
Philly Joe Jones

Miles Davis was the only group I gave up New York to go out with. That was in ’54, and it was my greatest experience in the music business.I don’t think I’ll ever be associated with four people like Miles, ’Trane, Red [Garland], and Paul [Chambers] again. That was like …

The Root Rhythm of Jazz and Beyond The Charleston was a popular dance rhythm during the 1920s that got its name from the popular composition of the same name by pianist/composer James P. Johnson. The syncopated Charleston rhythm is one of the most fundamental figures that makes up the DNA …

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?

In this lesson we’ll build on the concepts we explored in the April 2017 issue by taking a look at the drumming style of jazz legend Philly Joe Jones and applying his ideas to Ted Reed’s seminal book Syncopation. We’ll interpret the first line of Exercise 1 (found on page …

Philly Joe Jones The “perfect combination of Blakey’s unquenchable fire, Catlett’s melodiousness, and Roach’s subtlety”—such is MD’s description of Philly Joe Jones. Joe was all of the above, and more, on the 1958 album, Milestones, with Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland and Paul Chambers, creating many moods …
In the early ’50s, Tony Scott hired a young drummer from Philadelphia named Joe Jones. To avoid confusion with Count Basie’s famous drummer (Jo Jones), Scott would introduce his drummer by saying, “This is the Joe Jones from Philly.”

Josh Freese, Phil Collins, Philly Joe Jones, Brian Tichy, Floyd Sneed, John Von Ohlen, Lenny White, Danny Seraphine, Robert Sweet, Kevin Crabb, Troy Zeigler, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Marco Giovino

Tomas Haake, Stan Lynch, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Jeff Sipe, The Blue Man Group, Han Bennick, Homer Steinweiss, Jimmy Carl Black, Ben Gillies, Sean O’Shea, Jens Hannemann, Kenny Aronoff, Jojo Mayer, Johnny Rabb

Josh Freese, Ben Perowsky, Marcus Baylor, Dave Grohl, Phil Collins, John Mahon, Jim Keltner, H. Benjamin Schuman, Rickey Shelton, Philly Joe Jones, Fab Moretti, Jimmy DeGrasso, Ralph Hardimon, Mark Schulman

Dennis Chambers, Karl Perazzo, Raul Rekow, Pat Wilson, Terry Bozzio, Cyrus Bolooki, Philly Joe Jones, Brian Levy, Barrett Martin, Brendan Canty, Mickey Hart, John Carlarco, Chris Hesse, Bill Stewart, David Garibaldi, Russ McKinnon, Shawn Pelton

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

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 …
Harvey Mason, Barrett Miller, Dave Weckl, Terry Bozzio, Will Kennedy, Eddie Bayers, Carey, Jo Jo Mayer, Jeff Hamilton, Glen Velez, Philly Joe Jones, Pete Sandoval, Dan Rieser, Kenny Aronoff, Harvey Sorgen , Ian Wallace, Petur Smith, Billy Lee Lewis, Rod Morgenstein

Ed Shaughnessy, Don Baldwin, Ted McKenna, Ray McKinley, Alan White, John Stacey, Pete Magadini, Philly Joe Jones, Jerome Cooper, Cliff Leeman, Billy Amendola, Louie Bellson, Steve Smith, Alan Gratzer, Gerry Brown

Louie Bellson, Alan Dawson, Sly Dunbar, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Danny Gottlieb, Omar Hakim, Larrie Londin, Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Andy Newmark, Jimmy Bralower, Jules Moss, Bill Bruford, Gil Moore, Carl Palmer, John Bonham, Karen Carpenter, Nick Ceroli, Papa Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Roy Knapp, Shelly Manne, Kenny Clare, …

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

Levon Helm, Thommy Price, Bob Moses, Philly Joe Jones, Baby Dodds, Will Dower, Bill Bruford, Larrie Londin, Denny Carmassi, Stan Lynch, Gerry Speiser

Elvin Jones, John Densmore, David Garibaldi, Neil Peart, Philly Joe Jones, Rod Morgenstein, David Samuels, Collin Walcott, Bobby Daniels, Roger Hawkins, Brent Brace, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Summer, Darrell Sweet, Michael Shrieve, Rick Marotta, Craig Krampf, Terry Bozzio, Tris Imboden, Kenney Jones, Don Baldwin, Aynsley Dunbar, John Panozzo, Stix Hooper, Bill …

Philly Joe Jones, Stix Hooper, Jamie Oldaker, Ed Shaughnessy, Emil Richards, Billy Hart, Dino Danelli, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, Freddie White, Andrew Cyrille, Claude LeHenaff, Beaver Harris, Jimmy Madison
Posted: August 28, 2020

Jazz Great Charli Persip Passes
Charli Persip, one of the premier jazz drummers of the second half of the twentieth century, passed away on August 23 at the age of ninety-one. Persip was born in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1929, and began playing on the fertile Newark, New Jersey, jazz scene after graduating high school. …
Posted: May 30, 2019

John Lum of the Allman Betts Band
My background is heavily steeped in jazz and rudimental drumming, but I grew up listening and jamming to lots of heavy metal and classic rock and roll.
Posted: September 29, 2016
On Tour: Tony Leone With the Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Longtime New York City drummer Tony Leone is currently on the road with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
Posted: June 30, 2016
Carl Allen: Learning From the Giants
Allen is a revered figure in the field of forward-reaching, swinging jazz rooted in the tradition. When he first made waves in the jazz world, joining Freddie Hubbard’s band in 1982 at the tender age of nineteen, elder giants took note.
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: January 28, 2015
Drummer Blog: Moussa Fadera of The Amazing on Using His Jazz Roots in a Rock Context
For my tenth birthday my mom gave me a Hollywood kit in the sizes 12″, 14″, 18″. Back then I listened to bands and artists such as Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. The way the drums sounded on recordings from the ’60s and ’70s really attracted me. I …
Posted: August 19, 2014
Influences: Harvey Mason
Here, as a companion to our August 2014 Influences piece on Mason, we speak with the drummer about his new album, his early days, the drummers who inspired him, and more….
Posted: January 2, 2014
VIDEO! Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Approaching Standards, Part 3: Language and Vernacular (February 2014 Issue)
Click here to check out a video lesson to accompany the Jazz Drummer’s Workshop article on applying standard tunes to the drums from the February 2014 issue.
Posted: August 29, 2013
In the Studio: Seeing Sounds, Part 4: Classic Jazz (October 2013 Issue)
Click here to check out part 4 of our In the Studio series, “Seeing Sounds,” which covers classic jazz drum tones.
Posted: June 4, 2013
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: The Stick Shot
Click here to check out a new Jazz Drummer’s Workshop article on the stick shot.
Posted: May 16, 2013
Web Exclusive!
Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music
Mark Guiliana may be best known for his work as a sideman with jazz musicians such as Avishai Cohen and Brad Mehldau, but the drummer has been increasingly involved with his own solo project, Beat Music….
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: March 4, 2013
The April 2013 Issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Tommy Igoe
Look here to see the contents of the April 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, featuring Tommy Igoe….
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 21, 2012
Noted Jazz Drummer Pete LaRoca Sims Passes
Pete LaRoca Sims, aka Pete LaRoca, whose résumé included jazz greats like Sonny Rollins and Freddy Hubbard, passed away on November 19 after a battle with lung cancer. He was seventy-eight….
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: 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: 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: October 31, 2011
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: 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: April 18, 2011
Jimmy Cobb: Kind Of Blue And Beyond
Jimmy Cobb was one of the most popular drummers of the late 1950s. He began playing at an early age and found his influences among the bop pioneers. “Max Roach was the hippest music going,??? remembers Cobb. “I also listened to Kenny Clarke, Shadow Wilson, and Sid Catlett. Then a …
Posted: August 25, 2010
Steve Jordan: Web Exclusive
If you ask Steve Jordan who his favorite drummer is, be prepared to get hit with a never-ending list of influences, ranging from the obvious—like jazz greats Kenny Clarke and Philly Joe Jones and funk innovators David Garibaldi and Stephen Ferrone—to the more obscure, like Motown/disco session drummer Andrew Smith, …
Posted: May 12, 2010
Charli Persip Update
Charli Persip was born in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1929, and began playing on the fertile Newark, New Jersey, jazz scene after graduating high school.
Posted: December 29, 2009
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 15, 2009
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 3, 2009
Philly Joe Jones: One Of The Greatest Hard Boppers
Philly Joe Jones is one of the greatest of the hard boppers. His contributions to the art of jazz drumming are immeasurable. He was a virtuoso with a pair of brushes, and a genius at turning the rudiments into fluent musical ideas. More than any of his peers, it was …
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: January 12, 2009
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: November 20, 2008
Gavin Harrison: The Rhythmic Illusionist Is Now Elevating Two Bands, Porcupine Tree And King Crimson
“I stopped focusing on the muscles in my arms and started focusing on the big fat muscle in my head. That’s where the good stuff comes from.???
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: October 15, 2006
Jeff Hamilton: Swinging to Success
Few jazz drummers have had careers as rewarding and successful as Jeff Hamilton’s. And with several new releases and projects in the works–and an MD Readers Poll win–2006 may be one of his finest years yet.
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 1, 2005
Steve Gadd: Opens Up
The drumming legend gives his most revealing interview.
Posted: May 19, 2005
Daniel Reyes
In between those gigs he’ll squeeze in a performance with Ricky Martin, Stevie Nicks, or Jennifer Lopez, among other top acts. But Danny’s brain is always thinking: How do I make my playing better? Equally important to him these days: How do I make the instruments I play better? Enter …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Eric Harland
When twenty-five-year-old Eric Harland was a teenager, he weighed an astonishing 380 pounds, making him a target of cruel children, mean-spirited teachers, and sometimes, his own family. “I would walk into a clothing store and the employees would just laugh,” recalls the Texas native. “Man,” they would say, “we don’t …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Prince’s John Blackwell: An Interview
John Blackwell always listened to his dad’s advice, and it’s paid off, big time. “Growing up, my dad used to tell me, ‘If you want to make any money in this business, play in the pocket.'”…
Posted: May 12, 2004
The Artistry of Joe La Barbera
You have to be careful who you show off in front of, as Joe La Barbera learned early in his career. “I was working with a singer named Frankie Randall,” Joe recalls. “He had an offer to open for Buddy Rich in Las Vegas for a month. So I was …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Clarence Penn – Classical Chameleon, Jazz Journeyman
Clarence Penn’s third album as a leader is called Somay, a word whose roots lie, as do many elements of contemporary music, in Africa.
Posted: May 12, 2004
Ben Perowsky: Beyond Labels
The scene: a cold night in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at North On Sixth, a multi-level hole in the wall jook joint where the bathroom graffiti is more political than obscene. Attracting a crowd of Manhattan intellectuals and Brooklyn deadheads, North On Sixth is tonight showcasing Ben Perowsky’s Moodswing Orchestra. A collection …
Posted: September 22, 2017

Modern Drummer Podcast Episode 110: Jazz Comping Basics, Bent Knee’s Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth, Outlaw Drums, and More
In this episode, Mike and Mike discuss some basic ways to develop jazz independence and left-hand comping.