Robyn Flans
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.
Episode 83: Remembering Jeff Porcaro
In this episode, John remembers the great Jeff Porcaro whom we lost August 5, 1992. Joining John is a legendary group of Jeff’s friends and contemporaries and a literal “who’s who” of the drumming community, including Jim Keltner, Vinnie Colaiuta,…
Richie Hayward: The MD Interviews, Part 2
MD Online’s Richie Hayward archival series continues with the recently deceased Little Feat drummer’s October 1995 cover story, in which he talked at length about his playing concepts, his work outside of Little Feat, and the making of the band’s…
Richie Hayward: The MD Interviews, Part 1
Interview by Robyn Flans The drum world will never see another Richie Hayward. The longtime Little Feat drummer, who passed away in August, was among the most musically stylish and quietly influential drummers of the classic rock era, equal parts…
Steve Smith: Head, Hands, Feet, And “Shoulders???
Hudson Music has recently released Steve Smith’s DVD Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants, which Smith describes as “a detailed look at the drumming of some of the jazz giants who have helped create the vocabulary and concepts of drumming…
Rick Latham: For Him, It’s All About The Groove
Two thousand nine has a lot in store for Rick Latham. First up is his new DVD, All About The Groove. “I believe that drummers need to play a lot of different styles to stay busy,” says Latham, whose own…
Pete Best: The Original Beatle Grooves On New Solo Album
Pete Best, the original drummer for The Beatles, has returned to performing in recent years. He’s also just released his first-ever CD as a leader, Haymans Green, which will definitely remind you that he was once a Beatle. Best’s music…
Billy Bob Thornton: Thinking Inside The Box
(October 2008 Issue) While many only know Billy Bob Thornton as an Academy Award–winning actor, he’s in fact been a musician far longer, ever since growing up in Arkansas. Thornton’s been playing drums since the age of nine, has released…
Artimus Pyle: Venemous After Lynyrd Skynyrd
Artimus Pyle has recently released a solo album called Artimus Venomous, the first in what he promises to be a series that will include such titles as Artimus Harmonious and Artimus Dubious. The new album features self-written songs sung by…
Vicki Randle: Living For The Music
(September 2007 Issue) Vicki Randle, percussionist and singer for the Tonight Show band for the past fourteen years, loves her job–partially because of the eclectic music she gets to play, but also because it’s performed live. “You have one chance…
Elton John's Nigel Olsson: That Classic Feel
by Robyn Flans No one plays a pop song like Nigel Olsson, and his triumphant return to Elton John’s band has allowed the veteran musician to inspire drummers all over again. When news hit in the mid-’80s that Nigel Olsson…
Darrin Pfeiffer: Standing His Ground With Goldfinger
When we caught up with Darrin Pfeiffer to talk about Goldfinger's new record, Stomping Ground, he was on tour in Barcelona, Spain with the band. "The fun thing about making this record was that we got to work with producer…
Scott Phillips: The Vortex Of Success
(October 2005 Issue) Creed is a phenomenon. They're the first band in history to have four number-1 rock radio singles from a debut album. (By the way, that album, My Own Prison, went on to have a remarkable seven consecutive…
