Feature Stories
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.
Charlie Benante Chpt 5, Interview with Jason Bittner
We're going to interject a question here from Derek Roddy. CLICK TO SEE OTHER PARTS OF THE INTERVIEW
Charlie Benante Chpt 6, Interview with Jason Bittner
About the importance of playing for the song, and knowing when to NOT play... Because sometimes people over play. CLICK TO SEE OTHER PARTS OF THE INTERVIEW
Tucker Rule: Chillin’ On The Ego For The Common Good
With their new release, Common Existence, post-hardcore band Thursday returns as forceful as ever, driven by drummer Tucker Rule. Rule explains the concept of the album as “a culmination of all our records” to date while still being a definitive…
Web Exclusive Interview: Britney Spears' Chris Bailey
Story and photos by Sayre Berman Chris Bailey was born in Sheffield, England, on January 5, 1974, and has been surrounded by music his whole life. His dad played guitar and his mom sang, and early on Chris discovered he…
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…
J.J. Johnson: John Mayer’s Right-Hand Rhythm Man Brings A Jazzer’s Ear To Big-Beat Rock
by Paul Wells Among today’s pop stars, John Mayer is unique. Despite his fame and frequent appearances in the tabloids, a deeper listen reveals that the singer/songwriter/guitarist is a real musician. If he hadn’t have been lucky enough to be…
Mitch Mitchell: Drummers Weigh In
by Mark Griffith Mitch Mitchell was not alone in blending jazz and rock drumming styles, but he may have pushed the combo further than anyone who came before him. Whether you call it fusion, jazz-rock, or rock-jazz, Mitch’s playing–most notably…
Josh Garza: A Bonham Disciple Carves His Own Path
It’s one thing for a drummer to cite John Bonham as an influence, but it’s another thing entirely for his playing to actually channel the principal characteristics of Bonham’s distinctive sound. Josh Garza of NYC’s Secret Machines, who recently released…
Virgil Donati: Hellacious Drumming With Devil’s Slingshot And Beyond
When guitar god Tony MacAlpine was asked to tour Europe in 2007, he called on two of his former band mates from Steve Vai’s touring group, bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan and drumming superstar Virgil Donati. The shredsters quickly gelled, and…
Jay Bellerose: All In A Year’s Work
(March 2009 Issue)If you caught Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on 2008’s Raising Sand tour, you couldn’t help but focus on the guy providing the heartbeat to the harmony-laden, roots-and-roll revue, Jay Bellerose. Not only was Bellerose’s drumming an inventive…
Carmine Appice Interview with Liberty DeVitto, Chpt 11
Carmine Appice Talks with Liberty DeVitto in Part 11 of this video interview at the Cutting Room. "He says, "Do you think I'm sexy" is on a Chips Ahoy! commercial. So I said, "You gotta be kiddin' me!" A Chips…
Carmine Appice Interview with Liberty DeVitto, Chpt 10
Carmine Appice Talks with Liberty DeVitto in Part 10 of this video interview at the Cutting Room. "It's very valuable to own a copyright. It's the most valuable thing you can do. Just own your own copyright on songs, on…
Carmine Appice Interview with Liberty DeVitto, Chpt 9
Carmine Appice Talks with Liberty DeVitto in Part 9 of this video interview at the Cutting Room. "I did a lot of writing in my life. If you go on ASCAP, I have a hundred and forty songs... You know,…
Jimmy DeGrasso: Laying Down His Signature Stroke With A New Project
When F5 bassist and founder David Ellefson needed a drummer for the group’s sophomore CD, it was a no-brainer to enlist his former Megadeth rhythm section partner Jimmy DeGrasso. Though Ellefson hadn’t done any preliminary drum programming, DeGrasso nailed his…
