March 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 3

Industry Happenings

George Strait Drummer Michael Kennedy Passes He backed the country superstar for more than thirty years. Michael Kennedy, the longtime drummer with George Strait and the Ace in the Hole Band, passed away last August 31 at the age of…

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…

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…

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…

Yamaha — Crosstown Advanced Lightweight Hardware

They’re just as sturdy as steel, single-braced options, yet taken together have over ten pounds less heft.

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…

March 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 3

Dennis Chambers

The legendary fusion drummer is still setting stages afire with his scorching chops and unshakable groove.

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.

Eights and Sixes, Part 1

Hand Exercises for Rhythmic Accuracy This month we’re going to kick off a new series on 8th-note and 16th-note-triplet (sextuplet) groupings. Both of these rhythms are common, yet there’s a lot to explore under their surface as we manipulate them…

Larry Lelli of the Broadway Musical Come from Away

Come from Away, which was nominated for seven Tony awards in 2017, is one of Broadway’s most popular shows. In-house contractor for the drum chair Larry Lelli tells us how his sonic decisions make an impact on the audience. “We…

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…

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…

Agean — R Series Low Noise Cymbals

Agean offers the unique R series cymbals, which are designed for low-volume practice and gigging situations.

“Golden Measures” and Fibonacci Rhythms

Exploring Mathematics in Music The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that commonly begins with 0 and 1, and every following number of the sequence represents the sum of the previous two. If starting with 0 and 1, the…

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.

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.

Contemporary Coordination Exercises

8 Challenging Independence Ideas The exercises in this month’s lesson are meant to challenge your concentration, coordination, and independence. Traditionally, each voice of the drumset plays a specific role. In a typical jazz context, usually the snare and bass comp…

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…