review
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.
Bass Drum Technique By Colin Bailey
DVD LEVEL: ALL $24.99 Aspiring drummers of all ages should note that jazzman Colin Bailey has transferred knowledge from his acclaimed book, Bass Drum Control, to video. Beneath Bailey’s mild-mannered British accent lurks a monster right foot. The lessons…
The Raconteurs Live at Montreux 2008
DVD LEVEL: ALL $19.98 Stylistic connections are often drawn between Jack White and the bands he’s associated with, including the Raconteurs, and heavy, soulful ’60s and ’70s artists like the Yardbirds, Humble Pie, and Terry Reid, whose “Rich Kid’s…
The Brush Secret: How to Apply Your Own Voice to the Brushes by Florian Alexandru-Zorn
DVD (2) LEVEL: ALL $39.99 I can usually assess the value of an educational DVD based on how quickly it causes me to reach for the remote, hit pause, and start practicing. I made it only about five minutes…
Gretsch Brooklyn Series
Gretsch Brooklyn Series Drumset and Snares by Michael Dawson From 1883 until 1970, the Gretsch factory was based in Brooklyn, New York. These days, all Gretsch USA Custom drums are handcrafted in a facility in Ridgeland, South Carolina, but to…
Utsi Zimring Zone 23
CD/ALBUM This moody and organic acoustic/electric jazz collection from drummer/composer Utsi Zimring features an all-star line-up of NYC jazz greats including guitarist Mike Stern, pianist David Kikoski, and saxophonist Bob Franceschini. Zimring dances playfully around the melodies with a…
Beyond the Metronome by Malcolm “Mac??? Santiago
BOOK/CD LEVEL: ALL $29.95 The subtitle of this book, “Becoming an Inchronous Musician,” refers to the ability to play in time. Most of us have sat with a metronome while working on exercises and have been concerned about having a…
Canopus Yaiba Aluminum Snare
Canopus Yaiba Aluminum Snare by Michael Dawson Canopus launched the Yaiba series a few years ago, in an effort to bring down the cost of manufacturing without sacrificing quality. To do that, the company developed new die-cast lugs, in…
Meinl Classics Custom Extreme Metal Cymbals
Meinl Classics Custom Extreme Metal Series Cymbals by Michael Dawson The original Classics Custom series comprises mid-priced B10-alloy splashes, crashes, Chinas, and rides in Medium and Powerful weights, all of which proved to be a good choice for rock and…
Open-Handed Playing, Vol. 2: A Step Beyond by Claus Hessler With Dom Famularo
BOOK/CD LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED $19.99 Volume one of German author Claus Hessler’s Open-Handed Playing book series dealt with the basics of drumming with uncrossed hands (developing ride-hand phrasing, voicing alternatives, etc.). This second volume focuses on linear concepts and…
Out of Time (Drum Video Series Vol. 1) Featuring Narada Michael Walden
DVD LEVEL: ALL $24.95 It’s almost enough just to see the master play. But hearing Narada Michael Walden’s stream-of-consciousness thoughts on whatever he’s throwing down at the moment is both hilarious and highly informative. Out of Time naturally focuses on…
Meshuggah Koloss
CD/ALBUM It’s time to take the usual bank of adjectives used to describe Meshuggah—words like brutal, dizzying, and relentless—and add…laid-back? First let’s be clear that Koloss, the Swedish metallers’ follow-up to the ultra-successful 2008 offering ObZen, includes an…
Billy Cobham Colin Towns HR Big Band Meeting of the Spirits
CD/ALBUM Seventy-four-plus minutes of live bliss, as Billy Cobham reprises his role powering the music of John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, this time with the marvelous Hessische Rundfunk Big Band. Arranger Colin Towns translates the fusion icon’s music in wonderfully creative…
Mapex Saturn Special Edition Studioease Drumset
Mapex Saturn Special Edition Studioease Drumset by Michael Dawson The Saturn series is a line of high-end drums designed for professional touring and studio drummers alike. Whereas Mapex’s other high-end line, Orion, is built exclusively with North American maple shells,…
Zildjian 13" A Pocket Hi-Hats and 21" A Custom 20th Anniversary Ride
Zildjian 13" A Pocket Hi-Hats and 21" A Custom 20th Anniversary Ride by Michael Dawson New additions to Zildjian’s all-purpose A and A Custom lines include a set of super-funky and articulate 13" Pocket hi-hats and a limited edition 21"…
