March 2015 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 3

Progressive Independence: Rock Revisited

Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic A Step-by-Step Method for Building Creative Coordination by Miguel Monroy Fifteen years ago, the founder of Modern Drummer, Ron Spagnardi, published a book devoted to developing independence for rock and funk drumming. This book, Progressive Independence:…

Dan Needham

Features Dan Needham The first-call Nashville cat knows when to follow the rules, and when to bend the heck out of'em. Story by Michael Aubrecht Photos by Rick Malkin For a long time the Nashville music industry was defined—some say…

Setting Sights - Greg Saunier

Setting Sights Greg Saunier For Deerhoof’s latest album, the band’s drummer says he was trying to express nothing short of pre-apocalyptic sonic abandon. Deerhoof’s 2014 studio album, La Isla Bonita, was intended to be a highly extravagant effort, inspired by…

Catching Up With... Neal Smith

Catching Up With... Neal Smith Known for his blistering attack on hits like “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen,” and “Billion Dollar Babies” by Alice Cooper, with whom he played between 1967 and 1974, Neal Smith has since expanded his skills to…

Diamonds in the Ruff - Part 1: The Mighty Three-Stroke

Rock Perspectives Diamonds in the Ruff Part 1: The Might Three-Stroke by Matt Starr The first thing I learned when I started taking drum lessons was the three-stroke ruff. I was shown a few ways of playing it, with different…

The Collapsing Concept - Crushing Roll Rudiments to Create Contemporary Swing and Solo Ideas

Jazz Drummer's Workshop The Collapsing Concept Crushing Roll Rudiments to Create Contemporary Swing and Solo Ideas by Steve Fidyk The late, great author and educator Jim Chapin gave me this exercise in a lesson a number of years ago. It…

On The Cover - Matt Gartska

On The Cover Matt Gartska The drummer with Animals as Leaders has gone about as deeply into the art as one man can, and he loves nothing more than sharing what he’s discovered. Here’s to the explorers! Extreme progressive rock…

Rudimental Clave With Inverted Stickings

Strictly Technique Rudimental Clave With Inverted Stickings Musical Exercises for Developing the Whip-and-Stop Technique by Bill Bachman This month we have a fun and challenging exercise that will do wonders for your Moeller-style whip-and-stop technique. The exercise uses the son…

Catching Up With... Chad Smith

Catching Up With... Chad Smith It’s apt that Chad Smith is driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in California as he catches us up on his recent activities. Smith recently returned to the West Coast after four years in New…

Henry Cole

Features Henry Cole Like everything he plays on the drumset, the name he chose for his debut album as a leader—Roots Before Branches—is intriguing, and no accident. Few players have such a deep understanding of where they come from, or…

March 2015 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 3

Catching Up With... Willie Green

Catching Up With... Willie Green “Mean” Willie Green’s artful grooving mesmerized fans of the New Orleans institution the Neville Brothers for over thirty years, during which time Green likewise elevated music by Dr. John, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Edie Brickell,…

Time Keeps You Humble

Concepts Time Keeps You Humble When You Think You Know It All, Thing Again by Russ Miller You’ve probably seen this month’s quote by the English novelist Thomas Hardy, which is sometimes shortened to “time changes everything.” I have a…

Up & Coming - Anika Nilles

While some endlessly bemoan “YouTube drum culture,” players like this German upstart pay no mind. They’re just too busy, making the most of the medium and empowering the masses with fresh ideas. Anika Nilles’s adventurous, hook-filled instrumental compositions provide a…