January 2021 – Volume 45 • Number
A Smattering of Hits Outside the Prog-Rock Sphere of Styx
Todd Sucherman is one of the modern greats of the drumset. His powerfully precise drumming has been driving the legendary prog-rock band Styx for a quarter century and is still going strong. Todd’s versatility also finds him in great demand as a studio drummer for artists in a wide variety of genres. An energetic delivery of ideas, combined with a keen sense of musicality, makes Todd the musician that he is. Whether shredding over complex forms and meters, laying down a deep backbeat, or fronting his own solo project, Sucherman always has something important to say.
Todd’s drumming combines jazz and fusion influences with an understated artistic approach found in such tasteful players as Dave Mattacks, Jerry Marotta, and Ringo Starr. As a result, Sucherman knows when to apply his vast arsenal of chops and when not to.
Articles in January 2021
Individuality
Part 1: Where Did It Go? Individuality is defined as the unique characteristics and traits that make someone or something one of a kind. I thought a discussion about being yourself was important to bring up, and I will be…
DW, DrēmTrigger, Gibraltar, RTOM and more
DW Design Series Additions These drums are offered in standard five-piece configurations with three add-ons: a 7x8 rack tom, and 12x14 and 16x18 floor toms. The shells are said to sound full, resonant, and responsive. Features include True-Pitch tension rods,…
Attack Drumheads - The Baron Red-Dot Batter
A durable, easy-to-tune option with just the right amount of built-in dampening. Attack Drumheads has been around since the ’80s, under different ownership. In October 2018, the brand was acquired by Cardinal Percussion of Youngstown, Ohio. This was my first…
Max Roach on Promotion of Dummers
When drummers are playing, horn players should color the way we color behind them. To me, it’s a matter of imagination, and it also has something to do with humility. Drummers have a great deal of humility in order to…
Single-Headed Toms: Cool or Not?
Very cool, bring them back!Lorenzo Rosmini I greatly prefer single-headed drums.Pete Wilson They provide that classic bark!@welafever The coolest!Pete Bultitude I’m adding 8", 10", and 12" concert toms to add some high-end crack to my 13", 16", and 18" double-headed…
Stan Lynch
It’s been thirty years since he recorded with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But for many drummers, his playing defines the late rocker’s greatest work. Now all those fans have got good reason to celebrate. If you’re having difficulty remembering…
Be a Dreamer, and Don’t Stop Believing
I hope all is as well as can be for you in these still uncertain times. Since my last editorial, the world has gone a bit nutty, and we’ve all been going through some changes, frustrations, and fears. We all…
Terry Bozzio Interviews Nick Mason of Pink Floyd
“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” This month we have an excerpt of a special interview between legendary progressive drummer and composer Terry Bozzio and rock icon Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The questions came in from…
Bill Bruford
Part 2: The Go Between While some of his peers from the ’70s were content to rest on their laurels, our man never settled for settling down. Moreover, not only did his appetite for new sensations push his drumming into…
Daru Jones
We last heard from him when he was backing Jack White, a rock icon with a deep appreciation for hip-hop. The drummer’s latest project is pure beats-n-rhymes, with a rock-hard soul. For certain drummers, it’s all about playing with a…
The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
His secret to drumming greatness: passion plus musicality.As a pair of new albums demonstrate, it’s a recipe that never fails him. Somewhere around the midpoint of “My Own Soul’s Warning,” the lead-off track on the Killers’ new album, Imploding the…
Get on the Good Foot!
Part 3: Hi-Hat Comping in 5/4 Welcome to the third and final part of our lesson on hi-hat comping. This article explores hi-hat rhythm variations in 5/4. The phrases included are intended to help develop dynamic balance between your hi-hat…
CRITIQUE
RECORDINGS Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic, and Damu the Fudgemunk Ocean Bridges A delightfully swinging hip-hop-meets-jazz excursion that sounds composed yet is completely improvised. Ocean Bridges features tenor great Archie Shepp; his nephew, rapper Raw Poetic; and Earl “Damu the Fudgemunk”…
Steve Jordan
Photo by Antoine Sanfuentes He’s brought a timeless elegance to some of the heaviest recordings of the past five decades. Now, in a setting featuring just one other musical compadre, he’s handed us a near-perfect sampler of his many drumming…
Liberty DeVitto’s Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness
When conversations turn to great drummers of the classic-rock era, Liberty DeVitto’s name is invariably near the top of the list. After appearing on the scene in the mid-’70s, the New York native began a thirty-year stint with pop icon…
“Color Toys”
This month’s KOTM is one of a number of different setups Brooklyn drummer Joshua Berrios likes to break out, depending on the gig. Joshua Berrios enjoys experimenting with drum setups, and from the photos he sent us, he has a…
Justin Tyson
Savannah Harris, who we profile elsewhere in this issue, sits with the remarkably daring drummer, who’s commanded our attention with Herbie Hancock, Robert Glasper, and so many other movers and shakers. Among the things we discover? Sometimes it’s about more…
Savannah Harris
She’s all over the jazz, avant-garde, and crossover scenes, playing gigs with everyone from stately ambassadors like Kenny Barron to the fierce hip-hop collective Standing on the Corner. Here the drummer discusses her ideas about playing and composing—including how kindness…
