The Greats
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.
John Tempesta: Heavy With Testament, Zombie, And Beyond
John Tempesta has worked his way to the top of heavy metal drumming, but his first inspirations and influences to pursue the instrument came via Ringo Starr in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night and Dennis Davis supporting David…
Kenny Aronoff: In Constant Demand
Kenny Aronoff is one of the world’s busiest session and touring drummers, working with a hugely impressive list of major artists including John Fogerty, Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Etheridge, Rod Stewart, Avril Lavigne, Willie Nelson, and the gig he first came…
Ed Thigpen: “Mr. Taste"
Ed Thigpen, an important element in the music of jazz luminaries including Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald, was known as “Mr. Taste.” Thigpen was most noted for his brush technique and articulate sense of pulse and swing. Thigpen was born…
Jim Capaldi: Traffic’s Reluctant Drum Wonder
Jim Capaldi, best known as drummer, singer, and lyricist with the British band Traffic, was one of the most identifiable and multi-talented musicians to come of age at the tail end of the British Invasion of the mid-’60s. Hooking up…
Richie Hayward: Little Feat’s Timeless Drum Hero
Richie Hayward, the drummer in the band Little Feat since their inception in 1969, was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, and was influenced by rock ’n’ roll pioneer Earl Palmer and big-band jazz drummer Sonny Payne. In 1966 he moved…
Shadow Wilson: Unsung Hero Of ’40s/’50s Jazz
Though not a major influence in the same sense as Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, Shadow Wilson was nonetheless in considerable demand during the ’40s, and he fit in admirably with all the groups he played with during his relatively…
Stewart Copeland: Exotic Rocking And Ambitious Orchestrations
When British rockers the Police launched onto the American airwaves in 1979, by way of the quirky new wave hit “Roxanne,” the rock drumming community was introduced to one of its most innovative, controversial, and influential figures of all time.…
David Garibaldi: Perpetually Hip With Tower Of Power
In the ’70s, David Garibaldi’s drumming with Tower Of Power was a revelation. Not only did he lay down some of the baddest beats ever played, the master drummer expanded the vocabulary of the instrument. Give a listen to some…
John Bonham: The Soul Of Rock Drumming
The greatest rock ’n’ roll drummer in history was a soul drummer. Despite all the deserved attention paid to his brilliant soloing ideas, his rhythmic sophistication, or his bass drum prowess, John Bonham was, above all else, a groover. Drummers…
Vinnie Colaiuta: Unlike Anybody Else
Ask fifty drummers about Vinnie Colaiuta, and you’re likely to get the same answer: “There’s Vinnie, and then there’s everyone else.” Vinnie Colaiuta’s career is a testament not only to his immeasurable talent, but also to his ability to maneuver…
Peter Erskine: Taste, Skill, And Artistic Ambition
Peter Erskine, one of the most articulate, enduringly popular drummers of the past few decades, has played drums since he was four, graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and studied under famed percussion instructor George Gaber at Indiana…
Dave Tough: Different—And In Demand
The inimitable Dave Tough controlled every band in which he worked with near-perfect timekeeping and his own distinct, buoyant style. Very much influenced by Baby Dodds, his primary concerns were musicality, maintaining an unwavering pulsation, and integrating the ensemble performance.…
Dave Weckl: Continuously Astounding
In April of 1984, Modern Drummer ran an “Up And Coming” article on a young drummer from St. Louis who’d just landed his first high-profile gig, on the Simon & Garfunkel reunion tour. His name was Dave Weckl. He came…
Rat Scabies: The Damned’s Explosive Drummer
When it comes to punk bands, the Damned may be the most influential of them all, and their original drummer Rat Scabies among the most stylishly destructive sticksmen ever. Formed in 1976 in the U.K., the Damned is credited as…
