Carlton Barrett
A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable to envision a music form born in the steamy slums of Kingston, Jamaica, becoming one of the more exciting influences on contemporary music.
Stanton Moore, Fabrizio Moretti, Buddy Harman, Carlton Barrett, William Goldsmith, Mike Terrana, Jim Keltner, Poncho Sanchez, Brendan Hill, Andy Granelli, Chad Butler, Chad Smith, Nicko McBrain, Mark Zonder
Posted: April 30, 2020
Tony Allen Passes
Tony Allen. Photo by Bernard Benant. Tony Allen, the longtime drummer with African music legend Fela Kuti, has died in France. As the drummer with Fela’s groundbreaking band Africa ’70, Allen was responsible for creating many of the beats that defined Afrobeat music, the mix of jazz, funk, and the …
Posted: March 2, 2017
Jason Trammell on Sinkane’s Life & Livin’ It
This past February 10, multifaceted producer and pop, funk, and jazz blender Ahmed Gallab released his sixth album, Life & Livin’ It, with his solo project Sinkane. Drummer and longtime Gallab collaborator Jason Trammell lays down tasty, soulful, and world-influenced grooves beneath the contagious hooks and gorgeous harmonies that adorn …
Posted: May 21, 2014
Carlos Verdugo of Tribal Seeds
Our latest album, Representing, came out on May 13. Being in the studio and tracking multiple takes of a song helps you get tighter and allows certain fills or breakdowns to pop up in places that are unique. So never settle for the first take unless it’s the best!…
Posted: June 26, 2012
Jamaican Crossover Hits
Jamaican rhythms have found a home on the rock and pop charts for decades. The ’70s and ’80s were especially good to ska, rocksteady, reggae, and associated rhythms, with American superstars such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder turning them into gold and a clutch of bands from Britain, like …
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: February 16, 2012
Ryan Berty of SOJA
If you had told me at age fifteen that I would grow up to be a professional drummer, I would have thought you were crazy. Playing drums seemed like the last thing I would be able to do. Fast-forward fifteen years, and who would have thought that some kids from …
Posted: August 24, 2011
Ryan Peel
What up, MD readers! My name is Ryan Peel, and I’m a drummer/singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. I just released my debut single, “Even If,??? and I’m getting ready to release my follow-up EP in September…
Posted: July 5, 2011
Joao Lencastre
My name is Joao Lencastre and I was born in Lisbon, Portugal. I started to play the drums at the age of thirteen. Since I started playing I’ve been collaborating with many different groups in all styles of music, including metal, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic, big band, alternative rock, and all …
Posted: February 23, 2011
Roger Mansour, formally of The Vagrants
I went on to do an album with a group on RCA called the Third World, who were managed by Mike Jeffries, of Jimi Hendrix fame. I played a concert with Jimi and filled in for Mitch Mitchell in Tampa Gardens, Florida. It was Jimi’s last American concert before he …
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: 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.
