Ty Dennis

Seven All-Star Drummers Including Peter Erskine, Dennis Chambers, Russ Miller and Steve Smith will Perform October 20 and 21 HITKOR (www.hitkor.com) today announced its first-ever charity event which will take place over two days in mid-October. “A Salute to the Big Band Greats” will feature performances from all-star drummers Peter …

On March 25, drummers and music fans around the world were devastated to learn that drummer Taylor Hawkins had died. Hawkins was a good friend of Modern Drummer, and we join in the sorrow of losing such a wonderful person and amazing musician at such a young age. In 1997 …

  To my fellow drummers, I feel your pain…literally. I am a practicing physician that completed medical school about ten years ago and subsequently trained at Northwestern Medicine into a specialty called physical medicine and rehabilitation, also known as physiatry, with a background in kinesiology and sports medicine. That’s right! …

Maryland Hall and Paul Reed Smith will present the second-annual Music School for Aspiring Musicians four-day live event virtually from August 10 through 13. This unique online experience is open to musicians and enthusiasts of all ages around the world. Top professional teachers and musicians scheduled to present include renowned …

Josh Roossin here and I play drums in the LA-based rock n’ roll band the Jacks.

Photo by Dennis Hines Hello everyone! It’s Ed Toth here, from the Doobie Brothers. I’m about to start my fifteenth year with the band! Pretty crazy when you add the fact that I first saw them when I was nine years old and when I was eleven I wrote a …

What a pleasure it was to headline at the world famous Catalina Jazz Bar in Hollywood and share the stage with Dean Brown, Brandon Fields, Andrew Ford, and Hans Zermuehlan!

Dear MD! My name is Anthony Citrinite and I have been lucky enough to play drums professionally for many years with a number of great bands including Boston, Coheed & Cambria, and currently with Embers Only.

Hello MD! Greetings from our tour bus, which is rolling from St. Charles, Illinois to Youngstown, Ohio. I’m currently drumming on Ronnie Spector’s Best Christmas Party Ever! 2018 tour.

Hello everyone at MD! Albert here. I was a founding member of Blue Oyster Cult and lately you can see me out with my brother Joe and Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway in our power trio Blue Coupe.

How goes it, my fellow MD readers! Jess Margera here. So I’m fixing to tell you about CKY’s latest album, The Phoenix. We recorded it at Rancho de la Luna and of course I had to use its vintage Ludwigs. I can’t even count how many legendary albums were recorded …

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.

Tribute to Funk Brother Eddie Willis is a new live album by drummer Drew Schultz raising funds for legendary Motown studio guitarist, Eddie Willis.

The July 2017 Modern Drummer is a special theme issue about the birth of classic-rock drumming. In it we examine the work of some of the most famous and influential players of the time, including the Beatles’ Ringo Starr, the Doors’ John Densmore, and Vanilla Fudge’s Carmine Appice.

Hi, fellow readers of Modern Drummer. Steve Holley here, hoping everyone is doing well. Some of you may remember me from my time as a member of Paul McCartney’s Wings. I’m currently on a world tour with Ian Hunter and the Rant Band, celebrating my thirtieth year with Ian.

Hi everyone, Gregg Potter here! Buddy Rich would have been one hundred years old this September. Unfortunately, his body left us thirty years ago this month, but his soul remains. I know the drumming community can all agree on the fact that Buddy Rich is one of the most influential …

Hi there MD readers, it’s Corky here again! I wanted to update you on what’s happening. In my previous OTB, I was on my way to London to participate in the Jack Bruce tribute. It was a joy to share the stage and drumkit with Gary Husband, Dennis Chambers, and …

Hal Blaine, one of most recorded musicians of all-time, famously drummed with Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” studio band, nicknamed the Wrecking Crew. One of the most popular songs they recorded was “Be My Baby,” sung by Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes.

Hello Modern Drummer world. My name is Adam Chase and I’m the drummer and bandleader for the Chase Brothers, Jazz Is Phsh, and the James Brown Dance Party, as well as a studio drummer and multi-instrumentalist. As a long-time touring drummer, I’ve had the good fortune to share the stage …

Tommy Benedetti, longtime drummer with the Boston-based roots/reggae vets John Brown’s Body, is currently on the road with the group supporting its newest release, Fireflies. Benedetti fills each song on the album to the brim with pure and tasteful grooves, and on tour he pushes them into overdrive.

See what’s in the December 2016 issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Ralph Peterson

Hi there MD readers, Corky here. As some of you may know, I have been a professional drummer for half a century. You might remember me from such bands as Mountain and West, Bruce and Laing.

Prince’s massive appeal crossed genres and generations, and besides his singing, songwriting, and production prowess, the influential artist was adept on many instruments, including the drums. In fact, Prince and his longtime drummer John Blackwell appeared on the cover of Modern Drummer in January of 2005, soon after the release …

Hello MD! With the nickname “Memphis,” it’s not hard to tell where I’m from. I grew up around a lot of musicians and have been playing drums since age two. I’m currently with the soul/funk/R&B band, Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal. With the band, I get to use various styles …

  (Available digitally February 26, 2016; in print February 2, 2016) Print Copy    ○   iTunes     ○    Amazon     ○    GooglePlay     ○     Subscribe   On the Cover Joe Saylor “The place you really learn how to play is on the bandstand. And it helps learning with people who …

  (Available digitally February 26, 2016; in print February 2, 2016) Print Copy    ○   iTunes     ○    Amazon     ○    GooglePlay     ○     Subscribe   On the Cover Joe Saylor “The place you really learn how to play is on the bandstand. And it helps learning with people who …

The music world is quite a bit less bold today with the passing of David Bowie, the iconic artist who was as famous for his appetite for new musical ideas as he was for his ability to wholeheartedly inhabit whatever sonic world he created. One happy result of the singer, …

On November 6, Modern Drummer’s Billy Amendola hosted an afternoon Q&A at David Fishof’s Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp with legendary drummer Ginger Baker. Later that evening, Amendola threw his annual “drum hang??? with special guests Erik Eldenius, Matt Star, Denny Seiwell, percussionist Pamela Seraphine, bassist Rudy Sarzo, Frankie Banali, …

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, …

Hello everyone in MD land! I’m happy to tell you a bit about my experience drumming for the Bee Gees. I played drums with the Bee Gees on all recordings, television, and tours from 1973 to 1980. That included playing on nine number one singles and many other songs that …

Hello everyone in MD land! I’m happy to tell you a bit about my experience drumming for the Bee Gees. I played drums with the Bee Gees on all recordings, television, and tours from 1973 to 1980. That included playing on nine number one singles and many other songs that …

I have been the drummer for Cannibal and the Headhunters for forty-six years now. For those who don’t know the group you might know the song “Land of a 1000 Dances.???

The follow-up to the popular and successful CD and book release, Drum Duets Volume I, John Wackerman’s Drum Duets Volume II features top LA session drummer, composer, and producer John Wackerman teaming up with sixteen world-class artists. The video project was shot with multiple camera angles at Drum Channel, runs …

What is the rhythmic essence of progressive music? What makes prog so different from other genres? Does it require a specific skill set on the drumkit, or does the nature of the music make it open to interpretation? MD posed these and other questions to the drummers in Spock’s Beard, …

The Zildjian Company is proud to announce that Sarah Hagan has been promoted to director of artist relations–worldwide effective immediately. Sarah assumes responsibility for planning and executing Zildjian’s global artist relations program based out of its headquarters in Norwell, MA….

Fest For Beatles Fans’ Michelle Joni Lapidos introduces the Ringo Symposium for our first video tribute to Ringo Starr. Saturday Night Lives’ Shawn Pelton kicks it off by sharing and explaining his favorite Ringo drum tracks….

See what’s in the May 2014 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine featuring drummer Jim Riley…

Guitar Center’s Drum-Off launches its 25th annual search for the next great undiscovered drummer.

My name is Jesse Marquardt, and I am the drummer for the soul-rock band Winslow….

My earliest memory of wanting to play drums dates comes from when I was ten years old and riding in the back of my dad’s car.

Modern Drummer contributor Drew Schultz and Motown musical legends recently collaborated on an album to raise funds for the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, via sales from Schultz’s debut album, Back to Class. Before the Four Tops’ performance at the Motor City Casino Soundboard Theater on Thursday, December 13, the musicians …

My beat in music consists of giving back the gift that I was given. I started in music at a very young age, learning first from family.

An exclusive web-interview with Dave King of the Bad Plus.

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 …

As a member of Dave Holland’s big band, quintet, and octet, Nate Smith holds, well, three of the most cherished gigs in jazz. Holland, a revered bass player who started his own musical quest with Miles Davis in the ’60s, has nurtured many a drummer in his high-octane ensembles, and …

Several major players within the drum industry recently joined forces with the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to raise nearly $20,000 for the family of pioneering drum builder and designer Dennis Stauffer, who was killed in a car crash in January.

Several major players within the drum industry have joined forces with the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and donated an impressive array of custom drums, drum kits and other items with an estimated value of nearly $30,000. (continue reading)

The sponsors and supporters of “Hit Like A Girl 2012??? are proud to announce the winners of the first ever drumming contest for girls and women. (read more)

A few months back Michael and I finally had time to jam out in one of the studio sessions I had planned. We mesh really well together and are musically in sync, so when we get together it just works. I love classical styles and blurring it with contemporary music, …

A second video from Guitar Center’s 2011 Drum-Off finale this past January 14: Dennis Chambers tearing it up on a slow groove.

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…

The Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert takes place for the first time in the UK at the London Palladium on 2nd April 2012. The  lineup is confirmed as Dave Weckl,  John Blackwell and Gregg Potter from the USA and Ian Paice, Ginger Baker, Gavin Harrison and Elliott Henshaw from the UK. Singing supremo Tony Christie will also appear. One of Buddy Rich’s …

For big band great Mel Lewis, the drums were his easy chair and the band his hearth. He was the fire.

A baker’s dozen of the best hard rock albums released over the past year.

MD Online recently spoke to Jack about the process of making his new EP, including the making of the video for the track “Outer Space Dream.???

y name is Colin Cunningham, and I play for a band called Oh No Fiasco. First of all, I’d like to thank Modern Drummer for offering me this blog! Here’s a little about me: When I was young my father was a drummer and played in several bands. I received …

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….

Modern Drummer’s 2011 Readers Poll Hall of Fame inductee is the late drummer/educator Jim Chapin, who passed away in 2009.

More with the phenomenal drummer/educator, who was featured in the January 2011 issue of MD. His is one of the most closely observed careers in R&B, fusion, gospel, and pop drumming, with acts like Israel Houghton & New Breed, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, Randy Brecker, and New …

It is my privilege to be invited to contribute here at moderndrummer.com, as I’ve looked forward to each new issue of the magazine for over twenty years! A little update: This past summer was pretty cool. May through August found me once again on the road with Ray Manzarek and …

Hey, MD readers! It’s your boy Gorden Campbell, and I’m back once again to give you an update on my travels around the globe! This has been a busy year for me. From the George Duke and American Idol tours, to recording my first instructional DVD, I’ve had a great …

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 …

John Tempesta has worked his way to the top of heavy metal drumming, but his first inspirations and influences to pursue the instrument came via Ringo Starr in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night and Dennis Davis supporting David Bowie at Madison Square Garden in 1977. John bought a …

Hey, everyone, my name in Kevin Figueiredo, and I am the drummer for Extreme. I’ve been playing drums professionally for the past fifteen years, and my main influences include John Henry Bonham, David Garibaldi, Dennis Chambers, and Dave Grohl, among many others. I never went to music school, but I’ve …

Sterling Campbell has been playing drums since he was eleven, the youngest of six boys in a household where everything from Stevie Wonder and Chicago to Elton John and Led Zeppelin could be heard—and appreciated—at any time. He graduated from the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan, but …

My name is Giuseppe “Gypsy??? Capolupo, and I play for Indianapolis, Indiana–based metal-core band Haste The Day. What an honor it is to be featured on such a well-known website!

What’s up, MD readers! Thanks for taking the time to read this blog entry, and a huge thanks to Modern Drummer for giving me the opportunity to do so! My name is Kevin Hogle, and I play in a band called 500 Miles To Memphis. We hail from Cincinnati, Ohio, …

Dennis Chambers was born on May 9, 1959, and started playing the drums at the young age of four. By his sixth birthday he was already playing in nightclubs. Strictly self-taught, at the age of eighteen Dennis went straight from high school to playing with George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, where …

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 …

On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More). MD’s editors just can’t keep a list of their favorite albums short–even in service of a can’t-resist pun. Twenty-seven live albums you gotta have.

I’m a drummer and percussionist from Cleveland, Ohio, and I’ve been touring with my favorite group, the Four Tops…

I’m a drummer and percussionist from Cleveland, Ohio, and I’ve been touring with my favorite group, the Four Tops…

What’s up, everyone! My name is Gary Foster and I play drums and percussion with the Sunstreak…

The venerable drum teacher passed away this July 4, leaving behind thousands of acolytes–and a million great stories. In this companion to the In Memoriam in the October issue of MD, we hear from some of Chapin’s many friends and drumming disciples.

My name is Stephen Nicholson. I grew up in the city of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. I became interested in drumming around the age of nine….

I'm Josh Trager from Montreal, and I play drums in the Sam Roberts Band. We just came off a pretty solid eight months of touring our new record, “Love At The End Of The World.”

Hello, MD readers! As of late, I’ve made the move from Chicago to Nashville to continue my growth in the biz. Things have been moving at breakneck speed since then, which is so great to say given the economy that we’re in. I’ve been touring with rising Southern rock/country artist …

Chris Bailey was born in Sheffield, England, on January 5, 1974, and has been surrounded by music his whole life. His dad played guitar and his mom sang, and early on Chris discovered he had an uncanny talent for the drums. At age eight he was already playing in his …

Roger Taylor here (no, not the one from Queen, the other one!). Duran Duran recently completed filming a documentary about the making of the Rio album….

Jon Wysocki has been laying down his tasteful, well thought–out grooves with the chart-topping band Staind for thirteen years. The group, which hails from Springfield, Massachusetts, also includes lead singer/guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, and bassist/vocalist Johnny April. They’ve recorded six studio albums and four number-one singles, and …

I never really saw myself as a session drummer. Touring is what I like to do best. I love to travel.

Modern Drummer interviews Todd Sucherman of Styx. “Anyone who has to honestly play Styx music will realize that there’s more here than meets the eye. I get to play a lot of drums in this band.??? (continue reading)

I've been playing for about twelve years now. I started when I lived in Helsinki, Finland.

Twenty-four year old Thomas Pridgen unleashes the most rabid drumming in recent memory on The Mars Volta’s The Bedlam In Goliath. Of course, the band’s fans have come to expect madness and mastery from the innovative Long Beach, California group…

This past April I wrapped up another tour, this time through South America with Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboard player Ray Manzarek….

Roxy here from the '80s band Vixen. “I know you, you're Robert Plank!” Believe it or not, my sister Maxine blurted out those words to the one and only Robert Plant!

Hello, MD family! 2008 has been a blessed and busy year, with more great things to come! My name is Marcus Baylor, and I am the drummer with The Yellowjackets.

Facility vs. humility. (Being a professional Modern Drummer.) And the winner is?

Hi, everyone out there in drum land, Jason Bittner here, recently returning home after completing my first ever U.S. clinic tour in support of my brand-new Hudson Music DVD, What Drives The Beat. We hit stops on the East Coast for seven intense days, and it was successful and a …

Kottak’s Athena is a very funny, tell-it-like-it-is, beautiful woman who kicks ass behind the drumkit. Born a few years after her famous sibling—Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee—Athena is a cancer survivor, a mom, and the wife of Jimmy Ratchitt. Athena says she knew she would marry Ratchitt—aka James Kottak, former Kingdom …

Damien Fahey has a dilemma: These days he’s having a difficult time finding the time to play his drums. You see, Damien hosts one of MTV’s most popular shows, Total Request Live, which airs weekdays at 5:00 P.M. EST to an audience of 50 million viewers.

Growing up on a mix of R&B, pop, rock, and country, David Northrup, originally from Syracuse New York, moved south in the early ’90s playing sessions and gigging the Florida club scene. One of those gigs led him to meeting and working with ace session guitarist Les Dudek…

Paving the way for some of the great studio musicians of our time, like Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, Jeff Porcaro, and John JR Robinson, were Earl Palmer and Hal Blaine. MD recently sat down with the jovial drummer to walk a bit down memory lane.

Drummer Kevin Frank, singer Walt Lafty, bassist Brian Weaver, and guitarists Nick Perri and Mark Melchiorre of Silvertide created quite a buzz in their hometown of Philadelphia. In fact, the band was so hot, it led to an all-out label bidding war that veteran music mogul Clive Davis won. That’s …

‘N Sync, a pop band backed by live musicians, have gained a reputation of spectacle and not-to-be-missed precision. MD Online recently caught up with rising drum star Billy Ashbaugh, the man who keeps it all together….

Dennis Chambers recently described Bruce Guttridge as “a monster” of a player (January 2000 MD). The compliment is well deserved; Bruce is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s hardest working and most in-demand drummers. Coming off of a five-year stint with Ien Navarro, Bruce is currently recording, producing, and playing with many …

Jeremy Hummel is equal parts bombast and finesse. He’s just as likely to ride hard on his China as he is to tap out an intricate riff on a 6″ effects cymbal. He’s as interested in “bringing back the gong” as he is in developing more finesse and subtlety on …

The first thing you notice when entering Robby Ameen’s Manhattan apartment is the rich aroma of Cuban cigars, stroking your nose hairs like a dark breeze from an illicit island. Ameen’s walls are covered with cigar-box covers from Habana’s finest: Cohiba, Montecristo, and Bolivar….

When Tim Alexander left Primus in 1996, he was ready to move from the wacky, experimental frenzy of rhythms that had made the band a household name to a more structured rock format. He started his band Laundry to be able to do just that. Little did Alexander realize that …

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.'”…

Lil’ John Roberts’s name has been popping up more and more here at MD – in interviews with other artists, in conversations with people in the drum industry – and, most importantly, in mail from fans. It seems everyone is talking about Lil’ John. And after seeing him play, you’d …

“He’s a bad boy, that’s for sure,” says guitar star John Scofield of his talented young sideman Adam Deitch. On the Sco gig, Deitch comes across like a composite of two great drummers that the guitarist has worked with before’the original funky drummer himself, Clyde Stubblefield, and highly regarded jazz …

A rhythmic force of nature since its inception in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1966, the Santana band has always set the bar high. And now, with superstar drummer Dennis Chambers joining percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, the bar (and the expectation) is even higher.

A rhythmic force of nature since its inception in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1966, the Santana band has always set the bar high. And now, with superstar drummer Dennis Chambers joining percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, the bar (and the expectation) is even higher.

A rhythmic force of nature since its inception in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1966, the Santana band has always set the bar high. And now, with superstar drummer Dennis Chambers joining percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, the bar (and the expectation) is even higher….

In viewing the Compositional Drumming DVD by Washington, DC born Sean Rickman, one is immediately taken aback by his advanced drumming skills. No question, he is in a league with fusion greats Dennis Chambers, Steve Smith, and Dave Weckl. Rickman, also a talented multi-instrumentalist, composed the complex music and played …