September 2021 – Volume 45 • Number 9

Drum Show Roundup

Modern Drummer Revisits Two Pandemic-Era Drum Extravaganzas The past 20 or so months have devastated music tours, trade shows, club gigs, and just about any large gathering of humanity. The number of events cancelled or postponed during the global pandemic…

Custard Pie Brings the Funk

Picturesque Alsace borders France, Germany, and Switzerland. The region may present a storybook-like setting of timber-framed architecture, castles, and even the mythical birthplace of the Easter bunny. In reality, it is a fairy-tale land formed from turbulence. Originally settled by…

Rock Doc Drummers

Maybe there’s something in the water. Or the air. Or perhaps it’s simply the streaming services deluging us with content while everyone is looking for anything to take their minds off of the global pandemic. But, wow, a ton of…

PDP

Concept Select Series Snare Drums PDP’s new Concept Select Series is a collection of three beautiful metallic snare drums designed with DW Drums in California. PDP obviously sought to up its game with these metal glories, and, as a result,…

How to Make Friends with Vocalists

I cracked up during one of Rat Scabies’ interview segments in the recently released Count Me In documentary. The Damned drummer related the following wisdom about performing punk rock back in the “OG era” of the mid 1970s: “If they…

16th-Note-Triplet Hand and Foot Patterns

Excepted from Building Bass Drum Technique The patterns on the following four pages are built around hand and foot coordination with 16th-note triplets. The exercises become increasingly difficult as you work your way through. A slower tempo at the onset…

The Courage to Connect

In honor of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I want to look at the very uncomfortable topic of suicide. I realize this article isn’t something you would normally find in a musicians’ magazine, but think about it—how many incredible artists,…

NEW GEAR - September 2021

64 Audio U6t Universal In-Ear Monitor Drummers who are done with that wedge blasting away at them a few feet from their drum throne, but don’t want to expend the time and expense to order custom in-ear monitors, should look…

Authentic Latin Rhythms

Listening implants music in a person at a very early age. Listening is accepting all different genres of music—from ethnic to jazz, rock, classical, Latin, African, and everything else. This is when we really begin to understand the different essences…

Creative Calamities

Ringo put a very fine point on it when he sang, “It don’t come easy.” Sure, there are lucky schmoes who seem to attract celebrity, accolades, and riches without appearing to have much talent, or even an ounce of ambition.…

Kenny Malone

August 4, 1938 – August 26, 2021 When it came to the artistry of drums, musicality, creativity, and imagination on a session or a gig, Kenny Malone offered up his soul every time he touched the drums. When he spoke…

Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault

Logo Heads Several years ago, I made the decision to begin selling off my drum collection. I’d spent decades amassing one of the most extensive collections of rare and vintage drums in the world. One of the biggest factors leading…

Russ Miller

Building an Empire One Brick at a Time Russ Miller is known throughout the music industry as a go-to session musician, top-level music creator, in-demand educator, and an incredibly successful businessperson. He has spent his nearly 40 years as a…

Bernard Purdie

Excerpted from the November 1985 Cover Story Known as the “Father Time” of modern drumming, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie has drummed up an almost unbeatable record of more than 3,000 album credits—many of them smash hits. He has cut across all…

Muppet Mania Bill Ruck’s Tribute to his Wife

Owen Sound, Ontario drummer Bill Ruck grew up with a fascination for the three players who would become his main stylistic influences: Buddy Rich, John Bonham, and Dino Danelli. “My parents were in their 40s when I was born, so…

Johnny Kelly

Filling In the Noize I’ve played guitar in Quiet Riot off and on since 2004, and permanently since 2010. Before my band mate and drummer Frankie Banali passed away from cancer in 2020, he made it clear he wanted Quiet…

ROC Drums May 1986

Many years ago, a friend of mine told me these crazy awesome Stratocaster clones were being sold out of a storefront on Dorman Avenue in San Francisco. We decided to investigate, and a man who looked more like a teenager…

My Drum Kit Monument to Musical Giants

In music, it is not who you are, but who you are with. I have been incredibly lucky to write, record, and perform with some amazing musicians for more than half a century. Sadly, many of these band mates are…

September 2021 - Volume 45 • Number 9

Minna Koskenlahti

Casting Musical Spells “Stillness” is not a term typically applied to percussion. Stuff gets hit, walloped, thrashed, pounded, and otherwise pummeled, which suggests motion and dynamic kineticism. But on her debut solo album Toinen/Other , Finnish experimental-percussionist Minna Koskenlahti explores…