Rick Marotta
For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts began to unravel, a new hero emerged: the studio drummer.
For the drummer, who’d built a sterling session and live career for nearly ten years with artists including John Lennon, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, James Taylor, and Steely Dan, 1978 was yet another super-busy year. In the studio, on the road, back in the studio, back on the road…it’s no …
Rick Marotta was born January 7, 1948 in New Rochelle, New York. And, apparently, he was also horn to play drums. For without any formal training, Marotta’s natural “feel” for the instrument has made him one of the world’s most in-demand session musicians. Currently, James Taylor, Carly Simon, J. D. …
Ringo Starr, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, Ian Paice, Steve Smith, Paul John Jr. Stanton Moorse, Michael Travis, Jason Hann, Tony Allen, Adam Topol, Kevin March, Mark Guiliana, Des Kensel, Sean Rickman, Tris Imboden, Rick Marotta, Eddie Bayers
In this Issue: Trilok Gurtu, Nick Menza, Jim Hodder, Bernard Purdie, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Gadd, Hal Blaine, Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Rick Marotta, Paul Humphrey, Ed Greene
In this issue: Rick Marotta, Gary Burke, Steve White, & William F. Ludwig Jr.
Andy Newmark, Stan Lynch, Kenny Clarke, Carl Allen, Vinnie Colaiuta, Carl Palmer, Rick Marotta, Eric Carr, James Black
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 …
Max Roach, Keith Moon, Vic Firth, Joe Vitale, Chris Parker, Sonny Greer, Mickey Curry, Butch Ballard, Billy Hart, Hal Blaine, Buddy Rich, Rick Marotta, Elvin Jones
Peter Criss, John Bonham, Rick Marotta, Mel Lewis, Art Blakey, Rod Morgenstein, Bill Bruford, Jack DeJohnette, Don Lamond, Peter Hoorelbeke
Posted: October 10, 2017
On The Beat with Grammy Winning Producer-Drummer-Guitarist-Songwriter Clif Magness
Hi MD. My love affair with drums began in my mother’s car. When I was around six years old, I was pounding away “Wipe Out” on the headrest when she decided then and there to rush me into drum lessons. A few years later, my parents bought me the Yamaha …
Posted: October 4, 2017
Yamaha Drums Celebrates Fiftieth Anniversary with All-Star Drummer Lineup
(l. to r.) Larnell Lewis, Dave Weckl, Tommy Aldridge Yamaha Drums assembled nearly two-dozen world-renowned drummers on September 30 for live music, a celebration of the company’s innovation and success over the last fifty years, and an exploration of the company’s plans for the future. More than 400 people gathered …
Posted: August 24, 2017
On the Beat with Lee Falco of Donald Fagen and the Nightflyers: Landing the Gig of a Lifetime
Hello! On July 31, we played our first show as Donald Fagen and the Nightflyers, kicking off a two-month tour (twenty-eight shows) around the US and Japan. It was a monumental night for my bandmates and me as we had spent the last eight months preparing and a lifetime dreaming …
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: April 22, 2015
Drummer Blog: Salvador Placencia and Garrett Ray of Fool’s Gold
Greetings drummers of the modern age! We are Salvador Placencia and Garrett Ray, percussionist and drummer for the band Fool’s Gold from Los Angeles. We thought it would be fun to interview each other to give you a little insight on who we are and what we’ve been up to …
Posted: March 24, 2015
Drummer Blog: the Blues Magoos’ Geoff Daking Talks Greenwich Village, Engineering, and Session Work
Hey drummers! I’m Geoff Daking of the Blues Magoos. I started playing in the early ’60s in Delaware. When I was in high school I came to New York City on weekends to see Monk, Cannonball, and Coltrane with those great drummers like Elvin Jones. I moved to Greenwich Village …
Posted: September 19, 2014
Drummer Blog! Eric Jackowitz on Playing Different Styles With Caleb Hawley
Playing Caleb’s tunes is a pleasure. The first record is more Motown inspired, and his second record has a more funk/synth/Prince-y vibe, so I’ve been getting to let out my inner Ndugu Chancler/Steve Jordan/Questlove….
Posted: August 28, 2012
Roxy Music
The Complete Studio Recordings
Roxy Music covered much ground in their relatively short life span. A new box set reveals the power and the glory of the prog/glam progenitors, and of drummer Paul Thompson.
Posted: July 23, 2012
20 CLASSIC PROG ALBUMS
Odd times, intergalactic themes, and more tom-toms. Rock drumming gets interesting….
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: July 28, 2011
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: November 24, 2009
Yoko Ono Talks Drums With Modern Drummer
by Billy AmendolaAt the young age of seventy-six, there’s just no slowing down for artist, activist, and avant-garde queen Yoko Ono, widow of the late Beatle John Lennon. Her latest CD, Between My Head And The Sky, made with her new Plastic Ono Band, was coproduced by Yoko and her …
Posted: March 18, 2008
David Uosikkinen
One of the many things I always admired about drummers like Ringo, Charlie Watts, Steve Gadd, Liberty DeVitto, Russ Kunkel, Jim Keltner, Steve Jordan, and Mickey Curry is the way they got their heads into the song they were playing….
Posted: October 1, 2007
The Return of Double Drumming’s Greatest Hits
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!
Posted: March 1, 2006
A Few Minutes With Rick Marotta
Rick Marotta is no stranger to MD readers. And he’s certainly familiar to anyone who’s had the pleasure to see him play or crack jokes while hosting Yamaha’s Groove All Star show….
Posted: July 1, 2005
Steve Gadd: Opens Up
The drumming legend gives his most revealing interview.
Posted: November 17, 2022
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Jim Keltner
John’s guest is the legendary and incomparable, Jim Keltner! John and Jim discuss Jim’s incredible and prolific career starting with his first recording, Gary Lewis and the Playboys’ “Just My Style.” Continuing with his work with Bob Dylan, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Gary Wright, …
Posted: October 6, 2022
Episode 91: John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Steve Gadd & Rick Marotta
This week’s episode is a rebroadcast of a show that originally aired live on October 17, 2020 with two of the greatest, most prolific drummers on the planet and two of John’s best friends, legendary drummers Steve Gadd and Rick Marotta! Steve and Rick shared stories of their days coming …
Posted: August 25, 2022
Episode 85: Live From My Drum Room Remembering Charlie Watts – Part 1
Recorded October 7, 2021. The first of a series of episodes devoted to Remembering Charlie Watts. A huge thanks to my friends Steve Gadd, Kenney Jones, Rick Marotta, Stan Lynch, Michael Shrieve, Andy Newmark, Steve Maxwell, John Ferraro and Yard Gavrilovic. The laughs and stories were non-stop! Check out Part …
Posted: August 11, 2022
Episode 83: Remembering Jeff Porcaro
In this episode, John remembers the great Jeff Porcaro whom we lost August 5, 1992. Joining John is a legendary group of Jeff’s friends and contemporaries and a literal “who’s who” of the drumming community, including Jim Keltner, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Robinson, Rick Marotta, Stan Lynch, Gregg Bissonette, Gary Mallaber, …
