Advertisement

March 2019 Issue – Volume 43 • Number 3

TO READ THE FULL STORY:
LOG IN

Digital Access

$4.99 /month or $49.99 /year

SAVE $10 | Yearly Subscription

  • Digital Monthly Magazine
  • 47 Years of Archives (500+ Issues)
  • 40+ Drum Channel

All Access (Print + Digital)

USA $179.99 / year (Billed Annually)

  • Digital Subscription
  • 6 physical copies of Modern Drummer, sent bi-monthly
  • Access to exclusive giveaways and meet and greets
  • Modern Drummer t-shirt / Modern Drummer hat
  • Modern Drummer Masterclass

Articles in March 2019

Craviotto Drum Company

Craviotto is also expanding its focus to include handcrafting more drums from exotic and rare wood species for its Private Reserve collection.

by Brandy Laurel McKenzie
Jan 30, 2019

DW — Collector’s Series Pure Almond Snare

Almond is a difficult timber to work with, especially for drums, because the trees are thin and they rarely grow above 30 feet.

by Mike Dawson
Jan 30, 2019

David Bowie’s Never Let Me Down 2018

David Bowie so despised his 1987 studio album, Never Let Me Down, that he didn’t play a single song from it live after wrapping the tour behind it. And on the rare occasions when he discussed the record publicly, he…

by Patrick Berkery
Jan 30, 2019

What You Need to Know About...Plywood Snare Drums

It’s been said many times over the years, by top drummers and producers alike, that the most sonically significant component of the drumset is the snare drum. This is why recording studios and cartage companies often boast extensive collections comprising…

by Michael Dawson
Jan 30, 2019

Gretsch — Brooklyn Series Micro Kit

It’s a testament to Gretsch’s world-renowned craftsmanship when a tiny setup like this can be coaxed to produce such deep tones.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 30, 2019
Advertisement

Yamaha — Crosstown Advanced Lightweight Hardware

They’re just as sturdy as steel, single-braced options, yet taken together have over ten pounds less heft.

by Kyle Andrews
Jan 30, 2019

Contemporary Coordination Exercises

8 Challenging Independence Ideas The exercises in this month’s lesson are meant to challenge your concentration, coordination, and independence. Traditionally, each voice of the drumset plays a specific role. In a typical jazz context, usually the snare and bass comp…

by Mike Alfieri
Jan 30, 2019

Lone Star Percussion, Dallas, Texas

Lone
Star Percussion made it possible for percussionists all over the United States to get their musical supplies in just a few days, and at discount prices.

Story and photos by Lauren Vogel Weiss
Jan 30, 2019

Shakira’s Brendan Buckley

“A bassist friend of mine recently told me that I play drums like a conductor,” says Buckley.

Story by Ilya Stemkovsky | Photos by Alex Solca
Jan 30, 2019

Eights and Sixes, Part 1

Hand Exercises for Rhythmic Accuracy This month we’re going to kick off a new series on 8th-note and 16th-note-triplet (sextuplet) groupings. Both of these rhythms are common, yet there’s a lot to explore under their surface as we manipulate them…

by Bill Bachman
Jan 30, 2019

Industry Happenings

George Strait Drummer Michael Kennedy Passes He backed the country superstar for more than thirty years. Michael Kennedy, the longtime drummer with George Strait and the Ace in the Hole Band, passed away last August 31 at the age of…

Modern Drummer
Jan 30, 2019

Vic Firth — PureGrit and DoubleGlaze Drumsticks and VicWax Stick Wax

Specialty finishes and a tacky applique to enhance grip for sweaty or dry hands. For many drummers, Vic Firth’s traditional matte finish is a perfect middle point between the thicker, glossier coating found on old-school-style drumsticks and the coarser texture…

by Michael Dawson
Jan 30, 2019
Advertisement

Fishbone’s Phillip “Fish” Fisher

MD: What brought the band back together? Fish: The members that are here today had a burning desire to hear the music played with an integrity that at a minimum was where we left it in the late ’90s. if…

by Dave Previ
Jan 30, 2019

Hunt Sales

Photo by Todd V. Wolfson Hunt Sales on Get Your Shit Together The rock ’n’ roll survivor opens up about his brutally honest solo debut. Since beginning his career in the mid ‘60s with his brother Tony in the group…

by Willie Rose
Jan 30, 2019

Agean — R Series Low Noise Cymbals

Agean offers the unique R series cymbals, which are designed for low-volume practice and gigging situations.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 30, 2019

Blondie’s Clem Burke

About the Playing It’s about ninety minutes before Blondie’s set at the Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It’s a beautiful early fall afternoon, and being at the Jersey Shore has put Garden State native Clem Burke in a…

by Patrick Berkery
Jan 30, 2019

“Golden Measures” and Fibonacci Rhythms

Exploring Mathematics in Music The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that commonly begins with 0 and 1, and every following number of the sequence represents the sum of the previous two. If starting with 0 and 1, the…

by Aaron Edgar
Jan 30, 2019

New Releases from Antonio Sanchez, Mark Guiliana, Zach Danziger, Gavin Harrison, and more!

RECORDINGS Donny McCaslin Blow. Still riding the massive spurt of creativity he uncovered on David Bowie’s Blackstar, the saxophonist channels a similar gritty spirit on Blow. Mark Guiliana, Zach Danziger, and Nate Wood share drumming duties on what is largely…

Modern Drummer
Jan 30, 2019

Jake Bundrick with Mayday Parade

Jake Bundrick with Mayday Parade The group’s longtime drummer hits the road for a European trek in support of the band’s latest release. This past June 15, the alternative pop-punk group Mayday Parade released Sunnyland, the band’s sixth full-length since…

by Willie Rose
Jan 30, 2019
Advertisement

Night Verses’ Aric Improta

The world’s most energetic drummer had his busiest, wildest year yet in 2018. Our heads are spinning just thinking about it. Keeping a schedule that would quite possibly kill a less intrepid soul, twenty-nine-year-old Southern California drumming savant Aric Improta…

Story by Ben Meyer |Photos by Alex Solca
Jan 30, 2019

What’s Your Favorite Dennis Chambers Performance?

This month, as we catch up with the fusion and jazz great Dennis Chambers, we check in with our readers and social media followers to find out what their favorite albums or performances are from the MD Hall of Famer’s…

Modern Drummer
Jan 30, 2019

New Gear from Mapex, Ahead, Alesis, Tama, Soundbrenner, Mr. Muff, and Innovative Percussion

Mapex Black Panther Design Lab Drumkits The Black Panther Design Lab Versatus drumset features hybrid maple and mahogany shells. Plies get progressively thicker, depths graduate by .5", bearing edges change, and the size of the SAS reinforcement rings are modified…

Modern Drummer
Jan 30, 2019

Dennis Chambers’ Half-Time Shuffle

The Fusion Legend’s Take on a Steely Dan Classic If you’re not familiar with the Steely Dan album Alive in America, I’d highly encourage you to get a copy. The release, which was recorded during the group’s 1993 and 1994…

By Daniel Bédard
Jan 30, 2019

Larry Lelli of the Broadway Musical Come from Away

Come from Away, which was nominated for seven Tony awards in 2017, is one of Broadway’s most popular shows. In-house contractor for the drum chair Larry Lelli tells us how his sonic decisions make an impact on the audience. “We…

Interview by Dave Previ | Photos by John Fell
Jan 30, 2019

A Compact Flyer

The Iceland–based drummer Jón Óskar Jónsson uses this month’s featured setup with singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Sóley. Jonsson played this compact C&C kit on a summer 2017 tour with the artist, who he’s been performing with since 2010. “It’s a…

Modern Drummer
Jan 30, 2019

It Was Twenty Years Ago....

You can keep up with what’s going on at NAMM by checking in at moderndrummer.com and at our social-media pages.

Modern Drummer
Jan 30, 2019
Advertisement

Dennis Chambers

The legendary fusion drummer is still setting stages afire with his scorching chops and unshakable groove.

Story by Robin Tolleson | Photos by Steve Parke
Jan 30, 2019

Advertisement