May 2021 – Volume 45 • Number 5
On 17th May 2021
Just what is a Tony Williams? Many of his admirers have described his style as: “Free,” “He doesn’t really play rudimental things,” “He’s loose,” “There’s something out of the ordinary about what he does,” and, “It’s different.”
If those descriptions don’t tell you what a Tony Williams is, permit me to drop a few names on you: Alan Dawson, Herbie Hancock, Jackie McLean, John McLaughlin, Larry Young, and Miles Davis. Dawson was Anthony Williams’ first teacher when he was nine, having moved to Boston from his native Chicago. Early gigs with Jackie McLean led him to the infamous Miles Davis Quintet of the early ‘60s, which included Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Wayne Shorter. John McLaughlin was a Davis “muse,” as was Larry Young. Add Tony, and you had the first Lifetime—the threesome’s group name from the title track of an album.
There were other major jazz figures criss-crossing Tony’s comet-like tail. When Columbia Records had the idea of reuniting that famous Miles Davis group for a Newport Jazz Festival in New York in 1976, Tony, Herbie, Ron, and Wayne made it, but fearless leader did not. Freddie Hubbard–probably the major trumpet voice on the scene at the moment–replaced Miles. The quintet–dubbed V.S.O.P. (Very Special Onetime Performance)–was born. A double pocket LP came of the NJF gig. A reprise tour was organized and a second LP recorded.
Articles in May 2021
DW and WFLIII
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Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
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Ralph Peterson Jr. - A Look at the Life
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Foundational Brush Technique
When I first started playing brushes, I copied what I heard on recordings, and what people like Joe Morello were doing. When Joe came to town, I would get as close as I could to watch how he played brushes.…
Yamaha - DTX6K3-X Electronic Drumset
A simple, powerful, and compact solution to keep you playingwhen acoustic drums aren’t an option. Yamaha makes great gear. Period. When it comes to drums—specifically electronics—the company always succeeds in delivering high-quality products to keep you inspired to practice and…
Corey Coverstone - Dirty Honey Beats the Odds
So-called media pundits can blather on and on about rock music being dead, but all a true believer needs to do to put the lie to such talk is bring up Dirty Honey. This is a rock band that didn’t…
Endurance Exercises
Balance Your Left and Right Hands! The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen each hand individually in order to achieve a balance between the two. For the right-handed drummer, the left hand is the weaker hand, and vice versa.…
Thommy Price
Rock and Roll Hitmaker Brooklyn, New York’s Thommy Price has spent the large majority of his career playing and touring with a diverse array of iconic bands and artists. His four-decade career spans countless gigs and recordings from Mink DeVille…
Dave Weckl
The Sublime Power of Supporting Music with “Special Sauce” What inspires the human spirit to pursue and achieve greatness? In the case of six-time Modern Drummer cover artist and MD Hall of Famer Dave Weckl, there are many levels of…
10 Pieces of Wisdom from the MD Archives
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Rogers Drums, January 1977
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Crashes in Your Fills
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Earthworks Audio - DK7 Drum Mic Kit
An ideal multi-mic package for capturing the purest essence of your drumset. The DK7 seven-piece microphone set by Earthworks provides everything you need for detailed and accurate multichannel drum recordings and live-performance amplification. This kit includes four DM20 clip-on gooseneck…
Fanny Hill, Fanny 1972
Fanny became the first all-female rock band to release an album on a major label when mega-producer Richard Perry signed the act to Reprise in 1969. Often missed is the other culture-changing element of Fanny—that, with Philippines-born sisters June (guitar)…
Doc Sweeney Drums - Legend Series M22 Drumset
A divine steam-bent beech setup that’ll make you want to retire your vintage kit for good. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Doc Sweeney Drums is straight killing it with its creative, innovative, and inspiring approach to the solid-shell…
Brooke Colucci - The Drumming Prodigy Powers Plus
Who cares? That’s my attitude about Plush. Who cares that it’s an all-female band? Who cares that none of the band members are even 21 years old yet? Who cares that they have become social-media darlings, and who cares the…
Denny Seiwell - Revisiting a Classic
Denny Seiwell became Paul McCartney’s first post-Beatles choice as his drummer when he was brought into the sessions for Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram album in 1970 and ‘71. Soon thereafter, Seiwell was invited to join the McCartney’s new project,…
Who Is Your Favorite Post-Beatles Drummer on Any Former Beatle’s Solo Albums?
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Realistic Reggae Rock, Part II
Awesome Drum Fill Ideas for Irie Playing In the April issue, we kicked off your journey through Carmine Appice’s Realistic Reggae Rock with a session on hi-hat patterns. This month, Carmine unveils some cool and authentic reggae fills. Dig in!…
