readers of MD. Sheila made history for us with this prestigious award as the first-ever woman to be …
Posted: July 22, 2021

This week’s Modern Drummer Podcast features the newest member of the MD Hall of Fame, The Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. Join Billy Amendola and David Frangioni as they announce the award to Sheila and congratulate her as the first woman ever to be inducted in the magazine’s 45 year …
Posted: December 10, 2020

The Modern Drummer Podcast – Narada Michael Walden’s UPBEAT: Billy Cobham part 2, Mike Dawson reviews the Rogers Covington Series In this episode Narada Michael Walden continues his two-part interview with Billy Cobham. Billy talks about working with various artists including George Duke, how he finds musical inspiration from everything …
Posted: November 26, 2020

The Modern Drummer Podcast – Narada Michael Walden’s UPBEAT: Billy Cobham, Bill Ludwig III from WFL III Drums & Noble & Cooley Metal Snare Drum product review & more. In this episode Narada Michael Walden talks with Billy Cobham, fusion master drummer who worked with Miles Davis about his early …
Posted: March 4, 2016
Episode 31: Favorite Drum Albums, Cliff Almond, the Zildjian Low Volume LV380 Cymbal Pack, and More
In this episode, Mike and Mike field listener questions before geeking out on their favorite drum albums. The featured artist up for discussion is NYC-based drummer Cliff Almond, who’s featured in the April 2016 issue of Modern Drummer. In the gear review section, Dawson shares his experience with the new …