Max Roach
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.
Carl Allen: Learning From the Giants
By Jeff Potter In the August print issue of Modern Drummer magazine, on sale now, topflight jazz drummer Carl Allen is spotlighted in our “Catching Up With…” series, where he talks about one of his many ensembles, the Art…
Famed Afro-Caribbean Drummer Steve Berrios Passes
Steve Berrios in 1994, standing at the corner of Broadway and 52nd Street in New York City, where the original Birdland club once stood Modern Drummer is sad to announce that Steve Berrios died this past week at the…
Encore: Max Roach Percussion Bitter Sweet
From the get-go the message is clear: Hang on, there’s no looking back. The ’60s have arrived. This 1961 Impulse Records session is explosive, iconoclastic, and seminally political, radiating both rage and transcendent elation. Those who still thought of Max…
Vinson Valega: New York City Jazzer
Hey there, MD readers! Thanks so much for checking out this blog entry. I’m happy to give a big shout-out from the New York City jazz scene, which is still going strong and attracting the most amazing musicians from all…
Max Roach: Setting Standards And Raising Bars
If you were to ask any jazz historian to name who they feel is most responsible for setting the standards in bebop drumming, 99.9% of the time you’re going to get one name: Max Roach. Roach wasn’t the first drummer…
Max Roach
by Ken Micallef Simply put, Max Roach brought jazz drumming into the modern age. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell revolutionized jazz with new melodies and concepts; Max matched these musical geniuses with startling rhythms and reactive, action-packed drumming…
Louie Bellson A Lifetime Of Greatness
"Young drummers should learn the history of the instrument. You have to know where you came from in order to know where you're going." When one of the greatest drummers of all time turns eighty, the celebrations continue all over…