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Gene Krupa

Gene Krupa






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Note: Some MD articles are only available in pdf format. Those articles do not appear in this list. Subscribers to Digital and All-Access can view every Modern Drummer issue in their available formats. Browse all MD issues from our archive here.
December 2021:
Gene Krupan Elected to Hall of Fame in 1979

Excerpted from the October/November 1979 issue “I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a high­priced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.” The above quote of drum master Gene Krupa was not an example of unsubstan­tiated ego. Krupa was merely …


December 2020:
December 2020 Vol 44 No 12
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa

For this series, we’d be very remiss if we didn’t discuss the great swing drummer Gene Krupa. Gene was one of the most prominent people to bring drums to the forefront in an ensemble. Prior to him, the drummer’s role was primarily to support the ensemble. Krupa was often a …


September 2020:
MODERN DRUMMER SEPTEMBER 2020 COVER
What Was Your First Favorite Drum Record?
Reader Platform September 2020

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 …


October 2019:
Rhythm! Discovery Center Ten-Year Anniversary

The interactive museum celebrates a decade of percussion education. Nestled in the heart of downtown Indianapolis is the Rhythm! Discovery Center, a gem of the drum and percussion world. Founded by the Percussive Arts Society in 2009 and now celebrating its tenth year, the RDC is said to be the …


August 2019:
Star Power
Adam Budofsky

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


September 1985:
Dueling Drumsets
Concepts

Back in the ’50s, Jazz At The Philharmonic presented a “drum battle” featuring Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. To my knowledge, it was the first time they had appeared together. It was an exciting event, and it generated great interest in the drumming community. The format was one of challenges. …


March 2014:
The 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time
50 Greatest Drummers 1

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?


February March 1981:
The New Peter Criss

It takes a lot of courage for a musician to leave an established group to pursue a solo career. It takes even more courage when the group is Kiss, who truly reached the top, both in popular success, and in financial security.


January 1977:
The One-Thousand Year Old Duffy Jackson

When Duffy Jackson was 4, he started playing on stage. When he was 6, he appeared on major network TV with the late Gene Krupa. By the age of 9, he had already played with hundreds of famous musicians that his father, bass player, Chubby Jackson had worked with.


April 1978:
From The Past: Big Sid Catlett

Sid Catlett, to those unfamiliar with the name, was considered one of the greatest jazz drummers of the 30’s and early 40’s, and is still recognized as one of the most significant forces in the evolution of the art of jazz drumming.


October November 1979:
Gene Krupa 1909-1973
Gene Krupa

“I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a high priced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.”


October November 1979:
Krupa and the Small Groups: A Lesson In Individuality and Swing
Gene Krupa

The overwhelming majority of both jazz historians and laymen remember Gene Krupa as primarily, a big-band drummer.


October November 1979:
Reflections on Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa Buddy Rich

In 1939, I first met Gene. I started at the Hickory House in 1938. So Gene and I had been friends for over 30 years. I guess that everything that has been said about the man has been said before me.


November 2015:
Benny Goodman – The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert

It was the floor tom heard round the world, Gene Krupa’s call to revolution: “Drummers to the fore!”


October 2011:
October 2011 – Volume 35 • Number 10

Chad Smith, Gene Krupa, Greg Errico, Chris Corsano, Joey Dandeneau, Jim Payne, Tony Tedesco, Patrick Berkery, Patrick Hallahan, Tony Williams, Daniel Glass, Roy Mayorga, Mike Malinin


January 2009:
January 2009 – Volume 33 • Number 1

Gavin Harrison, Gene Krupa, Billy Higgins, Jeremy Stacey, Aaron Gillespie, Pat Wilson, J. Mascis, D.H. Peligro, Sean Davidson, Chris Raines, Tim Callihan, Billy Martin, Brandon Barnes


July 2003:
July 2003 – Volume 27 • Number 7

Steve Jocz, Gene Krupa, ?uestlove, Steven Drozd, Louie Bellson, Chris Knapp, Daniel Glass, Shannon Leto, Jody Cortez, Neal Smith, Randy Caputo, Dennis Chambers, Hilary Jones, John Riley


January 2001:
January 2001 – Volume 25 • Number 1

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 …


September 2000:
September 2000 – Volume 24 • Number 9

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


January 2000:
January 2000 – Volume 24 • Number 1

Dennis Chambers, Tony Royster Jr., Matthew Cross, Jaki Liebezeit, Johnny Kelly, Chad Taylor, Martina Axen, Gregg Bissonette, Omar Hakim, Alan White, Shelly Manne, Peter Erskine, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Chick Webb, Steve Gadd, Ringo Starr, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, John Bonham


May 1998:
May 1998 – Volume 22 • Number 5

Tre Cool, Pete Laroca Sims, Gene Krupa, Ashwin Sood, Steve Reid, Mike Mangini, Jerry Augustyniak, Bill Goodwin, Bob Siebenberg , Jesse Siebenberg, Sylvia Cuenca, Luther Rix, Kenny Aronoff


April 1985:
April 1985 – Volume 9 • Number 4

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


October November 1979:
October November 1979 – Volume 3 • Number 5

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



Posted: February 3, 2023

Category: News
Butch Miles (1944-2023)

Drummer-bandleader Butch Miles (1944-2023) has died. Butch and his drumming were loved and admired all over the world. Butch Miles was best known for his tenure in the Count Basie Orchestra from 1975 to 1979 and then making a ten-year return to the band from 1997 to 2007. In the 1980s …


Posted: October 13, 2022

Category: News
Drumming’s Biggest Names To Play LIVE Tribute to Their Big Band Heroes

Seven All-Star Drummers Including Peter Erskine, Dennis Chambers, Russ Miller and Steve Smith will Perform October 20 and 21 HITKOR (www.hitkor.com) today announced its first-ever charity event which will take place over two days in mid-October. “A Salute to the Big Band Greats” will feature performances from all-star drummers Peter …


Posted: October 26, 2020

Viola Smith
Category: News
Pioneering Drummer Viola Smith Passes

Drummer Viola Smith, one of the first female drummers of note, has passed away. She was an astounding 107 years old. Modern Drummer profiled Smith in the April 2003 issue; we’re sharing that piece in honor of her remarkable career. It’s well known that during the Second World War, when …


Posted: September 5, 2020

Franie Banali
Category: News
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 7, 2020

Category: News
Famed Jazz Drummer Billy Hart to Conduct Free “Evolution of Contemporary Jazz Drumming” Zoom Presentation

On Sunday, July 19, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, world-renowned drummer and educator Billy Hart will conduct a free Zoom presentation, “The Evolution of Contemporary Jazz Drummers.” Hart has recorded over six hundred albums, including seminal dates with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Joe Zawinul, Sam Rivers, Pharoah Sanders, …


Posted: June 4, 2020

Category: On the Beat
Clementine on Channeling John Bonham in 12 Steps

Clementine of all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella. Step One Love Led Zeppelin. How did John Bonham become one of a handful of drummers who are celebrated as much as any of the other guys in the band? Chalk it up to feel. Chalk it up to love. There is …


Posted: December 4, 2019

Category: News
Drum Workshop Acquires Slingerland from Gibson

Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW) recently announced the acquisition of the Slingerland drum brand from the Nashville-headquartered Gibson Musical Instruments.


Posted: July 16, 2019

Category: On the Beat
David Uosikkinen of the Hooters

Hello, my fellow drummers! When I’m not playing with the Hooters (next year will be our fortieth anniversary), I have my own band called David Uosikkinen’s In The Pocket.


Posted: February 19, 2019

Gayelynn McKinney
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Gayelynn McKinney of Aretha Franklin in On The Beat

Hey, hey MD readers! Let me introduce myself. My name is Gayelynn McKinney. I recorded with a ground breaking, all-female jazz group called Straight Ahead for Atlantic Records. While touring with that group, I had the opportunity to be featured in Modern Drummer’s Bonzo Twentieth Anniversary edition. (January, 1996).


Posted: September 18, 2018

Albert Bouchard
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On The Beat with Albert Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult and Blue Coupe: Talks Mentor Francis Clay and Playing Proud

Hello everyone at MD! Albert here. I was a founding member of Blue Oyster Cult and lately you can see me out with my brother Joe and Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway in our power trio Blue Coupe.


Posted: June 23, 2017

Bill Ward Reverb
Category: News, News and Events
Reverb.com to Launch the Official Bill Ward Shop

Reverb.com, the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear, will launch the Official Bill Ward Reverb Shop on Wednesday, June 28. The shop will feature drumkits, drumheads, cymbals, and more gear used on tour and in the studio throughout the iconic heavy metal drummer’s career.


Posted: April 26, 2017

Category: A Different View, Drummers, Feature Stories, Web Exclusive
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: July 29, 2016

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat With ’60s Pop Idol Bobby Rydell: A Teen Idol’s Seven-Decade Love Affair With the Drums

Hello MD! Bobby Rydell? Yeah, that’s me! I was that teen idol guy in the early ’60s who sang all those pop hits like “Wild One,??? “Volare,??? and “Forget Him.??? You know, the one with the huge pompadour haircut who was always on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and then got …


Posted: April 27, 2016

Drummer Carmine Appice behind the kit
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat With Carmine Appice: Stick It!

Hi MD drummer dudes and girls! This is a fun time in my career. After forty-nine years in the music business and touring the world many times playing arenas, stadiums, theaters, etc., I’ve reached a point where I can sit back and review my life of drumming and music….


Posted: April 27, 2016

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat With Carmine Appice: Stick It!

Hi MD drummer dudes and girls! This is a fun time in my career. After forty-nine years in the music business and touring the world many times playing arenas, stadiums, theaters, etc., I’ve reached a point where I can sit back and review my life of drumming and music….


Posted: January 29, 2016

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Jeff Hamilton: Swinging Support

Here the on-the-move drummer talks with MD Online about his new record and shares his wisdom on swing mastery….


Posted: November 2, 2015

Category: Feature Stories
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: March 23, 2015

Category: Feature Stories, In Memoriam, News, News and Events
AJ Pero Dies at Age 55

Last Friday, March 20, longtime Twisted Sister drummer AJ Pero died in Poughkeepsie, New York, from an apparent heart attack while on the road with Adrenaline Mob.


Posted: February 27, 2015

Category: Clinics and Events, Drummers, News, News and Events
News: “World’s Greatest Drummer??? Concert to Feature Steve Gadd

The World’s Greatest Drummer Concert returns on Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton, UK. Since the first concert in 2007, the event has featured some of the finest drummers alive….


Posted: February 19, 2015

Category: Clinics and Events, News, News and Events
News: 25th-Annual Chicago Drum Show to Take Place May 15–17, 2015

The 25th Annual Chicago Drum Show is shaping up to be another world-class percussion event. Organizer Rob Cook reports that every aspect of the show is on track to maintain the show’s status as a premier educational and entertainment event….


Posted: April 28, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Alex Mascarin of We Outspoken

My name is Alex Mascarin, and I am a drummer in the band We Outspoken from Toronto, Canada. In this blog I would like share with you some of my drum setups and inspirations….


Posted: March 21, 2014

Category: Clinics and Events, News, News and Events
Drum Daze 2014 Columbus, Ohio

On Sunday, March 30th, some of the biggest names in drumming will come together for an afternoon you won’t forget. Russ Miller joins Ray Luzier, Mike Johnston, Greg Hutchinson and John Riley for the Drum Daze line-up.


Posted: March 17, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Ian “Meat??? Miller of Spiritual Rez

Bombast. Explosions. Harnessing the energy of Bonham in a…reggae band? Hi, I’m Ian “Meat??? Miller, drummer for Spiritual Rez, a volcanic reggae/rock group out of Boston that brings the dance party like you’ve never seen.


Posted: February 7, 2014

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Multimedia, Videos
VIDEO – In the Studio With Actor/Drummer Michael Chiklis

In this video, drummer/actor Michael Chiklis takes Modern Drummer into his state-of-the art recording studio and performance space, which will be the hub for all his musical projects in the future. MD sat down for a two-part series with Chiklis at his home studio in Los Angeles, CA. Actress/drummer Pam …


Posted: January 9, 2014

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Danny Seraphine
Ready For the Next Phase

anny Seraphine fueled a long list of classic tracks in his twenty-three years as a member of Chicago, inspiring generations of drummers in the process. Since returning in 2006 from a long performing hiatus, he has been grooving in peak form with his current band, CTA, as heard on its …


Posted: July 18, 2013

Category: Feature Stories, Lessons, MD Education Team
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 17, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Frankie Anthony of the Stick People

Hello, Modern Drummer readers, this is Frankie Anthony. I’m currently touring, writing, and rehearsing with my band mates in the Stick People….


Posted: June 4, 2013

Category: Drummers, Jazz Drummers' Workshop, Lessons, Multimedia, Videos
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: The Stick Shot

Click here to check out a new Jazz Drummer’s Workshop article on the stick shot.


Posted: January 10, 2013

Category: Feature Stories, Lessons, MD Education Team
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Learning Jazz

We asked the members of the MD Education Team if they think it’s important for their students to study jazz. Here’s what they had to say….


Posted: December 19, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Keith Harrison of the Pineapple Thief

Question: What do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians? Answer: A drummer! With the prospect of being the butt of such drummer jokes, I have to ask myself the question, “Why did I choose to play drums????


Posted: September 21, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Russell Simins of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Hey, all, Russell Simins from the one and only Blues Explosion here. I play drums and write music with bandmates Jon Spencer and Judah Bauer, two of the greatest guitarists I know, and I know a lot of them.


Posted: August 17, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Gregg Potter on the “You’re No Buddy??? Tour 2012

Hello, Modern Drummer readers. I last spoke to you in January. At that time, I was just beginning this Buddy Rich odyssey. We’re now getting ready to do our first extended tour, starting in mid-August.


Posted: July 30, 2012

Category: Drummers, Lessons, MD Education Team
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Reading Music

We asked the members of the MD Education Team if they think that reading skills are crucial. Here’s what they had to say….


Posted: May 16, 2012

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Influences
Influences: Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins

As Jane’s Addiction continues its successful Theatre of the Escapists tour, a new generation of fans is being hipped to the ecstatic tribal glam event that is a Jane’s show—and to the uniquely galloping drumming approach of Stephen Perkins. In the latest installment of Modern Drummer magazine’s Influences series, we …


Posted: April 24, 2012

Category: Drummers, Multimedia, Videos
Gene Krupa/Buddy Rich Drum Battle on The Sammy Davis Jr. Show

Watch a drum battle between Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich from The Sammy Davis Show in 1966 in this video.


Posted: March 29, 2012

Category: Drummers, News, News and Events
Sonny Igoe Passes

Noted jazz drummer, educator, and MD Advisory Board member Sonny Igoe has passed away, at age eighty-eight…


Posted: January 31, 2012

Category: Drummers, Jazz Drummers' Workshop, Lessons, Multimedia, Videos
Focus on the Hi-Hat: The Classic Swing Sound (VIDEO)

Need help getting a swinging hi-hat sound? Click to learn how.


Posted: January 20, 2012

Category: Feature Stories
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: December 6, 2011

Category: Book Review, Drummers, Reviews
Rifftide: The Life
and Opinions of
Paoa Jo Jones

As Told To Albert Murray

The father of modern drumming kept his bag of tricks safely hidden. Thank goodness his playing spoke for itself.


Posted: November 22, 2011

Category: Drummers, The Greats
Paul Motian: Embracing The Past, Forging the Future

An interview with post-bop master Paul Motian, which ran in the April 2005 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.


Posted: October 31, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Freddie Gruber

Right up until his passing on October 11, Freddie Gruber was a source of deep and important knowledge for many top drummers.


Posted: October 18, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Ian Paice: Influence

MD Pro Panelist Daniel Glass on the magic of Deep Purple’s Ian Paice.


Posted: August 3, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Shawn “Clown??? Crahan

Shawn “Clown??? Crahan is best known as one of the percussionists in the metal-megalith that is Slipknot. But Crahan carries a rich drumming background into his new project, the Black Dots of Death.


Posted: July 28, 2011

Category: A Different View, Drummers, Feature Stories
A Different View with Danny Kortchmar

More with the world-renowned right-hand man to rock’s singer-songwriter royalty, who is featured in the Different View column of this month’s issue of MD.


Posted: July 21, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Jerry Shirley

Read an excerpt from Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley’s brand-new book, Best Seat in the House: Drumming in the ’70s With Marriott, Frampton and Humble Pie.


Posted: July 5, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
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: July 1, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
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

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
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 27, 2011

Category: Collector's Corner, Feature Stories
Slingerland Radio King Snare

Slingerland’s Radio King snare was revolutionary in that it made double-headed, tunable toms available to drummers for the first time.


Posted: May 2, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
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: February 4, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Henry Adler : Legendary Drum Teacher

Drumming pioneer, music retailer, author, and teacher Henry Alder was born in New York on June 28, 1915. His first professional playing job took place when he was fifteen years old at the Belmar Hotel in New Jersey. He subsequently worked in several pit orchestras in theaters, as well as …


Posted: January 25, 2011

Category: Drummers, The Greats
Buddy Harman: The Original Country Drummer

Before Buddy Harman, there was no drumset on country music recordings. A true groundbreaker in the annals of drumming, after opeing up Nashville to the concept, Harmon went on to make nearly 20,000 records, including a plethora of hits with nearly every major artist of the genre. Harman grew up …


Posted: December 17, 2010

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Jimmy Bralower: Web Exclusive

Jimmy Bralower was born to make records. The drummer started playing at a very young age, and by the time he was in his early teens, his first band, the Young Ones, had signed a deal with a major label. In the ensuing years Bralower worked his way from clubs …


Posted: November 3, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Jamie Miller of Night Horse

Hello, my name is Jamie Miller. Like the rest of the entries on the site, I will begin by saying I have been a huge fan of Modern Drummer magazine for a very long time and am pretty stoked to be writing this! With that said, I will give a …


Posted: November 2, 2010

Category: Drummers, The Greats
John Riley : Master Player/Master Teacher

John Riley, one of the most respected drummer/educators of the past thirty years, was born in 1954, and began playing drums at the age of eight. At twelve Riley began playing in rock bands and was first exposed to jazz via the soundtrack to The Gene Krupa Story and Max …


Posted: July 1, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Adolfo “Fofi??? Lancha of Sabado Gigante/Don Francisco Presents

I was born in Cuba, and at an early age I was mesmerized by the rhythms of the comparsa on the streets. After seeing the movie Don’t Knock The Rock, featuring Little Richard and Bill Haley & the Comets, I knew drumming would be my lifelong ambition and goal….


Posted: June 28, 2010

Category: Drummers, The Greats
Barrett Deems: The Original Speed Demon

Though Barrett Deems was known as “the world’s fastest drummer”—resulting in his earning premier billing at Chicago’s Randolph Square in the 1940s and accolades from Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich—Deems’ effortless swing, solid time, and propulsive drive were the traits that enabled him to maintain a career over seven decades. …


Posted: June 24, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Roger Earl of Foghat

Photo by Robert Alford Hello, fellow noise-makers! Well, we’ve just finished a new album that’s particularly close to my heart, Last Train Home. We had a couple of extra musos giving us a helping hand on this one. My older brother Colin is playing piano, and we don’t always get …


Posted: May 11, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Darren King of MUTEMATH: YouTube Favorites

I don’t care so much about difficulty or technicality. I like style, passion, creativity, and all that kind of stuff. Here are some videos that always challenge and inspire me no matter how many times I watch them….


Posted: April 29, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Jason Hartless – Crüe Fest Veteran And More

Hey everyone in Modern Drummer land! My name is Jason Hartless, and I come from The Motor City. I am fifteen years old and have been a drummer for all of my life. I have been fortunate enough to, by the age of fourteen, have already toured or performed with …


Posted: January 29, 2010

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Bobby Rosengarden: The Stylish Rhythm Of TV’s Golden Age

Bobby Rosengarden was a well-traveled and well-recorded drummer whose career spanned the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s and included work with musical giants such as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, and Astrud Gilberto….


Posted: January 4, 2010

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, The Greats
George Wettling: The Ultimate “Chicago style” Accompanist

George Wettling was one of the leading proponents of the early “Chicago style??? of jazz drumming. A tasteful, imaginative, unobtrusive player, Wettling quickly built a reputation as the ultimate band drummer.


Posted: December 31, 2009

Category: Drummers, The Greats
Chick Webb: The First True Drumming Idol

Chick Webb simultaneously defined drumming during the swing era, while also paving the way for the “modern??? jazz movement of the 1940s…


Posted: December 29, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, The Greats
William “Cozy” Cole: The Father Of Coordinated Independence

Cozy Cole, an incredibly adept player, was strongly rooted in the rudimental style, but he contributed much to jazz drumming…


Posted: December 16, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Arthur “Zutty” Singleton: True Jazz Drumming Pioneer

During his illustrious career he worked with Steve Louis, The Tuxedo Jazz Band, Louis Nelson, The Maple Leaf Band, and the popular Fate Marable…


Posted: December 15, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, The Greats
Warren “Baby??? Dodds: The World’s First Great Jazz Drummer

After leaving Oliver, Dodds worked with Freddie Keppard, Johnny Dodds, and Lil Armstrong, and later recorded with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven…


Posted: December 8, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Gene Krupa: The Man Who Made It All Happen

If anyone can be considered the founding father of modern drumset playing, it’s Gene Krupa. Krupa legitimized a collection of instruments known as the “traps??? at a time when both the instrument and its players were barely tolerated.


Posted: December 4, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Buddy Rich: The World’s Greatest Drummer

Buddy Rich has been called the greatest jazz drummer of all time—a statement that few would argue with.


Posted: August 20, 2009

Category: Drummers, The Greats
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

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
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: June 10, 2009

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
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: April 23, 2009

Category: Drummers, The Greats
Mick Fleetwood

Decades after helping Fleetwood Mac become the biggest pop phenomenon of the ’70s, Mick is still keeping time like only he can.


Posted: January 12, 2009

Category: Feature Stories, What We're Listening To
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 9, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Nick Gimiliano

My name is Nick Gimiliano and I have been the house drummer on PBS’s American Soundtrack series and most recently on the My Music series…


Posted: October 8, 2008

Richard Hoak of Total F**king Destruction & Brutal Truth
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Richard Hoak of Total F**king Destruction & Brutal Truth

My name is Richard Hoak, and I’ve been playing drums since 1992. Currently I’m playing with Total F**king Destruction and with Brutal Truth.


Posted: October 8, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Richard Hoak of Total F**king Destruction & Brutal Truth

My name is Richard Hoak, and I’ve been playing drums since 1992. Currently I’m playing with Total F**king Destruction and with Brutal Truth.


Posted: September 5, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Nate Morton

Just wanted to throw a couple things out there. I'm about to find myself back on television again, playing in the house band on The Bonnie Hunt Show.


Posted: August 29, 2008

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, On the Beat
Dick DiCenso

The well-known drummer/teacher Dick DiCenso reflects on his sixty-year love affair with the drums…


Posted: August 20, 2008

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Billy Bob Thornton: Thinking Inside The Box

While many only know Billy Bob Thornton as an Academy Award–winning actor, he’s in fact been a musician far longer, ever since growing up in Arkansas…


Posted: July 30, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Donnie Yal of the Sammies

I, as you can read above, am Donnie Yale. I play drums in the NC band The Sammies. (NC is better b/c we are on top for all of you reading this in SC). Our sophomore album, Sandwich, is set for release on September 23….


Posted: December 5, 2007

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Dee Pop of The Bush Tetras

As with most people around my age, my heroes were Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa (who both seemed to turn up regularly on variety television shows), Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Mitch Mitchell…


Posted: September 25, 2006

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Joe Morello: Revisiting A Master

The Dave Brubeck Quartet was the most popular jazz group of that time. “Take Five,” featuring a drum solo by Joe Morello, was a million-seller. This group toured the world playing concerts instead of location club gigs. I can’t think of one jazz group today that approaches the level of …


Posted: May 1, 2006

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Prairie Prince: An Interview

Prairie Prince was born on May 7, 1950 in Charlotte, North Carolina and has been a founding member of art-rock band The Tubes since 1969. He was also a major player in getting the band Journey off the ground, and over the years he’s worked with Brian Eno, Jefferson Airplane, …


Posted: July 19, 2005

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
An Interview with Hal Blaine

Paving the way for some of the great studio musicians of our time, like Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, Jeff Porcaro, and John JR Robinson, were Earl Palmer and Hal Blaine. MD recently sat down with the jovial drummer to walk a bit down memory lane.


Posted: July 19, 2005

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
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: July 1, 2005

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Steve Gadd: Opens Up

The drumming legend gives his most revealing interview.


Posted: May 12, 2004

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Tommy Perkins: Charting His Past, Present, And Future

For more than fifty years, Tommy Perkins has devoted himself to performing as a full-time working drummer. At age fifteen he made his first recording as a Texas Playboy. That was the 1950 hit single “Faded Love” by Bob Wills.



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