November 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 11
Articles in November 2020
Stick Technique Revisited
Part 5: The Moeller Whip Stroke The Moeller whip stroke is named after Sanford “Gus” Moeller, a famous teacher from the early 1900s who became known for teaching a whipping motion used by Civil War drummers. In recent years, “Moeller”…
Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker
Though Kevin Parker has handled pretty much every task on Tame Impala’s recordings since the earliest days, he’s always considered himself a drummer first. And getting the drums just so has always been Parker’s main objective even as his processes…
Who’s Your Newest Favorite Drummer?
Stella Mozgawa By Robin Laananen Stella Mozgawa .Milan Brau George Daniel from the 1975.Rod Scherger Samus Paulicelli .Isaac Mc Conkey For the complete package of sounds and personality, I have to go with Aaron Sterling. Saw him live with John…
March 1983
I was with Keith Moon the night before he died. We went to the premiere of a Buddy Holly film. There was a reception and we were talking with Paul McCartney and he said, “I’ve got this idea and I…
Aynsley Dunbar
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Jeff Beck in the 1960s. Frank Zappa, David Bowie, and Journey in the 1970s. Starship and Whitesnake in the ’80s. Any rock aficionado will recognize the legendary status of these artists. The connection between them? This…
The Earth Is a Drum
A Grammy-winning, world-traveling producer makes the case for looking beyond technology and academia for rhythmic and musical inspiration. A sage, veteran live-sound engineer in San Francisco used to joke that he could already tell how much a drummer was going…
Jerry Granelli
It’s hard to think of another drummer who’s found more success making music in such disparate situations. Yet, always, he’s done things his way. More than a classic soundtrack, it’s a seasonal institution. The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s jazz score to…
Matt Cameron and Dale Crover
The Pearl Jam and Melvins drummers are but two of the rhythmatists tapped for Plan D, a multipart project helmed by studio scientist Toshi Kasai on which drums and analog synths combine to form a joyful noise. Los Angeles–based producer…
“Sticks & Wires”
An extensive two-hour course on drum miking by top session/touring drummer Blair Sinta that covers everything from bare-bones one-mic setups to more intricate applications. After graduating from the famed music program at University of North Texas in 1995, Blair Sinta…
Get on the Good Foot! Part 1
Hi-Hat Comping Riffs in 4/4 Jazz drummers depend on the hi-hat to help propel the band and provide strength to the weak beats of 2 and 4. When played in sync with the ride cymbal, a dynamically controlled hi-hat pulse…
In the Studio With Kenny Chesney’s Sean Paddock
When drummer Sean Paddock isn’t out playing stadium shows with country superstar Kenny Chesney, he’s in his newly built riverfront home studio making music. Paddock had a small area allocated for recording in his previous house, but moving to a…
Jimmy Cobb 1929–2020
“It just sounded good,” Jimmy Cobb told MD in a 1979 interview. “And it just seemed to get better as it got older.” This is a colossal understatement. The “good” album the humble drummer is referring to is Kind of…
Kevin Parker’s Approach to Tame Impala’s Drum Production
In the new age of music, very few artists, producers, or performers can truly stand out and make an impact with what they do and the emotions they divulge. Packing a powerful psychedelic space-pop sound, Tame Impala has united and…
Tony Allen
A Tribute to the King of Afrobeat Drumming Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen’s contribution to modern music runs as deep as his groove. As the creator of an entirely new drumming style, his contributions are profound, and his influence has reached…
Identity Crisis…Embraced
“What do you do?” That’s such a common question, and one that’s often asked innocuously whenever I meet someone for the first time. But more and more, I’m having trouble answering as simply as I should. Am I a drummer?…
Nick D’Virgilio - An Invisible Touch
The prog-drumming vet may have recently scored a sweet new corporate gig, but he hasn’t stopped making music by any means—in fact, he’s cleverly put the two aspects of his life together, in the process making his career troubles disappear.…
Turkish Cymbals - Cappadocia Series
Dry and funky, just like the region for which they’re named. Turkish Cymbals is—not surprisingly—a Turkish company that fabricates a wide array of contemporary and traditional-sounding cymbals utilizing a combination of ancient and modern processes. Each instrument starts from a…
Resurrection Drums
Hollywood, Florida Resurrection Drums was founded in 1982. Originally located in a warehouse by the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida, the company literally focused on resurrecting quality used drums. In 1983 Resurrection moved to a location in…
Barrett Deems
The Self-Proclaimed “World’s Fastest Drummer” This month I’d like to talk about the great Barrett Deems. Barrett wasn’t as much of a household name in the big band world as Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, or Louie Bellson, but he was…
