
Carl Palmer

This month’s Modern Drummer documents another milestone in our drumming community’s storied history: Carl Palmer and the reunion tour of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It’s hard to believe that EL&P has not performed for many years, but they’re back, and Welcome Back (to be clear!) Here we are in 2022 …

Carl Palmer is a drumming legend. Name another drummer who had #1 hits with four different bands? His drumming in Emerson, Lake, & Palmer is epic and renowned. His drum parts and playing in the band Asia are unforgettable. His larger-than-life drumsets are etched in drummer’s minds around the world. …

Throughout the years Carl Palmer has played many different drumsets with several iconic bands: Ludwig VIstalite, Ludwig Stainless Steel, a Custom Stainless Steel set, a Premier Steel set, Yamaha, Remo… It’s an extensive list. Carl’s long-standing relationship with Paiste has led to the development of custom gongs, and a signature …

Emerson, Lake, & Palmer Trilogy, recorded in 1972 This is one of my favorite instrumentals, probably one of the all-time great pieces of music I played with Emerson, Lake, & Palmer. Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s one of my favorites and the only piece of music I’ve ever …

This month’s Basics contains a series of fills that are based on flams, and is included in Carl Palmers book Applied Rhythms. The idea here is to flam various 8th notes in the bar, and to voice the 8th notes around the drumset in different ways: between snare drum and …

In 1973, Carl Palmer and Paul Ravn designed this unique stainless steel kit which was manufactured by the British Steel Company, and their subcontractors. It features quarter-inch-thick shells fitted with Gretsch hoops. Each drum features an ornate engraving of woodland scenes, created by Paul Ravn. Carl says these engravings were …

“Sole Survivor”—from Asia, 1982—was one of the first pieces of music Asia recorded. The drum part is quite interesting because it has various sections where bars of 4/4 go into bars of 3/4 and 2/4. Normally, the music with Asia was quite consistent—always in 4/4 meter—but on this particular piece …

Excerpted from the June/July 1980 issue How did you first meet Keith Emerson and Greg Lake? It just so happened at the time in London when Emerson and Lake were getting together I was kind of the only guy in town who was doing all the work. Doing quite a …

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 …

From the album Asia on Geffen Records.

I’m a little anal about reading the introductions and prefaces of books before I even flip through the rest of the pages. Their purpose is to set a tone, establish the credibility and character of the writer, and encapsulate the importance of the book’s subject matter, and I want to …

The ’70s were a drummers smorgasbord.

Since Vanilla Fudge, Carmine has anchored Cactus, Beck/Bogart and Appice, and KGB. Now he is the driving force behind Rod Stewart.

Since Vanilla Fudge, Carmine has anchored Cactus, Beck/Bogart and Appice, and KGB. Now he is the driving force behind Rod Stewart.
As a youngster, Carl Palmer exhibited tremendous drumming ability to audiences in his native England. Years later, he exhibited his ability to audiences world wide as one third of the legendary Emerson, Lake and Palmer. With the breakup of E.L.P., Palmer has expanded in new directions with the formation of …

This past year Paiste collaborated with some of its top artists to craft a handful of unique cymbals. These new models include the 20″ Signature Vir2ocity Duo ride for prog-rock legend Carl Palmer, the purple-finished 22″ Signature Dry Heavy ride for Tool’s Danny Carey, the 24″ 2002 Swish ride for …

Taylor Hawkins, Adam Cruz, Ray Luzier, Peter Erskine, Steve Gadd, Jerry Shirley, Todd Sucherman, Carl Palmer, Shawn “Clown” Crahan, Antonio Sanchez, Gil Sharone, Dino Campanella, Sam Ulano

Thomas Pridgen, Carl Palmer, Al Jackson Jr., Ali Jackson, Raymond Weber, Steve Gatdd, Tom Brechtlein, Eric Kretz, Zac Farro, Glen Graham, Mike Bennett, Joachim Cooder, Steve Hass, Todd Sucherman, Pat Mastelotto

Cindy Blackman, Paul Bostaph, Travis Barker, Chris Adler, Trevor Lawrence Jr., David Northrup, Steve Ferrone, Darren King, Billy Drummond, Gabriel Serbian, Wally Ingram, Atom Willard, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Randy Cooke, Omar Hakim, Carl Palmer

Jon Theodore, Carl Palmer, Larry Mullen Jr., Keith Harris, Daniel Adair, Jim Capaldi, Spencer Dryden, Keith Knudsen, Frank Zummo, Jon Christensen, Patrick Seacor, Winard Harper, David McClain, George Grantham, Scott Travis, Max Roach, John Tempesta, Simon Phillips, Thomas Lang

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.

Clyde Stubblefield, John “Jabo” Starks, Darren Jessee, Steve Alexander, Simon Kirke, Don Brewer, Bun E. Carlos, Phil Ehart, Abbey Rader, Todd Roper, Frankie “Kash” Waddy, Alex Cline JD Charlton, Morgan Rose, Jerry “J.I.” Allison, Steve Ferrone, Steve Smith, Carl Palmer, Ted Bonar, Ed Breckenfeld, Rich Rychel, John Riley, Harriett L. …

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

Rod Morgenstein, Billy Mason, Vernel Fournier, Chuck Burgi, Fred Holiday, Rocky Bryant, Joe Smyth, Louie Bellson, Gregg Field, Adam Cruz, Dave Abbruzzese, Mick Fleetwood, Paul Quinn, Kevin Haynes, Jonathan Joseph, Carl Palmer, Dave Weckl
Horacio “el Negro” Hernandez, Jeff Hamilton, Zachary Alford, Robin Goodridge, Tony Coleman, Joey DeFrancesco, Bill Saragosa, Paul Fox, Michael Shrieve, Fred Young, Donny Brown, Carl Palmer, Stephen Perkins, David Garibaldi

Danny Carey, Curt Bisquera, Elvin Jones, Matt Sorum, Charlie Grover, Victor Lewis, Tim “Herb” Alexander, Travis McNabb, Jay Dee Daugherty, Paul Leim, Joel Rosenblatt, Carl Palmer

In this Issue: Charlie Watts, Frederick Waits, Deen Castronovo, Dave Weckl, Jack DeJohnette, Vinnie Colaiuta, Danny Gottlieb, Gregg Bissonette, Liberty DeVitto, Chad Wackerman, Michael Shrieve, David Beal, Carl Palmer

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, …

Alan White, Nick Mason, Shelley Manne, Ollie Brown, Jimmy Bralower, Ed McClary, Frankie Banali, Carl Palmer, Rod Morgenstein, Eric Carr, Phil Collins

Larrie Londin, Chris Frantz, Keith Copeland, David Garibaldi, Nick Ceroli, Frankie Banali, Pheeroan Ak Laff, Narada Michael Walden, Rod Morgenstein, John Densmore, Louie Bellson, Carl Palmer

Andy Newmark, Stan Lynch, Kenny Clarke, Carl Allen, Vinnie Colaiuta, Carl Palmer, Rick Marotta, Eric Carr, James Black

Carl Palmer, Simon Kirke, Anthony Cirone, Neil Peart, Ed Soph, Rick Allen, Bill Cobham, J.R. Mitchell, Gregg Bissonette, Michael Shrieve, Tommy Aldridge, Gary Chaffee

Airto Moreira, Mark Herndon, Fran Christina, Bill Maxwell, Carl Palmer, Neil Peart, Steve Smith, Yogi Horton, Eric Carr, Ellie Mannette

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

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

Carl Palmer, Derek Pellicci, Bill Goodwin, Charli Persip, Bobby Rosengarden, Anton Fig
Posted: November 22, 2022

Win Tickets to The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer in New York City + Signed Box Set
Carl Palmer is joined by late bandmates Keith Emerson and Greg Lake on giant video walls It’s been six years since the passing of both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, but the prog-rock greats live on in spirit. Now, surviving ELP member Carl Palmer is reuniting with his late bandmates on stage, thanks to the all new …
Posted: November 4, 2022

The Singles – EMERSON, LAKE, & PALMER
(BMG Records) By Scott Gudell Spectacular to hear and stunning to view. This box set of a dozen seven inch singles/45s is billed as a celebration of the fifty year anniversary of Emerson / Lake / Palmer (ELP) and focuses on material from the decade they dominated, the 1970s, as …
Posted: September 15, 2022

WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS: THE RETURN OF EMERSON LAKE & PALMER
Sole surviving member Carl Palmer, in association with the Estates of his bandmates Keith Emerson & Greg Lake, has announced the much anticipated WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS- THE RETURN OF EMERSON LAKE & PALMER Tour. Launching on Friday November 18th., 2022 at the 2300 ARENA in Philadelphia, PA, the tour will actually reunite …
Posted: February 11, 2022

NOW YOU CAN HAVE ALEX VAN HALEN’S DRUMSET… IN YOUR WALLET! CRASH THE WORLDS GREATEST DRUM KITS ARE NFT’S
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in art, music, and technology are here to stay. Owner/CEO of Modern Drummer Magazine David Frangioni finds himself uniquely positioned. Frangioni is a self-made success in the music technology industry, a drummer, a producer/engineer, a publisher, a consultant, and a sophisticated collector. He and his team have spent a …
Posted: September 1, 2020

Modern Drummer Festival 2020
Modern Drummer is rebooting its world-famous Drum Festival on September 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time with a live-streaming event honoring the late, great Rush drummer Neil Peart. Proceeds of ticket sales will benefit brain tumor research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The event, which will be produced and distributed …
Posted: August 20, 2020

20th Annual Modern Drummer Festival featuring A Tribute To Iconic Drummer Neil Peart.
LiveXLive to Produce and Distribute Live Pay Per View Show Featuring Incredible Lineup Reaching over 150 Million Social Media Fans — Taylor Hawkins, Chad Smith, Cindy Blackman-Santana, Thomas Lang, Alex Gonzalez A global platform for livestream and on-demand audio, video and podcast content in music, comedy, and pop culture, announced …
Posted: November 18, 2019

Carl Palmer Prog Rock Camp Contest Winner
Carl Palmer Prog Rock Camp contest winner attends the Philadelphia camp this past November 8, 9, and 10th.
Posted: October 1, 2019

MD Publisher David Frangioni Featured in Living a Life in Full Podcast
New Episode: Music, Technology and Writing Spun into Gold (and Platinum) with Modern Drummer publisher David Frangioni interview.
Posted: July 25, 2019

Win a Spot At Carl Palmer's Prog Rock Camp!
Enter to win admission to Carl Palmer’s Prog Rock Camp in Philadelphia, PA, this November 8, 9, 10, 2019.
Posted: July 18, 2019

MD Subscriber and Ringo Starr Peace and Love Contest Winner Bryan Shadden Shares His Experience
This year, because of Ringo and the good people from Modern Drummer magazine, I got to share the experience with Sir Richard in person!
Posted: March 11, 2019

Backstage Auctions Presents the "All Access David Frangioni Collection"
Backstage Auctions, Inc presents the upcoming “All Access David Frangioni” auction event which will feature a host of impressive and historic rock and audio memorabilia including drums and drum kits, audio equipment, and more, from award-winning audio engineer, author, and collector David Frangioni.
Posted: October 9, 2018

The iridium's Free Live Streaming Event featuring Carl Palmer!
Live Streaming Event from The iridium feating Carl Palmer!
Posted: August 3, 2017

Yes Kicks Off Yestival Tour
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Yes and drummer Alan White announce that Dylan Howe, son of guitarist Steve Howe, will be joining the band’s rhythm section on this summer’s North American Yestival tour. Dylan Howe “It’s a pleasure for me to welcome Dylan Howe to the Yes stage,” …
Posted: April 26, 2017
Web Exclusive: Producer Russ Titelman on 10 of His Favorite Drummers
The June issue of Modern Drummer magazine features an interview with three-time Grammy Award–winning producer Russ Titelman who in his long career has worked with musical giants including Little Feat, Randy Newman, James Taylor, Brian Wilson, Cyndi Lauper, Graham Central Station, Rickie Lee Jones, George Harrison, Chaka Khan, the Bee …
Posted: September 29, 2016
On Tour: Tony Leone With the Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Longtime New York City drummer Tony Leone is currently on the road with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
Posted: July 11, 2016
On the Beat With David Frangioni: Carl Palmer Show Recap
Hello Modern Drummer readers, fellow drummers, and music lovers! David Frangioni here again and I’m pleased to share with you that the Carl Palmer concert was a resounding success. Carl and his band (along with special guests Steve Hackett, Mark Stein, and Liza Quin) killed it!
Posted: June 15, 2016
On the Beat With David Frangioni: Inspired by Carl Palmer
Hello Modern Drummer readers, fellow drummers, and music lovers. My name is David Frangioni and I’ve been playing the drums since I was two years old. Doing the math, that gives me about forty-five plus years of drum time.
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: October 23, 2015
News: Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy “Rhythm of Light??? Tour Returns to US in November
Carl Palmer, among the most renowned drummers in rock history and a founding member of both ELP and Asia, is returning to the United States for the final leg of the Rhythm of Light Tour. The tour features his popular ELP Legacy band and will also highlight his collection of …
Posted: May 13, 2015
Carl Palmer and the “Art??? of Giving Continues
Carl Palmer, one of rock’s iconic figures, and a founding member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Asia, in association with Los Angeles art company Scene Four, recently completed a three-day run of art exhibits in Rochester, NY, Bath, PA, and Philadelphia PA on May 2, 3, and 4, respectively….
Posted: January 2, 2015
What You Need to Know About…Effects Cymbals
The term effects, or FX, is applied to a wide array of cymbals, from tiny splashes to giant, oddly shaped sheets of metal to cymbals with tambourine jingles riveted to them. The key to helping customers find that unique voice they’ve been missing in their setup is to know what’s …
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: November 1, 2013
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Asia Drummer Carl Palmer Video Interview
Modern Drummer magazine caught up with Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Asia drummer Carl Palmer backstage at Yestival 2013 this past August. In Part 1 of this interview Carl waxes poetic about drumming legends Joe Moerllo and Buddy Rich. In Part 2 of this interview Carl talks about his love …
Posted: January 28, 2013
Jason Bonham Celebration Day Transcription
Late in 2012, Led Zeppelin released Celebration Day, a CD/DVD that documents the band’s 2007 reunion concert at the O2 arena in London. The opening number was “Good Times Bad Times???—a song that Zeppelin rarely performed live. Jason Bonham, filling in for his late father, John, captured the essence of …
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: March 22, 2012
March Web Update News
News on and from the drumming community for March 2012.
Posted: December 15, 2011
Micky Dolenz
The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz on longevity, the Wrecking Crew, and that wacky setup of his.
Posted: November 22, 2011
November Web Update News
Drumming news for the month of November complied in one place.
Posted: September 1, 2011
Carl Palmer Drum Solos
This DVD features Palmer’s classic “Karn Evil 9??? solo, from Emerson Lake & Palmer’s 1974 California Jam performance, as well as live solos culled from Asia concerts…
Posted: July 21, 2011
Carl Palmer – Not Slowing Down
MD recently spoke with the prog-drumming giant Carl Palmer while he was on tour with Asia. Palmer, whose career spans four decades, says he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
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: November 10, 2010
Spencer Dryden: Jefferson Airplane’s Dynamic Rhythm Machine
Spencer Dryden was the drummer of San Francisco psychedelic rock icons Jefferson Airplane. After graduating from the Army & Navy Academy in Carlsbad, California, in 1955, Dryden played in some early rock ’n’ roll bands, but showed a preference for jazz. He was drumming at Hollywood’s Pink Pussycat strip club …
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: September 25, 2010
Richie Hayward: Little Feat’s Timeless Drum Hero
Richie Hayward, the drummer in the band Little Feat since their inception in 1969, was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, and was influenced by rock ’n’ roll pioneer Earl Palmer and big-band jazz drummer Sonny Payne. In 1966 he moved to Los Angeles and joined the Fraternity Of Man, whose …
Posted: August 25, 2010
Steve Jordan: Web Exclusive
If you ask Steve Jordan who his favorite drummer is, be prepared to get hit with a never-ending list of influences, ranging from the obvious—like jazz greats Kenny Clarke and Philly Joe Jones and funk innovators David Garibaldi and Stephen Ferrone—to the more obscure, like Motown/disco session drummer Andrew Smith, …
Posted: April 27, 2010
Marko Tarvonen of Moonsorrow/Barren Earth
We come from Finland and play epic melodic metal…
Posted: March 19, 2010
The Greats: Carl Palmer
Carl Palmer started out as a jazz drummer in his early youth, gravitated to rock in his teens, and burst onto the international scene in the late ’60s as a member of English proto-progressive rock bands Atomic Rooster and the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown…
Posted: November 24, 2009
On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More)
On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More). MD’s editors just can’t keep a list of their favorite albums short–even in service of a can’t-resist pun. Twenty-seven live albums you gotta have.
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: June 10, 2009
Rob Bujak of Nova
I am currently drumming for the band Nova, out of San Francisco. I'm gonna have to admit that I have an obsession with drums; all I do is think about drumming.
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 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: October 21, 2008
Terry Lee Bolton Blog
Hi, Modern Drummer readers, Terry Lee Bolton here. I recently released the CD American Man, which I produced as well as played all of the instruments on. …
Posted: July 18, 2008
Carl Palmer: Asia, Alpha & Astra = Phoenix
As if channeling the cosmic power encompassed in the prophetic “Alpha and Omega??? from the book of Revelation, tuneful progressive rockers Asia envisioned themselves as near deities when their albums topped the charts and sold millions in the 1980s.
Posted: December 1, 2007
Update: Roger Taylor
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Nate “Danja??? Hills signed on to co-produce Duran Duran’s latest CD, Red Carpet Massacre. After all, the band—keyboardist Nick Rhodes, singer Simon Le Bon, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor (guitarist Andy Taylor decided to bow out …
Posted: February 1, 2006
The Fab Faux’s Rich Pagano
New York City drummer Rich Pagano is way more than just a member of the hippest Beatle cover band you’ll ever hear. He’s also an accomplished singer and producer. As we journey through Rich’s MD Online interview, we’ll learn that not only does he do a stellar job of providing …
Posted: July 19, 2005
Pete Best
Over the years many have claimed the title “The Fifth Beatle.” When you think about it, original Beatle drummer Pete Best deserves the tag as much as anyone. The Beatles: The True Beginnings (St. Martins Press), Pete’s new book written with his brothers Roag and Rory, makes the case as …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Ted Kirkpatrick of Tourniquet
“We call ourselves ‘Christians who play music,'” says drummer Ted Kirkpatrick, mastermind behind the highly successful Christian metal band Tourniquet….
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 …