Drummers
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.
Rifftide: The Lifeand Opinions ofPaoa Jo JonesAs Told To Albert Murray
BOOK LEVEL: ALL $18.95 Jonathan David Samuel Jones, aka “Papa” Jo Jones, was the father of modern jazz drumming. By way of his groundbreaking work with Count Basie’s big band, first in 1934, then between 1936 and 1944, and again…
Mike Watt: Pouncing on Opportunities
by Adam Budofsky Mike Watt is a flesh-and-blood superhero to anyone who’s followed the do-it-yourself alternative music scene over the past twenty-five years. As the spieling rhythmic force behind the legendary San Pedro, California, band the Minutemen, Watt, along with…
Drummer Blog: Tony Royster Jr.
Wassup, everyone, this is Tony Royster Jr. signing in to the blog spot. First of all, I would like to send a thank you shout-out to all of my fans for your continued love and support. I really appreciate it,…
Levon HelmRamble at the Ryman
DVD LEVEL: ALL $19.98 The things that make Levon Helm a great drummer and performer are hugely evident at this 2008 concert. Sixty-eight at the time of this show, Helm doesn’t let anything slide, doesn’t take one measure of rhythm…
Chris Durling of Scars on 45
Hi, everyone, I’m the drummer for British indie-pop quintet Scars on 45. We’re a new band, along the lines of Fleetwood Mac, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, and Snow Patrol. We signed with Chop Shop/Atlantic in the U.S.A. before we…
Ben Riley: Power of the Lion, Patience of the Ages
Story by Ken Micallef Photos by Paul La Raia This article orginally ran in the February 2005 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. For access to all of the great editorial from MD’s first twenty-six years of publication, check out our…
Jazz Great Paul Motian Passes
Paul Motian, who was among the most well-regarded musicians of the post-bop era, passed away today (November 22) at the age of eighty. Motian was particularly known as a fine trio drummer—a reputation he gained largely from his work with…
Studio Drummer Blair Sinta
Hello, drummers worldwide, my name is Blair Sinta. I’m a drummer living in Los Angeles, where I’ve been for the past fifteen years, and I do a fair amount of recording and touring out in the world. But today I’m…
Jerry Shirley Rocks Modern Drummer Hang at NYC’s Cutting Room
Legendary Rascals drummer Dino Danelli (center) was among the many guests who stopped by to say hello to old friends Jerry (left) and Carmine. Photo by Paul La Raia. Following a sold-out masterclass at the Collective music school in Manhattan…
Grant Hart
by David Jarnstrom When making a list of essential American music towns, it’s quite easy to overlook Minneapolis. Sure, native Minnesotan Bob Dylan lived there for a spell before making it in New York. And there’s that little fellow…
Paul Motian: Embracing The Past, Forging the Future
by Burt Korall Following is an interview with post-bop master Paul Motian, which ran in the April 2005 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. Paul Motian’s place in jazz drumming history is secure. His classic performances in the 1960s with mainstream…
Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage
by Michael Parillo In Modern Drummer’s December 2011 cover story, out now, Rush’s Neil Peart discusses a particularly productive period in his and the band’s long career. Peart’s new DVD, Taking Center Stage: A Lifetime of Live Performance, has recently…
Steve Moore, aka the Mad Drummer
Hello again, MD readers. My name is Steve Moore, aka the Mad Drummer. Some of you might remember me as “the Drummer at the Wrong Gig” on YouTube. To say I’ve had the best year of my life would be…
Dan Weiss Jhaptal Dumset Solo
CD Named by the New York Times in 2009 as one of the “Five Drummers Whose Time Is Now,” Dan Weiss has kept that promise as a busy jazz sideman. His intriguing concepts, deeply influenced by Indian music, culminated in…
