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Download December 2020 Issue

Vic Firth recently expanded its catalog with four pairs of uniquely designed Re-Mix brushes/rods made from different types of organic material, ranging from soft and subtle broomcorn to a combo of stiff yet flexible birch and rattan. These models are all 14.125" long and feature rubber-coated, rectangular handles, which allow them to be paired with one another for additional sonic options.

The Re-Mix series brushes were created with renowned percussionist Pete Lockett and can be used to great effect on drumset, cajon, and other world percussion instruments. List price for each pair is $60, and a combo pack of RM2 (African grass) and RM3 (birch) lists for $110.

The lightest and softest model in the Re-Mix series is the RM1. It features a bundle of loosely held together broomcorn. These brushes produce delicate tones with a soft attack and enhanced low tones. They can be used similarly to traditional wire brushes, for sweeps and taps, or they can be used for subtle train beats or other organic drumset/percussion patterns. They’re best suited for very quiet acoustic applications or studio recordings. They don’t project enough sound to compete with amplified instruments (unless paired with one of the harder models).

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Articles in December 2020

Critique

RECORDINGS Louisiana’s LeRoux One of Those Days The latest from this funky southern-rock institution shows the group still has get-up-and-go. LeRoux, sometimes known as Lousiana’s LeRoux, enjoyed some major-label success with their 1978 Capitol debut and have remained regionally active.…

Modern Drummer
Nov 1, 2020

Get on the Good Foot!

Hi-Hat Comping Riffs in 3/4 Welcome to the second part of this three-part series on hi-hat comping. In this lesson we’ll explore repetitive hi-hat motifs in 3/4. The phrases included here are intended to help develop dynamic balance between the…

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Playing to Type

People like to put other people in psychological boxes, and boxes within those boxes: Being an artist takes a certain kind of personality. And among artists, your average actor is said to be like this, while a musician is like…

Modern Drummer
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Download December 2020 Issue

The Modern Drummer November 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 12, comes in two versions the print version and the extended digital version that includes bonus articles and was used to create our new flipbook. The flipbook experience is…

MD Team
Nov 4, 2020

Gene Krupa

The Swing Era’s Brightest Star For this series, we’d be very remiss if we didn’t discuss the great swing drummer Gene Krupa. Gene was one of the most prominent people to bring drums to the forefront in an ensemble. Prior…

Modern Drummer
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What Now?

The Four E’s As I write this, we are smack dab in the middle of the COVID crisis. This pandemic has affected us all now for many months. I mention this because it’s had a massive impact on musicians working…

Modern Drummer
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Gretsch, Latin Percussion, Steinberg, Peavey and more

Gretsch Brooklyn Series Drumkits Two new Nitron finishes have been added to the Brooklyn series: Blue Burst Pearl and White Marine Pearl. Constructed from 6-ply North American maple and poplar, Brooklyn series drums are finished with 3 mm double-flanged 302…

Modern Drummer
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The D.I.Y. Guide to Drums by Lisa Schonberg

While it was always a quirky addition to pedagogic literature, this hugely expanded 2020 volume retains the handmade charms of the original ’zine and leverages the author’s years of teaching experience to deliver an approachable, delightful roadmap for beginners and…

Modern Drummer
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Centent Cymbals - Ardor, Sparks, and Emperor Series

Handcrafted and highly affordable B20 options from a Chinese company with roots that date back hundreds of years. Centent is a Chinese company that produces high-quality yet competitively priced cymbals out of different bronze alloys, including B8 (8-percent tin/92-percent copper),…

Modern Drummer
Nov 1, 2020

Simon Phillips

On Reading and Four-on-the-Floor “Not from Here” is one of the songs on a DVD/download titled The Gannin Arnold Project that Drum Channel produced featuring Gannin Arnold, Tim Landers, and Billy Mohler, along with five guest drummers: Taylor Hawkins, Jimmy…

Modern Drummer
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Dafnis Prieto

Whether it’s through his recordings, performances, videos, or multiple forms of instruction, the drummer actively seeks to knock down barriers of thought and expression. How can you expand your drumming palette for only seven dollars and in only thirty minutes?…

Modern Drummer
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In the Studio with Drummer/Producer Evan Hutchings

Evan Hutchings made the move from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Nashville in 2006, enrolling at Middle Tennessee State with a plan to be a studio musician. “I wanted to be Steve Jordan,” he says. “That was the goal.” Like many…

Modern Drummer
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Marla Leigh

Having “good time” can mean many things to a musician. For this veteran frame drummer, waiting for the right moment to execute a plan, even if that means years, can turn out to be the best decision. For twenty years,…

Modern Drummer
Nov 1, 2020

Jonas Brothers’ Jack Lawless

New Jersey native Jack Lawless started out as the drummer of Joe Jonas’s chart-topping alternative-pop group DNCE. When the Jonas Brothers got back together, Lawless got the call for that tour as well. We were able catch up with him…

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Terry Bozzio

I knew I had to make my own statement or go on for the rest of my life depending on someone else to be the creative genius. I didn’t want to live with myself that way. It’s funny, in the…

Modern Drummer
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Simon Phillips

Showbiz history is dotted with “triple-threat” performers who were top-flight actors, singers, and dancers, from Gene Kelly to Judy Garland to Sammy Davis Jr. to Beyoncé. Rarer still are those who can boast extraordinary performance and technical skills, bona fide…

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Stick Technique Revisited

Part 6: Perfect Practice and Building Speed Many drum instructors say, “Play naturally.” The problem with that statement is that we naturally hold on to things tightly. Have you ever seen someone pick up a drumstick for the first time…

Modern Drummer
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The Classic Recordings of Ginger Baker, Part 3: The Solo Albums

Following a prolific period when Ginger Baker made his name with Cream, Blind Faith, and Ginger Baker’s Air Force, and collaborated with Fela Kuti, the mid ’70s found the drummer setting up a recording studio in Africa, playing polo, trying…

Modern Drummer
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Khari Parker (1974–2020)

Drummer Khari Parker passed away on June 27. He was forty-six. Widely respected for his diverse musical skills and top-flight professionalism, Parker was a first-call player for many of the top bandleaders and producers in Chicago and throughout the country.…

Modern Drummer
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Drum City Guitarland

Wheat Ridge, Colorado A former professional drummer who once played drums for Frank Sinatra, Ronny Kae lived and breathed drums. In 1964, with only $50 in his pocket, Kae moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Colorado, where he bought a…

Modern Drummer
Nov 1, 2020

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