February 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 2
Articles in February 2018
Tony Newman
A true survivor, this swashbuckling British drummer brings tales from the golden age of rock ’n’ roll excess—and some of the heaviest performances of the era.
New Gear from SJC, OCDP, Protection Racket, Rhythm House Drums, DrumLite, and Black Swamp!
SJC Custom Drums Foundation Series Hardware The Foundation series of hardware offers professional-quality, heavy-duty stands and pedals. The X line features double-braced legs, gearless cymbal tilters, and hinged memory locks. The Flatline series includes double-braced flat-base cymbal stands. The six-piece,…
Yamaha Drums Celebrates Fiftieth Anniversary, Tyshawn Sorey Receives MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, Sabian Appoints New Director of Research and Product Development, and more!
Tommy Aldridge Yamaha Drums Celebrates Fiftieth Anniversary This past September 30, Yamaha Drums celebrated its fiftieth anniversary at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. More than 400 guests attended the event, which featured an interactive exhibit of current and legacy…
Dare to Drum
A recently released documentary shows what happens when an esteemed percussion ensemble, a famous rock drummer, a world-class symphony orchestra, and a somewhat cranky Mother Nature come together for a unique musical event.
Sonny Emory
On the advantage of formal study. Formal study is paramount for any drummer who’s looking to be versatile enough to sustain a career. Unless you happen to be lucky enough to be in a band that’s already successful. But being…
Italian Vintage Drums and Cymbals
Vintage drum expert Luca Luciano’s book is a fascinating introduction to some of the most unusual drums you’ll likely never see.
Around and Around We Go
It’s hard to believe that we’ve already turned the corner toward another year, and Modern Drummer is celebrating forty-two years of publishing in 2018. While that pales in comparison to the 4.54 billion times this rock we live on has…
Matt Wilson - The Ambassador of Unvention
An experienced pursuer of the unfamiliar, and a compassionate leader who’s unafraid to unleash, the eternally curious drummer carves a unique way along his journey of musical discovery—all the while bringing as many of us along as he can. During…
Led Zeppelin book, Carl Palmer DVD, Peter Erskine, Todd Sucherman, and more!
MULTIMEDIA Led Zeppelin: All the Albums, All the Songs by Martin Popoff This survey of the legendary rock band’s studio albums falls short of getting to the heart of drummer John Bonham’s gifts, so let’s take the opportunity to paint…
Steve Nisbett of the Iconic Reggae Band Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse, featuring Steve “Grizzly” Nisbett, second from right This story originally ran in the August 2012 issue of Modern Drummer. He barely knew what to do with a reggae groove when he started his climb to the…
Led Zeppelin Experience’s Jason Bonham
Jason Bonham and his Led Zeppelin Experience band have been touring for the past year to celebrate an important anniversary. “It was forty years ago when Led Zeppelin toured the USA ,” says Jason, with a big smile. Jason has…
Pearl Jam/Soundgarden Drummer Matt Cameron Enlists David Bowie’s Blackstar Drummer, Mark Guiliana, for His Latest Solo Album
Photo by Danny Clinch Matt Cameron may be widely known as the drummer with two iconic bands, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, but those who’ve followed his career closely know he’s also a multi-instrumentalist who occasionally releases music as a leader.…
Can Feel Be Taught, or Is It a Gift?
Can Feel Be Taught, or Is It a Gift? Unlike certain aspects of drumming, suchas timing, technique, and dynamics, developing a drummer’s sense of groove or feel can be somewhat of an ambiguous task. Even more obscuring is the debate…
Booker Stardrum
The drummer, who grew up in a household steeped in top-level twentieth-century classical music performance, has built up an impressive résumé featuring some of the most compelling experimental pop and rock groups of the past decade. He’s also released an…
Hendrix - Perfect Ply Series Drumset
A warmer and rounder-sounding 4-ply counterpart to the company’s hi-fi, snappy stave setups.