July 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 7
Articles in July 2020
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…
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…
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…
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…
Yussef Dayes
The U.K.-based drummer and producer is making a name for himself on the modern-jazz scene, and he’s fine being referred to as a jazz drummer. Just don’t box him in. Yussef Dayes’ father came from Jamaica to New York in…
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…
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…
Kikagaku Moyo’s Go Kurosawa
The drummer and vocalist for the Japanese psychedelic band (rough translation: “geometric patterns”) is a modest person with an attitude towards music making that runs counter to the Japanese obsession with technique and “correct” playing. No matter—he’s getting the job…
Dirk Verbeuren
An In-Depth Look at Extreme Metal’s Master Blaster In addition to his superhuman speed and power, Dirk Verbeuren has brought a wide spectrum of influences into extreme metal. He has expert execution of rudiments, as well as unique rhythmic phrasing,…
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…
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!,…
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…
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…
July Edition
TRX Cymbals CRX Rock II Series This new series includes a full range of medium-weight rides, hi-hats, crashes, crash-rides, and effects cymbals with a brilliant finish. They are available individually or in a box set composed of 14" hi-hats, a…
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…
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…
Liberty One Mount-All Rack
A simple, modular option for creating compact, custom auxiliary percussion stations. Liberty One is the in-house brand of top percussion retailer Steve Weiss that was created to provide quality products at affordable price points for students and professional drummers and…
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…
