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October 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 10

Many drummers who aren’t exceptional readers can still sight-read arrangements with a fair amount of ease and authority. Their secret—if there is one—could be that they recognize their own limitations and understand which ensemble figures may be omitted without impacting the overall sound of the band or arrangement. Inexperienced drummers often try to play everything that’s notated, regardless of their reading ability. This can lead to disaster for a band.
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Articles in October 2018

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,…

Story by Ben Meyer | Photos by Alex Solca
Aug 29, 2018

Canopus - Hybrid Series Hardware

This new line provides strength and stability with significantly less heft.

by Kyle Andrews
Aug 29, 2018

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…

Interview by Brandy Laurel McKenzie | Photos by Brady Hartman
Aug 29, 2018

Paiste - Masters Dry and Extra Dry Rides

Ultimate articulation and control without sacrificing tone and expressivity.

by Michael Dawson
Aug 29, 2018
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Jethro Tull’s Stand Up

As the drummer for the progressive/folk/hard rock band Jethro Tull in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Clive Bunker infused the group’s music with a frenetic, raw energy. Body twitching, using the butt end of his sticks, Bunker beautifully brutalized…

by Will Romano
Aug 29, 2018

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.…

by Jim Payne
Aug 29, 2018

New Drum Gear from Roland, Promark, Matoon Drums, Pearl, Zildjian, Melodics, and Gretsch!

Roland TD-17 V-Drums These electronic kits feature newly developed pads, coaching functions, and built-in Bluetooth connectivity. The head tension of the PDX-12 snare pad can be adjusted for natural rebound, while the height of the snare hoop is ideal for…

Modern Drummer
Aug 29, 2018

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…

Modern Drummer
Aug 29, 2018

Al Foster on “Ev’rything I Love”

Analyzing the Jazz Great’s Eights

by Jordan Young
Aug 29, 2018

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…

Modern Drummer
Aug 29, 2018
By Billy Amendola
Aug 29, 2018
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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…

by Kristen Gleeson-Prata
Aug 29, 2018

Damian Marley‘s Courtney “Bam“ Diedrick

(Featured Image by Francesco  Sciolti) Courtney “Bam” Diedrick grew up in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Jamaica, only a few miles from the birthplace of Bob Marley, the leader of the Wailers, reggae’s most iconic band. Diedrick couldn’t have imagined that…

By Robin Tolleson
Aug 29, 2018

Kicked-Up Bell Patterns

A Unique Approach to Double Bass Phrases

Article by Chris Dovas | Photo by Carl Frederick
Aug 29, 2018

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,…

Story by Ken Micallef | Photos by Alex Solca
Aug 29, 2018

Conrad Choucroun with White Denim

The longtime Austin drumming workhorse reflects back on touring and recording with the stylistically diverse rock band.

Story by Willie Rose | Photo by Steve Terebecki
Aug 29, 2018

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…

Interview by Billy Amendola | Photo by David Bergman
Aug 29, 2018

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…

by Michael Dawson
Aug 29, 2018
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Remembering Pat Torpey, Learning to Read Music, the 1978 Issue, Roy Burns, and Dropped Beats

Remembering Pat Torpey Thank you for your article on the Nashville Drummers Jam tribute to the late Pat Torpey . For the longest time I felt like I was the only drummer who considered Pat to be a huge influence.…

Modern Drummer
Aug 29, 2018

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