March 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 3

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…

Agean — R Series Low Noise Cymbals

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

Yamaha — Crosstown Advanced Lightweight Hardware

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

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…

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…

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.

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…

March 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 3

Shakira’s Brendan Buckley

“A bassist friend of mine recently told me that I play drums like a conductor,” says Buckley.

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…

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…

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…

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…

Dennis Chambers

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

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…

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…

What’s Your Favorite Dennis Chambers Performance?

This month, as we catch up with the fusion and jazz great Dennis Chambers, we check in with our readers and social media followers to find out what their favorite albums or performances are from the MD Hall of Famer’s…

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…

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.

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.