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June 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 6

Jazz drumming great Ben Riley died last November 18. He was eighty-four. Although best remembered for his high-profile 1964–67 tenure with the iconic pianist Thelonious Monk, Riley enjoyed a fruitful six-decade career supporting a lengthy roster of jazz luminaries, including lasting associations with Alice Coltrane, Abdullah Ibrahim, the tenor team of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin, the New York Jazz Quartet, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Kenny Barron.
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Articles in June 2018

Diego Arcaute with Juana Molina

Whether playing odd-time indie electronica, contemporary pop, or folkloric acoustic music, the Argentinian drummer brings a seasoned sensitivity and open mind to the studio and the stage.

Article by Adam Budofsky | Photo by Mariko Miura
Apr 25, 2018

New Drum Gear From Tama, Remo, SJC Custom Drums, apulSoft, U.S. Drum Supply, Basal, and Vater!

  Tama Star Reserve Volume 4 Snare This snare’s copper shell is hand-hammered by master metal craftsmen in Japan and is said to produce a fat sound and rich resonance coupled with an extreme dynamic range. Also featured on this…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

Rick Marotta

For the drummer, who’d built a sterling session and live career for nearly ten years with artists including John Lennon, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, James Taylor, and Steely Dan, 1978 was yet another super-busy year. In the studio, on the…

by Billy Amendola
Apr 25, 2018

Turkish Cymbals Lale Kardeş Signature Series

Big, bold tones based on the classic sounds of ’60s and ’70s rock.

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018
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Heart’s Michael Derosier

Remembers Dog & Butterfly

by Patrick Berkery
Apr 25, 2018

Drum Wisdom: Jim Mola

By his own admission, Jim Mola moved to New York in 1985 to set the world on fire as a drummer. Now, after thirty-three years of experience in the trenches as a working musician, the types of gigs he’s playing…

Article by by Keith Carne | Photos by John Fell
Apr 25, 2018

Dafnis Prieto on the Dafnis Prieto Big Band’s Back to the Sunset

The prolific Afro-Cuban and jazz connoisseur honors his musical heroes with a heavy ensemble.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Henry Lopez
Apr 25, 2018

What’s Your Favorite 1970s Jazz or Fusion Drumming Album?

This month, as we delve into the music and drumming of 1978, we asked our readers and social media followers to name some of their favorite records from the entire decade. Here they weigh in on great ’70s jazz and…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

Foreigner’s Dennis Elliott

“I was blessed to land a gig as life-changing as Foreigner,” the London-born drummer Dennis Elliott says. “It was a band I totally believed in.” Elliott played with the group for seventeen years, powering solid-gold tracks like “Urgent,” “Feels Like…

by Robin Tolleson
Apr 25, 2018

Introduction to Polyrhythms

How to Play Odd Groupings, Part 1

by Aaron Edgar
Apr 25, 2018

Dashboard Confessional’s Ben Homola

Consummate touring/recording drummer Ben Homola has recently been sporting a new C&C drumkit on the road with alt-rock band Dashboard Confessional. “The C&C maple kit I have out on the road was built for this tour,” says Homola. “One thing…

Interview and Photos by Sayre Berman
Apr 25, 2018
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New York Jazzer Jimmy Macbride

Still only in his mid-twenties, the drummer has been making a name for himself in the ultra-competitive New York City jazz scene for several years now, bringing an assured command of his instrument to recordings and live work with a sound that belies his age.

Interview by Ilya Stemkovsky | Photo by Yuki Tei
Apr 25, 2018

Bubinga Behemoth

Drummer Matt Flacche, based in Marlton, New Jersey, custom-ordered and built this month’s monster setup, a 2017 Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit in satin natural cordia finish. With previous appearances in the September 2003, July 2007, and January 2009 issues, this…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

Keith McMillen Instruments - BopPad

A seemingly simple USB pad controller with virtually limitless capabilities.

Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

Peter Criss on Peter Criss

In 1978, the four members of Kiss simultaneously released self-titled solo albums, a brilliant marketing move that pushed the already famous group further into the stratosphere. Though it’s not considered a groundbreaking “drum record”—that was never the intention—Peter Criss neatly…

by Billy Amendola
Apr 25, 2018

Russ Kunkel - The Song Server

At the dawn of the ’70s, music fans noticed the credit “Drums: Russ Kunkel” popping up on reams of LP jackets. From that pivotal point, Kunkel’s momentum as a session ace surged through five decades. The drummer’s tasteful parts and…

Article by Jeff Potter | Photo by Joel Bernstein
Apr 25, 2018

Techra - XCarb Drumsticks

Light and fast carbon-fiber models designed for utmost durability.

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

Do I Need a Fallback Plan?

Part 1: Assessing Your Path

by Russ Miller
Apr 25, 2018
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Van Kleef - Ageless Collection 4.5x14 Snare

A spectacular specimen sporting a precious 1.5mm sterling silver shell.

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

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