
John Riley

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 …

When you take over the drum chair associated with a bona fide legend, there’s a huge responsibility to get it right.

When you take over the drum chair associated with a bona fide legend, there’s a huge responsibility to get it right.

Larry Mullen Jr. Brian Chase, John Riley, Geral Heyward, Nisan Stewart, Cora Coleman-Dunham, Aaron Spears, Martin Chambers, Ira Elliot, Jon Wuster, Mingo Lewis, Paul Thompson, Fred Young, John Fred Young, Chris Culter, Chris Adler, Jason McGerr

Neil Peart, Steve Smith, John Riley, Rod Morgenstein, Stanton Moore, Billy Ward, Ian Paice, Rob Zgaljic, Kofi Baker, Orri Pall Dyrason, Steve Davis, Aaron Spears, Jimmy Chamberlin, Scott Travis

Vinne Paul, Terence Higgins, Chris Cester, Bill Stevenson, John Riley, Mike Portnoy, Keith Carlock, Mike Lowry, Greg Saunier, Debbi Peterson, Shadow Wilson, John Guerin, Phil Collins, Gary Husband, Sam Loeffler, Gregg Bissonette

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

Mike Malinin, Jeff Porcaro, Matt Wilson, Antonio Sanchez, Dafnis Prieto, Vera Figueiredo, Geoff Dugmore, Marky Ramone, Sammy J. Watson, Scott Neumann, Tom Ardolino, Phil Beale, Ken Coomer, Ryan Vikedal, Dean Butterworth, John Riley, Antonio Sanchez

Joey Kramer, Carter Beauford, John McEntire, Brady Blade, Mike Cosgrove, Rick Shelton, Donna C, James O’Connor, Peter Schmidlin, Philly Joe Jones, Ringo Starr, Brad Wilk, Akira Jimbo, John Riley

Dave Weckl, Ginger Fish, Max Roach, Virgil Donati, Han Bennink, Zakir Hussain, Jack Gavin, Kevin Miller, Scott Rockenfield, Jon Christensen, Mark Zonder, Carlomango Araya, Paul Clarvis, Ron Spagnardi, Ed Breckenfeld, John Riley, Jennie Hoeft, Michael Miller, T. Bruce Wittet, Jeff Hamilton, Alan White, Zach Danziger

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

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 Cameron, Zoro, Billy Ward, Dave Lombardo, Rod Morgenstein, Stephen Perkins, Roger Hawkins, Paul Wertico, Kevan McKenzie, John Otto, Prairie Prince, Lee Rudnicki, Ted Moore, Roy Hanes, Jay Schellen, John Riley, Joe Morello, Daniel Glass, Russ McKinnon, Mark Griffith, Bun E. Carlos, Jack Gavin, Herman Matthews

Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey, Billy Drummond, John Riley, Clyde Stubblefield, Ben Gillies, David Bowie, Billy Higgins, Mikkey Dee, Joe Daniels, Dave Barborossa, Bill Bruford, Marc Quinones, John Riley

In this Issue: Terry Bozzio, John Riley, Cheron Moore
Posted: February 3, 2023

2023 Jazz Fest Music Lineup Announced!
Dead & Company, Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Santana, Jon Batiste, Jill Scott, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Kane Brown, H.E.R., Steve Miller Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gary Clark Jr., Leon Bridges, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Plus Hundreds More! To Appear at the 2023 New Orleans …
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: 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: December 30, 2015
Exclusive Video Interviews from PASIC 2015
This past November 11–14, the Percussive Arts Society held its annual international convention in San Antonio, Texas. This milestone event marked the fortieth anniversary of PASIC and the first year that live-streaming passes were offered. Within the convention, attendees had access to an expo hall filled with the latest gear …
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 30, 2015
December 2015 Issue of Modern Drummer featuring Dom Famularo
See what’s in the December 2015 issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Dom Famularo!
Posted: March 26, 2015
News: Vic’s Drum Shop Wins 2014 Outstanding Retailer Award From Vic Firth Company
Vic’s Drum Shop in Chicago has been selected to receive the 2014 Outstanding Retailer Award from Vic Firth. The award was presented to drum shops across America that achieved double-digit sales growth last year with more than $25,000 in annual sell-through of Vic Firth products….
Posted: February 21, 2015
News: Tenth-Anniversary Meinl Drum Festival Lineup Announced!
The tenth-anniversary Meinl Drum Festival will take place June 27, 2015, in Gutenstetten, Germany, and will feature a lineup of world-renowned drummers….
Posted: February 4, 2015
Modern Drummer Education Team Weighs In On: Learning Other Styles
We asked the members of the Modern Drummer Education Team if they felt that it’s important for all drummers to study Latin music and other musical genres, even if they don’t intend to ever perform those styles. Here’s what they had to say….
Posted: September 9, 2014
19th Annual KoSA Camp Delivers Clear and Straightforward Sentiment: “I Just Wanna Drum!???
The 19th KoSA International Percussion Workshop, Drum Camp, and Festival celebrated its annual week of intensive learning, living, and playing with internationally celebrated drum and percussion masters this past July in the serene mountains of Vermont. KoSA co-founders and directors Aldo Mazza and Dr. Jolán Kovács relayed a simple message …
Posted: September 3, 2014
East Coast Drum Jam Set for September 21st
The East Coast Drum Jam will take place on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at the DoubleTree Hotel Ballroom at US Hwy 1 South in Princeton, New Jersey….
Posted: June 18, 2014
Jojo Mayer Confirmed for KoSA 19 This July
Jojo Mayer has been confirmed for the 19th Annual KoSA International Percussion Workshop, Drum Camp, and Festival…
Posted: June 13, 2014
Steve Potts of Paul Rodgers
Hello, Modern Drummer readers. I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Watching my older brother, Paris (Alvin) Potts, and cousin Al Jackson, Jr. inspired me to play drums and marching drums throughout school, where my major was in music.
Posted: May 29, 2014
2014 Croatia International Drum Camp
Since its inception by camp director Petar Curic in 2007, this one-of-a-kind drum camp has featured such world-class instructors as Bill Bruford, Horacio “El Negro??? Hernandez, JoJo Mayer, John Riley, Gary Chaffee, Mike Mangini, Marco Minnemann, Benny Greb, Pete Riley, Pete Lockett, Gabor Dornyei, and Kim Plainfield. The weeklong camp …
Posted: May 12, 2014
VIDEO! Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Syncopation Revisited, Part 1: Basic Applications (From the June 2014 Issue)
Click here to check out part 1 of a Jazz Drummer’s Workshop series by Steve Fidyk focusing on ways to develop coordination on the drumset using Ted Reed’s classic book Syncopation.
Posted: April 16, 2014
KoSA Percussion Workshops
The 2014 South Florida Percussion Workshop/KoSA Miami will take place…
Posted: April 3, 2014
May 2014 Spotify Playlist
Welcome to the Spotify Playlist for the May 2014 issue of Modern Drummer magazine….
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: March 21, 2014
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: December 25, 2013
Jason Aldean’s Rich Redmond
Hello MD readers! It has been some time since we last visited here. I am still enjoying life in Nashville, juggling touring, recording, producing, writing, and teaching. I love this life we live as modern drummers!
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: April 26, 2013
25 Timeless Drum Books
What makes a great drum book? There’s no single answer, as different books have been written to address a wide variety of styles and techniques. But judging by a recent poll in which Modern Drummer readers were asked to name their favorite volumes, a few characteristics stand out….
Posted: April 15, 2013
Chris Prescott of Pinback
Pinback has been traveling constantly this past year in support of the new album, Information Retrieved. We were planning the final leg of our US tour when the opportunity came up to play on Jimmy Fallon’s show in New York. The tour had been planned originally as a mostly southern …
Posted: January 10, 2013
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: November 19, 2012
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s John Riley
In addition to the cover story on big band star Buddy Rich, the December 2012 issue of Modern Drummer magazine features a fascinating conversation between the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s John Riley and VJO drum sub Paul Wells. The article contains lots of useful real-world advice from Riley; here Wells asks …
Posted: August 28, 2012
Maximize Your Practicing: Get the Most From Whatever Time You Have
Click here to read ways to maximize your practicing.
Posted: July 30, 2012
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: June 15, 2012
2012 Croatia International Drum Camp
The sixth annual Croatia Drum Camp will be held this August 5-12 at the Jeunesses Musicales International World Meeting Centre in Groznjan, Croatia. The picturesque backdrop of this 14th-century Mediterranean hilltop village overlooks sprawling vineyards surrounding the Adriatic Sea, making the camp one of the most unusual and geographically attractive …
Posted: May 31, 2012
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Teaching Feel
We asked the MD Education Team if feel could be taught. See what they had to say….
Posted: May 8, 2012
Modern Drummer Education Team Weighs In On: Practicing With a Metronome
The MD Education Team chimes in on the pros and cons of practicing with a metronome….
Posted: March 26, 2012
Jose Rosa
My name is Jose Rosa, and I’d like to tell you about my latest book, The Art of Latin Drumming, and share information about the Contemporary Drums & Percussion Camp.
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 2, 2012
Alex Acuna at University of Central Florida’s Contemporary Drums and Percussion Camp
Alex Acuna will be part of the 2012 edition of the University of Central Florida’s Contemporary Drums and Percussion Camp, along with his nephew Hector “Pocho” Neciosup, Jose Rosa, John Riley, Tony Cintron, Ekendra Das and Larry Washington. When: July 12 – 14, 2012 Where: University of Central Florida in …
Posted: January 24, 2012
George Marsh
[MDEdTop]George Marsh is a San Francisco-based jazz drummer/composer currently playing with the David Grisman Sextet. He’s recorded with John Abercrombie, Terry Riley, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Pauline Oliveros, Denny Zeitlin, Maria Muldaur, and others. Marsh teaches at the University of California, Santa Cruz and at Sonoma State University. He also …
Posted: November 30, 2011
Ben Riley: Power of the Lion, Patience of the Ages
Ben Riley commands respect from the moment he hits the bandstand. While he is best known (and beloved) for his years spent in Thelonious Monk’s quartet at the peak of that master’s powers, Riley has also recorded and performed with many other jazz greats.This article orginally ran in the February …
Posted: November 3, 2011
Billy Higgins: The Shape of Jazz
Billy Higgins, who would come to play on more than five hundred albums, including three of the biggest jazz crossover hits of the 1960s (Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man,??? Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder,??? and Eddie Harris’s “Freedom Jazz Dance???), was born in 1936 and grew up in Los Angeles. He began …
Posted: August 8, 2011
Aaron Steele of Aabaraki
Hey, all, it is a pleasure and honor to be writing a blog for Modern Drummer. I grew up in the church tradition, playing gospel. Around age eleven I got really into break-dancing and I kind of got away from the drums for a few years. But when I was …
Posted: August 2, 2011
Steve Riley of L.A. Guns
Hey, everyone, hope all is well. This is my first time writing a blog for Modern Drummer, and I’m truly excited. As usual, L.A. Guns is out on the road. We’ve been touring the world and putting out a consistent, hard-rocking experience…
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 21, 2011
VIDEO! John Riley 2011 Modern Drummer Festival montage
Watch the video preview of John Riley at the Modern Drummer Festival 2011.
Posted: March 14, 2011
Joe Morello: Changing The Way We Think About Time
“Throughout his storied career, Joe Morello displayed a rare combination of drumming talents. He revealed an exceptional sense of swing and finesse combined with astounding technical ability. Along with witty and inventive solo work, Morello was extremely adept at negotiating odd time signatures. Thousands of aspiring drummers have been both …
Posted: November 2, 2010
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 13, 2009
Brian Woodruff
I'm a jazz drummer living in New York City. I've just released my first CD as a leader, The Tarrier.
Posted: April 23, 2009
Steve Smith: Head, Hands, Feet, And “Shoulders???
Hudson Music has recently released Steve Smith’s DVD Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants, which Smith describes as “a detailed look at the drumming of some of the jazz giants who have helped create the vocabulary and concepts of drumming in general.???
Posted: February 19, 2009
Mitch Mitchell: Drummers Weigh In
Mitch Mitchell was not alone in blending jazz and rock drumming styles, but he may have pushed the combo further than anyone who came before him. Here a number of noted drummers provide further insight into Mitch’s influence….
Posted: October 19, 2007
Max Roach
Simply put, Max Roach brought jazz drumming into the modern age. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell revolutionized jazz with new melodies and concepts; Max matched these musical geniuses with startling rhythms and reactive, action-packed drumming that still influences drummers on a profound level today….
Posted: November 16, 2006
The Who’s Zak Starkey: Channeling Keith-And More
As the forty-year-old son of Ringo Starr, most would think that Zak Starkey had been handed stardom on a silver platter. He plays drums with two of the most popular bands in the world, names the late, great Keith Moon as one of his best childhood friends, and is so …
Posted: September 25, 2006
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: July 19, 2005
Steve Jordan Interview
Steve Jordan has accomplished more in his drumming career than he ever could have imagined. Of the big names he played with, a short list would include Ashford & Simpson, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, The Pretenders, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, David Sanborn, Tom Scott, …
Posted: January 19, 2023

John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With John Riley
John’s guest is world renowned drummer, educator and author, John Riley. John talks about his 30 plus years as the drummer with the legendary Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, his early studies with Joe Morello, and his long association with Manhattan School of Music. They also do a deep dive into John’s …
Posted: August 3, 2018

Episode 153: Nate Smith, Demystifying the Half-Time Shuffle, Istanbul Mehmet Hamer Series, and More
In this episode Mike and Mike crack open the September issue and talk about cover artist Nate Smith, whose groove-drenched videos have racked up millions of views.
Posted: November 6, 2015
Episode 15: Jim Riley’s Ghost Notes, Dom Famularo, Zildjian’s new K Custom Dark Crashes, Drum Muffling, and More
In this episode, Mike and Mike dig into a few of the stories in the December 2015 issue of Modern Drummer, including Jim Riley’s educational article on ghost notes, the cover story with global drumming ambassador Dom Famularo, and the product review of Zildjian’s new K Custom Dark 19″ and …