November 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 11
Articles in November 2020
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…
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…
Critique
RECORDINGS Theraphosa Transcendence Yet another debut from an international heavy-rock band that slays. A product of Paris’s ever-more-prolific metal scene, Theraphosa named themselves after one of the most “metal” inspirations we’ve seen recently: the largest genus of spider in the…
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…
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…
The Go-Go’s’ - Beauty and the Beat
Among the facts that the band’s recent Showtime documentary made clear: Without the crucial early leadership of drummer Gina Schock—or her crack drumming—we likely wouldn’t be talking about them forty years later, and the history of rock would be a…
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…
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…
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…
Zigaboo Modeliste on “Cissy Strut”
The Meters’ Funk Master Shares the Essence to Nailing This Timeless Two-Hand Hi-Hat Groove “‘Cissy Strut’ is a song that was written by Leo Nocentelli, and he was very good at writing rhythms,” said Zigaboo Modeliste in an online course…
Joe Wong
The multimedia renaissance man accesses all the experiences he’s had for his solo debut. MD readers who have seen the name Joe Wong in the credits of Netflix shows like Russian Doll or Master of None may have wondered, is…
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…
Joe Pollard
Syndrum Innovator Joe Pollard is a well-respected drummer who was part of the legendary group of Los Angeles–based session players in the 1970s known as the Wrecking Crew. He also toured with top R&B and pop artists, including Etta James,…
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…
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…
Gruv Gear - Stadium and QUIVR Gig Bags
Supreme quality and contemporary design with a multitude of features for the modern touring musician. Many of today’s drummers are not only required to bring acoustic drums, cymbals, hardware, and sticks to the gig, but they also have to cart…
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…
Rogers USA - Covington Series Drums
A faithful reproduction of the mid-century originals with a fewwelcome upgrades. Rogers is one of the oldest names in American drum manufacturing. Joseph Rogers founded the company in 1849 to make drumheads, but in the 1930s his son steered the…
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?…
