Mitch Mitchell

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 …

Watch the The Making Of: Omens Premiere Live Stream Event October 6 Omens Album Drops October 7  The Omens Tour Kicks Off September 9 Photo by Travis Shinn at Henson Studios LAMB OF GOD announces The Making Of: Omens, a short film documenting the recording of their forthcoming album. The documentary will premiere with …

The Modern Drummer Podcast – Narada Michael Walden’s UPBEAT interview with Carmine Appice + Interview with Gary Ingraffia from ddrum. In this episode, Narada Michael Walden interviews drumming icon and author Carmine Appice. Carmine discusses the early days of Vanilla Fudge, piers that influenced him including Dino Danelli from the …

Forty years after releasing its debut album—and twenty-seven since releasing its last studio album —the iconic L.A. punk band X sounds positively ageless on Alphabetland. We spoke to drummer D.J. Bonebrake all about it. MD: X had played with regularity over the years, but hadn’t made an album in a …

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.

Hello MD! I said rock and roll was a young man’s game. It is. I said I’d retire at thirty. I did.

Hi, my name is Clay Aeschliman and I’ve been playing drums for Polyphia for two and half years now. I got my start drumming in high school, where I marched quads for three years. I was fortunate enough to go to a very competitive high school, so drumlines were taken …

Hello modern drummers! My name is TJ Taylor. It’s an honor to write to the MD community and fill you in on what I’ve been up to. Since mid 2017, I have been drumming for hard rock veterans SOiL.

A massive hello to all you MD readers, Manny Elias here and it’s great to chat with you again! As some of you may remember I’m the original drummer from Tears For Fears (The Hurting and Songs From The Big Chair).

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 …

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.

Greetings and salutations MD readers! I am a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter from San Diego, but you can just call me Elise.

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 …

To borrow from the great Walt Whitman: Bill Stevenson is large. He contains multitudes. Over the last four decades, the hulking drummer has tirelessly propelled the likes of Descendents, All, and Black Flag—a trio of trailblazing bands as skilled at progressive, fusion-inspired jams as they are straight-up punk rock burners …

My original project Supernova Remnant released our CD Rockets’ Red Glare in 2015. Rockets’ Red Glare enjoyed heavy rotation on FM and Internet radio stations across the globe. Their popularity has elevated since they performed at TBN television studios during our trip to NAMM in California.

Longtime New York City drummer Tony Leone is currently on the road with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.

For ten years, Jared Champion’s backbeat-infused, no-frills grooves have propelled the alternative chart-crushers Cage the Elephant. The group’s current tour runs through August, with additional select dates in September and October.

Texas trio Purple has released its second album, Bodacious, which makes for another great showcase for Hanna Brewer’s many talents. Modern Drummer Online asked Brewer about the making of album, and about her background as a singing drummer….

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, …

Hi! Matt Thompson from King Diamond here, and I’m very happy to be part of MD online! I’m happy to say that we are part of Mayhem this year, along with Slayer, Hellyeah, Whitechapel, and a bunch more, whom I’m eager to see and hear….

Half a dozen top-shelf 2015 jazz and fusion releases still in high rotation at Modern Drummer HQ.

We’re coming up to the one-year anniversary of the band Tempt, and I thought that in my blog it would be interesting to give you the drummer’s perspective on trying to make it in the music business….

From September 30 until October 6, drummer Ches Smith will bring in different collaborators and projects, both long-standing and burgeoning, to the Stone in New York City. In the past decade, Ches Smith has become one of the most in-demand drummers in New York. He has lent his unique style …

What I’ve learned from drumming and the music business is that hard work and practice always pay off. It is important to give back to your community and to always treat people how you would like to be treated: with kindness and respect….

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.

M’Boom Re:Percussion, the legendary ensemble featuring a multitude of drummer/percussionists that was assembled and founded by jazz master Max Roach in the 1970s, is reuniting under the leadership of original member Joe Chambers for a special concert featuring the KBz Strings and special guests….

I started playing drums in public school, and my parents signed me up for lessons almost right away….

Check out this video clip of the band Soule Monde, featuring drummer Russ Lawton and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, both members of the solo group led by Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio. The clip was filmed in July 2013 at the Slide Brook Lodge & Tavern in Warren, Vermont, a favorite haunt …

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 …

Hey, MD readers, my name is Mike Kelly, and I play drums with the Mission. I never expected to earn a spot performing with the band; I was in my studio in Brighton, working away, playing on and producing a record…

I’m Nico Espinosa, drummer for Miami-based indie-rock band the Deaf Poets. I am originally from Entre Rios, Argentina, but Miami has been my home for the last thirteen years….

Philly Drum Project’s monthly event, “Beats, Brews, and Banter,??? will continue on Monday, September 9, at the R Bar (formerly Roosevelt’s Pub), located at the corner of 23rd and Walnut in Philadelphia. The event will run from 7 to 9 pm and will feature a workshop by Erik Johnson….

The Northampton Jazz Festival has announced that the Al Foster Quartet, featuring Eric Alexander on saxophone, will headline a star-studded lineup for its third annual event. The free festival will occur on Saturday, September 7, from 11am to 9pm, in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts….

Hi, I’m Marti Frederiksen. I’m a songwriter, producer, and singer, but most of all I consider myself a drummer….

Blues-rock band JD & The Straight Shot will be opening for music legends the Eagles on the “History of the Eagles” tour this July.

Watch part 4 of this video featuring Darren King of Mutemath’s special performance at Guitar Center’s 2012 Drum-Off Grand Finals at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on January 19th, 2013.

Watch part 3 of this video featuring Darren King of Mutemath’s special performance at Guitar Center’s 2012 Drum-Off Grand Finals at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on January 19th, 2013….

Watch part 2 of this video featuring Darren King of Mutemath’s special performance at Guitar Center’s 2012 Drum-Off Grand Finals at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on January 19th, 2013….

Watch part 1 of this video featuring Darren King of Mutemath’s special performance at Guitar Center’s 2012 Drum-Off Grand Finals at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on January 19th, 2013….

My name is James Forsberg, and I am the drummer for the California rock band RapScallions.

The Stickman Drum Experience Fantasy Drum Camp will take place at the Cedar Lodge on Blackstrap Lake in Saskatchewan from June 27 to July 1….

Check out this video featuring an in-depth interview with drumming legend Vinnie Colaiuta. Vinnie discusses how the new Formula 602 Modern Essentials line of cymbals came to be, and he demos each cymbal.

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????

The NYC blues-rock band JD & The Straight Shot will perform at The 12th Annual Holiday Rock & Roll Bash on Thursday, December 6th to benefit The Lustgarten Foundation in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Hey Modern Drummer people! I’m David Halicky. Through drumming I can truly express who I am and how I’m feeling.

Hey, MD readers! I’m Matt Hearn, drummer for Turbo Fruits. We’re gearing up for the release of our next record, Butter, due September 11 on Kings of Leon’s Serpents & Snakes Records….

My name is Andrew Nauss, and I play drums for the Brooklyn-based band Thieving Irons. Our album Behold, This Dreamer is due on June 5. (continue reading)

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 …

First of its Kind Online Course from Berklee Launches April 2nd, 2012 from Renowned Author and Journalist Steve Morse.

After changing its name from Mammoth, Van Halen strutted a glam-punk attitude when it burst onto the national scene in 1978 with its self-titled debut album. Featuring the template-smashing talent of the whammy-bar-happy, two-hand-tapping guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his percussive-dynamo brother, Alex, Van Halen the band, to many, became …

Four recent Hendrix releases demonstrate the master’s bold forays into the unknown.

Marky Ramone held the drum chair with legendary punk pioneers the Ramones longer than anyone else. But there’s much more to his story…

For intermediate and advanced jazz musicians, all instruments (limited enrollment) — Event to be held August 20-24, 2012, The Spa at Norwich Inn, Norwich, CT– The National Music Workshop is proud to announce the 2012 Pat Metheny Summer Music Workshop. World-renowned guitarist, composer and bandleader Pat Metheny will return to …

Hi, everyone! It’s Jayson Brinkworth here, from the Regina Drum Festival in Saskatchewan, Canada. Our first annual event wrapped up on September 17 and went down as a huge success.Our Friday night local showcase featured amazing performances by the Kyle Grimsrud-Manz Trio, Ya La Habibi tribal dancers with Skin and …

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

Learn the drums by copping beats that are part of the everyday musical landscape.

John Guerin was one of the most prolific and influential drummers of the L.A. studio scene, contributing to recordings by Frank Sinatra, the Byrds, Thelonious Monk, Lou Rawls, George Shearing, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others.

My name is LaMel Randolph; I play drums in the band Lionize, based out of Silver Spring, Maryland. This year we released our latest album, Destruction Manuel, we played the Warped tour and Bonnaroo Festival, and we’re already writing and recording a new batch of songs.

’Tis the season for Chad Smith followers, with new Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot music blowing up all over the place. MD and the Bombastic One recently grabbed some grub and talked about some of his favorite classic-rock albums.

This is not a drum blog posting in that you’re not going to find me charting out grooves or getting heavy into sticking technique or how we got the…

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 …

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….

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 …

George “Buddy??? Miles—nicknamed after “the world’s greatest drummer,??? Buddy Rich—was born in 1947 in Omaha, Nebraska, and got an early musical education listening to the jazz that was played at home. At the same time, Buddy was listening to the R&B sounds of drummer Al Jackson Jr., who was the …

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 …

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!…

Hi, MD readers! I’m a drummer/percussionist/composer/producer based in New York City. Recently I released the Darren Lyons Group CD Evil Genius, which was produced by David Sancious (Sting, Eric Clapton, solo artist). Manolo Badrena (Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Ahmad Jamal) performs on four tracks. Manolo and I also have a …

Hi, MD readers! I’m a drummer/percussionist/composer/producer based in New York City. Recently I released the Darren Lyons Group CD Evil Genius, which was produced by David Sancious (Sting, Eric Clapton, solo artist). Manolo Badrena (Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Ahmad Jamal) performs on four tracks. Manolo and I also have a …

Hi, MD readers, Keith LeBlanc here! I think this is probably the closest I will get to playing with Jimi Hendrix. I’m playing with two amazing players—the wonderful bass player T.M. Stevens and guitar monster Eric Gales. Both of these guys have a great sense of time, so playing with …

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 …

Photo by Marc Rouve You can probably guess I dabble a bit on the old drumkit myself, and it is always difficult trying to explain to someone what it looks like sitting on that throne—the best seat in the house. With my images in the book I try to give …

Photo by Marc Rouve You can probably guess I dabble a bit on the old drumkit myself, and it is always difficult trying to explain to someone what it looks like sitting on that throne—the best seat in the house. With my images in the book I try to give …

Interview by Robyn FlansRead the Little Feat drummer’s cover feature from October 1995. MD: You have a unique playing style with Little Feat. Can you describe that style and where it came from? Richie: My style has grown with the band. It started out heavily influenced by blues, rock ’n’ …

Sample audition requirements from a trio of top schools. Planning on attending a music school? In the College Bound! feature in the December 2010 issue of Modern Drummer, you’ll learn many of the steps to take in order to apply and audition with success. Here we present sample audition requirements …

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 …

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.

Associate Editor Michael Parillo Ah, Gong. For me there are times when nothing else will do. Some days I just need to hear a lot of notes — a lot of well-played, precisely ordered, yet totally rocking notes. I have only two of the European prog/fusion band’s many albums, 1975’s …

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, …

The greatest rock ’n’ roll drummer in history was a soul drummer. Despite all the deserved attention paid to his brilliant soloing ideas, his rhythmic sophistication, or his bass drum prowess, John Bonham was, above all else, a groover….

Ask fifty drummers about Vinnie Colaiuta, and you’re likely to get the same answer: “There’s Vinnie, and then there’s everyone else.???

Greetings, Modern Drummers! My New York City band the Art Of Shooting has recently released our first full-length album, Traveling Show, and we’re excited about hitting the road to play for a bunch of new faces. I’d like to tell you a little about myself, our album, and a few …

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 …

When Jack DeJohnette hooked up with trendsetting trumpeter Miles Davis in 1969, the drummer was immediately thrust into the media spotlight as he became a main rhythmic catalyst behind Davis’s revolutionary electronic jazz sound. With that band, Jack appeared on one of the most controversial…

As a member of the house band at famed Memphis recording studio Stax, Al Jackson Jr. played on all of the classic hits that the label released during the heyday of southern R&B in the 1960s.

For eighteen years, Kiss’s drummer has helped his world-famous band stay in our hearts and on the radio by doing what he does best—being himself. In this special online extra from his May 2010 MD cover story, we begin by asking Eric about…The Band’s Younger Fans. In 2004 we did …

Jim Keltner is inarguably a true studio drum god. Highly regarded for his session work on solo recordings by three of the Beatles, Jim could also be considered a close life-long friend of George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr…

The Echo Falls is a modern indie-folk-rock trio from Oakland, California. Our first CD is coming out next month and reception has been great already…

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…

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….

Seeing as he’s from Las Vegas, the home of twenty-four-hour gambling, retina-freezing neon, and spontaneous wedding ceremonies, The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci has a penchant for doing things–to quote a famous Vegas crooner–his way…

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 …

My name is Oli Hecks, from England, currently living in Los Angeles…

My name is Oli Hecks, from England, currently living in Los Angeles…

My name is Adam Barker (no relation to Travis), and I've been drumming for about thirteen years now.

My name is Adam Barker (no relation to Travis), and I've been drumming for about thirteen years now.

We’ve been road warriors the past few months, playing shows in anticipation of our debut album coming out this summer. It's been a great run so far, and I would never in my wildest dreams have thought that I could make a living playing drums. Not that I am yet….

Though Brian Reitzell is known in some circles as a drummer first, he maintains a “second??? career as a film music producer, choosing and in many cases composing and recording soundtrack music to many of the most highly regarded films of the past several years, including Friday Night Lights, Stranger …

Brian Blade has performed and recorded with some of the greatest musicians of this or any era….

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith takes a much-needed rest—for a minute—and fills MD in on the many cool side projects he’s involved in…

The hum of bells in a monastery; the human heartbeat. The cosmic vibration of aum. Rhythm is what creates our existence, and what keeps it interesting….

My name is C.G. Ryche, and I’ve been a touring percussionist for over a decade. I have performed and toured with artist like Benise, Wayne Newton, Ambrosia, Disney, and The NFL, and I’ve performed at some of the top drum festivals in the world….

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…

I started studying drums at the age of twelve, when my parents gave me permission to switch from the piano over to classical percussion at the conservatory….

Since leaving the groundbreaking British psychedelic band Soft Machine in 1971, Robert Wyatt has released a succession of remarkable solo albums filled with artfulness and surprise….

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….

In the February 2007 issue of Modern Drummer, we ran a feature called “Double Drumming’s 25 Greatest Hits.??? At the time we asked MD readers to submit their own favorite double-drum performances, which we’d post online at a later date. Well, the time has arrived, double-drum fans—the floor is yours!

When Ian Matthews got his first drumkit at age four, he was lucky that his babysitter was also a professional drummer. “He’d teach me a few rudiments and how to read a bit,??? Ian remembers….

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 …

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 …

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.

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, …

With all of the samplers, prerecorded loops, and programmers in the studio, how much of what we hear today from a drummer is actual acoustic drums or electronics? MD asked some of the best “hired guns” in the business to comment on their current role and gear requirements in the …

Frank Beard of ZZ Top has created his share of monsters. See if you recognize one of them in the following scenario. You’re barely into your first set with your local bar band when somebody howls, “Play some ZZ Top!”…

One of the marks of greatness in a musician is that you can recognize him after the first couple of notes.

When Phil Jordan sits down behind the kit for his band, UK rockers The Music, he has one goal in mind: making people dance. Jordan says the secret is in the dynamics….