June 2019 Archives - Modern Drummer Magazine

June 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 6

Articles in June 2019

Encore

The Lounge Lizards’ Voice of Chunk

Dougie Bowne gave up a perfectly good regular gig with a world-famous artist to follow his muse. Those in the know have been thanking him ever since. Dougie Bowne exudes harmony. He speaks with a gregarious enthusiasm, punctuating stories with…

by John Colpitts
Apr 30, 2019
Kit of the Month

The Cherry on Top

After growing up playing an eight-piece Premier Resonator drumkit with a mere two cymbals, Alan Vincelette of Moorpark, California, decided to flip the script. “I now have a four-piece cherry Craviotto drumset with several cymbals,” Vincelette explains. “I really like…

Apr 30, 2019
Out Now

Matt Halpern on Periphery IV: Hail Stan

For a decade the prolific progressive metal drummer, educator, and entrepreneur has been powering Periphery’s wild time signatures and blazing riff s. We asked the sticksman all about the groundbreaking band’s first self-released title. MD: Where was Hail Stan recorded?…

by Willie Rose
Apr 30, 2019
Industry Happenings

In Memoriam: Avant-Garde Jazz Drummer Alvin Fielder

The jazz and experimental music world lost a giant this past January 5 when drummer, pharmacologist, drum historian, and founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) Alvin Fielder passed away near his Jackson, Mississippi, home.…

Apr 30, 2019
Product Close-Up

SledgePad Dampening System

A simple set-it-and-forget-it muffling device. Felt strips, blankets, pillows, shredded newspaper…these are just a few of the many ways drummers have tried to control bass drum sustain. Enter SledgePad, a simple-to-install and effective foam-based dampening system designed to focus bass…

by Nick Amoroso
Apr 30, 2019
On the Cover

Chick Corea’s Marcus Gilmore

Much has been made of his being the grandson of drum god Roy Haynes. And not without reason—he received his formative lessons at Mr. Snap Crackle and Pop’s knee. But he’s indisputably defined his own space on the jazz landscape…

Story by Ken Micallef | Photos by Alex Solca
Apr 30, 2019
Features

Luke Bryan’s Kent Slucher

Country Music’s Big Backbeat Luke Bryan and his band headline amphitheaters, arenas, and stadiums year after year. On a recent tour, the singer entertained a sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium as the first country act to ever play the venue.…

Story by Aaron Strickland | Photos by Ethan Helms
Apr 30, 2019
Product Close-Up

Barton Vintage Beech Drumset

Boutique-style drums with the working drummer in mind. Barton is a relatively new California-based company that, according to its website, makes “real, honest drums that you can keep for a lifetime.” In order to keep its prices within the working…

by Michael Dawson
Apr 30, 2019
Rock Perspectives

Glitched Beats

Diving Deep into Displacements Most of us seem to be listening to music digitally these days almost exclusively. And while streaming means never having to deal with a skipping record or CD anymore, those skips and glitches can provide a…

by Aaron Edgar
Apr 30, 2019
Product Close-Up

Aston Origin, Spirit, and Starlight Microphones

A trio of cost-effective condensers designed to capture smooth, natural sounds. Aston is a UK-based company that manufactures high-quality yet competitively priced condenser mics suitable for a wide range of applications, including on drums. At the moment, Aston’s catalog comprises…

by Michael Dawson
Apr 30, 2019
Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic

Moving Around the Kit

Utilizing Clockwise and Counterclockwise Motions in Fills In this workshop, we’ll explore moving fills around the kit easily in two directions: clockwise and counterclockwise. Most right-handed drummers orchestrate fills in a clockwise direction. For example, they may start a fill…

by Jost Nickel
Apr 30, 2019
Critique

New Releases by Mark Heaney, Dream Theater, Huntertones, John Hubbell, and more

Recordings Taking The Reins Mark Heaney Drumscapes Vol. 1 The English drummer and composer, best known for his stint with Gang of Four, returns with a beautiful album of drum-centered music. We checked out the album—and took advantage of an…

Apr 30, 2019
Features

Bonus Lesson: Kent Slucher Live With Luke Bryan

Digging into some of the country and rock powerhouse’s grooves and approaches. MD: There are two great fills you play at the end of the guitar solo in “Light It Up.” You mentioned that you really sit down and dissect…

Interview by Aaron Strickland | Transcriptions by Willie Rose
Apr 30, 2019
An Editor's Overview

Nuggets of Drum Wisdom

In addition to interviewing some of the most cutting-edge drummers on the planet—such as two of the featured artists in this issue, modern-jazz prodigy Marcus Gilmore and forward-thinking electro-funk artist Louis Cole—we also like to check in with some of…

Apr 30, 2019
Gearing Up

Primus’s Tim “Herb” Alexander

We had the chance to catch up with Tim Alexander towards the end of one of Primus’s recent ten-week tours. When asked about his setup, Tim explained that his current arrangement stems from his recent heart surgery. “When I came…

Interview by John Martinez | Photos by Alex Solca
Apr 30, 2019
On Tour

Jason Bittner with Overkill

The legacy thrash band hits the road on an international trek that runs through mid-May. To complement their well-established live bombardment and new 2019 release, a metal vet joins them behind the skins. For their nineteenth studio album, The Wings…

by Willie Rose
Apr 30, 2019
New and Notable

New Gear from DW, Aquarian, Gon Bops, Tama, Pearl, and more

DW Collector’s Series Pure Almond Drumset Pure Almond drumsets have been added to the Collector’s Series. Features include a new staggered tandem core shell that’s said to put less tension on the shell and to balance the inherent attack and…

Apr 30, 2019
Features

Ra Kalam Bob Moses

On His Own Terms Try this experiment: Mention the name Bob Moses to a drummer who’s been around a while. You’ll likely get one of two responses: “Bob who?” or something to the effect of “Oh, yeah, Bob’s the man!”…

Story by Keith Carne | Photos by John Fell
Apr 30, 2019
Drum Cam

Aric Improta “Creativity”

Showcasing the unique musical personalities of the fifteen drummers included in the project, “Creativity” is the latest addition to Aric Improta’s impressive collection of online content and the third in his Interpretation Project series. Uninterested in merely showcasing his own…

by Ben Meyer
Apr 30, 2019