Miles Davis
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.
Vince Wilburn Jr. from Miles Electric Band
The Nephew of Miles Davis Talks Recording, Albums, and Documentary Hey MD! Vince Wilburn Jr. from Miles Electric Band here. This has been a huge year for recording, album releases, and the new Miles documentary Birth Of The Cool, directed…
Drummer Blog: Vince Wilburn Jr. Talks Heroes, Projects, and Uncle Miles
Hello, MD readers. Vince here. I consider myself eternally blessed. From an early age, I was able to experience music from the very best seat in the house—backstage. My mom took me to all the greatest gigs, giving me a…
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Approaching Standards, Part 1 (September 2013 issue)
September 2013 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Approaching Standards A Framework for Musical Practice, Part 1: Phrasing by Steve Fidyk Jazz musicians spend a considerable amount of practice time learning standard tunes in a variety of keys. By doing so, they become…
Vince Wilburn Jr.
Hey, what’s happening, MD! This is Vince Wilburn Jr., recently back from winter NAMM 2012, where I got to see a lot of my good friends, witness some great music, and check out new, innovative products. It’s one of my…
Tanglewood Jazz Festival Presents NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Cobb in Master Class for Drummers
Free to drum students, Sept. 4 session Precedes "NEA Jazz Masters Concert" LENOX, Mass., Aug. 2011 -- NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Cobb will present a Master Class for Drummers on Sunday, September 4, at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. The master class –which…
John Riley : Master Player/Master Teacher
John Riley, one of the most respected drummer/educators of the past thirty years, was born in 1954, and began playing drums at the age of eight. At twelve Riley began playing in rock bands and was first exposed to jazz…
The Greats: Jack DeJohnette
When Jack DeJohnette hooked up with trendsetting trumpeter Miles Davis in 1969, the drummer was immediately thrust into the media spotlight as he became a main rhythmic catalyst behind Davis’s revolutionary electronic jazz sound. With that band, Jack appeared on…
Bernard Purdie: Funky Hit Maker For The Ages
Bernard “Pretty” Purdie was born on June 11, 1939 in Elkton, Maryland, the eleventh of fifteen children. Bernard took an interest in rhythm at a very young age, and by the time he was fourteen he’d purchased his first real…
Bobby Rosengarden: The Stylish Rhythm Of TV’s Golden Age
Bobby Rosengarden was a well-traveled and well-recorded drummer whose career spanned the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s and included work with musical giants such as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, and Astrud Gilberto. But Rosengarden…
The Greats: Art Blakey
The origins of Blakey’s hard-swinging style can be traced back to his early years as the drummer in Fletcher Henderson’s big band, as well as his three-year tenure in the mid-’40s with Billy Eckstine’s experimental large bop band (featuring future…
On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More)
On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More). MD's editors just can't keep a list of their favorite albums short--even in service of a can't-resist pun. Twenty-seven live albums you gotta have. The classic live album can cement…
Drumming On TV
by Ken Micallef The December 2009 issue of Modern Drummer featured the story “Drumming On TV,” an insider’s look at the ins and outs of the unique craft of the contemporary television drummer. The article featured SNL’s Shawn Pelton,…
Steve Reid: Flow Master
(February 2009 Issue) Steve Reid has performed and recorded with more artists than most drummers have shed sticks. From James Brown and Miles Davis to Jackie McLean, Four Tet, Fela Ransome Kuti, Chaka Khan, and the Barnam & Bailey Circus, Reid…
Billy Hart: Of Unsung Heroes and Jazz Giants
This article is an excerpt from the July 2005 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine. Check your newsstands today to read the full article. by Ken Micallef Billy Hart is one of the unsung giants of jazz. He's recorded over six…
