October 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 10
Articles in October 2018
Paiste - Masters Dry and Extra Dry Rides
Ultimate articulation and control without sacrificing tone and expressivity.
Kendrick Lamar’s Tony “Rico” Nichols
Perpetually relaxed, and seemingly never breaking a sweat, Rico Nichols plays a once-in-a-lifetime mega gig with a broad pocket, enviable self-composure, and a nimble touch that can alternately be described as creamy, mellow, and deep. Born and raised in Chicago,…
Sugar Percussion - Stave Mahogany Bop Kit
A gorgeous handcrafted instrument with supreme sonics to match its flawless appearance.
Bernard Purdie
On every track of his new album, Cool Down, the iconic R&B drummer burns like a house on fire in a live-in-the-studio setting. “And would you believe,” the pretty one adds, “with no overdubs at all!”
Pre-Gig Calibration
Photo by John Leiby Being an employable drummer in 2018 carries more demands than it did in 1918, especially when it comes to melding live performances with the variety of A/V technology being used by most pop, rock, and R&B…
From the Track to the Stage: Breathing Life into a Recording
Music creation has changed greatly since the days when musicians mostly tracked live in a studio. Because modern technology allows for a self-contained process of making music, it’s common for songs to be created in a home studio using very…
John “Jabo” Starks: 1938-2018
“He had that ‘stop-your-heart’ groove.” That’s how Fred Wesley, former bandleader for the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, describes the drumming of John Starks, who died this past May 1 at the age of seventy-nine. And the description is apt.…
Canopus - Hybrid Series Hardware
This new line provides strength and stability with significantly less heft.
Train’s Drew Shoals
Train’s Drew Shoals played two different kits this past summer to highlight Ludwig’s 45th Anniversary Vistalite series. Both the Green Sparkle set he used at the start of the tour and the Tri-Band Black one shown here were ideal for…
Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres
When singer Jon Bon Jovi quit his cover band to front the New Jersey originals group the Rest, most who witnessed his passion and drive knew it wouldn’t take long for the charismatic frontman to put his own band together…
Industry Happenings, Who's Playing What, and more
Photo by John Abott Jazz Drummer and Composer Matt Wilson Awarded Two 2018 Jazz Journalists Association Honors The Jazz Journalists Association, an international professional organization of writers, photographers, broadcasters, videographers, and new media content providers, recently honored New York–based jazz…
Jonathan Barber, Kobie Watkins Grouptet, Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, Jack DeJohnette, and more!
RECORDING Taking the Reins Photo by Gulnara Khamatova Jonathan Barber VisionAhead The debut recording from the top Up & Coming drummer in this year’s Readers Poll isn’t your typical young-gun-goes-for-the-jugular release. Jonathan Barber’s feel is light and propulsive. You can…
Joe Magistro on the Magpie Salute’s High Water I
Long-running relationships, veteran perspectives, and killer tones power the first studio release from a collective of seasoned pros.
Lamb of God’s Chris Adler
Legion: XX (pronounced “legion twenty”) commemorates the twentieth anniversary of Lamb of God’s first album release. As most metal fans are aware, that original album was actually the self-titled debut of Burn the Priest; drummer Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell,…