September 2017 Issue – Volume 41 • Number 9
Articles in September 2017
Your Voice
Each month, as we prepare content for the current issue of Modern Drummer, we post a drumming-related question at our online outlets, sort through responses from MD readers and social media followers, and print some of the answers in our…
Tesla’s Troy Luccketta
“Back in 1987, when I first signed with Tama, I wasn’t all that familiar with their drums,” says Troy Luccketta, who this year celebrates thirty years of touring with the veteran hard-rock band Tesla. “What Tama has done over the…
Barry “Frosty” Smith Passes, D’Addario Awards Six Grants, Roland Announces New Partnership and More
Barry “Frosty” Smith Passes Barry “Frosty” Smith died this past April 12. The drummer, known by many for his work with the popular soul-rock organist and singer Lee Michaels, worked in multiple genres since the late 1960s, and his devotees…
V-Classic - V.16 5th-Anniversary Cymbals
Funky new designs from one of Turkey’s most creative companies.
Universal Audio - Apollo 8P Interface
A professional-grade eight-channel unit with advanced analog-modeling technology.
Samba Drumming - Applications and Attitude
The Brazilian samba rhythm is one of the most popular feels in the world. It’s an infectious groove that’s especially popular among dancers, but also among musicians in the jazz field and beyond. The samba bass drum and hi-hat-foot ostinato…
New Gear from Tama, AHEAD, OCDP, TRX, 101 Drums and more!
Tama Starclassic Bubinga Exotix Tigerwood Drumkits Starclassic Bubinga drumsets are now available with exotic wood finishes, Crimson Tigerwood Fade and Midnight Tigerwood Fade. The shells are made slightly thicker than those in the Starclassic Maple series to provide an aggressive…
On Topic: R&B Legend James Gadson
On Knowing When the Vibe Is Right It’s a feeling that comes over you. Everybody’s on the same wavelength. Before click tracks, the music really breathed. Pro Tools is cool, but it’s not as true as analog. On Starting Out…
Favorite Steve Smith Track?
Since the mid-’70s, Steve Smith’s drumming has enhanced a wide range of albums within the rock, jazz, and fusion genres. Classic hits, jazz-fusion escapades, and even Indian-influenced pursuits adorn the drummer’s discography with artists such as Journey, Jean-Luc Ponty, and…
Drums From Above
A photographer focuses on a way to shoot pro drummers that is certain to appeal to the Erector Set kid in all of us.
Custom Craviotto
German drummer, composer, and producer Konstantin Septinus is the proud owner of this handcrafted 2014 maple Craviotto drumset. The kit includes 10" and 12" toms and an 18" bass drum, as well as a special-edition solid cherry snare. “The snare…
Eddie Fisher
Bands get cut loose from record labels all the time, but finding a new home is much easier when a group’s drummer thinks and plays like a record producer. The members of OneRepublic can vouch for that. Eddie Fisher was…