July 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 7
Articles in July 2020
Making Simple Ideas Extraordinary
Modern Pop/R&B Great Aaron Spears on How to Milk the Most from Basic Quarter Notes “Drums are an extension of who you are,” says modern pop/R&B great Aaron Spears in a recent video lesson for DrumChannel.com. “The way you play…
Displaced Paradiddles
A Progressive, Grid-Based Approach to Developing Modern Licks from an Ancient Rudiment One of the most common ways to practice displacing rhythms so that they start on different partials of the beat is by applying them to the grid, which…
Clear Tune Monitors AS-7 Universal Fit In-Ears
A professional-level, seven-driver option for drummers. Clear Tune Monitors is a Florida-based in-ear manufacturer that focuses on providing precise sound for performing musicians, audio engineers, and general music listeners alike. CTM offers a wide array of products, from high-end custom…
Battles’ John Stanier
The drummer sits down with fellow New York City indie-rock drummer Keith Carne to discuss his years in the city, how that setting has informed Battles’ latest release, and his loving frustration with the cymbal, perched ridiculously high above his…
Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center
Wheaton, Maryland Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center has been in business longer than drum department manager Darren Zentek has been alive—this year marks the store’s sixty-second. Levin’s was initially located in the District proper, before moving just north of the…
Ali Jackson Jr.: Groove du Jour
For ten-plus years he was the drummer for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the New York institution fronted by iconic trumpet player Wynton Marsalis. Recently he took the enormous well of experience he got from that gig and others,…
Corky Laing
His new album reminds us why we loved him with Mountain all those years ago, and why we love him still. Photo by Diana Loana Bobes Throughout his legendary, five-decades-long career, Corky Laing’s energy has defied logic. The man might…
Neil Peart
“La Villa Strangiato” from Hemispheres We transcribed a ton of classic Neil Peart parts in our May 2020 tribute issue to Rush’s legendary drummer. One song we left out, however, was the instrumental tour de force “La Villa Strangiato” from…
Gretsch USA 5x14 and 6.5x14 Black Copper Snare Drums
Stealthy-looking, bold-sounding offerings from one of America’s most treasured brands. The Gretsch company has been producing world-class drums since 1883, which precedes the birth of the modern drumset by several decades. With such rich history comes great responsibility, and over…
Bill Lordan’s From the Basement to the Coliseum
Those of us drummers who were raised during the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s and who came up locally playing in multiple bands at a time were dubbed “journeymen.” We’d play with rock, funk, and blues bands, country singers, jazz players—and…
When in Doubt…
I have no idea why, but as I sat here staring at a blank Word document, contemplating which angle to take for this month’s overview, the title of progressive drumming great Bill Bruford’s out-of-print transcription book, When in Doubt, Roll!,…
Stick Technique Revisited
Part 1: Matched Grip Matched grip simply means that the hands hold the sticks in a mirror image of one another. There are important variations within matched grip, however, both in terms of the hand angles and fulcrums (pivot points)…
Bauhaus’s Kevin Haskins
Drummer Kevin Haskins of iconic goth-rock band Bauhaus got interested in music as a teenager in the late ’70s, when his brother took him to a punk-rock festival in the basement of the 100 Club in London. The headlining band…
Aaron Spears
After bursting onto the scene with pop/R&B superstar Usher during the artist’s Truth tour in 2004, Washington, D.C. native Aaron Spears has earned the admiration and respect of his peers and fans with a drumming style that is often described…
3D-Printed Snare Drums
Panic! at the Disco’s Dan Pawlovich Teams Up with Stratasys Direct Manufacturing to Turn Fantasy into Reality Panic! at the Disco drummer Dan Pawlovich has always been interested in exploring ways of making his instruments sound and look better. About…
Papa Jo Jones
The Father of Modern Jazz Drumming Papa Jo Jones was the epitome of swing, from his very early days with the Count Basie band in the ’30s until he passed away in 1985. His style, grace, and incredibly musical approach…
Meinl Artist Concept Deep Hats and Bullet Stack
Warmer and more controllable, but still fast and trashy. We reviewed Meinl’s new 8" Benny Greb Crasher hi-hats and the aggressive 18" Thomas Lang Super Stack a few issues back. This month, we’re going to take a look at two…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
Carmine Appice’s 1976 Realistic Rock Drumset Welcome to the first installment of “Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault.” As a dealer and collector of rare and vintage drums, I’ve had the good fortune to work with many of the greatest drummers of…
Critique
RECORDINGS Photo by Rahav Segev Dayna Stephens Trio Liberty The leader/tenor saxophonist, bassist Ben Street, and MVP jazz drummer ERIC HARLAND succeed brilliantly in a challenging chord-less format. Eric Harland is frequently praised for his inventive orchestrations and interplay, among…
