Peter Erskine

Chinese New Year usually finds me seated at a large circular table in Hop Woo’s, a terrific dining establishment in West Los Angeles. This annual meal is organized by the wife of my longtime friend and drummer Peter Donald. We are always seated side-by-side, which allows for plenty of conversation …

I am writing this on the last day of 2022, in preparation for my last semester of teaching full-time at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. Why am I leaving such a coveted job? The generous-sounding answer would be that I want to make room …

It’s been a good month. More precisely, it’s been one heck of a week. First, my wife returned home from being nanny and granny to our grandson in Italy while our daughter is busy filming a new show there. Much of the reason for her return (aside from my missing …

There are busy spells and then there are very busy spells. I recently found myself in the middle of a “this job/that job/and another job” when things had been moving along quite calmly for some time. Suddenly, I was juggling spinning plates like that guy on The Ed Sullivan Show. …

There are reminders, and then there are painful reminders. I was on the receiving end of a most-unpleasant reminder recently concerning what I don’t like, and I thought it would be useful to pivot the negative experience into a teachable moment. The purpose of this month’s column is to spark …

First impressions can be deceiving, but they can also be quite revealing. When it comes to music, we will often form an opinion or judgement based on just a few notes’ worth of playing. Most recently, I auditioned a drummer at the university and motioned for him to stop playing …

“School days, school daysDear old golden rule daysReadin’ and drummin’ and ‘rithmeticTaught to the tune of a signature stick …” Most of you may not be old enough to remember the tune, and my apologies for changing a couple of the words, but hey … that’s what (this) jazz (drumming …

I’m tempted to begin each of my new Modern Drummer columns by writing “With everything else that’s going on in the world…” because the unrelenting news cycles force me to question the relative importance of an artistic particular or a paradiddle. But since this is Modern Drummer and not Modern …

More often than not, I preach precision while espousing specificity when it comes to expressing our ideas on the drumset. In simple terms, that adds up to, “saying what we mean and meaning what we say.” That approach, however, runs the risk of making a drummer’s fills predictable, copyable, and …

This month’s Jazz Insights column focuses on my former USC student and teaching assistant Lauren Ellis. Her bio informs us that, “Lauren is a drummer, composer, and educator from Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand. There, she studied at the Te Kōki New Zealand School of Music under Lance Phillip and Roger …

Shelly Manne was one of my first drum heroes, and he remains a hero to this day. A swinging drummer in any context, he personified eclecticism while remaining a singularly unique musician. Shelly could do it all. Since the term “lick” carries negative connotations when it comes to discussing creativity, …

Scene 1: Jam session, rehearsal, or a gig. Bandleader’s Line: Let’s play “Green Dolphin Street” … and… Drums, how about you play an intro? Spot Quiz: A.) Do you ask, “How long?”B.) Do you ask, “What tempo?”C.) Do you ask, “What kind of feel do you want?”D.) Do you just …

My dear old friend, the late John Abercrombie, used to say when drinking his favorite breakfast beverage, “You know, there’s nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning … and this is nothing like a good cup of coffee.” Ha. But, humor aside, there IS nothing like a …

I’m literally happy to be sitting in the jazz-drumming-column chair for Modern Drummer. It’s a well-worn seat that I’ve occupied from time to time over the years. If I stand accused of being too wordy, well, then I plead “guilty as charged.” It’s a tricky business putting licks into words. …

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 …

“Ex Libris” means “from the library of.” There are many words whose first two letters are “ex:” excellence, excess, extra, extravagance, and expedience. And it would seem that much of our energies are expended towards adding one or another of these quantities to our “libraries.” It’s fair to observe that …

Excerpted from the January 1983 issue If Peter Erskine isn’t careful, he’s going to start giving jazz, musicians a good name. I mean, we all know about the reputation jazz players have with the general public, right? The stereotypical jazzer is perceived to be a sullen, somber and solitary figure.You …

Some of the worlds greatest drummers and industry members share their memories of what Neil Peart has meant to them.

A monster debut from a monster talent, and the beginning of a series of game-changing fusion recordings as a leader. By 1990, Dave Weckl was the talk of the drumming world. A headlong dive into the New York jazz scene in the early ’80s yielded recognition from a variety of …

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 …

If Peter Erskine isn’t careful, he’s going to start giving jazz, musicians a good name. I mean, we all know about the reputation jazz players have with the general public, right?

Different styles of music often share much in common, including the same grooves. In this lesson, we’ll take a look at offbeats and explore how they’ve been used in jazz and other genres.

Last month we studied a solo that trumpet great Freddie Hubbard played on the song “Make It Good” from the 1967 Duke Pearson album The Right Touch. I recommended listening to the solo to the point of being able to sing it before applying it to the drums. Here we’ll …

Last month we took a jazz melody, Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce,” and implied its melodic rhythm on the snare. This month we’ll phrase trumpet great Freddie Hubbard’s solo on “Make It Good” from the 1967 Duke Pearson album The Right Touch on the drums. First let’s recap some ideas for …

In this new series I hope to present my thoughts and pass along some experience and insights on playing jazz. These lessons will largely deal with the symbiotic relationship between playing what the mind hears versus what the hands and feet know.

The universally lauded multi-genre legend joins Hall of Fame, another contemporary giant sweeps three categories, and Neil Peart returns.

For those few who haven’t heard. Erskine has indeed found a new home, playing with the jazz-rock quartet Weather Report. The group members include Josef Zawinul. keyboards: Wayne Shorter, saxophone and Jaco Pastorius, electric bass.

Peter Erskine Playing With Intent Former Modern Drummer senior editor Rick Mattingly has probably spent more time in the legendary drummer’s presence than any other journalist. To this day, their conversations are illuminating, surprising, and, above all, inspiring.Peter Erskine’s career has been like a highway that is constantly under construction, …

The ’80s might not be anyone’s first reference point for the golden age of jazz, but a closer examination reveals wonders under the surface. Sure, traditional acoustic jazz was no longer in favor, though some of the established innovators of the ’60s and ’70s were still playing at a high …

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

Susie Ibarra, Chad Smith, Will Calhoun, Jason Bittner, Allison Miller, Horacio Hernandez, Paul Wertico, Rod Morgenstein, Jeff Davis, Daniel Glass, Chris Pennie, Peter Erskine, Tommy Clufetos, Rexsell Hardy Jr., Harvey Sorgen, David Cossin, Rhani Krija, Ramon Sampson, Mark Zonder, Jerry Nolan, Bill Ward, Manu Katché, Michael Bedard

Jeff Ballard, Rob Bourdon, Mitch Mitchell, Darren Pujalet, Clyde Stubblefield, Nathan Followill, Derek O’Brien, Ian Matthews, Chuck Tilley, Peter Erskine, Virgil Donati, Adam Topol, Tim Alexander

Brad Wilk, Joe Morello, Atom Willard, Gene Hoglan, Tony Williams, Bun E. Carlos, Frank Katz, Michael Bland, Keith Carlock, Mark O’Connell, LaFrae Sci, Flo Mounier, Shawn Pelton, Phil Collins, Danny Carey, Nicko McBrain, Alan White, Peter Erskine

Taylor Hawkins, Jason McGerr, Mike Clark, John Wackerman, Peter Erskine, Mark Craney, Jamie Oldaker, Chad Sexton, Travis Smith, Tennessee Thomas, Brad Pemberton, Vinnie Fiorello, Ginger Baker, Paul John Jr., Ian Paice, David Garibaldi

Teddy Campbell, Brann Dailor, Tom Brechtlein, Ronnie Vannucci, Will Denton, Kris Kohls, Scott Travis, Ricky McKinnie, Wayne Fullwood, Aquiles Priester, Shakerleg, Stan Levey, Pierre Moerlen, Peter Erskine, Tommy Lee

Mike Bordin, Simon Phillips, Billy Cobham, Jerry Marotta, Peter Erskine, Carmine Appice, Ed Thigpen, Jeff Hamilton, Kenneth Schalk, Paul John Jr., Adrian Passarelli, Lynn Coulter, Grant Collins, Jose Pasillas, Danny Carey, Kenny Aronoff, Billy Kilson

Anton Fig, Mike Cosgrove, Butch Vig, John Dolmayan, Danny Carey, Marko Djordjevic, Steve Di Stanislao, Paul English, Billy English, Asa-Chang, Mike Fasano, Chris Adler, Roy Porter, Chris Vrenna, Peter Erskine, Aaron Comess

Billy Martin, Luis Conte, Tommy Stewart, Marco Minnemann, Vernel Fournier, Rob Bourdon, Jim Chapin, Scott Amendola, Mike Portnoy, Kirk Covington, Terry Silverlight, Karen Carpenter, David Garibaldi, Tony Verderosa, Ken Vogel, Peter Erskine, Osami Mizuno, Ron Spagnardi, Michael Miller, Lauren Vogel Weiss, Jeff Kersh

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 …

Jeff Ballard, Nana Vasconcelos, Mel Lewis, Ustad Allarakha, Peter Erskine, Ricky Lawson, Don Alias, Danny Reyes, Jeff Fowlkes, Tommy Perkins, Chris Pennie, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeremy Taggart, Mike Portnoy, Eddie Bayers, Roy Hanes

Taylor Hawkins, Milford Graves, Jimmy DeGrasso, Elaine Leighton, Jerome Dillon, Alan White, David Garibaldi, Steven Gillis, Ralph Peterson, Brian “Brain” Mantia, Nathaniel Townsley, Peter Erskine, Manu Katche, Milt Jackson, Bill Stewart

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

Chad Smith, Mike Mangini, Sammy Figueroa, Peter Erskine, Tyler Stewart, David Lauser, Linda Pitmon, Craig Randolph, Willie Green, Mike Portnoy, Phil Collins, Matt Chamberlain, Roger Odell,  Russ McKinnon, Chet Doboe, T. Bruce Wittet, Rick Van Horn, Frederick Bay, Daniel Glass, Ron Hefner, Matt Peiken

Gregg Bissonette, Martin Atkins, John Kamoosi, Gregg Bendian, John Blackwell, Rich Hoak, Charlie Watts, Nick D’Virgilio, Peter Erskine, Bruce Cox, Brian Jones, Forrest Williams, Joey Baron, Cozy Powell, Carlos Vega, Dennis Charles, Bill Bruford, Bun E. Carlos

In this Issue: Phil Rudd, Alan White, Dave Rowntree, Phil Selway, Virgil Donati, Cesar Zuiderwijk, Rene Creemers, Mark Mondesir, Paul Lytton, Fredy Studer, Allan Holdsworth, Paco Sery, Reinhard Flatischler, Nelson Miller, Atsuko Yamano, Pierre Favre, Peter Erskine, Dave Abbruzzese

In this Issue: Richie Hayward, Steve Smith, Peter Erskine, Stephen Perkins, Mike Portnoy, Gregg Bissonette, Kenwood Dennard, Rayford Griffin, Alan White, Fergal Lawler

In this Issue: Peter Erskine, Vikki Foxx, Pierre Favre

[wc-payicons-display] Table of Contents Peter Erskine Pg 16 Anton Fier Pg 22

In this magazine: Peter Erskine, Anton Fier, Charly Antolini, Michael Eurich, Dave Weckl, Kenny Aronoff, Rod Morgenstein, Alan Dawson & Steve Gadd

Tony Thompson, Nicko McBrain, Paul Wertico, Peter Erskine, Odie Payne Jr., Casey Jones, Morris Jennings, Jimmy Tillman, Kevan McKenzie, Philly Joe Jones, Papa Jo Jones, Vinnie Colaiuta, Mel Lewis, Steve Smith

Steve Jordan, Mickey Curry, Jerry Allison, Steve Smith, Mel Gaynor, Shelly Manne, Martin Drew, Wilby Fletcher, Peter Erskine, Paul T. Riddle, Rod Morgenstein

Papa Jo Jones, Slim Jim Phantom, Lee Crystal, Rod Morgenstein, Jackie Santos, Larry Mullen Jr., Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Rayford Griffin, Paul Jamieson, Peter Erskine, Neil Peart

Eric Carr, Fred Below, Denny Carmassi, Roy Brooks, Joe Chambers, Omar Clay, Fred King, Ray Mantilla, Max Roach, Warren Smith, Freddie Waits, Peter Erskine, Jerry Marotta, Ron Tutt

Peter Erskine, Chester Thompson, Jim Gordon, Tony Williams, Dennis Elliot, Vic Mastrianni, Tommy Aldridge, Andy Newmark, Butch Miles, Chet McCracken, Ralph Cooper, Sue Hadjopoulos, Tris Imboden, Gene Dunlap, Mike Baird, Ed Tuduri, Bill Ward, Michael Botts, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jim Keltner, Emedin Rivera, Roland Vasquez, Don Murray, Mat Marucci, Don Moye, …

Vinnie Colaiuta, Barry Altschul, Liberty DeVitto, William F. Ludwig Jr., Peter Erskine, Max Weinberg, Steve Jordan, Arthur Press, John Panozzo, Terry Bozzio, Robert Williams, Jim Keltner

Steve Gadd, Art Blakey, Peter Erskine