February 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 2
On 01st Feb 2020
Articles in February 2020
Why Do You Do It?
Among my responsibilities each month at Modern Drummer is writing un-bylined parts of the magazine—captions, feature deks, cover heads, that sort of thing. This month, as I was putting together the contents page, I noticed something interesting: there were no…
Acoustic vs. Electronic Drums Plus Other Topics
Acoustic vs. Electronic Drums Do you agree with Danny? The raw drum sound is what makes them human. What makes our music human. The tone and touch of the drum is so important! Even in a metal context the drummer’s…
New Releases by Bright Dog Red, Leprous, Gold Dime, and More
RECORDINGS Bright Dog Red How’s by You? Jazz that draws on psychedelic, electronic soundscapes, improvised hip-hop, funk, and more. On their second album, the Albany, New York, collective Bright Dog Red presents a seamless blend of seemingly disparate influences, creating…
On Preparation
Being the Most Responsible Musician in the Room One of the most oft-repeated pieces of advice professionals give to aspiring musicians is to prepare. Prepare for the audition, for the rehearsal, and for the gig. Practice your instrument daily so…
Improvising with Flams
Three Ways to Develop a Creative Flow with Basic Rudiments Improvising is a spontaneous compositional process. As drummers, we can rely on conceptual techniques like theme and variation to change and develop what we play in the moment. Presented in…
Darryl "Lil Man" Howell
Chicago-area native Darryl “Lil Man” Howell holds down the drum chair for three artists at the top of their genres: gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds, rap star Nicki Minaj, and R&B crooner Maxwell. For his work as a record producer with…
Ilan Rubin on The New Regime’s Heart
The bandleader and freelancer to the stars drops his new album in four stages. As usual, Ilan Rubin plays every instrument on the latest release by his longtime New Regime project. Heart is the first of four EPs that will…
Chris Vatalaro—Man on the Move
Saying that the world is his stage doesn’t come close to describing the drummer’s career. The New York-bred, London-based player is like a musical, modern-day James Bond, globe-trotting from country to country while supporting cutting-edge artists and established stars alike.…
Idles’ Jon Beavis
Photo by Esmé Bones While on a recent tour opening up for the scorching British punk band, A Place to Bury Strangers’ Lia Braswell got to experience the awesome power of the drummer on a nightly basis. Here she reports…
Grace Potter’s Jordan West
Photo by Alex Solca The multitalented musician puts several of her well-honed skills to work on the road with the soulful rock artist. Since leaving her native Fort Wayne, Indiana, for Los Angeles, California, Jordan West has drummed with the…
Sabian HHX Complex Series
Dark and rich cymbals for fast, explosive attack and short, sweet sustain. The HH series is Canadian manufacturer Sabian’s original recipe for the classic hand-hammered Turkish cymbal sound, which the company has a direct connection to via founder Robert Zildjian.…
April-May, 1980 — Neil Peart
I think of myself still as a student. I’m still learning. We’re all just beginners. I really like that Lol Creme and Kevin Godley album L. The L stands for learner’s permit in England. And that album is so far…
The Drummers of David Byrne's American Utopia
Percussionist Mauro Refosco has toured regularly with David Byrne since 1994, so he was well accustomed to expecting the unexpected from the iconic rock/pop experimenter. But this time, Byrne’s phone call was different. “At first I literally didn’t understand what…
The Power of Silence
The Tasteful Drummer’s Secret Weapon As drummers, we spend so much time developing technique, expanding our musical vocabulary, and obsessing over the components of our drumset. All of that is important and essential for playing the instrument well. But it’s…
Joel Taylor
His résumé reads like a drummer-fantasy list: Allan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, Joe Sample and the Crusaders, Banned from Utopia, David Foster, Brian Bromberg, Gloria Estefan, Stu Hamm, Jon Faddis, David Sánchez, Oz Noy, Hendrik Meurkens, movie soundtracks, solo recordings,…
Eric Harland — Jazz Swinger, Drum Prophet
The Texas native has played on hundreds of albums, recorded multiple soundtracks, performed with jazz royalty, and led his own incendiary projects. He’s accomplished all of this by hyper-analyzing the most basic of musical ideas, and applying what he’s learned…
New Gear From Mair, Bitmi, TRX, Future Sonic, Slug, and More.
Mair Drums Vantage Series Snare Made from carbon fiber, Vantage series snares are available in a Black 3K finish as well as a variety of other colors and textures. Features include a 1.8 mm shell, die-cast hoops, and a Dunnett…
Hawthorne Drum Shop, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
Of all the drum retailers we’ve profiled, Chris Hawthorne is the first proprietor to volunteer that his store is “kinda dirty.” He’s not inaccurate. Hawthorne’s warehouse spot, located in a nondescript building just across the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, is…
Mapex Black Panther
Design Lab Versatus System Reimagining every element of the drumset to maximize tone and versatility. The Design Lab is what Mapex dubbed its group of drummers, engineers, and designers who contributed ideas and opinions on ways in which the drumset…
