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November 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 11

RECORDINGS Nerve After the Flare JOJO MAYER returns to the acoustic jazz format he cut his teeth on. Nerve, Jojo Mayer’s drum ’n’ bass ’n’ everything else collective, has been pushing the boundaries of electronic music for more than a decade, so it’s a wonder to hear their new material with a totally acoustic setup of piano, upright bass, and Mayer’s unaffected, beautifully organic drumkit at the forefront. Check out Mayer’s bouncy brushes in “A2,” featuring an undeniable groove established between his hands and kick drum that gets the head bobbing. There are tracks with dramatic mallet swells (“A5”), pieces that showcase Mayer’s excellent cymbal touch and swing (“B2”), and a lovely solo drum workout that sounds like Art Blakey if he lived in Brooklyn today (“A6”). Mayer spent years developing his jazz chops, so After the Flare is less of a stretch than a rekindling. And the remarkable recording is […]
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Articles in November 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 5: Positioning the Hi-Hat, Ride, and Rack Toms

https://vimeo.com/281286833 Welcome back! The final two articles in this series will focus on the placement of primary and secondary suspended instruments, with an emphasis on preserving shoulder health. Primary suspended instruments are the ones we play most often (hi-hat, ride,…

by Brandon Green
Sep 28, 2018

Essential Cymbal Patterns

Fundamental Figures to Spice Up Your Grooves

by Powell Randolph
Sep 28, 2018

Sam Lay

The legendary drummer with Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, and Paul Butterfield has been inducted into the Blues and Jazz Halls of Fame, was present for two of the most important chapters in Bob…

Interview by Bob Girouard
Sep 28, 2018

Sticking Patterns for Odd Groupings

Getting Comfortable with Fives and Sevens

by Aaron Edgar
Sep 28, 2018

Ddrum - Dios Series Snares

A well-conceived trio of deep wood and metal models designed to deliver distinct but useful tones.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 28, 2018
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Evans UV1 Bass Drum Heads

A durable ultraviolet-cured coated option for three of the company’s most popular models.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 28, 2018

Who's Playing What, Beat Hunger Benefit, and More

Richie Gajate-Garcia Receives Honorary Doctorate from Lincoln College This past May 5, the percussionist, educator, and author Richie Gajate-Garcia received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, in recognition of his contributions to the areas…

Modern Drummer
Sep 28, 2018

Jan Delay’s Jost Nickel

Just when you think there’s nothing new under the drumming sun, someone like this veteran German player comes along and sheds new light on the craft. The fact that he plays with such blistering technique and sophisticated musicality only makes him that much more compelling.

By Ken Micallef
Sep 28, 2018

Legado Cymbals - Heritage, 79V, Luxo Raw, and Caspian Series

A newcomer in the handmade-cymbal market keeps a keen eye on the tastes and budgets of everyday working drummers.

by Michael Dawson
Sep 28, 2018

8 Reasons to Love Whitesnake

(Above: When Deep Purple went on hiatus in 1979, drummer Ian Paice helped Whitesnake achieve mass popularity.) Whitesnake formed soon after the dissolution of the Mark IV lineup of Deep Purple, when singer David Coverdale combined his love of blues, rock,…

Article By Ilya Stemkovsky | Photo by Paul Natkin
Sep 28, 2018

Buddy Rich - “Stars and Stripes Forever”

By 1929, a twelve-year-old Buddy Rich was already a seasoned performer, having been an integral part of his parents’ vaudeville act since he was eighteen months old. According to Mel Tormé’s biography of Rich, Traps: The Drum Wonder, with the…

by Eric Fischer
Sep 28, 2018
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Jay-Z’s Eric “Boots” Greene

He’s developed some of the nastiest funk and fusion chops. And he thinks and plays like a producer. So it’s no wonder that he flourishes on the world’s biggest stages—and in the modern studio environment.

by Robin Tolleson
Sep 28, 2018

New Gear from Tama, Roland, Simon Phillips Jazz Drums, CEntrance, and Alesis!

Tama Superstar Hyper-Drive Duo Drumkit Series This new drumkit features the Duo drum, which can perform as a conventional floor tom or as an extra-deep snare. The 10x14 drum is mounted on floor tom legs and fitted with a conventional…

Modern Drummer
Sep 28, 2018

Flam Ostinatos - A Creative Approach to a Drumming Staple

In the context of contemporary hybrid rudiments, the flam has been used in different ways to create some new and exciting patterns. Inspired by some of these modern hybrid combinations, I’ve come up with a concept to add yet another…

by Luis Ricardo Méndez
Sep 28, 2018

Dean Butterworth on Good Charlotte’s Generation Rx

The pop-punk mainstays deliver again with powerful hooks and purposeful songs charged by their versatile ace behind the skins.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Ryan Watanabe
Sep 28, 2018

ToneAlly - Percussion Teaching Tool

Sharpen your stick heights and angles with this unique tactile practice device.

by Nick Amoroso
Sep 28, 2018

Jason Bowld with Bullet for My Valentine

The British rock and session veteran joins the seasoned heavy-metal aces on their defining new album and supporting worldwide trek.

Article by Ben Meyer | Photo by Ryan Chang
Sep 28, 2018

Nick Mason

Pink Floyd’s drummer surprises onstage and on record by revisiting the past but keeping an ear to the future.

Story by Adam Budofsky | Photo by Jill Furmanovsky
Sep 28, 2018
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What’s Your Favorite Buddy Rich Performance?

In this month’s Jazz Drummer’s Workshop, the author and educator Eric Fischer analyzes one of Buddy Rich’s earliest surviving recordings. We reached out to our readers and social media followers to find out what other performances from throughout the legendary…

Modern Drummer
Sep 28, 2018

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