July 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 7
Articles in July 2020
Neil Peart
“La Villa Strangiato” from Hemispheres We transcribed a ton of classic Neil Peart parts in our May 2020 tribute issue to Rush’s legendary drummer. One song we left out, however, was the instrumental tour de force “La Villa Strangiato” from…
What do you know about ...? Del Blake
Sammy Davis Jr. proclaimed during a high-profile concert at Carnegie Hall that Del Blake, at age twenty-seven, was “the greatest drummer in the world.” This, while the famous entertainer was on tour with Buddy Rich. Friend, coworker, and fellow drummer…
Bill Lordan’s From the Basement to the Coliseum
Those of us drummers who were raised during the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s and who came up locally playing in multiple bands at a time were dubbed “journeymen.” We’d play with rock, funk, and blues bands, country singers, jazz players—and…
Bauhaus’s Kevin Haskins
Drummer Kevin Haskins of iconic goth-rock band Bauhaus got interested in music as a teenager in the late ’70s, when his brother took him to a punk-rock festival in the basement of the 100 Club in London. The headlining band…
Gretsch USA 5x14 and 6.5x14 Black Copper Snare Drums
Stealthy-looking, bold-sounding offerings from one of America’s most treasured brands. The Gretsch company has been producing world-class drums since 1883, which precedes the birth of the modern drumset by several decades. With such rich history comes great responsibility, and over…
Critique
RECORDINGS Photo by Rahav Segev Dayna Stephens Trio Liberty The leader/tenor saxophonist, bassist Ben Street, and MVP jazz drummer ERIC HARLAND succeed brilliantly in a challenging chord-less format. Eric Harland is frequently praised for his inventive orchestrations and interplay, among…
Corky Laing
His new album reminds us why we loved him with Mountain all those years ago, and why we love him still. Photo by Diana Loana Bobes Throughout his legendary, five-decades-long career, Corky Laing’s energy has defied logic. The man might…
Kikagaku Moyo’s Go Kurosawa
The drummer and vocalist for the Japanese psychedelic band (rough translation: “geometric patterns”) is a modest person with an attitude towards music making that runs counter to the Japanese obsession with technique and “correct” playing. No matter—he’s getting the job…
Papa Jo Jones
The Father of Modern Jazz Drumming Papa Jo Jones was the epitome of swing, from his very early days with the Count Basie band in the ’30s until he passed away in 1985. His style, grace, and incredibly musical approach…
Dirk Verbeuren
An In-Depth Look at Extreme Metal’s Master Blaster In addition to his superhuman speed and power, Dirk Verbeuren has brought a wide spectrum of influences into extreme metal. He has expert execution of rudiments, as well as unique rhythmic phrasing,…
Clear Tune Monitors AS-7 Universal Fit In-Ears
A professional-level, seven-driver option for drummers. Clear Tune Monitors is a Florida-based in-ear manufacturer that focuses on providing precise sound for performing musicians, audio engineers, and general music listeners alike. CTM offers a wide array of products, from high-end custom…
Yussef Dayes
The U.K.-based drummer and producer is making a name for himself on the modern-jazz scene, and he’s fine being referred to as a jazz drummer. Just don’t box him in. Yussef Dayes’ father came from Jamaica to New York in…
Meinl Artist Concept Deep Hats and Bullet Stack
Warmer and more controllable, but still fast and trashy. We reviewed Meinl’s new 8" Benny Greb Crasher hi-hats and the aggressive 18" Thomas Lang Super Stack a few issues back. This month, we’re going to take a look at two…
Displaced Paradiddles
A Progressive, Grid-Based Approach to Developing Modern Licks from an Ancient Rudiment One of the most common ways to practice displacing rhythms so that they start on different partials of the beat is by applying them to the grid, which…
Making Simple Ideas Extraordinary
Modern Pop/R&B Great Aaron Spears on How to Milk the Most from Basic Quarter Notes “Drums are an extension of who you are,” says modern pop/R&B great Aaron Spears in a recent video lesson for DrumChannel.com. “The way you play…
Gerry Gibbs
His recent performance video may be untitled, but from a drummer’s standpoint, it’s saying a lot. Gerry Gibbs pays the bills playing various forms of jazz, and has swung his proverbial behind off with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and other…
Aaron Spears
After bursting onto the scene with pop/R&B superstar Usher during the artist’s Truth tour in 2004, Washington, D.C. native Aaron Spears has earned the admiration and respect of his peers and fans with a drumming style that is often described…
Ali Jackson Jr.: Groove du Jour
For ten-plus years he was the drummer for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the New York institution fronted by iconic trumpet player Wynton Marsalis. Recently he took the enormous well of experience he got from that gig and others,…
Liberty One Mount-All Rack
A simple, modular option for creating compact, custom auxiliary percussion stations. Liberty One is the in-house brand of top percussion retailer Steve Weiss that was created to provide quality products at affordable price points for students and professional drummers and…
