Search
Advertisement

March 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 3

Ben Riley This past November 18, the American jazz-drumming great Ben Riley passed away at the age of eighty-four. A brief list of Riley’s credits includes Alice Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Ahmad Jamal, Kenny Barron, the New York Jazz Quartet, and—most notably—the Thelonious Monk Quartet. Riley appeared on the venerated Monk recordings It’s Monk’s Time, Monk, Underground, and Straight, No Chaser, as well as the reissued 1964 recordings Live at the It Club and Live at the Jazz Workshop. Riley was born in Georgia and moved to New York City with his family when he was four. After graduating high school, he served in the army, then moved back to New York in 1954. The drummer began playing professionally around the city in 1956 and joined Monk in 1964. His tenure with the idiosyncratic pianist and composer would last until 1968, when Riley took a four-year break […]
TO READ THE FULL STORY:

Articles in March 2018

Ddrum - Dios Maple Series Drumset

After being shelved for six years, the go-to shell pack is back and better than ever.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018

Former Hole and Current Upset Drummer Patty Schemel

MD spoke with the former Hole and current Upset drummer just before the release of her new memoir, Hit So Hard, which recounts her early life, her rise through the Seattle music scene of the ’80s and ’90s, and her struggles with addiction.

Interview by Ben Meyer | Photo by Alex Solca
Jan 31, 2018

Bebop Syncopation, Part 3: Elvin Jones

Elvin Jones was a driving force behind John Coltrane’s explorations in the 1960s and is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in jazz drumming. This lesson applies the principles of his style to rhythms found in the…

by Mike Alfieri
Jan 31, 2018

Alesis - Strike Pro Drumset

A top-notch e-kit built to look and feel like an acoustic set while offering unlimited sonic capabilities.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018

Three Birds With One Stone - Optimize Your Practice Time

Time is tight for many of us. If we had unlimited time to shed, we’d probably spend hours behind the kit. But the reality is that life’s twists and turns can keep us busy. Therefore, I try to practice things…

by Chris Prescott
Jan 31, 2018
Advertisement

Jimmie Vaughan's George Rains

As music journalists, we try to avoid using superlatives, like, say, “the greatest living blues drummer.” At the same time, it’s inarguable that for those who’ve been in a room where the Austin drumming icon George Rains is playing, the…

by Cleve Warren
Jan 31, 2018

Appreciation and Gratitude

Photo by Jeff Smith Happy New Year! It’s that time again, when we reflect back on the past year and appreciate all the wonderful opportunities we’ve been blessed with. Time has always fascinated me. Maybe being a drummer has something…

by Billy Amendola
Jan 31, 2018

Sugar Percussion - 2-12 Series Mahogany Snares

An experiment with shell depths yields surprising results.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018

Big & Rich's Keio Stroud

When national artists record in Nashville, they call on world-renowned studio greats like Paul Leim, Eddie Bayers, Lonnie Wilson, Greg Morrow, and Chad Cromwell to put down the ultimate version of a track. But when those artists need a sub…

Story by Aaron Strickland | Photos by Joey Tanner
Jan 31, 2018

The Failure Percentage

Preparation and Professionalism Always Win Out

by Russ Miller
Jan 31, 2018

Marty Beller With They Might Be Giants

The drummer and composer stokes an already roaring blaze underneath a raucous group’s latest worldwide trek.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Erik Rosengarten
Jan 31, 2018

Web Exclusive! Alex Rüdinger of Good Tiger on the Group’s Sophomore Album, We Will All Be Gone

MD checks in with the former drummer with the Faceless, Threat Signal, and the HAARP Machine on the occasion of his current band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, which is due out on February 9.   MD: We Will All Be…

by Ben Meyer
Feb 1, 2018
Advertisement

Professional Drum Shop

Hollywood, California

Interview by Patrick Berkery
Jan 31, 2018

Dream - Re-Fx Naughty Saucer

A recycled cast-off turned into a multi-purpose electro-inspired effect.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018

Phantogram’s Chris Carhart

ON STAGE AND UP CLOSE

Interview Michael Dawson | Photos by Nicholas Shelestak
Jan 31, 2018

Drum Fills: Keep It Simple, or Shred?

Drummers have to consider plenty of options when choosing an appropriate fill to play in a given situation. Factors such as voicing, subdivision, density, and speed comprise just a few of the choices. While keeping these options in mind, we…

Modern Drummer
Jan 31, 2018

John Convertino on Calexico’s The Thread That Keeps Us

A presidential election, a trip west to the coast, and an immersion in nature invigorate the indie mainstay’s latest foray into Tex-Mex-infused Americana bliss.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Eric Stoner
Jan 31, 2018
by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018
Advertisement

The Fundamentals of 5/4 Rock

Backbeat and Ghost Note Placement

by Joel Rothman
Jan 31, 2018

Advertisement