January 2017 Issue – Volume 41 • Number 1
On 01st Jan 2017
Articles in January 2017
Ween's Claude Coleman Jr.
Times have changed, and so has his address. For the longtime member of one of America’s most beloved left-of-center rock bands—reunited after several years apart—it’s all for the better. Getting divorced from your wife soon after the band you’ve been…
On The Cover - Chris Dave
On The Cover Chris Dave The iconoclastic rhythm auteur is readying his hotly anticipated new album. MD contributor Ken Micallef got an early listen, and, transfixed by its contents, presses its creator for explanations and looks for clues to his…
DW - Collector’s Series Cherry/Mahogany Drumset
https://vimeo.com/187880304 Product Close-Up DW Collector’s Series Cherry/Mahogany Drumset Deep, pure tones and ultimate clarity. The Collector’s Series is DW’s flagship line, comprising a variety of single-species shell types (maple, cherry, and red oak) and hybrid mixtures, such as the poplar/maple…
Up & Coming - Jonathan Barber
Up & Coming Jonathan Barber “In New York you always have to bring your ‘A’ game,” says the rising jazz star. So far, his report cards would make the elders proud. by Ken Micallef Back in 2011, this writer saw…
DrumLite - LED System
https://vimeo.com/191490787 Product Close-Up DrumLite LED System Quick installation, easy connection, and huge visual impact. Drummers Jeff Sevaldson and Joey Nesbitt established DrumLite in 2011 in an effort to pump up the visual appeal of the drumset. What they created is…
Groove Construction, Part 9: Split Grooves
https://vimeo.com/191977033 Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic Groove Construction Part 9: Split Grooves by Jost Nickel This month’s groove workshop introduces split patterns. In these phrases, the right hand alternates between two voices, the hi-hat and ride. The arm should hardly move;…
Kit of the Month - Spirit of America
Kit of the Month Spirit of America This American-made, fourteen-piece monster comes to us from percussionist, educator, and collector Mike “Mickey” Jones of Birmingham, Alabama. Jones commissioned the kit more than four years ago from Bridgeport, Connecticut, drum manufacturer RCI…
Tony Hajjar
Features Tony Hajjar The post-hardcore veteran explores new vistas with Gone Is Gone and retools his technique for an album and tour with the rejuvenated At the Drive-In. Story by Ben Meyer Photos by Paul La Raia After spending a…
An Editor's Overview - Adapting to Change
by Willie Rose While I worked on a piece in this month’s News section about the latest Radian record, On Dark Silent Off, MD editorial director Adam Budofsky dropped one of the band’s earlier CDs, 2004’s Juxtaposition, on my desk.…
Swiss Rudiments - Basel Drumming, Part 3
https://vimeo.com/191493440 Strictly Technique Swiss Rudiments Basel Drumming, Part 3 by Claus Hessler In the third installment of our series on Swiss drumming, we’ll continue exploring the European roots of rudiments. In the last lesson we introduced Tagwacht pieces—music that’s typically…
Sum 41's Frank Zummo
Features Sum 41's Frank Zummo The journeyman drummer’s enthusiasm never wanes. It’s an infection that prospective employers are all too happy to catch. Frank Zummo has always been a team player—whether performing with his drum brothers in Street Drum Corps,…
A New Year, A New You? Reviewing and Renewing Your Goals, Part 1
Concepts A New Year, A New You? Reviewing and Renewing Your Goals, Part 1 by Russ Miller Every New Year we look back on the previous twelve months and set resolutions for the next. According to statisticbrain.com, the percentage of…
A New Perspective - Displacing Two-Over-Three Polyrhythms
https://vimeo.com/191854511 Rock Perspectives A New Perspective Displacing Two-Over-Three Polyrhythms by Aaron Edgar This month we’re going to vary the basic phrasing of polyrhythms. Typically, both sides of a polyrhythm begin together on the first note of the rhythm. We can…
Latin Percussion - Americana and Matador Cajons, Cajon Saddle, and Percussion Pack
https://vimeo.com/174410030 Product Close-Up Latin Percussion Americana and Matador Cajons, Cajon Saddle, and Percussion Pack Top-quality cajons and accessories to help widen the sonic landscape. LP’s catalog of cajons and accessories has become quite expansive over the past few years. New…
Papa Jo Jones Drum Fill - Incorporating a Classic Jazz Lick
https://vimeo.com/191488002 Jazz Drummer's Workshop Papa Jo Jones Drum Fill Incorporating a Classic Jazz Lick by John Xepoleas In this lesson we’ll explore a versatile and great-sounding fill from jazz legend Papa Jo Jones. The basic pattern is notated in Exercise…
Istanbul Mehmet - Sahra and Kirkor Signature Rides
https://vimeo.com/167901541 Product Close-Up Istanbul Mehmet Sahra and Kirkor Signature Rides Dark, warm tones with varying degrees of dryness. The Istanbul cymbal company was originally established by veteran cymbalsmiths Mehmet Tamdeger and Agop Tomurcuk to provide traditional-style Turkish cymbals that were…
Frank Ferrer
Features Frank Ferrer It’s tough to know where the fan ends and the musician begins with Guns n’ Roses’ drummer—who, some might be surprised to learn, has been happily perched atop the band’s drum riser for a decade now. MD…
The Swampy Double Groove - Grease Up Your Phrases
https://vimeo.com/191198650 Basics The Swampy Double Groove Grease Up Your Phrases by Rich Redmond With double grooves, the left hand plays every 8th note using unaccented strokes in between accented backbeats. I refer to these unaccented notes as “taps.” Combining this…
Snare Drum Effects - 16 Add-ons to Quickly Modify Tone
Features Snare Drum Effects 16 Add-ons to Quickly Modify Tone by Willie Rose The snare drum could be viewed as a drummer’s most important voice and has helped define some of the drumming community’s most revered performances. Consider John Bonham’s…
