August 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 8
On 03rd Dec 2020
Articles in August 2020
Jost Nickel’s Snare Book
At Jost Nickel’s website, the drummer/clinician/composer posts about his latest instructional publication, Snare Book (Alfred). “I am happy to tell you that my brand new Snare Book is now available,” Nickel states. “It’s in English so you don’t have to…
Aahad Nayani
The Pakistani drummer has made a name for himself against considerable odds. Aahad Nayani is a bit of a miracle. The thirty-two-year-old is a self-taught, meticulous drumset player from Karachi, Pakistan, who despite years of government internet censorship, used banned…
Innovative Percussion
LAX-1, SF-1, and MATT-1 Drumsticks and KDB-2 Cloud Beater Versatile drumset sticks and a modern take on the fluffy thumper. Nashville-based Innovative Percussion—one of the leading manufacturers of symphonic and marching sticks, mallets, and accessories—has been steadily growing its catalog…
Bad Religion’s Jamie Miller
Sometimes the job you were meant to do comes about when you least expect it. For this drummer, the opportunity came decades after he first imagined it. In 2015, after relocating from Baltimore to California, and barely into a hiatus…
The Jon Christensen Approach
Developing a Modern Straight-8th Concept In this article we’re going to explore the broken, straight-8th feel that the late, great Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen utilized to majestic effect on many classic albums for German jazz label ECM. The exercises included…
Alesis - Strike Pro Special Edition Mesh Kit
This eleven-piece set is as professional-grade as it gets, yet somehow keeps the cost-conscious consumer in mind. For a number of years, Alesis has positioned itself as the leading producer of affordable electronic drumsets, multipads, and drum machines best suited…
Critique
RECORDINGS Testament Titans of Creation The band’s thirteenth studio release proves once again how they themselves are titans of creation in the thrash metal lineage. Although drummer Gene Hoglan is not an original member of Testament, his drumming style created…
Sean Reinert (1971–2020)
To those in the know, Sean Reinert was one of the most astounding heavy-rock drummers of all time, with timeless albums by Cynic and Death providing more supporting evidence than one would ever need. But from very early on, he…
Koide - 703 and 10J Series Cymbals
Japan’s premier cymbal maker fuses centuries-old techniques with modern-day processes. Although relatively new to the international market for high-end cymbals, Japanese company Koide (pronounced “co-ee-day”) has a long history in metallurgy that dates back to 1947, when founder Toshio Koide’s…
Billy Cobham’s Spectrum
The ex-Mahavishnu phenom was out to prove he had the drumming and writing chops to stake his own claim with his 1973 solo debut. By the early 1970s, Billy Cobham had spent time drumming with several legendary jazz artists, including…
Thomas Lang’s Coordination and Counting Concepts
A Few Ways to Practice With or Without Drums “Independence, four-way coordination, and ambidexterity are such huge subjects,” says Thomas Lang in a recent video lesson filmed for Modern Drummer by DrumChannel.com. “One way of getting into this is just…
Matt Laug on Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”
The existence of live and programmed drums on a track is commonplace today. Twenty-five years ago, though, it was such a fresh idea it could launch a career. If you were anywhere near a radio or MTV in the latter…
Lana Del Rey’s Tom Marsh
Serving the singer onstage requires all of this multithreat’s many skills. Lana Del Rey currently ranks among the top pop singers in the world. Steadily releasing albums since 2012, her classic torch-song voice graces moody material with a modern sensibility.…
Stick Technique Revisited
Part 2: The Free Stroke The free stroke, which is also commonly referred to as the full stroke, rebound stroke, or legato stroke, is the most important technique you should learn, as it’s the foundation for almost every other stroke…
Evans - UV2 Drumheads
A beefier 2-ply version of the innovative ultraviolet-light-cured coated batter. Last fall Evans expanded its offerings featuring the new UV-cured coating to include a double-ply model, the UV2. These heads comprise two layers of 7 mil film and a thin…
Modern-Jazz/Rock/Fusion Powerhouse Ronald Bruner Jr..
Grammy-winning drummer, producer, singer, and songwriter Ronald Bruner Jr. is one of today’s most electrifying performers. His exciting “no holds barred” approach has gained the respect of some of the industry’s top artists, and his genre-busting style is a combination…
Thomas Lang
While “normal” drummers are figuring out how to keep good time behind that guitar solo or how to tune that second rack tom so it doesn’t sound like a cartoon sound effect, Thomas Lang is deeply concerned with something called…
Be Your Own Shaman
As usual, it was a dame that turned my drumming all topsy-turvy…. Sorry, I’ve been watching too many Humphrey Bogart movies during this lockdown. But that lead is actually true. Besides overdosing on Bogey, I also recently started binge-watching Outlander,…
Kassa Overall
On his second solo outing, I Think I’m Good, the Seattle native and New York City resident raps/sings over engrossing music built of sampled and live sources, in the process practically creating his own genre: the jazz-hip-hop confessional. A gifted…
