News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Def Leppard Drummer Rick Allen Welcomes PMC’s “Roadie for a Day” Grand Prize Winner
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen (left) with PMC’s “Drum Roadie for a Day” grand prize winner Bradley Biggs backstage at the San Diego, CA concert. The Percussion Marketing Council (PMC) 2018 International Drum Month promotion concluded with the Roadie for…
Exclusive Audio Premiere! The Title Track to R&B Legend Bernard Purdie’s Cool Down Album, Which Drops Tomorrow
Bernard Purdie, the famed drummer known for his work with Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and hundreds of other top artists, is partnering with Modern Drummer on the audio premiere of “Cool Down,” the title track to his brand-new solo release.…
Legendary Blues Drummer Sam Lay to Be Inducted Into the Blues Hall of Fame
This coming May 9, the Blues Foundation will celebrate the thirty-ninth class of Blues Hall of Fame inductees in a ceremony taking place at the Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts and Education in Memphis, Tennessee. This year there will…
Exclusive Video! Son Lux/Landlady Drummer Ian Chang Solo Release Show
Check out this footage from the release show for Ian Chang’s debut EP, Spiritual Leader, held at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, New York. “I’m controlling all the sounds and lights using Sunhouse’s Sensory Percussion on a mesh-head kit,” Chang…
Blues Music Awards Honors Top Drummers
The nominees for the 39th Annual Blues Music Awards, presented by the Blues Foundation, represent a prestigious collection of acclaimed performers and rising stars that reflect the breadth and diversity of today’s blues music scene. This year’s nominees in the…
A Lot Like Birds’ Joseph Arrington: Exclusive Drum Play-Through, and Thoughts on “The Box” and Improvising on the Road
I want to thank Modern Drummer for having me. What a cool community. My name is Joseph Arrington, and I play for A Lot Like Birds, Sianvar, Alone, and So Much Light, and I’ve toured with acts such as Chiodos…
Spirit Winter Percussion Presents Ninth Annual Day of Percussion
Join Spirit Winter Percussion for the Ninth Annual Day of Percussion, November 19, 9 am to 5 pm, at Somerset Berkley Regional High School. Registration begins at 8:30 am. Admission is free and open to all ages and skill levels.…
Tulsa Drumming Legend Chuck Blackwell Passes
Chuck Blackwell, whose credits include Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, the Everly Brothers, Taj Mahal, and Freddie King, passed away recently, at the age of seventy-seven. The May 2011 issue of Modern Drummer included the feature Tulsa Time: Jimmy…
Composer/Multi-Instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey Recipient of 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship
Tyshawn Sorey is a 2017 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship for “assimilating and transforming ideas from a broad spectrum of musical idioms and defying distinctions between genres, composition, and improvisation in a singular expression of contemporary music.” In its statement,…
Salsa Meets Jazz for Puerto Rico Benefit with Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
SALSA MEETS JAZZ for PUERTO RICO - Invoking the The Village Gate’s legendary Monday night Salsa Meets Jazz series, Bobby Sanabria hosts a star studded benefit concert at LPR to raise money and support for musicians in Puerto Rico through…
The Sound of Vinyl Launches Text Message Music Service
The Sound of Vinyl launched a first-of-its-kind music service that provides a personalized and curated platform for discovering and buying vinyl records. The service provides a powerful and convenient solution to help music enthusiasts discover vinyl and offers new and…
Sound Of Vinyl and Modern Drummer Vinyl Giveaway
The Sound of Vinyl, a music service that provides a personalized and curated platform for discovering and buying vinyl records, and Modern Drummer magazine have teamed up to give Modern Drummer readers an opportunity to win five vinyl albums chosen…
Yamaha Drums Celebrates Fiftieth Anniversary with All-Star Drummer Lineup
(l. to r.) Larnell Lewis, Dave Weckl, Tommy Aldridge Yamaha Drums assembled nearly two-dozen world-renowned drummers on September 30 for live music, a celebration of the company’s innovation and success over the last fifty years, and an exploration of the…
Drummer Releases Benefit Album for Motown Funk Brother Eddie Willis
Tribute to Funk Brother Eddie Willis is a new live album by drummer Drew Schultz raising funds for legendary Motown studio guitarist, Eddie Willis, who performed on countless hit songs by artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and…
