March 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 3
Articles in March 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…
The 2017 Hollywood Custom and Vintage Drum Show
Drum enthusiasts from around the globe convened at the Glendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California, this past October 7 to check out informative clinics and a plethora of new and vintage drumming gear. The stellar performance lineup included Jason McGerr…
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…
A Slingerland Unmasked
After purchasing and restoring the 1950s Slingerland bass drum pictured in this month’s featured kit, Marc Membreno was overtaken by the urge to flesh out the setup with other vintage Slingerland tubs. “I started with a 1958 blue sparkle bass…
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…
Ulysses Owens Jr.
During his long tenures with the jazz stars Christian McBride and Kurt Elling, Ulysses Owens Jr. aspired to build his own standing as a leader. The dazzling and seriously swinging drummer has taken another strong stride in that direction on…
Ddrum - Dios Maple Series Drumset
After being shelved for six years, the go-to shell pack is back and better than ever.
Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart: 1961-2017
It seemed that Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart existed to dispel the moronic clichés informing most drummer jokes. The dude could seemingly do it all. Killer drummer. Great singer. Amazing songwriter. He was also a supremely talented visual artist who designed…
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…
Alesis - Strike Pro Drumset
A top-notch e-kit built to look and feel like an acoustic set while offering unlimited sonic capabilities.
The Chick Corea & Steve Gadd Band, Arturo O’Farrill and Chucho Valdés, Good Tiger, Quartet NL, and more!
RECORDINGS Courtesy of Steve Gadd The Chick Corea & Steve Gadd Band Chinese Butterfly Two iconic instrumentalists reunite, striding further. In a highly anticipated reunion, keyboardist Chick Corea and STEVE GADD co-lead a top-flight band in a mix of electric…
Modern Drummer 2018 Readers Poll Winners
Hall of Fame Clyde Stubblefield James Brown He wasn’t simply a funky drummer, he was the Funky Drummer. And all you have to do to understand how he earned that famous nickname is to listen to the music he recorded…
Remembering Ben Riley, Frank Capp, Grady Tate, and Chuck Blackwell.
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…