Louis Armstrong
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Barrett Deems: The Original Speed Demon
Though Barrett Deems was known as “the world’s fastest drummer”—resulting in his earning premier billing at Chicago’s Randolph Square in the 1940s and accolades from Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich—Deems’ effortless swing, solid time, and propulsive drive were the traits…
Kenny "Klook" Clarke
Kenny Clarke emerged from the swing bands of the '30s, but was actually the first important drummer of the bop era. Born in Pittsburgh in 1914, Clarke began his career with Roy Eldridge and around the Midwest with the Jeter-Pillars…
O’Neil Spencer: Show Drumming’s Shooting Star
Solidly rooted in the Sid Catlett school of drumming was O’Neil Spencer, a somewhat lesser-known player who nonetheless had a significant effect on the musicians he played with and the drummers who heard him. Spencer was born in Cedarville, Ohio,…
Sidney “Big Sid" Catlett: Busting Open Doors To The Modern Drumming Age
Though Big Sid Catlett came out of the swing era, he is best remembered for a drumming style that had a marked influence on the bop drummers of the ’40s. Catlett bridged the gap between the two genres, and his…
Arthur "Zutty" Singleton: True Jazz Drumming Pioneer
“We just kept the rhythm going and hardly ever took a solo.” —Zutty Singleton Zutty Singleton was born in Bunkie, Louisiana in 1898, and was basically a self-taught drummer. During his illustrious career he worked with Steve Louis, The Tuxedo…
Warren “Baby??? Dodds: The World's First Great Jazz Drummer
“Dodds was swingin’ so much, I was late an entire set. But I couldn’t leave. I sat down and just stayed.” —Philly Joe Jones “Baby taught me more than all the others. He was the first great soloist.” —Gene Krupa…
Buddy Rich: The World's Greatest Drummer
Buddy Rich has been called the greatest jazz drummer of all time—a statement that few would argue with. Buddy was born on September 30, 1917, and his drumming career spanned seven decades, beginning when he was just eighteen months old…
