March 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 3
On 01st Mar 2019
Articles in March 2019
Vic Firth — PureGrit and DoubleGlaze Drumsticks and VicWax Stick Wax
Specialty finishes and a tacky applique to enhance grip for sweaty or dry hands. For many drummers, Vic Firth’s traditional matte finish is a perfect middle point between the thicker, glossier coating found on old-school-style drumsticks and the coarser texture…
Craviotto Drum Company
Craviotto is also expanding its focus to include handcrafting more drums from exotic and rare wood species for its Private Reserve collection.
Night Verses’ Aric Improta
The world’s most energetic drummer had his busiest, wildest year yet in 2018. Our heads are spinning just thinking about it. Keeping a schedule that would quite possibly kill a less intrepid soul, twenty-nine-year-old Southern California drumming savant Aric Improta…
It Was Twenty Years Ago....
You can keep up with what’s going on at NAMM by checking in at moderndrummer.com and at our social-media pages.
Yamaha — Crosstown Advanced Lightweight Hardware
They’re just as sturdy as steel, single-braced options, yet taken together have over ten pounds less heft.
Dennis Chambers’ Half-Time Shuffle
The Fusion Legend’s Take on a Steely Dan Classic If you’re not familiar with the Steely Dan album Alive in America, I’d highly encourage you to get a copy. The release, which was recorded during the group’s 1993 and 1994…
Lone Star Percussion, Dallas, Texas
Lone Star Percussion made it possible for percussionists all over the United States to get their musical supplies in just a few days, and at discount prices.
Gretsch — Brooklyn Series Micro Kit
It’s a testament to Gretsch’s world-renowned craftsmanship when a tiny setup like this can be coaxed to produce such deep tones.
Shakira’s Brendan Buckley
“A bassist friend of mine recently told me that I play drums like a conductor,” says Buckley.
Jake Bundrick with Mayday Parade
Jake Bundrick with Mayday Parade The group’s longtime drummer hits the road for a European trek in support of the band’s latest release. This past June 15, the alternative pop-punk group Mayday Parade released Sunnyland, the band’s sixth full-length since…
DW — Collector’s Series Pure Almond Snare
Almond is a difficult timber to work with, especially for drums, because the trees are thin and they rarely grow above 30 feet.
Agean — R Series Low Noise Cymbals
Agean offers the unique R series cymbals, which are designed for low-volume practice and gigging situations.
New Gear from Mapex, Ahead, Alesis, Tama, Soundbrenner, Mr. Muff, and Innovative Percussion
Mapex Black Panther Design Lab Drumkits The Black Panther Design Lab Versatus drumset features hybrid maple and mahogany shells. Plies get progressively thicker, depths graduate by .5", bearing edges change, and the size of the SAS reinforcement rings are modified…
David Bowie’s Never Let Me Down 2018
David Bowie so despised his 1987 studio album, Never Let Me Down, that he didn’t play a single song from it live after wrapping the tour behind it. And on the rare occasions when he discussed the record publicly, he…
A Compact Flyer
The Iceland–based drummer Jón Óskar Jónsson uses this month’s featured setup with singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Sóley. Jonsson played this compact C&C kit on a summer 2017 tour with the artist, who he’s been performing with since 2010. “It’s a…
Blondie’s Clem Burke
About the Playing It’s about ninety minutes before Blondie’s set at the Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It’s a beautiful early fall afternoon, and being at the Jersey Shore has put Garden State native Clem Burke in a…
Fishbone’s Phillip “Fish” Fisher
MD: What brought the band back together? Fish: The members that are here today had a burning desire to hear the music played with an integrity that at a minimum was where we left it in the late ’90s. if…
Dennis Chambers
The legendary fusion drummer is still setting stages afire with his scorching chops and unshakable groove.
New Releases from Antonio Sanchez, Mark Guiliana, Zach Danziger, Gavin Harrison, and more!
RECORDINGS Donny McCaslin Blow. Still riding the massive spurt of creativity he uncovered on David Bowie’s Blackstar, the saxophonist channels a similar gritty spirit on Blow. Mark Guiliana, Zach Danziger, and Nate Wood share drumming duties on what is largely…
