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February 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 2

Jason Smay was destined to hold it down for throwbacks like the roots rocker JD McPherson and the Mexican-wrestling-mask-wearing, surf-rock instrumentalists Los Straitjackets. Growing up just outside Rochester, New York, Smay leaned heavily retro in his tastes. He loved vintage hot rods and motorcycles (he remains an avid collector and tinkerer) and old-school jazz, R&B, and rock.
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Articles in February 2018

The Fundamentals of 3/4 Rock

Where to Play the Backbeat

by Joel Rothman
Dec 28, 2017

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…

Interview and photos by Sayre Berman
Dec 28, 2017

Paul Wertico’s Turn the Beat Around

Paul Wertico long ago established himself as a creative force. He’s a drummer with excellent technique, great feel, and a strong sense of texture and color. But he also constantly makes observations, asks questions, and comes up with unique approaches…

by Martin Patmos
Dec 28, 2017

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…

Modern Drummer
Dec 28, 2017

Understanding and Utilizing Fear

Tips for Turning Anxiety Into Achievement

by Mark Schulman
Dec 28, 2017
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Bebop Syncopation

Part 2: Philly Joe Jones

Article by Mike Alfieri | Photo by Saulmon C. Addison
Dec 28, 2017

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…

Story by Adam Budofsky | Photos by Alex Solca
Dec 28, 2017

Hendrix - Perfect Ply Series Drumset

A warmer and rounder-sounding 4-ply counterpart to the company’s hi-fi, snappy stave setups.

by Michael Dawson
Dec 28, 2017

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.…

Interview by Ken Micallef
Jan 11, 2018

Elizabeth Goodfellow With Iron & Wine

The drummer, percussionist, and vocalist invigorates a seasoned indie artist’s new album and extensive back catalog.

by Willie Rose
Dec 28, 2017

Tailor-Made Top Hat

Chuck Riebling of Ellicott City, Maryland, started putting this kit together in 2004 after purchasing four blank maple Keller shells. He then brought the drums—a 10-ply 7x13 snare, 6-ply 8x12 and 14x14 toms, and a 10-ply 14x20 bass drum—to vintage…

Modern Drummer
Dec 28, 2017

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…

by Michael Dawson
Dec 28, 2017
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James Cassells on Asking Alexandria’s Asking Alexandria

A little more than a year after reuniting with original lead singer Danny Worsnop, the genre-straddling heavy rock group Asking Alexandria released its fifth studio album this past December 15. Partly inspired by the reunion with Worsnop, the rested and…

by Ben Meyer
Dec 28, 2017

Exploring Five-Over-Three

Mastering a Difficult Grouping, Step by Step

by Aaron Edgar
Dec 28, 2017

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.

by Lauren Vogel Weiss
Dec 28, 2017

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…

Modern Drummer
Dec 28, 2017

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…

Story by Willie Rose | Photos by John Abbott
Dec 28, 2017

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.

Story by Will Romano | Photos by Jeff Ragland
Dec 28, 2017
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PROGPOWER USA XVIII

The Progressive-Metal Festival Heats Up in the Heart of Atlanta

Text and photos by Mike Haid
Dec 28, 2017

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