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November 2017 Issue – Volume 41 • Number 11

Aldo Mazza is best known through his work as a clinician and founder of the KoSA workshops, and as a longtime member of the Canadian ensemble Répercussion. Born in Italy and raised in Canada, Mazza has called Montreal home for some time, but performing and teaching has led him all over. He has made Cuban music a particular focus, traveling to Cuba and leading study programs there several times a year since 2001. His new method book/video package is a concise resource for Cuban rhythms as he learned them from the masters. Cuban Rhythms for Percussion and Drumset covers the country’s most popular dances, and is focused around an understanding of clave and conga technique from which the pulse in Cuban music is derived. “The way I designed the book and the way I teach my students,” Mazza explains, “is to first understand the idea of clave. Once that is […]
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Articles in November 2017

The Invasion

To bring more authenticity to his British Invasion tribute band’s live show, Howell, Michigan, drummer Donn Deniston plays this pristine 1960s Ludwig sparkling blue pearl drumset. Deniston explains that because the group specializes in ’60s-era music, each member strives to…

Modern Drummer
Sep 27, 2017

Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Cobb, Art Taylor, Dale Crover, Nate Wood and More!

RECORDINGS Dig These Dug-Ups Three discs of previously unreleased sessions capture jazz giants swung by drumming greats. It’s not uncommon for “unearthed” recordings issued long after an artist’s passing to be shoddy affairs. But three recent jazz releases take the…

Modern Drummer
Sep 27, 2017

What Song Inspired You to Start Playing the Drums?

This month’s cover artist, Tré Cool, certainly inspired plenty of drummers to pick up a pair of sticks. That got us thinking about what drew the rest of us to the kit, and when we asked our readers and social…

Modern Drummer
Sep 27, 2017

John Dentz, Giovanni Hidalgo, DW Drums and more!

John Dentz Passes This past May 9, Los Angeles–based drummer John Dentz passed away. “I loved the way John played,” says the iconic studio and stage drummer Jim Keltner, who was friends with Dentz since the mid-’60s, and who in…

Modern Drummer
Sep 27, 2017

New Gear from Sabian, Canopus, Promark, Attack, Tama and more!

Sabian XSR Cymbals New models added to Sabian’s XSR line include 17" and 19" Fast crashes, which feature enhanced profiles designed to provide a quick, explosive attack with penetrating definition and power. The 22" ride offers a balance of stick…

Modern Drummer
Sep 27, 2017
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Agner - Number, Name, and Signature Series Drumsticks

Durable, balanced, and great-sounding models made from hickory, maple, and the little-known hornbeam wood.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 27, 2017

Jon Cross - 6.5x14 Macassar/Gaboon Ebony Snare

A powerhouse segment-shell drum with more musicality than most.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 27, 2017

Josh Manuel With Issues

The drummer crushes a rising group’s live set thanks to a background heavily steeped in gospel, rudimental, and hardcore influences.

Story by Willie Rose | Photo by Ryan Watanabe
Sep 27, 2017

Quintuplet Madness - Superimposing Odd Groupings

In this article we’ll play quintuplets within the space of three 16th notes. This concept can create some unique rhythmic statements, such as subtle hi-hat embellishments or twisted double-bass grooves. https://vimeo.com/235035256 Exercise 1 sets up a framework that places the…

by Aaron Edgar
Sep 27, 2017

A Lot Like Birds’ Joseph Arrington

That place where wild improvisation meets super-refined composition? It’s a very sweet spot indeed, and this drummer is at his best when he’s smack-dab in the middle of it.

Story by Ben Meyer | Photos by Lauren Jenkins
Sep 27, 2017

Nashville Drummers Jam

Music City’s Finest Pair Off to Honor Clyde Stubblefield

Story and photos by Sayre Berman
Sep 27, 2017

Dunnett - Res-O-Tone and Res-O-Two Drumheads

Hazy timpani-style film for a warmer tone with fast attack and quick response.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 27, 2017
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Mickey Roker

Jazz drumming great Mickey Roker died this past May 22 in Philadelphia, at the age of eighty-four. Known for his propelling swing, Roker performed with top jazz artists throughout a career spanning six decades. A drummer sprung from swing and…

by Jeff Potter
Sep 27, 2017

Jess Gowrie on Chelsea Wolfe’s Hiss Spun

Drummer and singer reunite on one of the more highly anticipated albums of the year.

Story by Adam Budofsky | Photo by Priscilla C. Scott
Sep 27, 2017

Collective Soul’s Johnny Rabb

Whether he’s developing new drumsticks, cymbal combinations, or electronic instruments, Johnny Rabb, who’s currently playing with the platinum-selling rock band Collective Soul, likes to remain on the cutting edge of innovation. “I had just graduated from Berklee and moved to…

Interview and photos by Sayre Berman
Sep 27, 2017

Embellished Jazz Time

Pushing Beyond the Standard Ride Pattern

by Joel Rothman
Sep 27, 2017

LP - Uptown Sculpted Ash Congas and Valje Bongos

A textured veneer finish for the industry standard and the reintroduction of a legendary name in percussion.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 27, 2017

Roland - GO:MIXER

A smartphone audio mixer for social-media video performers.

by Miguel Monroy
Sep 27, 2017
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Faux Double Bass Drumming

Ten Single-Pedal Variations

by Matt Starr
Sep 27, 2017

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