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12 Modern Drummer June 2014
I N T R O D U C I N G
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Volume 41 • Number 10
Cover and Contents photos by Paul La Raia
FEATURES
100 YEARS OF JAZZ DRUMMING 24 GAVIN WALLACE-AILSWORTH
Recorded jazz is precisely a century old this year. OF BENT KNEE
MD celebrates the art of swinging folks into bad health. His Boston-based sextet makes the
most of its aesthetic freedom, creat-
On the Cover 4050 CRUCIAL JAZZ
ing some of the freshest-sounding
art-rock of recent times.
by Ilya Stemkovsky
DRUMMING RECORDINGS
From classic LPs of the golden age of 26 GARY MOFFATT OF 38 SPECIAL
bebop to cutting-edge contemporary For the past nineteen years he’s held
releases, MD guides you through some the throne for one of rock’s most en-
of the genre’s most important albums of during organizations. It hasn’t always
all time—with one or two surprise gems been easy, but rock ’n’ roll eventually
thrown in for good measure. rewards its true survivors.
by Rick Long
50ANTONIO SANCHEZ 60 TUCKER RULE
SOARS BEYOND BIRDMAN The seasoned basher reunites with
The success of his unique 2014 film Thursday, backs a British boy band,
score blew open the doors of percep- drives the bus for Yellowcard, and
tion for many a curious drummer. His releases a solid new sample library.
latest projects are no less exploratory— by Ben Meyer
or inspiring.
30 JACK DEJOHNETTE by Jeff Potter 82 HIRED GUN
The drummer—arguably the most potently A new documentary pushes some
unpredictable player of the last half-centu- of the world’s best freelancers—
ry—marks his seventy-fifth year on planet 56 BUDDY RICH: A TIMELINE including many of our favorite
earth with a recording and tour featuring a In a unique timeline format, we trace drummers—“out of the shadows
bona-fide jazz supergroup. the high points of Buddy’s historic and into the spotlight.”
by Ken Micallef career—and beyond. by Billy Amendola
LESSONS EQUIPMENT DEPARTMENTS

68 Basics 18 Product Close-Up 8 An Editor’s Overview
Odd Groupings in Four-Bar Phrases Paiste Masters Thin Series Jazz in the 21st Century
Trading Fours With Threes, Fives, 2Box DrumIt Five Module and by Mike Dawson
and Sevens TrigIt Triggers
by Joel Rothman
HeadHunters Crossovers 10 Readers’ Platform
Hybrid Rods What’s Your Favorite Jazz
70 Strictly Technique Drumming Album?
Hybrid Rudimental Ritual Outlaw Drums Heritage Series
Variations on a Classic Method Snares
12 Out Now
by Mike Alfieri
The War on Drugs’ Charlie Hall
66 Gearing Up
72 Style and Analysis Fishbone’s Philip “Fish” Fisher 13 On Tour
“Walkin’”
Cheap Trick’s Daxx Nielsen
Tony Williams’ Technique, Language, and 80 New and Notable
Innovations
by Ruben Bellavia 14 News
74 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop WIN! 16 Must-Have Gear

Tony Williams’ Concepts A Yamaha DTX760K electronic drumset Tammy Glover of Thorcraft Cobra
Developing Tension and Release worth $3,499! 84 Showcase
by Matt Fisher Page 87
featuring Drum Market
76 Rock Perspectives
A New Perspective 88 Critique
Displacing Four-Over-Three Polyrhythms Ignacio Berroa, the Contortionist,
by Aaron Edgar Dead Cross, and more
78 Concepts 92 Encore
Visualize Yes’s Close to the Edge
Get Set Up for Success
Before You Hit the Stage 94 Backbeats
by Mark Schulman The 2017 Chicago Drum Show
96 Kit of the Month

Custom-Shop Chops
AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW
AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW
Jazz in the 21st Century Founder
Ronald Spagnardi
1943–2003
Publisher/CEO Senior Art Director
M any scholars argue that jazz, which Isabel Spagnardi Scott G. Bienstock
John Leiby
was first documented on record
one hundred years ago by the Original Senior Vice President Editorial Director
Dixieland Jazz Band, is America’s great- Lori Spagnardi Adam J. Budofsky
est musical gift to the world. I couldn’t Vice President Managing Editor
agree more. I mean, what other art form Kevin W. Kearns Michael Dawson
encapsulates the messy, diverse mix
of cultures that makes up our modern Associate Publisher Associate Editor
society better than this innovative, Tracy A. Kearns Willie Rose
expressive, and ever-evolving genre? Advertising Director Editor at Large
Within jazz, you’ll find European classi- Bob Berenson Billy Amendola
cal chord progressions and military-style
instrumentation, African traditions Advertising Assistant Business and
of improvisation and polyrhythmic LaShanda Gibson Content Development
Miguel Monroy
layering, the “Spanish tinge” (i.e., clave)
of Cuban folkloric dances, and the spiritual, heartfelt inflections of call- The MD Pro Panel: Chris Adler, Gregg Bissonette, Jason Bittner, Will Calhoun,
and-response field songs created by African-Americans in the late 1800s. Terri Lyne Carrington, Matt Chamberlain, Jeff Davis, Peter Erskine, Bob Gatzen,
Daniel Glass, Benny Greb, Matt Halpern, Horacio Hernandez, Gerald Heyward,
On paper, those elements shouldn’t gel. And yet they do—beautifully. Taku Hirano, Susie Ibarra, Jim Keltner, Pat Mastelotto, Allison Miller, Rod Morgenstein,
From a drumming perspective, there are countless benefits to Chris Pennie, Stephen Perkins, Dafnis Prieto, Rich Redmond, Brian Reitzell, Jim Riley,
studying jazz, even if you never intend to play it in its traditional form. Antonio Sanchez, Gil Sharone, Chad Smith, Steve Smith, Todd Sucherman, Billy Ward,
Kenny Washington, Paul Wertico
First off, most of the rhythmic vocabulary we use on the drums has
its origins in jazz. The way we apply rolls and other rudiments to the MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. $29.95, Canada
drumset can be traced back to early pioneers like Baby Dodds and Kenny Aronoff, Eddie Bayers, Bill Bruford, $33.95, other international $44.95 per
Harry Cangany, Dennis DeLucia, Les year. For two- and three-year subscription
Zutty Singleton. Full-kit triplet licks and tribal tom beats were used to DeMerle, Peter Erskine, Bob Gatzen, prices go to www.moderndrummer.com.
great effect by Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, and other big band Danny Gottlieb, Jim Keltner, Paul Leim, Single copies $5.99.
Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Rod
drummers during the Swing Era. And the over-the-barline phrasing
Morgenstein, Andy Newmark, Neil Peart, SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE:
found in contemporary prog and fusion was a hallmark of the bebop Steve Smith, Billy Ward, Dave Weckl, Modern Drummer, PO Box 274, Oregon,
style invented by Kenny Clarke, Max Roach, and others in the ’40s, ’50s, Paul Wertico. IL 61061-9920. Change of address:
Allow at least six weeks for a change.
and ’60s.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Please provide both old and new
Jazz also demands a high level of independence in order to be able to Patrick Berkery, Stephen Bidwell, address. Call 800-551-3786
carry on a musical conversation with the snare, kick, and hi-hat while David Ciauro, Bob Girouard, Mike Haid, or 815-732-5283. Phone hours,
John Martinez, Rick Mattingly, Ben Meyer, 8AM–4:30PM Monday–Friday CST,
maintaining a consistent groove on the ride cymbal. And the ebb and Ken Micallef, Jeff Potter, Will Romano, or visit Subscriber Services at
flow of the swing feel, which is vital to a convincing Bonham-style rock Bernie Schallehn, Ilya Stemkovsky, www.moderndrummer.com.
groove or hip-hop breakbeat, is best internalized by listening to—and Robin Tolleson, Lauren Vogel Weiss,
Paul Wells. MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is
playing along with—classic jazz records. Similarly, you’ll learn how distributed by Hal Leonard Corp.,
to coax the most musical sounds possible from your kit, often at low MODERN DRUMMER magazine 800-554-0626, [email protected],
volume, when drumming in an unamplified setting with an upright bass (ISSN 0194-4533) is published monthly www.halleonard.com/dealers
by MODERN DRUMMER Publications,
and acoustic piano. Inc., 271 Route 46 West, Suite H-212, INTERNATIONAL LICENSING
For this jazz-focused issue, we culled a list of some of the greatest Fairfield, NJ 07004. PERIODICALS REPRESENTATIVE: Robert J. Abramson
drum performances in the genre, and we analyzed the hip phrasing of MAIL POSTAGE paid at Fairfield, NJ & Associates, Inc., Libby Abramson,
07004 and at additional mailing offices. President, 7915 Via Grande, Boyton
post-bop legend Tony Williams. We also caught up with contemporary- Copyright 2017 by MODERN DRUMMER Beach, FL 33437, [email protected].
jazz trailblazer Antonio Sanchez to discuss his latest drum-centric Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
album, Bad Hombre, and sat down with ever-evolving jazz icon Jack Reproduction without the permission of the POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
publisher is prohibited. Modern Drummer, PO Box 274, Oregon,
DeJohnette, who’s been paving new ground with the multigenerational IL 61061-9920.
supergroup Hudson, which includes guitarist John Scofield, keyboardist EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/
John Medeski, and bassist Larry Grenadier. We hope you enjoy this ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: Canadian Publications Mail Agreement
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Email: [email protected]. MEMBER: National Association for Music
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MODERN DRUMMER welcomes Music Merchants, Percussive Arts Society
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8 Modern Drummer October 2017

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READERS’ PLATFORM
READERS’ PLATFORM
What’s Your
Favorite Jazz
Drumming Album?
W hen we recently asked our social media followers for their
favorite jazz drumming record, enthusiastic responses quickly
flooded in. We tallied up the drummers that appeared on each pick
Chick Corea’s Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. It’s a trio with Miroslav
Vitouš on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. You can’t listen to an
individual song from the album—each track flows into the next.
and made a top-five list. The late pioneer Elvin Jones played on the And the way Haynes plays the drums makes the kit sound more
most albums, followed by Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Max Roach, and like a melodic voice than anything else. His style of playing can be
Buddy Rich, in that order. Around half of the picks were recorded in heard in Tony Williams’ output, but Roy Haynes just has an ebb and
the 1960s, a little over 20 percent were recorded in the ’50s, and the flow that appeals more to me.
rest encompassed an even spread among the decades since the ’70s. Lorenzo Siciliano
Here are some of the comments.
Dave Brubeck, Time Out. Joe Morello’s laid-back, less-is-more
I don’t recall ever feeling as deeply moved by the drums on a jazz approach made me realize that jazz doesn’t have to be busy and
album as I did when I listened to Elvin Jones work his wonders on abstract to still be good groove-oriented music.
John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Elvin’s drumming here is nothing Danny Moore
short of sublime. He seamlessly blended motivic development,
complex polyrhythmic coordination, and highly musical comping Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil. Elvin Jones’ left-hand complexity
into one. doesn’t sacrifice any pocket. He reinforces the band without taking
Greg Zajac center stage. So hip.
Steve Goold
Miles Smiles by Miles Davis. Tony Williams transforms the bebop
vocabulary into a very powerful expression that fuels the band’s Third Round by Manu Katché. It’s very melodic, warm, and touching
improvisations. This is also when he started playing constant music. Katché’s drumming is unique. The way he paints music with
quarter notes on the hi-hat while beautifully bashing the hell out his cymbals and approaches his drumming from a percussionist’s
of his drums, which taught listeners that there are no limits to perspective is refreshing and a big contrast to older bebop masters.
what can be done with a small drumset. Katché always has this special groove deep down in his heart.
Chris Davidson Fabian Schindler
Bill Stewart on Peter Bernstein’s album Stranger in Paradise has Chick Corea’s Akoustic Band, Live From the Blue Note Tokyo. Vinnie
been killing me lately. His power is complemented by his accuracy. Colaiuta plays with such a beautiful swing on this album. There’s
And his musicality is enhanced by the amazing sounds he draws high energy, great flow, momentum, and touch, and he has great
from his kit. interactions with the rest of the band. Whenever I think I’m getting
Elijah Oguma somewhere with my own playing, listening to this album is always
a rude awakening as to how far off I am.
The first Miles Davis record that I got with Tony Williams was The Will Beavis
Complete Concert: 1964 (My Funny Valentine + “Four” & More).
I’d never heard the drums played so powerfully and with the Tony Williams on Miles Davis’ The Complete Concert: 1964 (My Funny
undeniable swing he encompassed. Tony could go from a whisper Valentine + “Four” & More). His interaction with [pianist] Herbie
to a roar—all within the same tune. Hancock and the rest of the band is unreal. His drums and cymbals
Bill Fleming sounds great, and Williams was only nineteen at the time.
John Richardson
A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. Elvin is one of my favorite
drummers. His comping is so spontaneous and crisp, and it’s a fun Want your voice heard? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram,
challenge to learn. Listening to his stuff has definitely boosted my and Twitter, and keep an eye out for next month’s question.
triplet chops. Plus Coltrane’s vocabulary is so haunting and catchy.
It gives me chills to hear him rip. HOW TO REACH US [email protected]
Dan Silver

O UT N O W
Charlie Hall
on the War on Drugs’
A Deeper Understanding
While several drummers pave an unwavering
groove foundation on the popular indie group’s
new release, its main kit man contributes on
multiple levels.
On August 25, the indie rock collective the War on
Drugs, which was founded in 2005 by guitarist/
singers Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, released its
fourth full-length, A Deeper Understanding. Since the
band’s last album, 2014’s Lost in the Dream, Granduciel
spent the better part of three and a half years writing
and recording in New York and Los Angeles with the
group’s core members and an array of guests. (Vile
left in 2008 for a successful solo career.) And although
drum duties were primarily covered by longtime War
sticksman Charlie Hall, a robust cast of musicians
took over the kit at various points, including Anthony
LaMarca (who also plays guitar and keyboard in the
band), Darren Jessee, Otto Hauser, and MD contributor
Patrick Berkery. “I love that some of my best friends
also happen to be some of my favorite drummers, and
you can hear them on different parts of the record,”
Hall says. “They’re all amazing and totally different
from one another in terms of their approach to time
and feel.”
Working in various studios allowed the group to
take advantage of various types of gear and ambience.
“I’m endlessly fascinated by the effect that different
rooms and physical environments have on music-
making,” Hall says. “Everything affects it—not just the
acoustics, but the physical layout as well. Every studio
has a different flow: Is everyone hanging in the control
room and remaining an active part of tracking? Is it
comfortable? Is there enough space to be creative and
work on ideas while staying out of the way when you
need to? Are there distractions? What are you doing
when you’re not in the studio? This stuff all matters.
It would be crazy to think that being in Los Angeles
didn’t have an effect on the shape this record took.”
Other than drumming, Hall played guitar and
vibes and sang on the record, and he explains that
playing other instruments contributes just as much
to his rhythmic DNA as drumming itself does. “While
I hate the sound of my own voice,” Hall says, “singing
can help your understanding of melody. It’s no
coincidence that some of the most special drummers
Quinton Fletcher
of all time were also vocalists—I’m thinking of Stevie

Wonder and Levon Helm in particular. It’s all one
thing. My passport says ‘Musician,’ not ‘Drummer.’
Being able to talk about chord changes or being able
to put yourself in other musicians’ shoes is all part
of being a good drummer. Music is another form of
communication, so being able to understand and use
the language is key.” Willie Rose
More New Releases Venom, Inc. Avé

(Anthony “Abaddon” Bray)
The Convalescence This Is Hell (Charles Webber)
Able Baker Fox Visions (Jeff Gensterblum)
Paradise Lost Medusa (Waltteri Väyrynen)
Beneath Ephemeris (Mike Heller)
Lakeshore 41 (Joe Lionetti) Unkle The Road: Part 1 Tera Melos Trash
(Jon Theodore, Justin Stanley) Generator (John Clardy)

Randy Johnson
ON TOUR
Daxx Nielsen With Cheap Trick

More than forty years since its birth in Rockford, Illinois, the change up the set list. This leads to trying new ideas and approaching
classic hard-rock group is as vibrant as ever, thanks to some songs differently based on the pace of the show. That being said, I try
recent, well-deserved recognition. to improvise while staying true to the proper parts.”
S ince Cheap Trick finally got its due with a 2016 induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the giant of ’70s and ’80s pop-rock
has witnessed a rebirth of sorts. With a dense touring schedule and
Has the band eased up on its notorious touring schedule? Nielsen
firmly says no. “Cheap Trick is still one of the hardest-working bands
in the business. We typically play three nights on and one night off.
a new album, We’re All Alright!, on the shelves, there seems to be no Robin Zander’s vocal strength is unbelievable. Some guys want to sing
stopping the ageless Illinois rockers. Daxx Nielsen, son of founding one night and then have a few days off. Robin’s the exact opposite.
guitarist Rick Nielsen, has officially held the drum chair since 2010. “It’s Cheap Trick will always be a live band. We get our energy from playing
an honor to be a part of Cheap Trick at such an amazing time in their on stage, and the crowd feeds off of that.”
legacy,” he says. “I’ve been working with the band on and off since Regarding their working relationship, Daxx says that he tries not
2001, and since 2010 it’s been a full-time career for me. We average to think of Rick Nielsen as his father. “I treat this gig the same as every
about 150 shows a year and have recorded a few albums along other job that I’ve done in the past,” the drummer explains. “I give Rick,
the way.” Robin, [bassist] Tom Petersson, our road crew, and our management
Nielsen confirms that the group’s renown has skyrocketed since its the same respect and professionalism that I would give anyone that
Hall of Fame induction. “Without a doubt, the band’s popularity got I play with. It’s great to be in a band with my dad and the guys that
a solid boost by it,” he says. “Over the years I’ve seen legendary artists have known me since I was born. There’s a bond that goes back to my
such as Aerosmith, Joan Jett, and Pearl Jam mention Cheap Trick’s early childhood. When we play together, the memories and personal
influence on them in their own Hall of Fame induction speeches.” connections definitely help our interaction.”
On tour, Nielsen pays serious respect to original drummer Bun With its current tour extending through mid-November, the band
E. Carlos. “I try to honor the great drum parts that made Cheap doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down anytime soon. “We’ve released
Trick’s sound and songs so iconic,” Daxx says. “At the same time, my two studio albums in the last fourteen months,” Nielsen says. “Pair that
drumming incorporates all of my influences, physical makeup, and with all the live shows we do, and I think you could easily say that the
style, so it isn’t going to sound exactly the same. Every night we Cheap Trick work ethic is as strong as ever.” Mike Haid
Also on the Road

Patrick Keeler with the Afghan Whigs /// Robert Grey with Wire /// Joe Magistro with the Magpie Salute ///
Dale Crover with the Melvins /// Abe Laboriel Jr. with Paul McCartney /// Bill Stevenson with Descendents ///
Blake Richardson with Between the Buried and Me /// Seamus Menihane with Vattnet
October 2017 Modern Drummer 13

NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
John Blackwell Jr. Kim Plainfield
This past April 8, renowned player and
educator Kim Plainfield passed away
unexpectedly at the age of sixty-three.
Plainfield was known and respected by a
significant number of players, especially
those who grew up, studied, or worked on
the East Coast, where he mentored hundreds
at Drummers Collective, SUNY Purchase, and
Berklee College of Music.
Paul La Raia
“Kim was particularly sensitive to people
who came to Drummers Collective who were
socially or economically disadvantaged,”
former student Tom Maynard says. “It was
nothing for him to give a student money who
may not have had anything to eat, I being
among them. At times Kim would take time
out from his busy schedule and work with
students who needed help—for free! He was
As we went into production for more interested in motivating his students to succeed in life, not merely self-gain.”
this month’s issue, the Modern A fierce defender of fusion music, Plainfield told Modern Drummer in an August 2007 feature interview,
Drummer staff was saddened to “Fusion is music where the majority of the best musicians play; that’s what they want to do the most.
hear about the passing of John These are the best players in the world. The drummer has more control over the music than anyone else.
Blackwell Jr. on July 4. In a social Therefore you have to assume the responsibility as the drummer.”
media post, Blackwell’s wife, And Plainfield walked the talk. During his career he recorded several albums with the famed fusion
Yaritza, announced that the artists Bill Connors, Tania Maria, Didier Lockwood, and Bill O’Connell, as well as Night and Day with
forty-three-year-old drummer bassist Lincoln Goines, all of which were platforms for his relaxed yet intense jazz-rock, funk, Latin,
passed away peacefully in her and fusion playing.
company. Blackwell played Plainfield was born in Berkeley, California, and moved to New York City when he was twenty-two years
with Prince, Patti LaBelle, Justin old. He wrote two well-regarded method books, Advanced Concepts and Fusion: A Study in Contemporary
Timberlake, and D’Angelo, Music for the Drums, and at Berklee conducted a seminar titled Positive Performance Thought. “I wanted
among many others, and to address the psychological health of the performing artist,” he told Modern Drummer. “The seminar
made educational drumming deals with performance anxiety, lack of confidence, fear, paranoia—all these different dynamics that
contributions with multiple creep into the life of the musician. Every musician has to deal with it, and I’ve seen the worst.”
instructional videos. Look for Plainfield will be sorely missed, not only for his ability to teach the mechanics of drumming, but also
our feature tribute to John in an for his humane and generous approach to passing the knowledge on to future generations.
upcoming issue.
Sweetwater GearFest 2017 Draws Record Crowds and Sales

The 2017 edition of music retailer Sweetwater’s GearFest trade show and festival was held this
past June at the company’s corporate headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The event broke every
attendance and sales record set by the festival since its launch in 2002, and featured manufacturers’
exhibits, clinics, demos, performances, and a musicians’ flea market. Special guests included Terry
Bozzio and Omar Hakim, and drumsets owned by Bozzio and Eric Singer were on display.
“One of the most exciting and humbling experiences I enjoy every year is personally greeting
thousands of our customers at the front door as they arrive,” Sweetwater founder and president
Chuck Surack says. “Their enthusiasm for Sweetwater and GearFest is astounding, and they really
appreciate our incredible employees and their personal, caring, and welcoming interactions with Dweezil Zappa performs at the close
each and every attendee.” of day one in the Sweetwater pavilion.
Kristi Hughes
Vic Firth Joins in Global Make Music Day Celebration

This past June 21, the Vic Firth company gave away hundreds of pairs of sticks and sponsored
drumming workshops in plazas and parks nationwide in celebration of Make Music Day. Participants
Dan Gottesman
included kids and adults, professionals and amateurs, and the event ranged from structured classes to
free-flowing bucket-drumming circles. Held every June 21 since 1982, Make Music Day is part of the
international Fête de la Musique, a free festival taking place in 750 cities across 120 countries.
Dom Famularo (educator, Corey Fonville
Who’s author, clinician) is using

Promark drumsticks.
(Butcher Brown,
Christian Scott) and
Playing Lenny Castro (Toto) and

Wendell Holmes
Jr. (Ryan Follese)
What
John “JR” Robinson (studio) have joined the
have joined the Innovative Yamaha artist
Percussion family of artists. roster.

CALIFORNIA
dwdrums
ENGINEERED The Drummer’s Choice.®

MUST-HAVE GEAR
Tammy Glover
“
of Thorcraft Cobra
C hanging up my gear keeps me inspired.
That said, I’ve been using my dad’s vintage
1953 Gretsch red sparkle on recordings since
the ’90s. Initially it was a three-piece kit with
a 16x22 kick, a 6x14 snare, a 10x13 rack tom,
and a 16x16 floor tom. The original tom has
the Stop Sign logo, and in the ’60s my dad
used a punch drill to add a second rack tom.
The drums still have the original twin-pad tom
mufflers, Gretsch floor tom legs and mounts,
and disappearing bass drum spur mounts.
I use a Yamaha Stage Custom live, so there’s
consistency on tour if we need to rent local
gear. However, lately I’ve also been using a
tiny Ludwig Breakbeats by Questlove set for
smaller live gigs around Los Angeles with
Thorcraft Cobra. Billy Zimmer, my bandmate,
and I travel light! The kick drum is small—
14x16—but it has a lot of punch.
I’m a big fan of Zildjian cymbals. I use 14"
Mastersound K Custom hi-hats and a 16"
A Custom crash, and I also have two of my
dad’s hand-hammered “trans stamp” [vintage]
cymbals. One is a 20" crash and the other is a
22" ride.
I rely on Remo drumheads. For our latest
album, The Distance, I put Coated Ambassador
batters on the snare and toms, Clear
Ambassadors on the bottoms of the toms, and
a Clear Diplomat on the bottom of my snare.
For my Gretsch kick, I use a Remo Fiberskyn
because it has such a cool, warm sound.
”
I’ve used Remo RemOs Tone Control Rings
to quickly take the ring out of my toms and
snare, but I’ve also used the Evans Min-EMAD
Tom and Snare Dampener, and that works well
too. Finally, I’m also a fan of Vic Firth’s Extreme
5A drumsticks with Vic Grip, as well as my DW
5000 kick pedal.
Look for Glover on tour with Thorcraft Cobra in

support of its latest album, The Distance, which
was recently released on vinyl. And though the
brand-new Sparks album, Hippopotamus,
features programming rather than live
drumming, Tammy looks forward to doing
some shows with the group, which she’s been
David Park
associated with for twenty years, in the not-too-

distant future.

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Paiste
Masters Thin Series
Broad, rich tones with a sparkling, silvery attack.
Paiste launched the Masters series in 2011 as a collection of twelve

unique, high-end ride cymbals made from traditional b20 bronze. The
series was expanded in 2014 to include three crashes and two sets of hi-
hats. This year Paiste introduced Masters Thin models, including 14", 15",
and 16" hi-hats; 20", 22", and 24" crash-rides; and a 22" Swish. Let’s check
them out.
Crash-Rides
Masters Thin cymbals are designed for quiet to medium-loud live and studio situations
that call for highly expressive and musical tones. They feature swelling, broad crash
sounds; smooth, rich wash; silvery, crystalline attack; and subtle, integrated bells.
The 20", 22", and 24" multifunctional crash-rides are the focal points of the line. They
provided luscious, full crashes as well as refined, expressive articulation. The 20" is the
most crash-like of the three, and the 24" had the strongest ride potential. The 22" was
a great marriage of the two, delivering sparkling stick attack and dynamic, explosive
crashes. Minimalist drummers looking to create a small setup incorporating a single
cymbal will find everything they need in the 22" Masters Thin. It had a warm, classic
tone that’s not as complex or trashy as some vintage-style hand-hammered cymbals,
plus it had extra high-end clarity that gave it a touch more articulation. I preferred using
the 20" as a large crash and an alternative washy ride, while the 24" was best suited for
massive accents and Bonham-style ride grooves. In fact, the Masters Thin crash-rides
were reminiscent of the Giant Beat cymbals Bonham used in the early days with Led
Zeppelin, only in a much darker, lower-pitched color.

Hi-Hats
The 14", 15", and 16" Masters Thin hi-hats comprise a thin top and a
medium-thin bottom. They have a vintage-like feel that’s softer than
most contemporary hi-hats, and the stick sound is wide and airy.
These cymbals had a very wide dynamic range. They responded well
to different stroke types (tip, shoulder, etc.), producing smooth, warm
sounds that had more high-end clarity than papery vintage hi-hats.
Very few metallic overtones were present, which made them ideal for
recording situations where heavier, brighter hi-hats often bleed into
other mics on the drumkit.
The Masters Thin hi-hats could be hit hard, either closed or open,
without fear of them becoming overwhelming. The 16"s were perfect
for midtempo tracks, while the 14"s were super-expressive at lower
dynamics—Think Papa Jo Jones’ smooth open-closed swing beat with
the Count Basie big band. The 15" Master Thins were a happy medium
between the big, swooshing voice of the 16"s and the quick, airy vibe of
the 14"s. As such, they were the most all-purpose of the three.
22" Swish
The 22" Swish is the most musically satisfying China-type cymbal I’ve
every played. It’s very thin, so it has a quick response, and the sustain is
smooth and balanced. While it has a complex and trashy attack, the tone
is more exotic and smoky than harsh and abrasive. You can play on the
bow for sizzling, simmering ride patterns, or you can smack the edge for
hissing accents. Mallet swells are cinematic, and bell strikes produce a
swathe of unique overtones. If you’d like to add a large effects cymbal
that’s more sophisticated sounding than a typical China, give the more
subtly toned 22" Masters Swish a try. It’s as good as it gets.
Michael Dawson
V IDE O DE MO
moderndrummer.com

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2Box
DrumIt Five Module and TrigIt Triggers
A plug-and-play trigger system with 4 GB of flash memory
for uploading original sounds.
2Box is a Swedish company focused on creating high- a metronome, and settings for both of those can be adjusted,
powered, user-friendly electronic drum products for assigned, and saved to each of the 100 kits. There’s also a line-in
performing musicians. Its flagship offering is the DrumIt jack on the back if you want to connect a separate audio source.
Five, which is a full five-piece e-kit plus two cymbals, hi- The instruments and samples in each preset can be assigned
hats, and a compact rack. The module for that kit is also and edited on the LCD screen, or you can connect the module to a
available separately, and is a perfect solution for hybrid computer, via USB, to access 2Box’s software editor. The software is
setups incorporating acoustic drums and triggers, like simply designed and displays virtual pads and volume faders
2Box’s TrigIt set. For this review, we were sent the for each input, and there are additional controls for tuning, pan,
DrumIt Five module and TrigIt triggers for kick, snare, and decay.
and three toms. If you want to replace the factory sounds with your own
loops, tracks, and samples, simply delete the sound assigned to a
Open Sound Drum Module particular pad and then drag over the file you want to use from the
The DrumIt Five brain comes with ten trigger inputs (the snare and library folder. I was able to find plenty of useful acoustic, electronic,
tom channels are dual-zone for assigning two different sounds to and percussion samples from within 2Box’s extensive libraries.
center and rim strikes), eight audio outputs, and 4 GB of internal (I especially liked the tabla sounds in the Lockett kit.) But the
flash memory. The company has created 100 preset kits, and each software editor made the process of creating original kits with my
of those can be modified to swap out sounds, adjust tuning, and own samples super-easy. Multiple samples can be layered on each
so on. trigger channel, and the sounds can be put into loop mode within
The module’s stock drum and cymbal samples were recorded the software.
with multiple microphones in a professional studio to produce the Each instrument can be assigned to different outputs, whether
most natural tones possible. Each instrument (kick, snare, cymbal, that’s to the headphone jack, a main stereo mix (1/2), or to one
etc.) was also recorded at many different dynamic levels—some of six quarter-inch mono outputs. Having six mono outputs is
have as many as 128 individual layers—to further improve realism great for recording and performing situations where you want to
and dynamic response. The cymbals include bell, bow, and edge have more isolated control over the mix of each instrument. For a
samples, and the hi-hat open-to-close timbre is responsive to a standard kit of acoustic drum and cymbal samples, I had the best
continuous controller foot pedal (not included). results by assigning the kick to output 1, the snare to output 2, the
The DrumIt Five module comes with play-along tracks and toms to outputs 3 and 4, and the cymbals to outputs 5 and 6. That

Bass drum trigger
Snare/tom trigger
setup provided plenty of flexibility for tweaking the sounds with EQ, way of possible stick hits and didn’t affect how the drums were
compression, and other effects in my recording software or live mix rig. positioned.
The DrumIt Five module has a simple, intuitive interface with When I loaded 2Box’s TrigIt preset into the DrumIt Five module
separate buttons for each instrument for auditioning sounds. And from the software editor, the module was configured to respond
it’s an easy one- or two-click process to access different menus on accurately and dynamically to each of the triggers. I didn’t need
the LCD screen to dig into each kit to swap sounds, assign outputs, to adjust any of the gain or threshold settings to get the TrigIts to
apply effects, adjust the balance, or make further customizations. If react properly to my playing style, but those parameters are easy to
you import full backing tracks that have the music panned to one access within the module.
side and a click to the other, there’s a Split Wave mode that allows I’ve used many different trigger systems over the years, and
you to send just the click to the headphone jack and the music to the DrumIt Five and TrigIt setup was one of the best, in terms of
the main output. simplicity, reliability, response, and durability. The triggers are
built to withstand many hours of use, and the module is incredibly
Rugged and Responsive powerful and malleable to your own
The TrigIt acoustic drum triggers are designed to be compatible personal hybrid setup needs. Check out
with the DrumIt Five or any other sound module. They include a our demo on moderndrummer.com to get
sleek, sturdy metal and plastic casing that clamps to the hoop via a taste of what this simple yet powerful
a drumkey-operated screw. I was able to easily place the triggers system can do.
on the kick, snare, and three toms at locations that were out of the Michael Dawson V IDE O DE MO
moderndrummer.com

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HeadHunters
Crossovers Hybrid Rods
Blending the response and feel of regular drumsticks
with the controlled, articulate sound of rods.
The Canadian manufacturer

HeadHunters focuses
on creating innovative
percussive implements. One
such product is what the
company calls Crossovers.
A Perfect Balance
Crossovers inhabit a middle
ground between regular
drumsticks and rods. These hybrid
implements employ a stick lathed
from maple or hickory and rods of
assorted materials on the playing
end. Various types and sizes of rods
combined with a certain diameter
stick net different results. The pair I
preferred most was the Crossovers
II Bamboo, which has a maple
handle and bamboo rods.
All Crossovers models come
with a stick grip made of a tacky
material. Unique to these sticks
is a secondary striker located
where the rods insert into the
handle. This allows you to play at
higher dynamics when needed.
Crossovers also come with an
adjustable rubber band on the
rods that can be moved up or
down to customize the feel and
response.
Crossovers are perfect for low-
volume situations. They provide
excellent control while allowing
for louder accents than what you
would get from standard rods
or brushes. The balance is good,
and the rebound is surprisingly
fast. The wood shaft allows you to
utilize the Crossovers for stick-like
rimshots and rimclicks.
The Crossovers Hybrid Bundles
held up well throughout our fairly
rough testing period. They sell
for $25 per pair and are a good
option for gigging drummers and
percussionists.
Brian Hill

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Outlaw Drums
Heritage Series Snares
More than 150 years of American history
commemorated in reclaimed heart pine snares.
When Outlaw Drums founder Michael Outlaw decided from the Confederate army, and two were from the Union. One
to try making snares from reclaimed lumber, he began Confederate and one Union bullet were placed in each drum.
with the estate remains of former Confederate soldier To finish off the design, Outlaw used a rough exterior and an
Charles Edward Wilder, who served in the 17th Georgia aged white and blue paint to give the drums a weathered look that
Infantry Regiment. Upon returning from the Civil War, harkened back to the original building. A dab of dark red paint was
Wilder built a home from the wood of the native pine applied around each bullet. This color was used to represent the
trees that grew on his land. terrible cost of the Civil War.
The stave-constructed shells, made from aged heart pine
Preserving the Story hardwood, give these drums a very reflective, lively sound with a
The trees used for the Wilder house date back to the 1600s. Trees controlled openness that’s devoid of unpleasant overtones.
of that age and type are extremely hard and dense and have a very While being incredibly sensitive and responsive, both snares
tight grain pattern. Taking up residence in a building for more than sounded earthy, warm, and deep. They had plenty of presence to
150 years allowed that old timber to cure and dry evenly. prevent them from being lost in a mix, while being devoid of any
With all of that history in mind, it made sense that the historical unpleasant, overpowering tendencies. They’re especially suited for
origins of the wood be celebrated when it was repurposed into large stages and loud environments, but they’re versatile enough
drum shells. For the two drums I ordered, I suggested Outlaw for any application. The 10" snare was ideal for accents, effects, and
embed Civil War–era bullets into the wood to make them even more adding a layer of higher-pitched grace notes.
historically relevant. Outlaw brings a lot to the table with its superior instruments—no
My drums included a 6x14 with ten tube lugs and a 6x10 with six detail is overlooked. For those who enjoy great-sounding drums that
tube lugs. The shells are stave-constructed and have reinforcing rings have a story to tell, check out what the company has available at
for added strength. Outlaw uses a bearing edge that falls somewhere outlawdrums.com.
between a rounded vintage edge and a more modern design. Brian Hill
Both drums were
made from the same
board of reclaimed
lumber. The idea was
to timbre-match the
drums as closely as
possible to make
them a matched
set. Hardware was
employed with the
same strategy. The
2.3mm counter
hoops, lugs, and
air vent are black
nickel–plated.
Matching Trick three-
position throw-offs
and PureSound
snares were used.
The Civil War–era
bullets embedded
in the shells were
wood-struck. Two
of them had hit
dead-on, producing
a mushroom shape.
The other two hit at
about a forty-five-
degree angle. Two
of the bullets were

Damien McLean
Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth
The Boston-based sextet Bent Knee makes the most of the
aesthetic freedom that it demands, creating some of the
freshest-sounding art-rock of recent times. You’d be right to
assume the drumming is pretty awesome.
by Ilya Stemkovsky
S ince forming in 2009 while the members attended the Berklee

College of Music, the group known as Bent Knee has released
several records and done extensive touring, including a string of
Drummer Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth does more than navigate odd
times or lay down solid timekeeping. He’s a thinker, always throwing
in an unexpected spice to give the songs a little twist, or playing a
European dates last summer followed by opening slots on the U.S. chops-laden fill to elevate the vibe. Of course, as with any collective
leg of Dillinger Escape Plan’s farewell tour. that can boast top-shelf players, there are plenty of ideas flying
While genre-bending compositions and technical virtuosity are around, so sometimes a little space is what the music needs most
crucial to its sound, the band is not short on big hooks and melodic from the drummer. MD recently asked Wallace-Ailsworth about his
invention, most recently on display on its major-label debut album, approach to Bent Knee’s music—which, in retrospect, it seems he’s
Land Animal, released this past June on Sony’s Inside Out imprint. been preparing himself to play since he first picked up the sticks….

MD: Were you always interested in progressive music? drum parts coming out of jams?
Gavin: My father was a drummer, so drums were always in the Gavin: A lot of the demos brought in are people programming
house. I would take the boom box downstairs and play along to drums with whatever software they’re using. I really enjoy the
albums I was listening to. I’m a huge Peter Gabriel fan, and of all the writing process in this band, interpreting people’s glitchy drum parts
drummers who’ve played with him—Manu Katché, Jerry Marotta…. and doing my best to bring the machine to life. For “Terror Bird,”
So as a six-year-old, I was attempting to play along with some of we’ve been inspired by the [Swiss] composer Nik Bärtsch. On the
that stuff. guitar, Ben [Levin] was doing this hybrid picking polyrhythm thing,
MD: You can clearly hear that in your playing—cool patterns but with the guitar pick between his thumb and index finger, doing
lots of space. six, and with his ring finger on another string doing four. And then
Gavin: Thanks. There are six people in Bent Knee making a lot alternating between four over six and five over four. So we jammed
of sound. I naturally find that the way I have to orchestrate my for twenty minutes, switching back and forth between those parts,
drum parts is to leave space for the other five people. I got into and I played it all different ways at the kit, and eventually just found
progressive music just before my middle-school years. I was a huge the groove that wound up being the beginning of “Terror Bird.”
Kiss fan and I learned so much about rock drumming from studying MD: Do you take a fairly organic approach to playing live?
what Peter Criss did. He taught me how to do a shuffle with “Detroit Gavin: Yeah, we don’t have any click tracks or anything like that. It’s
Rock City.” One day I said to my father that Peter Criss was probably funny, but I’m the only entirely acoustic member of the band. The
the best drummer of all time, and the next day he came home with vocals and violin go through effects on a laptop, for instance. I’d like
Rush’s All the World’s a Stage,
and it blew my mind. So I
JonathanTadiello
tried to learn all the Rush and
King Crimson stuff I could. Bill
Bruford’s playing with Crimson
“I really enjoy
is a major influence.
MD: And Berklee had an
the writing
impact?
Gavin: I loved Berklee. To
process in
this band,
be in an environment where
everyone is as passionate
about music as you are was
new for me, and a very special interpreting
thing. You saw someone with
a Rush T-shirt and you could people’s glitchy
strike up a conversation about
how Neil’s playing changed
over the years. And in my
drum parts and
first semester, I had private
lessons with Rod Morgenstein,
doing my best
who is an amazing drummer
and human being. He would to bring the
give me just a keyboard track
from his Rudess/Morgenstein machine to life.”
Project and tell me to come
up with my own part without
listening to his [original drum
part]. I started finding my own
voice during my lessons with him. to incorporate electronics into what I do at some point.
MD: There are videos of you playing bass guitar as well. Does that MD: Do you get new ideas from solo practice?
help your drumming? Gavin: Much of my own personal improvement comes from
Gavin: It’s given me a deeper understanding of what it’s like to working with the band. But I’m trying to move away from the kick/
be on the other side of the rhythm section. Before I learned bass, I snare/hi-hat kind of thing. I tend to gravitate toward tom-based
would overplay on the drums and not allow the bassist room to be textures. I’m always striving to make my playing more melodic and
himself or herself. Afterwards, it made me more sensitive to what to widen my sound palette. It’s hard to just sit down for an hour and
the bassist’s sensibility might be. It also made me think in terms of completely reinvent the way I think about how a drumkit is used.
pitch a little bit more. It made me think about the singability of how I’ll sequence drum grooves on my laptop, with inhuman sounds
I’m voicing fills on the toms. and weird delays and reverbs, and then try to re-create that on
MD: Are you interpreting demos for the Bent Knee songs? Or are the drumkit.
There’s a fair amount of people with an aversion to those who
Tools of the Trade write with samples and stuff like that, and letting that influence their
Wallace-Ailsworth plays a D’Amico drumset in the studio; on the playing on a drumkit that they sit down at. But that’s the future of
road he generally uses provided backline kits along with his D’Amico where a lot of “iconic” drum parts are going to come from—from
snare, which is fitted with Remo heads, plus various Zildjian and Paiste
cymbals. Gavin uses Rich drumsticks. people who maybe don’t even play a drumkit as we know it.

38 Special’s
Gary Moffatt
For the past nineteen years he’s held

the throne for one of rock’s most
enduring organizations. It hasn’t
always been easy, but rock ’n’ roll
eventually rewards its true survivors.
by Rick Long
Carl Dunn

B y blending Southern-rock roots with arena-rock riffs, 38 Special,
from Jacksonville, Florida, came to prominence in the late
’70s and found massive success the following decade. Hits like
“Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Hold on Loosely,” “Caught Up in You,” and
“Second Chance” are still in regular rotation on classic-rock radio.
And while Gary Moffatt wasn’t in the band during those salad
days, he’s charged with bringing to life 38 Special’s big and bawdy
beats, originally played by Jack Grondin and Steve Brookins, as if he
wrote them himself only yesterday. Moffatt’s passion for his craft is
evident in every performance, and he knows that audiences, and his
bandmates, expect nothing less.
Moffatt, like so many drummers coming up in the ’60s, caught the
bug after watching Ringo Starr with the Beatles during the group’s
February 9, 1964, debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Soon
after, Moffatt was banging on everything in sight. Eventually he built
his first drumset out of cardboard boxes. He received a practice pad
Carl Dunn
in the third grade, which was followed by a snare drum. His first real
kit came a couple of years later.
Today Moffatt is quick to thank his parents for their early support
of his dreams. “They sacrificed so much in the name of love for me
and my two brothers,” he says. “For example, they drove me and my
drumset to school tons of times, until I was old enough to drive.” level band with multiple radio hits and album sales in the millions.
In the early ’70s, Moffatt got his first van to haul drums and Still, after twenty-three years in the game, 38 Special was struggling
surfboards, as well as his first Honda SL 125 dirt bike. Whenever he to keep up with changes in the music business. It was far from the
wasn’t surfing or riding, he was sitting at his drums, stereo speakers only established act experiencing hard times in the late ’90s, but
blaring on either side him, trying to emulate his heroes. “I couldn’t unlike many others, the group hung in there, and with Moffatt on
understand at the time why I didn’t sound just like them,” Gary drums rebuilt its success from the ground up. “The band was playing
recalls. “Forty years later, though, I’m still surfing, still riding, and still clubs when I came along,” Moffatt says, “but we kept at it and built
playing the drums.” it back to where it is today. Baby boomers rule the world now and
Throughout his school years, Moffatt studied music and want to hear the music they grew up with. Along with that, we see
participated in marching band, jazz band, orchestra, and his church their kids and their kids’ kids in the audience. Good music is enjoyed
praise band. During this time he also studied keyboards. All of these by everyone, and 38 gives them that night after night.”
experiences prepared him well for college-level training at the Today Moffatt couldn’t be happier with the working conditions
prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston. around 38 Special. “All the band members and crew get along
At Berklee, keyboard and music theory were the emphasis, and very well,” he explains, “and the whole operation is consistent and
writing classical music and jazz remains a creative outlet for Moffatt professional. We have this down so well that unless we’re changing
to this day. But it was the drums that brought him work, including a the set list, the crew actually does the soundcheck for us. And my
role in a Top 40 funk band. “Late nights on the gig didn’t help at all drum equipment is so bulletproof, the drum tech does double duty
when it came time to get up for 8 A.M. classes,” Moffatt recalls. When running the light show. He’s quite good at that.”
performing became a full-time gig, the drummer decided to leave In addition to touring and recording dates with 38 Special
Berklee after his first year. and other artists, Moffatt has done demo work and jingles for
Eventually Moffatt returned to his home in Florida and began clients including Yellow Pages, Warner Bros., Fox News, Chick-fil-A,
working for a group led by Nick Russo, who’d been the lead trumpet Budweiser, Walt Disney World, and Sea World. He’s also a dedicated
player with comedian, actor, and bandleader Jackie Gleason for drum instructor, mentoring a small number of aspiring players
eleven years. The band, Gabriel’s Brass, featured four trumpets, four across the age spectrum. Like most good teachers, he stresses the
trombones, and a rhythm section, and they had a steady gig at rudiments. “They’re the foundation necessary for learning everything
Disney World. Later Moffatt toured with Floyd Radford from Edgar else on the drumset,” Moffatt says. “I make sure that all my students
Winter’s White Trash, played in a number of successful regional learn them and get a strong background in the fundamentals.”
groups, and accompanied former Bad Company singer Brian Howe These days Moffatt enjoys being semiretired—if you can call
on his first solo tour. playing a hundred gigs a year being semiretired. “The shows are
In 1997, 38 Special guitarist and vocalist Don Barnes called Moffatt either sixty, seventy-five, or ninety minutes long,” Gary says, “with
on a recommendation from the group’s keyboard player, Bobby about 90 percent of them being the longer headliner shows. So if
Capps. Drummer Scott Hoffman, who was leaving 38 Special at the you add it up, I only work about 130 hours a year. The rest of the time
time, also recommended him. “Two of the crew members for the I’m just relaxing and waiting for the show.”
band knew my work too,” Moffatt recalls, “and they also suggested I Between tours, Moffatt enjoys life at home on the Florida
get invited.” coastline. A typical day finds him on his WaveRunner or surfboard—
It was the kind of call that every drummer dreams of: an arena- when he’s not running down the highway on his Harley-Davidson
Fat Boy. “I’d like to develop an R&B/funk band someday to play along
Tools of the Trade the beach area,” the drummer muses. For now at least, he’s happily
Moffatt plays Pearl drums and Sabian cymbals and uses Evans continuing his working relationship with 38 Special, whose current
drumheads, Vic Firth drumsticks, Groove Juice cymbal cleaner, tour runs through mid-October.
Heil Sound mics, QwikStix accessories, and Bantex Cohesive Gauze
Tape (for improved grip on his sticks).

Jack
DeJohnette
Let Freedom Ring!
“I always wanted to just be free—to do
what I feel like, but also to be dedicated
to the music, be inspired, and do it with
a passion, which I still strongly have.”
L ast September, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City

hosted a tribute to producer, writer, and record label
founder Orrin Keepnews. The late man-about-Manhattan was
an important figure in the combustible jazz circles of the ’50s,
’60s, ’70s, and beyond, giving many future jazz greats a voice
on his Riverside, Milestone, and Landmark record labels.
The two musical groups assembled for the evening
featured the crème de la crème of New York jazz royalty. The
large Sonor Hilite drumset positioned at center stage set
pulses racing for the headliner. A swinging performance by
the trio of bassist Ray Drummond, drummer Akira Tana, and
pianist Larry Willis broke the ice. Then Willis, saxophonist Gary
Bartz, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Jack DeJohnette took
the stage. “When I first came to New York,” DeJohnette told
the crowd from behind his drums, “Orrin asked me to come
up with a concept for a record, and I did. I had Roy Haynes
and Stanley Cowell on the record, which was called The
DeJohnette Complex. No one else would give me the time of
day, but Orrin was right there, supporting me. He loved the
music; he was open. He really made a great contribution.”
The quartet played a hard-charging, tempo-terrifying,
Story by Ken Micallef

Photos by Paul La Raia
bloodletting version of “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That burning, churning funk fusillades exuded grit and grease, propelled
Swing.” DeJohnette drove the music with the same fury, fire, and by earlier Chicago avant-garde experiments with the likes of Sun Ra
rolling-thunder grace that he had on his 1969 debut. and Roscoe Mitchell.
Forty-eight years after The DeJohnette Complex, the seventy-five- DeJohnette’s early training as a pianist brought him to record
year-old, soft-spoken, Chicago-born DeJohnette is one of the great his first solo album in 1968, followed by a series of exceptional ’70s
acknowledged masters of the drumset. And he remains as forward- and ’80s releases on the ECM label: Untitled, Pictures, New Rags, New
thinking and innovative a force as he was as a young musician, Directions, Special Edition, New Directions in Europe, Tin Can Alley,
when he meshed the drum music of Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Inflation Blues, and Album Album. DeJohnette has continued to break
and Tony Williams with his potent, multidirectional, intensely new ground up to the present, releasing albums that feature diverse
conversational and poetic exhilarations. thematic material (as well as his husky baritone vocals), while also
Tracing this drummer’s history is taking a trip through jazz recording and touring with the celebrated Keith Jarrett Trio. In 2016,
profundity. After making his mark in the mid-’60s with the popular DeJohnette returned to ECM with In Movement, a trio recording
Charles Lloyd Quartet, DeJohnette became an in-demand sideman, with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and bassist Matthew Garrison, and
cutting serious vinyl sides with Jackie McLean, Dick Katz, Abbey he went back to his piano roots with the solo release Return on the
Lincoln, Betty Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and Bill vinyl-only Newvelle label.
Evans; his work with Evans was further documented on recently DeJohnette’s latest project is the jazz supergroup Hudson.
unearthed live and studio performances released by Resonance Featuring guitarist John Scofield, keyboardist John Medeski, and
Records. In 1969 DeJohnette replaced Tony Williams in Miles Davis’s bassist Larry Grenadier, Hudson lets DeJohnette stretch as drummer,
band, first appearing on the landmark album Bitches Brew, then as composer, and vocalist. MD took the pleasant two-hour drive up to
a member of “the Lost Quintet” (celebrated in the recent CD/DVD Jack’s home in upstate New York to learn more about the music—
box set Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2). DeJohnette’s and the land—that inspires his newest direction in sound.

MD: What is the focus of the Hudson band?
Jack: Larry, Scofield, Medeski, and I all live in the Hudson Valley. We got together initially to
play the Woodstock Jazz Festival, and we did some cover tunes, including Bob Marley’s “No
Woman, No Cry.” We had such a good time playing together, I thought it would be great to
celebrate my seventy-fifth year by making a record and touring the U.S., which we’re doing
from June to October.
We live up here because of the people, the land, the vibe. It’s a great place to create. We
wanted tunes that grooved, cover tunes and originals, and we thought the cover tunes
should connect to the Woodstock area. So we picked artists who’d played the original
Woodstock Festival in 1969: Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, as well as tunes from the Band and
Bob Dylan [who famously rehearsed and recorded together in the area]. The title tune is a
collective composition, “Hudson.” And then there are original tunes from Scofield and me.
MD: Your last record with John, Trio Beyond’s 2006 live release, Saudades, was a killing
performance.
Jack: Right. That was a loose tribute to Tony Williams.
MD: Hudson’s version of “Woodstock” is moody and dark. Did the band mean to imply a
Q:
protest vibe with the song choices?
Jack: We liked the lyrics of [Bob Dylan’s] “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” and the other cover
songs have elements of protest, but we chose them because we like the songs. My “Song
for World Forgiveness” says that we really must learn to forgive each other; that’s our
You’re able to burn species’ hardest dilemma. There’s been a tremendous amount of bad karmic stuff that
we’ve all done to each other, all the countries, throughout history. For us to become more
at will on the drums. enlightened, forgiveness has to happen—instead of this polarized energy that is going
around, giving people the illusion that they’re separate. We can’t build walls. That’s over.
MD: Scofield’s “Tony Then Jack” addresses the progression from Tony Williams to you in
Is that how it Miles Davis’s band?
Jack: Yes. We first played that with Trio Beyond, but we never recorded it.
feels to you?
A:
MD: The album opens with a groove, like a 1970s Bitches Brew vibe.
Jack: Absolutely. We all loved that one. It’s a collective track, really a jam. Scofield just
started playing that groove, and it took off from there. It was organic.
MD: Hudson’s take on “Woodstock” is almost sad.
Jack: It’s a feel based off one of John Coltrane’s tunes—we approached it like a Latin “A Love
Oh, yeah. I’m Supreme.”“Dirty Ground” has an interesting relevance as well. It was cowritten with Bruce
Hornsby and originally recorded for my 2012 album, Sound Travels. Bruce wrote the lyrics; I
totally focused. My did the arrangement. It was originally dedicated to Levon Helm. I’m singing on this version.
It’s in 7/4 and 4/4. It’s got that Levon thing, so the first thing you think of is him. [sings]
consciousness, my “Dirtied up water, feel like lambs going to slaughter, been down on my knees but I’m rising
up. I got to believe.” It’s about the flood victims of Hurricane Katrina, so it talks about rising
vibration opens up. up and coming back.

MD: Hudson’s version of “Hard Rain” is in 6/4. Then the band takes it out.
Jack: But it’s very subtle. It’s not angry. It’s lucid. The nature of the lyrics led to our
expanding on it improvisationally. Dylan talks about all of that in the lyrics, so we did a jazz
interpretation of that. There’s a tribute to Sun Ra in there as well.
MD: On Hendrix’s “Wait Until Tomorrow,” the band uses the melody as the jumping-off
point for improvisation?
Jack: No. I actually tried to sing that song, but my voice was messed up. So I asked Sco to do
an instrumental version. We also did a version of [Hendrix’s] “Castles Made of Sand” that’s a
bonus track overseas. I sing the last verse.
Jack Swings, Jack Sings

MD: You sing on the two Compost records from the 1970s. What other records do you sing
on?
Jack: My Music for the Fifth World—I sang “Witchi-Tai-To,” a Jim Pepper song. I sang “Inflation
Blues” on the self-titled Compost album [1971], back when a dollar was worth about twenty
cents. I changed it to “Deception Blues” for Music for the Fifth World, which had Scofield,
Vernon Reid and Will Calhoun [from Living Colour], Lonnie Plaxico, and Michael Cain.
MD: “Inflation Blues” was on the Special Edition record of the same name as well.
Jack: Right. Inflation Blues features [horn players] Baikida Carroll, John Purcell, and Chico
Freeman. On Music for the Fifth World I did a dub sequence of the song. [sings] “You see
deception in the mass mass-media; you ask for truth and they tell you they don’t need ya.”
I’ve recorded some protest songs through the years.
MD: The Hudson album closes with “Great Spirit Peace Chant.”

Jack: That’s the band with me; we’re all have their personal stamps. We know that we heavier touch. But listen to some of the licks
singing. It’s something that came to me while can go wherever we feel like going. that Roy played compared to Elvin; he took
I was walking out toward our garden. It was a it totally in his direction and added valuable
gift from the great spirit. A chant for peace. Jazz Drumming Greats, contributions that are still influential and
MD: Have you chanted before in song? Yesterday to Today resonate today.
Jack: My whole family is initiated into the MD: From your standpoint, who furthered Then you had Tony Williams, and then, on
Seneca Wolf Clan; we are all wolves. My wolf the major advancements in jazz drumming the other end of spectrum, great drummers
name is Light Thunder. There is some Native since the early 1900s? like Andrew Cyrille, Paul Motian—Paul was
American Indian ancestry in my bloodline. I Jack: Kenny Clarke definitely took the free! After Paul left Bill Evans he just wanted
have an affinity. The drum I played there is just emphasis off the 4/4 bass drum and put it on to play. He could swing anytime, but he
a floor tom with a towel on it, using a mallet. the ride cymbal. That opened up the music became like I see myself: Paul became a
It gives it that heartbeat, the ceremonial for the ensemble. Then you could hear all painter with the music, particularly in the
sound—that’s the cadence. We all played the other instruments better. Not that you quartet with Charlie Haden, Dewey Redman,
native flutes, laying that down as a carpet, couldn’t hear them with a 4/4 bass drum, but and Keith Jarrett. Paul was amazing, and the
then Larry and John and I sang, and Medeski it gave the music more sonic clarity. way he hit the drums—just the sound he got!
sang the rounds. MD: Was he feathering the bass drum on 4/4? Whatever came out, he was so spontaneous
Jack: He might have been. There were guys and really quick. Very musical.
DeJohnette/Coltrane/Garrison doing it to where you almost didn’t notice it. I In terms of freeing the drummer’s role up,
MD: What did you want from In Movement, know Tony Williams used to do it. I never did, Rashied Ali is another one. Milford Graves too.
the album with Ravi Coltrane and Matthew unless I really wanted to do it for an effect or And all those guys could play time, but they
Garrison? Where did you expect that a mood in the music. In big bands and organ were all into a multidirectional, more abstract
collaboration to go? trios, that kind of 4/4 bass drum was popular. approach to drumming; they put their own
Jack: Where we wanted it to go, which was It helped [propel] the acoustic bass. There stamp on the music.
somewhere unexpected. The spontaneity was a place for that. Papa Jo Jones carried on MD: Which you’ve done as well.
of the music. A lot of pieces were not that what Kenny Clarke did; Zutty Singleton is also Jack: Well, that’s part of the tradition. You
tightly arranged; many of them gave birth to important. Gene Krupa is another one—he take your favorite influences and shuffle them
improvisations that occurred at soundchecks swung his ass off! And then you have Art around, and they come out with your own
or rehearsals. “Two Jimmys” happened at Blakey, and Philly Joe Jones was next. Philly way of telling a story.
Matthew’s ShapeShifter Labs. The title track started changing the cymbal beat around. MD: Elvin seemed to overshadow Roy, even
happened there as well; we primed many of MD: I thought Philly Joe Jones always played though Roy’s drumming is so witty, urbane,
the pieces there. the ride cymbal pattern straight. and hard swinging. Where did Roy get his
MD: Your drumming is always in the moment, Jack: No, he turned it around. Roy Haynes insanely creative drumming?
such as the Orrin Keepnews tribute at Dizzy’s was doing that even before Philly Joe, Jack: I don’t think Roy is overshadowed. He’s
Club Coca-Cola. though. They are around the same age, but a still playing in his nineties! Roy is on some of
Jack: I was having fun. It’s the same with Ravi lot of what he played came from Roy. Check the Coltrane recordings, when Elvin couldn’t
and Matthew. They have the experience; they it out. Elvin had a different kind of touch, a make the gig. He’s on A Different Drum

[the 1978 Impulse! compilation album The he propelled a band, creating a sense of
Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. II: To the Beat of a drive, was unique. One of my favorite records
Different Drum]. of Tony’s is The Story of Neptune, with his
MD: And he’s on your debut album, The acoustic quintet.
DeJohnette Complex. MD: Why is that a favorite?
Jack: Right. But Roy has so much recognition Jack: Because of the compositions Tony wrote
now. If you go to his house, he’s got tons of for that album. I know that was important
awards. He’s not overlooked now. Everyone to him. And there’s a killer version of Freddie
knows he’s one of the masters. And Roy Hubbard’s “Birdlike” on there. There’s a
knew how to pick great musicians, like Chick bootleg version of “Birdlike” by Hubbard at
Corea, Bennie Maupin, and Wayne Shorter. He Kimball’s East Supper Club in California, with
always had his own bands while he worked pianist Billy Childs, and Tony sits in—whoa!
as a sideman with other people like Sarah MD: Why did his drumming change so
Vaughan. He was a great dresser, like Miles. radically in the ’80s, that focus on 8th notes?
He was in Esquire. Roy has always had Post Believe It!, even with the Great Jazz
great taste. Trio, he plays a more 8th-note-influenced
MD: One can hear a lot of Roy in your approach, though he still swings very hard.
drumming—that popping commentary. Jack: I don’t know. That’s the way he heard
You hear Roy in Bill Stewart and Ari Hoenig the drums at that point. I heard rumors that
as well. he had planned to move back to a smaller kit.
Jack: Tony Williams had that too. He had a I think he hadn’t played for a while, because
unique cymbal sound, a unique touch. He was he took time off to write his last album,
also influenced by the so-called avant-garde Wilderness. That was very important to him.
when he played with Sam Rivers [Fuchsia But he was planning on getting back into
Swing Song], and on his own records Life Time the groove. Unfortunately we lost him. He
and Spring. Tony was trying to do different was a great contributor to the music and to The Official Drums of
Antonio
things, and he experimented. In Miles Davis’s drumming. I’m still learning from Tony.
band he was breaking up time, slowing MD: So if we follow the ride cymbal beat:
tempos, and creating intensity, and the way Kenny Clarke opened it up, as did Philly Joe
Sanchez
DeJohnette’s Setup
A Yamaha artist since 2001,
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Antonio has mastered the art of
C moving from tribal, dark and
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1 eye. His award-winning credits
5 include scoring the Oscar-winning
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H Virtue of Ignorance), numerous
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depends on Yamaha drums to
creatively express his ideas, filling
the world with truly original music.
Drums: Sonor Hilite Cymbals: Sabian Heads: Aquarian Jack
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C. 8x10 tom 4. 22" prototype
D. 9x12 tom “Shimmering” ride Sticks: Vic Firth 75th
E. 11x13 tom 5. 21" HHX 3-Point ride Anniversary signature Jack
F. 15x14 floor tom (“buffed to bring out the DeJohnette sticks (extended
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H. 15x18 bass drum brushes, and Steve Smith
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“Over the years I’ve integrated the Sabian Resonating Bells into my setup,” DeJohnette says.
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ride cymbal that’s one of the best rides ever.”

Jack DeJohnette
Jones, then Tony, and Elvin Jones…. to work.
Jack: And Roy Haynes is in that mix. MD: Doing a nationwide tour as a jazz group,
That’s where Roy doesn’t get the as Hudson is doing, is practically unheard of.
acknowledgement. Max [Roach] and Philly Jack: There are so many music schools, and
Joe were of that era, but Roy was doing that really talented music students. They have a
stuff too, playing an 18" bass drum, because passion for playing the music. Once you leave
the places where guys had to play, they school, what do you do? You have to wear
never made accommodation for the band. many hats. You have to be an entrepreneur,
MD: Is that also why Roy doesn’t play 2 and 4 find a way to embrace and utilize social
on the hi-hat often? media, create a fan base, and then get
Jack: That’s just what Roy heard. He played 2 people to come to your gig. Apprenticeship
and 4 on the hi-hat and then he’d break it up. is different now for young artists. There are
Tony and Elvin did that too; that was the way mentors like Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and
drums were going. And Roy was doing that. Terri Lyne Carrington—she mentors many
And you see the parallel of Elvin doing that young musicians; she’s fabulous. But there’s
too, only thicker. a heavy responsibility for a young drummer
to survive in the music world. The modus
DeJohnette, the Complex One operandi now is for musicians to stream
MD: And you took it out further with Special their music or make digital albums or just
Edition, Gateway, Terje Rypdal, and your tracks, then print tangible CDs for their live
various bands. You’re a composer; you’ve performances. Each generation finds a way
recorded at least three solo piano albums, a to adapt. Not everybody is going to be…
piano album with a Japanese rhythm section, MD: …Jack DeJohnette?
one-off projects, world music, ambient Jack: But you know, musicians haven’t given
music…. Was it always your goal to be up, even though it is daunting.
recognized beyond your drumming?
Jack: I always wanted to just be free. Period. Jack on Jack: Selected Discs
That’s free to be, to do what I feel like, but MD: What are your favorite ECM records that
also play the music and be dedicated to it, you’ve recorded as a leader?
be inspired, and do it with a passion, which Jack: The first Special Edition record [1980]
I still strongly have. It gets stronger all the was great; it allowed me to expand my
time. And joyful. One thing I’ve always said is, writing for horns. I had Peter Warren [bass],
“Have fun with this music.” If you’re fortunate Arthur Blythe [alto saxophone], David Murray
enough to create and make a living with [tenor saxophone, bass clarinet]. For the track
music—doing what you love to do with great “Zoot Suite,” I expanded the sonic aspect
people—then come to the bandstand with of the group by utilizing the electronic
joy to give the people something. I endeavor melodica, which I played, and the arco bass.
to play with a conscious intention that the That made the small group sound bigger.
music has a healing effect on people. Then there’s the New Directions LP [1978]
MD: Conscious intention as to how it and New Directions in Europe [1980]. There’s
touches people? the Gateway trio records with guitarist
Jack: Yes, that’s important. So I always tell John Abercrombie and bassist Dave
students to make sure you have fun and have Holland: Gateway [1976], Gateway 2 [1978],
joy. If it becomes a job, you need to consider Homecoming [1995], and In the Moment
something else. [1996]. That was a great trio.
MD: As musicians age they tend to break MD: I especially like Sorcery [1974] and
the rules less. Yet you continue to push Pictures [1977].
boundaries. You were amazing at Dizzy’s— Jack: Yes, Pictures, then Album Album [1984] is
total DeJohnette complex! another one. I like Earthwalk [1991]. That was
Jack: I’m playing more relaxed, and I pace the Special Edition band with Gary Thomas
myself now—I’m older. But my enthusiasm [tenor sax], Greg Osby [soprano and alto sax],
to play is just as strong as it was when I was Michael Cain [keyboards], and Lonnie Plaxico
twenty. I haven’t lost that excitement to get [bass]. Check that one out!
on the bandstand and hit. I was fortunate, MD: What are your favorite records as a
of course, to come up at a time when there sideman?
was an environment of LPs and radio. Record Jack: Gary Peacock’s Tales of Another [1977].
companies nurtured artists and you got That’s the first time we played with Keith
radio play; there was a network. I do feel Jarrett. The trio grew out of that album.
for the younger players, because there are MD: And the Japanese release, a piano trio
obstacles. How do you get recognized in an record with a Japanese rhythm section.
industry that just wants to make money off of Seriously on fire!
your compositions? And it’s a challenge just Jack: That’s JacKeyboard [1973]. George

Ohtsuka is on drums. He was
influenced by Roy Haynes.
I like Freddie Hubbard’s
Straight Life [1970], Super Blue
[1978], and In Concert Volume
Two, with Stanley Turrentine
[1973]. Joe Henderson’s
Tetragon [1968] and Power
to the People [1969]. Jackie
McLean’s Demon’s Dance
[1970] and Jacknife [1975]—I
actually recorded with him
before Charles Lloyd. Betty
Carter’s Feed the Fire [1994]
with Dave Holland on bass
and Gerri Allen on piano.
Betty was such an outside-
the-box singer. But the
label didn’t push Betty. She
didn’t translate to records my vibration opens up. Also, the musicians the music calls for, how much freedom the
like she did live. She really developed young I’m playing with, we open up to a higher drummer is being given, and how much the
musicians, though. frequency. music allows the drummer to experiment.
Then there’s the Michael Brecker records. MD: You played for years with the Keith That ability to move rhythm and time around
McCoy Tyner’s Supertrios [1977]. Sonny Jarrett Trio. Was that a different mode of on different elements of the drumset is
Rollins’ Reel Life [1982]—that was some funky expression from, say, Trio Beyond? something I really like to do when I solo. I
stuff. A Japanese Benny Golson album, This Jack: With the piano trio, my dynamics are don’t keep the time there, but I imply it. If I’m
Is For You, John [1984] with Pharoah Sanders, different, more subtle. But I still use dynamics playing in time, playing phrases that are out
Ron Carter, and Cedar Walton. Zebra [1986], even when I have to play more aggressively. of time, that’s something different: building
another Japanese-label album—that’s me I adapt to the space, what the music calls for, the motifs and the structure as I go along. It
and Lester Bowie. what’s happening in the moment. Adjust to depends on the composer and the group,
the flow, seamlessly. and what the parameters for the musicians
Different Drummers and MD: What’s your take on how the basic ride are. Ambrose Akinmusire’s group plays a lot
Sentient Beings cymbal beat has changed, from early styles of odd time signatures, and Justin Brown
MD: You’re able to burn at will on the drums. to the multidirectional approach to today, does a great job navigating and shuffling
Is that how it feels to you? when Marcus Gilmore might place the swing in and out of them but not making it feel
Jack: Oh, yeah. I’m totally focused. That’s element anywhere on the drumset? Is jazz scattered. He’s great.
one of those special places for me. I go drumming about improvisation as much as I also like Nasheet Waits, Kim Thompson,
into an altered state. I am present, but I am swing now? Kendrick Scott—whew! And Jaimeo Brown.
somewhere else too. My consciousness, Jack: It depends on the composer, what He’s a composer and a drummer. A lot of

Jack DeJohnette
RED
drummers write their own music now. moving into the last vestiges of that now.
Matt Wilson is another. And there’s Antoine That’s why everything is in upheaval—you
Roney’s son, Kojo. He’s been playing since have chaos before new things happen.
he was three. He’s almost like Tony Williams MD: What do you practice?
HICKORY
in a way—starting young, so he checked Jack: I just improvise, or play with records
out Rashied Ali and me; he’s great. And when I want to build my stamina. I play with
Bill Stewart, he’s like family. He’s not full of Herbie, Miles, Coltrane, Joe Henderson.
EH?
himself. I love his writing. He does what he MD: Is there anybody who you wish you
wants to do—I love that about him. could have played with?
MD: You can hear the multidirectional Jack: Hendrix was one I would have liked to
approach you exemplify in all of those play with. I played with Coltrane. I sat in with
drummers. him one night in Chicago for most of the set.
Its true! We’ve achieved Jack: People also ask me about electronics. Then he hired me to go back to Chicago at
I had Special Edition groups for eight years, the Plugged Nickel for a week, with Rashied
the impossible and and we explored electronics on Irresistible Ali. Not recorded. One night Roscoe Mitchell
extracted the heart of the Forces [1987] and Audio-Visualscapes [1988]. sat in, though, and that was amazing.
tree to bring you a stick We did an electronic version of Ornette
that’s strong enough Coleman’s “Sphinx.” We were way up in there. What’s Next
MD: On the many records where you’re Jack: I’ve been tracking with Paul Simon;
and tough enough to go playing multidirectionally—playing over the he’s revisiting some of his older material.
the distance. barline, using the entire kit to play the beat— We did “How the Heart Approaches What It
what gave you license to go there? Your piano Yearns.” Paul doesn’t sing at the sessions. He
playing? The influence of Roy and Elvin? just wants to get the working track. He adds
Jack: Some of that, but I was also involved a vocal later. We recorded with Joe Lovano,
with musicians such as Muhal Richard John Patitucci, and a piano player. And
Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell in Chicago. sessions with Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay
I spent time playing with Sun Ra and his Iyer as a trio, and quartet.
Arkestra, making rehearsals and playing gigs MD: Steve Gadd recorded that song originally
with him in Chicago. This is before I came with Simon. Very tricky meter!
to New York, before the AACM [Association Jack: I played it in seven, but it was originally
for the Advancement of Creative Musicians] in 10/8. I put in 10/8 too, but I wanted
officially chartered. Muhal Richard had an to do it in a different meter as well. I did
experimental orchestra with me, Henry some things at his home studio, and those
Threadgill, and Joseph Jarman. He and I went appeared on Stranger to Stranger [“The
to college together, and we would play free Riverbank,” “Insomniac’s Lullaby”]. I admire his
for hours together, daily. We were inspired production work. I told him I loved the way
by Ornette and other people, Chicago’s own he used percussion and rhythm and vocals,
eclectic music scene. Everything I eventually and I said, “I’d love to work with you.” Paul
played in New York I was already doing in said, “Yeah, I wanted to do something with
Chicago. They were just extensions of what I’d you too but was afraid to ask.” So we’ve been
grounded myself in. working on some things. I like Stranger to
MD: So you experimented with an avant- Stranger a lot.
garde approach before coming to New York. MD: Do you have any parting advice to
Jack: Oh, yeah. We played concerts, young drummers?
everything. I didn’t record with Sun Ra. But he Jack: I recommend that they have knowledge
had the ability to arrange music with room of a melodic instrument. Rashied Ali would
for free expression. He had this whole thing carry a flute around all the time. I want to get
about outer space, and not being from here. I some bamboo that isn’t affected by weather,
think that is true; there are a lot of beings on shape it like a brass reed to use as a reed
this planet who are not necessarily from here. in my melodica. I want less of a harmonica
Sentient humanoid beings. sound and more of a reed sound. If I can find
MD: Are you speaking of alien or somebody to experiment, I could replicate
spiritual beings? the shape of a brass reed using bamboo. I’d
Jack: Well, it depends on which ones you be curious to hear how that would sound in
want to look at or associate with. I don’t my melodica.
really like the term ET, because it’s been But other than that, listen to everything,
misused to create disinformation about other and keep an open mind. Be a team player.
interdimensional beings that do exist. We are To be a good leader you have to be a good
Exclusively Distributed By: not the center of the universe. We are a small follower and listener.
BIG BANG DISTRIBUTION part of something; we are so infinitesimal.
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Legends
“Sonor drums are of the highest level,
nothing less than I would
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– JACK DEJOHNETTE –
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A
50hundred years. It’s a wonder to think that’s
how long people have holed themselves
away with their Victrolas, hi-fis, iPods, and
Google Homes, listening intently to the
wondrous music that four generations’ worth
of jazz drummers have gifted humankind. It’s
mind-boggling to ponder the myriad ways
Crucial Jazz
Drumming
Recordings
1. Louis Armstrong “Knockin’ a Jug” (Joseph “Kaiser” Marshall, 1929)
“This is one of the earliest tracks where you can hear in detail what drummers of the era were
playing,” says Paul Wells of Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks and Curtis Stigers’ band. “Marshall
switches between playing brushes on the snare and the sticks on the rim. For me that was a big
lesson in what these guys were actually doing. And once you hear that track you’ll start to be able
to hear it better on others where the drums aren’t recorded as well.” You can find “Knockin’ a Jug”
on Louis Armstrong’s Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings.
2. Chick Webb Spinnin’ the Webb (Chick Webb, 1929-39)

they’ve found to express their emotions and “On tracks like ‘Harlem Congo’ and ‘Clap Hands! Here Comes Charlie!’ you can hear what a big
sound Chick had,” says famed jazz educator and performer Kenny Washington. “He really wrote
imaginations within a musical style that is well the book on big band drumming in terms of setting up figures. And he had all these different
defined (it swings, and it demands improvisation) sounds—he’d use a Chinese cymbal behind the lower brass and the trombones, or he would play
yet capable of incorporating infinite feels woodblocks behind the piano solo. Chick was amazing.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Chick Webb “Liza” from The Savory Collection, Volume 3: Honeysuckle Rose (1938) ///
and timbres. Chick Webb and His Savoy Ballroom Orchestra “My
So, is it possible to distill a century’s worth Wild Irish Rose” from The King of the Drums (1939)
of drumming on jazz recordings, which by any
reasonable guess would comprise tens if not 3. Benny Goodman The Famous 1938
Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (Gene Krupa)
hundreds of thousands of titles, down to a list of A groundbreaking concert—unavailable on record
fifty crucial examples? In a word, no. But you try until 1950—that featured jazzmen in a “legit” hall.
anyway. You try because one hundred years of Krupa’s throbbing beat and famed extended solo
on the twelve-plus-minute “Sing Sing Sing (With a
official documentation is a pretty big milestone Swing)” put drum power up front, driving the crowd
for any art form, and it deserves at least an wild. The limelight was no longer just for front-
attempt at concise discussion. And even if liners. Drummers, Krupa proved, could be stars. The
double LP was a rarity: both a jazz landmark and a
coming up with a “definitive” short list is a fool’s popular hit.
errand, there’s much to be gained in trying—or ALSO CHECK OUT: Gene Krupa/Buddy Rich The
at the very least using it as a starting point to Drum Battle (1952)
make some salient points about our art. 4. John Kirby Sextet Biggest Little Band in the Land (O’Neil Spencer, 1938)
If you can guide folks through a good number “The John Kirby Sextet had a chamber sound,” Kenny Washington explains. “This is where Charlie
of jazz drumming’s high points, turning points, Parker and Dizzy Gillespie are coming from. You can really hear O’Neil Spencer stretch out on
‘Rehearsin’ for a Nervous Breakdown.’ ‘Original Dixieland One-Step’ shows him off too. Spencer was
and significant points of departure, you’ve done a master of brushes, and sometimes he would do different combinations using a stick and a brush.
them a valuable service. If you can hip them He was a good big band drummer too.”
to some thrilling performances that they might ALSO CHECK OUT: John Kirby The Best Of, 1937-45
be unfamiliar with, even better. And if you can 5. Duke Ellington Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band
inspire them to continue their research, develop (Sonny Greer, 1939-42)
their own list of personal faves, and pay that “Sonny Greer was into using combinations of different sounds,” Kenny Washington says, pointing
forward to the next generation…well, now to tracks like “Jumpin’ Punkins” and “Harlem Airshaft.” “Duke said something once to the effect of,
‘Sonny has every ping for my pong.’ In other words, all these sounds that Duke would create, these
you’ve really done something. And that’s the tonal clusters and things, Sonny Greer knew instinctively what to do to make the band sound the
something we’re trying to do this month. best that it could. Sometimes instead of playing with the tip of the stick on the cymbal, he would
So, we hope you leave here educated, play the edge with the shank, just below the tip, which gets a different sound. He could swing too.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Duke Ellington At Fargo, 1940 Live
entertained, but most important inspired to get
behind the drums—and maybe even imagine 6. Sidney Bechet The Legendary Sidney Bechet (Baby Dodds, 1932-41)
adding your own voice to the next century’s “You can hear Baby Dodds real well on the early-’40s RCA Victor sides by Sidney Bechet and His
New Orleans Feetwarmers,” Kenny Washington says. “Being from New Orleans, Dodds was one of
worth of great jazz drumming on record. the guys who played on lots of records, like those of Louis Armstrong. He was a hell of a drummer.”

As a bonus, the tracks on this collection also feature Kenny Clarke, Big Sid Catlett, 13. Shelly Manne and His Men
Zutty Singleton, and several other early greats. Volume 4: Swinging Sounds (Shelly Manne, 1956)
ALSO CHECK OUT: Baby Dodds Footnotes to Jazz, Volume 1: Talking and Drum “This album contains the track ‘Un Poco Loco,’ which features a drum solo that’s
Solos (1951) amazing for a couple reasons,” Paul Wells explains. “Shelly has a tambourine on
the head of the floor tom, he has a brush in his right hand and nothing in his
7. Woody Herman and His First Herd left hand, and his snares are off. So the sounds are completely unique. And the
The Old Gold Radio Shows 1944, Volume 2 (Dave Tough) entire solo is based on a four-note descending figure: snare/rack tom/floor tom/
In MD founder Ron Spagnardi’s book The Great Jazz Drummers, longtime bass drum. He varies the rhythms but not the melodic content—every possible
Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaughnessy says, “Dave Tough was one of the finest permutation. Totally stunning.”
examples of someone who didn’t have lightning-fast hands and never wanted ALSO CHECK OUT: Shelly Manne My Fair Lady (1956) /// 2-3-4 (1962)
to solo, but was still one of the most in-demand drummers in the history of jazz.
He had such immense power. He never brought the drums to the forefront, 14. Manny Albam–Ernie Wilkins Orchestra
but preferred to simply build a tremendous foundation.” Spagnardi added that The Drum Suite (Osie Johnson, Gus Johnson,
Tough “had an intensity that only Buddy Rich could match.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Woody Herman Old Gold Rehearsals (1944), The Complete
Don Lamond, Teddy Sommer, 1956)
“I grew up with this record,” the highly regarded drummer/leader Gerry Gibbs
Columbia Recordings of Woody Herman and His Orchestra & Woodchoppers
says. “It’s a very early example of having multiple drummers on a bandstand at
(1945-1947)
the same time. On this album they’re not always playing at the same time. The
first thing they did was make their feel similar, so the band didn’t have to adjust.
8. Coleman Hawkins The Chronological Classics 1945 They were all coming out of the same place, and they were extremely melodic
(Sid Catlett) soloists. They all kind of said, This is what’s going to make the music sound good.”
“This collection on the Classics label features the tune ‘Mop de Mop Mop,’” Kenny ALSO CHECK OUT: Son of Drum Suite (Gus Johnson, Don Lamond, Mel Lewis,
Washington says. “It was originally Sid Catlett’s date, with Coleman Hawkins Louis Hayes,1960)
playing on it. Big Sid played his ass off on that track. He’s also the drummer on
the Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker track ‘Salt Peanuts.’ That’s a great solo, man. He 15. Ahmad Jamal At the Pershing:
plays the intro on ‘Hot House’ too.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Louis Armstrong “Steak Face” from
But Not for Me (Vernel Fournier, 1958)
Vernel Fournier’s unique performance on “Poinciana,” heard on
Satchmo at Symphony Hall 65th Anniversary (1947)
this best-selling live recording, helped to keep the album—Chess
Records’ first jazz release—on the charts for more than a hundred
9. Count Basie America’s #1 Band weeks. “Hearing Vernel with the Ahmad Jamal Trio inspired me to
(Shadow Wilson, 1936–50) be a drummer,” this month’s cover artist, Jack DeJohnette, told MD
“Every Wilson performance,” Ron Spagnardi wrote, “clearly in 1998. “It was his finesse and feel.” “I didn’t create the [drum part
demonstrates the tasteful, unobtrusive playing of one of to ‘Poinciana’], I discovered it,” Fournier said in an MD interview. “It
the jazz world’s true unsung heroes.” “One of things that came from the bass drummers in the parade bands and funeral
was unique about Shadow,” Kenny Washington adds, “was bands in New Orleans. They would play rhythms on the beat with
his less-is-more approach. This box set is the easiest way to the right hand on the drum, and they would have a cymbal on
hear classic recordings of his like ‘Queer Street,’ ‘Avenue C,’ top of the drum that they’d hit on the offbeat with a stick or a coat
and ‘Blue Skies.’” hanger. I heard that beat all the time growing up.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Thelonious Monk Quartet with John ALSO CHECK OUT: Clifford Jordan Quartet Repetition (1984)
Coltrane At Carnegie Hall (1957)
16. Miles Davis Milestones
10. Dizzy Gillespie Showtime at the Spotlite (Philly Joe Jones, 1958)
(Kenny Clarke, 1946) “Tony Williams supposedly said that you could learn everything
It’s arguable that Kenny Clarke invented the timekeeping you need to know about jazz from this record,” Paul Wells shares.
function of the modern ride cymbal, but there’s no doubt “And I know that trumpeter Wallace Roney said that Tony could
that he perfected it in the 1940s, as heard on this early sing every solo and bass line on it. It’s a perfect jazz record, and
bebop date. Bass drum bombs and a free, conversational Philly just slays on it. Interestingly, he plays the entire record with
left hand give the music shape, but it’s that insistent spang- just one tom-tom.”
a-lang that allows the soloists to go into flights of fancy ALSO CHECK OUT: Miles Davis Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’, Steamin’
atop a solid bedrock. Jazz would never be the same. (1956) /// Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (1957) /// Wynton
ALSO CHECK OUT: Kenny Clarke & His 52nd St. Boys Kelly Kelly at Midnight (1960)
“Epistrophy” (1946) /// Miles Davis Walkin’ (1954)
17. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
11. Mezz Mezzrow “Drum Face” (Arthur “Zutty” Singleton, 1951) Moanin’ (Art Blakey, 1958)
As Ron Spagnardi wrote in The Great Jazz Drummers, Arthur “Zutty” Singleton Blakey was one of the most visceral drummers in jazz history, able to make the
followed the melodic lines of a jazz improvisation more closely than anyone who hair on the back of your neck stand up with one of his famous press rolls and
had come before him, and his press-roll timekeeping technique foreshadowed cause the earth to shake with his more overtly African-inspired, percussion-
the modern jazz cymbal beat. Though Zutty is famous for his appearance on heavy pieces. Beyond his playing reputation, earned via seminal recordings with
Louis Armstrong’s legendary Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings in the late ’20s, many of the giants of jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Miles
Kenny Washington recommends the later track “Drum Face” by clarinetist Mezz Davis, Blakey is known internationally as one of the great nurturers of jazz talent,
Mezzrow, which you can find on iTunes on the collection Drum Face, Volume 1. providing a platform for Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, and Wynton
ALSO CHECK OUT: Pee Wee Russell “About Face” (1941, available on Jazz Original) Marsalis, among many other future stars. The famous Moanin’ album finds Blakey
in a sextet format, with excellent punchy arrangements that allow him to set up
12. Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet heads, kick soloists, and display his awesome power.
Study in Brown (Max Roach, 1955) ALSO CHECK OUT: Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1 (1951) ///
From Modern Drummer’s December 2007 tribute issue to Max Roach: “Although Art Blakey Orgy in Rhythm (1957), Caravan (1962) /// Art Blakey and the Afro-Drum
his earlier work with Charlie Parker established him as a major force of drumming Ensemble The African Beat (1962)
innovation, it wasn’t until Max teamed up with rising trumpeter Clifford Brown
that his true genius took hold. If there’s one Clifford Brown/Max Roach record 18. Jo Jones Trio Jo Jones Trio (Papa Jo Jones, 1958)
to have, Study in Brown is it. Each track features brilliant playing by the entire “Papa Jo’s masterful musicianship, which served as the backbone for the Basie
band, and Max’s solos are particularly clean and clear. Plus, the quintet’s blazing orchestra, is showcased here in this small-group setting,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs
version of ‘Cherokee’ is a modern jazz masterpiece.” drummer and Jo Jones devotee Brian Chase tells MD. “Every note of the melody,
ALSO CHECK OUT: Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus (1956) /// Buddy Rich/Max every ensemble passage, and every twist and turn of his bandmates’ solos
Roach Rich Versus Roach (1959) /// Max Roach We Insist! (1960), Drums Unlimited gets full support by Papa Jo with his unparalleled creative elegance, dynamic
(1966), Chattahoochee Red (1981) sensitivity, and deep groove. Additionally, there are solo segments in most of the

songs that prove Papa Jo as a leading innovator of melodic drumming.” knowing how to get up underneath the band. The way he tuned his drums was
ALSO CHECK OUT: Count Basie The Original American Decca Recordings (1937-39) also innovative.”
/// Jo Jones and Milt Hinton Percussion and Bass (1960) /// Jo Jones ALSO CHECK OUT: Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Band Presenting Joe Williams (1966)
The Drums (1973)
24. Ornette Coleman This Is Our Music (Ed Blackwell, 1961)
19. Miles Davis Kind of Blue (Jimmy Cobb, 1959) Matching his earthy New Orleans drumming to alto saxophonist Ornette
By the time he’d joined trumpeter Miles Davis’s band, Jimmy Cobb had Coleman’s space-age free-jazz-folk, Ed Blackwell cracked and juggled the time,
already logged much work with Billie Holiday, Charlie Rouse, Earl Bostic, Dinah dropped bass drum bombs, and elevated spirited snare drum commentary.
Washington, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others. Within the Miles sextet Cobb ALSO CHECK OUT: Eric Dolphy At the Five Spot (1961) /// Dewey Redman Quartet
laid down impossibly good-feeling, spacious grooves that allowed the solos The Struggle Continues (1982)
of pianist Bill Evans and sax players Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane to
take full flight. Kind of Blue is the most popular jazz album 25. Lee Morgan The Sidewinder (Billy Higgins, 1963)
in history—and for good reason. In addition to the classic The feel on the title cut of this renowned album is funky and
compositions it contains, it provides a master class for those swinging, and hard to replicate. Higgins, one of the most recorded
looking to learn about depth of feel in jazz. drummers in jazz history, provides such a great feel on this track, and
ALSO CHECK OUT: Miles Davis Friday and Saturday Nights at on the album as a whole.
the Blackhawk, Complete (1961) ALSO CHECK OUT: Sonny Rollins Our Man in Jazz (1963) /// Jackie
McLean Let Freedom Ring (1963)
20. Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out
(Joe Morello, 1959) 26. John Coltrane A Love Supreme (Elvin Jones, 1965)
Jazz had been emancipated in many different ways, Steve Elvin’s swirling rhythmic layers and huge, tumultuous sound
Race wrote in the original liner notes to Time Out, but not yet transported this volcanic game-changer. But it’s ultimately
rhythmically. “Take Five” elegantly pulsates in 5/4, and “Blue about much more than his impressive physical performance:
Rondo à la Turk,” a Middle Eastern folk-tinged excursion Elvin channeled spiritual resonance through his kit—a drummer
slipping in and out of 9/8, was inspired by the jazz outfit’s possessed.
tour through Turkey, India, Iran, and Iraq, months prior to ALSO CHECK OUT: Tommy Flanagan Overseas (1957) “Elvin’s grossly
the recording of the album. In 2007, Joe Morello told Modern misunderstood,” Kenny Washington says. “He couldn’t do what he
Drummer contributor Will Romano, “[Brubeck] said to me, did with Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane if he didn’t have his basics
‘Do you think jazz should always be played in 4/4?’ I said, together. And the early records show what he really could do in an
‘Hell, no! You can play it in waltz time or 5/8, 7/4, 5/4.’ Paul ensemble. This one features Elvin sticking to brushes, using his muscle
Desmond wrote it, but the odd time was really kind of my and his sensitivity.”
idea.” “I told Paul, ‘Just write a tune around this pattern,’”
Brubeck confirmed. “Right away people started copying 27. Sonny Rollins Alfie (Frankie Dunlop, 1966)
that rhythm.” Sonny Rollins’ 1966 soundtrack to the popular film Alfie revealed the
ALSO CHECK OUT: Dave Brubeck Quartet true, swinging sportsmanship of drummer Frankie Dunlop, whose
At Carnegie Hall (1963) bubbly, buoyant drumming also played a key role in the groups of
Thelonious Monk.
21. Art Taylor A.T.’s Delight (Art Taylor, 1960) ALSO CHECK OUT: Maynard Ferguson
Arthur Taylor played on more than 300 albums with dozens A Message From Birdland (1959)
of the greatest jazz artists in history. He also released a
handful of well-regarded recordings under his own name. 28. Frank Sinatra Sinatra at the Sands With Count Basie
This, his third, features heavies Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul & the Orchestra (Sonny Payne, 1966)
Chambers on bass, Dave Burns on trumpet, and Stanley There’s magic here, and not just in the wondrous darkness of Sinatra’s
Turrentine on tenor sax, as well as Carlos “Patato” Valdés on expressive voice. The Chairman cut two previous studio albums with
congas, who adds a critical dimension to the interplay on the Count, and their symbiotic musical relationship is in full swing
Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy” and Taylor’s own “Cookoo for this classic live offering. Sonny Payne’s impeccable timing, playful
and Fungi.” phrasing, and rhythmic punctuation drive these arrangements
ALSO CHECK OUT: Arthur Taylor Taylor’s Wailers (1957), Mr. and help to fuel Sinatra’s effortless lyricism. As Sinatra eggs on the
A.T. (1992) /// orchestra, Payne’s crisp patterns simmer to a boil in “My Kind of
Miles Davis Miles Ahead (1957) /// Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall (1959) Town” and the Cole Porter standard “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”—a fiery
/// John Coltrane Giant Steps (1960) interpretation superior to Ol’ Blue Eyes’ own studio version for Capitol Records
a decade earlier.
22. Cannonball Adderley Quintet ALSO CHECK OUT: Count Basie Basie at Birdland (1961)
The Quintet Plus (Louis Hayes, 1961)
Detroit-bred Louis Hayes, who was most influenced by the jazz giants Max 29. Cecil Taylor Conquistador! (Andrew Cyrille, 1967)
Roach and Kenny Clarke, first made his mark with multi-instrumentalist Yusef What Andrew Cyrille does with time here, and Cecil Taylor’s brand of avant-
Lateef. But when rising piano star Horace Silver beckoned from New York, Hayes garde jazz on the whole, is stunning. Cyrille worked with the pianist for more
heeded the call, and promptly became a vital part of the NYC scene, playing than ten years, during which he developed a reputation as one of the top “free”
with John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, and Hank Mobley, to name a few. But it was his jazz drummers—though he’d spent much of the ’50s and ’60s playing with
decision to join Cannonball Adderley’s group—a hugely popular ensemble that more mainstream jazz artists, like Roland Hanna and Coleman Hawkins. Cyrille is
recorded often and toured the world to great acclaim—that would prove to be still active today.
his biggest move. ALSO CHECK OUT: Andrew Cyrille What About? (1971) /// Kenny Clarke/Andrew
ALSO CHECK OUT: Horace Silver Quintet 6 Pieces of Silver (1956), Finger Poppin’ Cyrille/Milford Graves/Famoudou Don Moye Pieces of Time (1984)
(1959) /// Louis Hayes Featuring Yusef Lateef & Nat Adderley (1960) /// Horace Silver
A Prescription for the Blues (1997) 30. Duke Pearson’s Big Band Introducing
(Mickey Roker, 1968)
23. Terry Gibbs Dream Band Volume 5: The Big Cat The pianist had released a number of well-received small-group recordings
(Mel Lewis, 1961) since the ’50s, but began leading an experimental modern big band in the late
Gerry Gibbs, son of the great jazz vibraphonist and bandleader Terry Gibbs, ’60s, and this debut LP kicks on multiple levels. During his long and successful
is in a unique position to comment on this particular release. “Mel was a true career, Mickey Roker, who passed away earlier this year, spent time as a house
big band innovator, like Buddy Rich,” Gerry tells MD. “He moved to L.A. in ’57, drummer at Blue Note Records and during the ’70s was associated with
and everything he did [there] with my dad’s band is what he brought to the Duke Ellington.
Mel Lewis/Thad Jones band. The way he sets up the big band figures is unique. ALSO CHECK OUT: Duke Pearson Sweet Honey Bee (1967) /// Herbie Hancock
They’re kind of simple, but they have space in them. He was the epitome of Speak Like a Child (1968)

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50 Crucial Jazz Drumming Recordings
31. Chick Corea Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Roy Haynes, 1968) 36. Chick Corea Three Quartets (Steve Gadd, 1981)
Roy Haynes has logged hundreds of great drumming moments—at ninety- Is it acoustic fusion? Labels don’t apply here, as Steve Gadd lays down propulsive
two, he’s considered the dean of jazz drummers—but this classic of feel and swing, whips out outrageous fills and accents, and brings military-grade
interaction is an ideal platform for his chops, time, and ability to fit into the most precision to a set of intricately composed material. He was “the man” before, but
cutting-edge environment, even well after he established himself with giants of after this, Gadd became a god.
jazz like Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Lester Young, and Stan Getz. ALSO CHECK OUT: Michel Petrucciani Trio in Tokyo (1997)
ALSO CHECK OUT: Roy Haynes We Three (1958) /// Oliver Nelson The Blues and the
Abstract Truth (1961) /// John Coltrane Newport ’63 /// Chick Corea Trio Music Live in 37. Jaco Pastorius Big Band Twins, Live in Japan
Europe (1984) (Peter Erskine, 1982)
“Peter had a lot of experience playing in big bands that were intricate, like Stan
32. Buddy Rich Very Alive at Ronnie Scott’s (Buddy Rich, 1971) Kenton,” Gerry Gibbs says. “The music here is wild, and Jaco left a lot of space for
“The world’s greatest drummer” recorded a number of classic LPs (such as blowing. Peter knows exactly what to do to give the band something to sit on—
Swingin’ New Big Band in 1966, Big Swing Face in ’67, Mercy, Mercy in ’68, and The that’s the most important thing. And he had to adjust to six or seven soloists.
Roar of ’74), but the ferocity, drive, and command that Buddy displays here were Also having a conga drummer can be problematic, but Peter knew just how to
pointed out by several contributors to this piece. play with Don Alias.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Ella and Louis (1956) “This ALSO CHECK OUT: Weather Report Night Passage (1980) ///
is an iconic jazz record,” Paul Wells says. “Buddy plays brushes on the whole thing, and Marc Johnson Bass Desires (1985)
it’s all super-swinging, tasty, mellow drumming. The second album by Ella and Louis,
Ella and Louis Again (1957), features Louie Bellson on drums 38. Wynton Marsalis Black Codes (From the
and is equally great.” Underground) (Jeff “Tain” Watts, 1985)
“This album was one of the first to show that the Young Lions
33. Paul Motian Conception Vessel movement was not about guys just trying to replicate the past,”
(Paul Motian, 1973) Paul Wells says. “Tain was coming out of Tony and Elvin but was
Paul Motian’s first effort as a bandleader shows that also influenced by the fusion drumming of Billy Cobham, and
the well-regarded sideman envisioned an alternate brought some of his ideas and aggressiveness, but he could be
type of jazz, one that was a little slower and stranger very sensitive as well. He’s probably best known for having his
than popular sounds of the ’60s. With Persian and own language of polyrhythmic drumming, and this record is a
Armenian melodic influences and deep, throaty drum great showcase for that.”
sounds, Motian, aided by pianist Keith Jarrett on the title ALSO CHECK OUT: Jeff “Tain” Watts Folk’s Songs (2007)
track, started a quietly subversive body of work with
Conception Vessel that would continue to present a sort 39. Michael Brecker Michael Brecker
of Zen counterargument to more muscular displays of
jazz artistry. (Jack DeJohnette, 1987)
“There’s so much ensemble playing here,” Gerry Gibbs says,
ALSO CHECK OUT: Bill Evans Sunday at the Village
“yet Jack can still play in a certain way where it’s almost like he
Vanguard and Waltz for Debbie (1961)
doesn’t have to make adjustments. He can just be Jack D and still
make it fit into that music. He never thinks about style, and that’s
34. Miles Davis Agharta and Pangaea what makes him unique. Jack’s drumming is everything there
(Al Foster, 1975) ever has been in drums.”
Al Foster is widely known as the drummer during Miles ALSO CHECK OUT: Miles Davis Live-Evil (1971) ///
Davis’s most ferocious fusion period, of which these Jack DeJohnette Special Edition (1979)
two double albums, recorded on the same date at the
Festival Hall in Osaka, Japan, are standouts. Foster can
be heard here whackin’ the heck out of sloshy hats and 40. Tommy Flanagan Jazz Poet
poking and prodding his bandmates to great heights of (Kenny Washington, 1989)
intensity—influencing a generation of fusion drummers “This album is, from beginning to end, a master class in brush
in the process. “Hanging out with Miles rubbed off,” Foster playing,” says Paul Wells, who not only studied extensively with
told Modern Drummer in his January 1989 cover story. “I Kenny Washington but interviewed him for the April 2015 issue
started playing more 8th-note things, and that’s what I of Modern Drummer. “Kenny played with the most perfect,
wanted to do. But if you said to pick one style of music beautiful sound, and on an extremely wide range of tempos,
that I prefer playing, I would definitely pick straight- from ridiculously slow to insanely fast.”
ahead jazz.” ALSO CHECK OUT: Grant Stewart Downtown Sounds (1992)
ALSO CHECK OUT: Kenny Barron Landscape (1985) ///
Eddie Daniels To Bird With Love (1987) /// Quest (Dave 41. Tommy Flanagan Beyond the Blue Bird
Liebman) Quest (1991) (Lewis Nash, 1990)
In January of 1997, Lewis Nash appeared on the cover of Modern
35. New Tony Williams Lifetime Believe It Drummer alongside the legendary Roy Haynes—no small
(Tony Williams, 1975) compliment to the junior drummer, who made his name in the
Like Roy Haynes, Max Roach, and very few others, Tony working bands of top-level artists like Ron Carter, Sonny Rollins,
Williams made important contributions to jazz history in remarkably varied Branford Marsalis, and Betty Carter. This album is among the
settings and eras. Williams could easily have appeared earlier in this list for highlights of pianist Tommy Flanagan’s later but still vital work, and it’s a great
his groundbreaking work on Miles Davis’s mid-’60s “second great quintet” introduction to Nash’s “gleaming swing feel, crack-shot energy, and extensive
albums, from 1963’s Seven Steps to Heaven (recorded when he was merely working knowledge of jazz history,” in the words of MD scribe Ken Micallef.
seventeen) through the transitional ’68 release Filles de Kilimanjaro and ’69’s ALSO CHECK OUT: Branford Marsalis Random Abstract (1987) /// Kenny Barron
maiden “electric” album, In a Silent Way. Regardless of the style, Tony’s touch Invitation (1990) /// Clark Terry Having Fun (1990)
shows absolute control—he could be feathery or bombastic at will—and his
advanced concepts of polyrhythmic playing and metric modulation seem to 42. John Scofield and Pat Metheny
flow from his sticks effortlessly. Of course, in addition to the sheer talent that he I Can See Your House From Here (Bill Stewart, 1994)
was born with, Tony was a dedicated woodshedder whose rudimental control Still early in his career, Bill Stewart had already established himself as a singularly
was unmatched. He was also a forward thinker who took Miles’ cues toward a unique master of swing and taste, all filtered through an irreverent post-bop
future music that mixed jazz and rock in equal measure and produced his own concept and impeccable hand chops. Check him here supporting two guitar
groundbreaking fusion recordings, such as this debut album by his second giants with new-jazz combustion and flair.
Lifetime band, featuring guitarist Allan Holdsworth, keyboardist Alan Pasqua, ALSO CHECK OUT: Marc Copland New York Trio Recordings, Volumes 1–3 (2006–09)
and bassist Tony Newton.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Eric Dolphy Out to Lunch! (1964) /// V.S.O.P. The Quintet (1977) /// 43. Carl Allen Testimonial (Carl Allen, 1995)
Tony Williams The Story of Neptune (1991) Though he’s recorded dozens and dozens of albums with the cream of the jazz

50 Crucial Jazz Drumming Recordings
crop, this solo release neatly reflects Carl Allen’s Vanguard in New York and Yoshi’s in Oakland,
multitude of skills beyond the kit—which are of is a perfect showcase for guitarist Bill Frisell’s
course also in evidence here. But the producer, all-inclusive sound, where jazz mixes with rock,
composer, and marketing-savvy artist put all soul, avant-garde, and country music. And Kenny
his interests together on this release, which he Wollesen—swinging, slogging, brushing, grooving,
described in his September 1995 MD cover story as but always listening—is the perfect copilot for
“a jazz record with gospel overtones.” Frisell, able to steer the ship through changing
ALSO CHECK OUT: Freddie Hubbard/Woody Shaw waters without even looking at the radar.
Double Take (1985) /// Vincent Herring Evidence (1990) ALSO CHECK OUT: Julian Lage Arclight (2016)
/// Jackie McLean The Jackie Mac Attack Live (1991)
48. Terri Lyne Carrington
44. Billy Drummond Dubai Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
(Billy Drummond, 1996) (Terri Lyne Carrington, 2013)
“I was never just a Blue Note– Carrington has put down penetrating
listening, hard-bop kind of performances on albums by Herbie
guy,” Billy Drummond told Hancock, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter,
Modern Drummer in July of and many other top jazz artists. She’s
1997. “In the ’70s, when I was also released a handful of excellent solo
buying a lot of records, I was albums stuffed with exhilarating playing,
into ECM as well as straight- including 2012’s Grammy-winning
ahead, swinging stuff.” This The Mosaic Project. This follow-up is a
third solo release by the reimagining of the famous 1963 Duke
drummer, who cut his teeth Ellington/Charles Mingus/Max Roach
with jazz greats including release, Money Jungle. On it Carrington
Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, not only plays with her usual exemplary
Joe Henderson, and Freddie fire, but makes a strong case for her lyrical
Hubbard, reflects his wide and conceptual voice being among the
view of jazz, and ups the most intriguing in modern jazz.
exploration levels of his first ALSO CHECK OUT: Wayne Shorter
two recordings, particularly Joy Rider (1998)
on “Drum Head,” written
by tenor saxophonist Walt 49. Mark Turner Quartet Lathe
Weiskopf. of Heaven (Marcus Gilmore, 2014)
ALSO CHECK OUT: Renee “Marcus plays complicated odd times
Rosnes For the Moment (1990) better than almost anybody,” Paul
/// Bobby Hutcherson Mirage Wells says, “but he does it with the
(1991) /// Walt Weiskopf most beautifully organic feel, so it never sounds
Sextet Simplicity (1992) mathematical.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Steve Coleman and Five
45. Joshua Redman Timeless Tales Elements Weaving Symbolics (2006) ///
(for Changing Times) (Brian Blade, 1998) Gonzalo Rubalcaba Avatar (2008) ///
Pop and jazz standards done in odd times? Sounds Gilad Hekselman This Just In (2013)
like another gimmick to bring in a wider audience.
Except Brian Blade kills on this, working his beautiful 50. Ambrose Akinmusire A Rift in
cymbals into a frenzy and supplying a constant Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard
stream of drama. Blade’s drumming is fiery, pristine,
and full of surprises. (Justin Brown, 2017)
Thirty-three-year-old Justin Brown is a bicoastal,
ALSO CHECK OUT: Brian Blade Fellowship (1998)
extremely busy jazz drummer whose history
working with Thundercat, Gerald Clayton, Christian
46. Bobby Watson & Horizon Horizon McBride, Stefon Harris, Esperanza Spalding, and
Reassembled (Victor Lewis, 2004) Vijay Iyer is simply a foretaste of his brilliant debut
This release represents the reemergence of the as a leader with his band Nyeusi. His cathartic
group that described its sound as “post Motown drumming and ’70s-inspired funk/fusion material
bop.” In his June 1992 interview with Modern is thoroughly earth-scorching. To hear the state of
Drummer, Victor Lewis explained his approach to his art, check out this double album by trumpeter
the concept this way: “With Motown stuff, they Akinmusire.
would find the death groove for a particular bass ALSO CHECK OUT: Gerald Clayton Bond: The Paris
line, for that feeling—the right lick. With jazz and Sessions (2011) /// Scott Tixier Cosmic Adventure (2016)
improvisation, from each section of the tune I not
only try to do what’s written in the head, but I
also try to think of what each section represents,
We reached out to a number of drummers for research
compiling a whole set of subsections within each
section.” This deep approach to analyzing exactly help with this article. Kenny Washington spent several
what a specific musical situation calls for has kept hours assisting us with the task at hand, and no doubt
Lewis on the short list of go-to jazz drummers for several more re-filing the dozens of records he pulled
more than forty years, with artists as diverse as off his shelves in the process. Gerry Gibbs, Paul Wells,
Woody Shaw, Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, George and Brian Chase each offered invaluable insight. We
Cables, and Carla Bley. also consulted with the longtime MD contributing
ALSO CHECK OUT: Victor Lewis Know It Today, Know It writers Jeff Potter, Robin Tolleson, Michael Parillo, Ken
Tomorrow (1992) Micallef, Will Romano, Martin Patmos, Ilya Stemkovsky,
and Mike Haid. And we pored through the many
47. Bill Frisell East/West responses MD readers provided on social media.
(Kenny Wollesen, 2005) Thanks to everyone for your contributions.
This double live album, recorded at the Village

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2017 Modern Drummer 49
Antonio Sanchez
Soars
Beyond
Birdman
The success of
his unique film
score blew open
the doors of
perception for
many a curious
drummer. His
latest projects
are no less
exploratory—
or inspiring.
Story by Jeff Potter

Photos by Paul La Raia
A ntonio Sanchez knows the key to being a
successful jazz drummer in this unpredictable
decade: Always keep evolving. To stay ahead of
next year will showcase Sanchez performing his
own compositions with Cologne’s WDR Big Band.
In 2014 Sanchez famously ventured into film
the game—both artistically and business-wise— with his groundbreaking solo drumset score to the
the indefatigable artist embraces a whirlwind Oscar-winning film Birdman. That triumph led to
schedule and wholeheartedly welcomes a further film work, including the drum-centric score
challenge. for the EPIX TV series Get Shorty. Antonio has also
In addition to his seventeen-year association released Bad Hombre, a drumset-meets-electronics
with famed guitarist Pat Metheny, Sanchez globe- venture that he singlehandedly created in his
hops with his own dynamic unit, Migration, home studio. “One of the most fun parts for me
which has been touring his epic sixty-minute was getting out of my comfort zone—being this
Meridian Suite. Other recent projects include an completely different kind of drummer, producer,
improvisational quartet featuring saxophonist and musician,” Sanchez says. And, indeed, Bad
David Binney, bassist Matt Brewer, and guitarist Hombre is a must-hear, the work of a drummer/
Ben Monder, as well as an all-star unit that includes composer intent on discovering new sounds in his
Snarky Puppy guitarist/bassist Michael League and environment, and within himself. Antonio recently
top percussionist Pedrito Martinez. And a release sat with MD to talk about the album’s creation.

MD: You continually find new directions for I was able to peek into Hollywood a little bit.
your drumming, Birdman being a dramatic At the beginning I was a little standoffish,
example. Now Bad Hombre takes that thinking, Okay, if I’m going to be writing
trajectory to another level. Given today’s music for somebody else, how can I be writing
rapidly changing music world, what do you for myself? and It’s not artistic freedom
think the future of drumming is, and what because of all the parameters that you have to
do you think is the secret to survival in the follow when you write music for TV or film.
industry? But I talked about it with Alan Silvestri,
Antonio: It’s versatility. You have to have who’s an incredibly accomplished
your hands in many pies. Because if you’re Hollywood composer, and he said, “You
relying on one thing, it might dry up at any didn’t just open a door for yourself with
given moment. Birdman, you blew up the whole side of a
Experiencing the Birdman phenomenon, building! So if you want to take advantage
“These sticks are an extension of me. They

are an essential element of any encounter
I have with drums, cymbals, songs, stage,
sweat, energy, audience…the list is
endless! My musical experience on all
LARS ULRICH
fronts depends on these drumsticks.” METALLICA
of it, it’s there.”

So when the opportunity arose to buy a
house with a basement, I thought, Great—
I’m going to have a place to practice. Then
right when Birdman was happening, I got
a few offers to do some commercials. The
“drums only” concept was becoming a thing
because of Birdland and Whiplash, I guess.
Suddenly I was getting lots of offers. One
was an independent Spanish documentary
[Política, Manual de Instrucciones], and one
was a British film [The Hippopotamus]. I
thought maybe I could turn [my basement
space] into a recording studio for myself and
it could pay for itself very quickly.
So I set up the studio, and all of a
sudden I had this incredible laboratory
down there. Once I started experimenting
with the different possibilities, it was
almost overwhelming: You have no time
constraints, no money constraints. All you
have as a limit is your creativity.
MD: How did Bad Hombre evolve musically
from Birdman?
Antonio: In Birdman, it was great to hear
the drums up front, with some pads in the
background and atmospheric sounds. I
wanted to try my hand at doing my version
of that, but go all the way. I envisioned
WWW.AHEADDRUMSTICKS.COM | 818.727.1127 the drums being at the forefront, but with
something that hadn’t been done before:

Tools of the Trade
Sanchez plays a Yamaha PHX series drumkit and
Zildjian cymbals. He uses Remo heads, Zildjian
Antonio Sanchez Signature sticks, and Latin
Percussion products. I wanted to juxtapose really acoustic-
sounding drums with an all-electronic
background.
I didn’t want it to be just vamps; I didn’t
want it to be tunes—I wanted it to be
waves of energy, soundscapes. But I
wanted it to have shape and form and be
sonically gratifying, because I grew up
listening to very well-produced music—
rock, pop, and, later, electronic—and
honestly, I think jazz often lacks production
values. A lot of jazz albums sound like crap
to me because they’re recorded in one day,
mixed in one day, and mastered in one day.
It’s a huge difference when you take a little
bit more time.
Nowadays you can have the studio in
your laptop; the possibilities are mind-
boggling. It’s now about how you’re going
to use those tools for the betterment of
music and artistry—and yourself.
MD: Electronic projects can often sound
labored and stiff due to meticulous
programmed layering. But what struck
me most about Bad Hombre is the human
element, a sense of interaction. What was
the process?
Antonio: Every track was slightly different.

But the main idea was to record a bunch long improvisations, so I wanted to edit
of drums—and to have something in mind them down to something palatable. Once
when I sat down to play. For example, when I had a footprint of a good track that was
recording “Momentum,” I thought, I’m just interesting by itself, I would figure what
going to start playing and then speed up, and sounds would go with that.
that’s it—no click track, no nothing, just On some parts, once I had the drum
start with open soloing, go into a groove, tracks the way I liked them, I added bass,
then start elaborating on that groove and reacting to whatever I had previously
speed up. played. One of the clearest examples of
Whenever I was home for a couple days, that is “Fire Trail.” The only thing I had going
I would record a bunch of stuff and then when I recorded that is what you hear in the
bring it on the road with me. I’d listen to very beginning, an arpeggiator playing a
it with my Pro Tools rig and my laptop. pattern in 4/4. But even though it’s in four,
Then I would try to find shapes. I’d done my idea was to be thinking in 5/4 on the
“AHEAD Armor Cases make the best soft cases on

the planet. I use them for all my gear and even as
suitcases on all my tours.” – THOMAS LANG
drums, so it starts going over the barline for

a while before it comes back.
When I recorded the drums on that, I was
purposely being very spastic—trying to be
very unpredictable so that I would leave
spaces for me to fill some other way later. As
I was listening to it, I improvised bass on the
keyboards. [Then] I had arpeggiators going
on where I was improvising chord changes,
reacting to the drums and the bass. Once
I had that going, I added atmospheric
sounds on top. But the main idea was
for the human element to be there—to
interact with what I had just done and not
think about it too much, so that it would be
very spontaneous.
There are two tracks that I did the other
way around. I found a sound I liked and
started improvising with it, and found a
form in my head. Then I immediately went
to the drums and looked at the screen,
amplifying the track so that I could see the
events I had just recorded—because I hadn’t
learned them yet. So I was just seeing where
the events were going to hit in real time and
reacting to that.
MD: The track “BBO” is driven by nonstop,
WWW.AHEADARMORCASES.COM | 818.727.1127 super-fast snare work, using a myriad of
(C)&(P)PHOTO BY F.DESMAELE
textures.

a nasty thing to say that I wanted to unbelievable—like the Roy Haynes of acting.
balance it out with something beautiful He’s one of my role models, the first person I
and very Mexican. saw that could make a living doing what he
MD: That opening features a scratchy loved and support the whole family.
Mexican record with voice and guitar, and I had recorded a beat and a bass line
your beat fades in and syncs to it. Does and thought it would be so nice if I could
that old record hold special significance include something that was very personal,
for you? very Mexican, and what better than my
Antonio: [chuckles] Yes, very much so. grandfather. I went through some of the
What you hear is my grandfather’s voice. records he’d done, and it just so happened
He’s a very famous actor in Mexico. He’s that that one was in the right key for
ninety-two and still active. Right now my track. I said, Oh my God, this is all so
he’s doing two plays simultaneously. He’s fortuitous! It was like it was meant to be.
Antonio: For that, I found a sound that

I liked and started playing stuff in seven
without thinking about it too much. I took
it home and I wasn’t really sure of what
to do with it. But I kind of heard this fast
continuous thing underneath. So I recorded
a really fast snare drum part with two
snares. One was tuned very high and had a
little splash on top to make the [pitch] even
higher. The other was a deep snare.
I didn’t want to just play two bars and
loop it; I wanted it to be ever-changing. So
I did a few passes, going absolutely nuts on
the snares, playing 32nd notes for a long
time through the whole thing. Once I had
that bed, I created a completely new drum
track, doing a really fast bebop thing on
top. That’s the most experimental track.
MD: There’s a political aspect here. The
term bad hombre, for instance, was used by
Donald Trump in a presidential debate.
Antonio: It’s something personal for me
because I’m Mexican. I feel that President
Trump has belittled Mexican people right
from the get-go. I’m very outspoken when
it comes to that; I’m outraged, like a lot of
people. On the track “Bad Hombre Intro,”
I wanted to include Trump’s voice talking
about “bad hombres.” But [it was] such

Buddy Rich: A Timeline
N o player in history could
so confidently—and
inarguably—wear the title
1917
On September 30,
Bernard “Buddy”
Rich is born in the
of “the world’s greatest Sheepshead Bay
section of Brooklyn to
drummer.” Buddy Rich Robert and Bess Rich.
was simply a phenomenon,
astounding vaudeville
audiences in the late 1923
1910s and early ’20s, Buddy, now the second-
highest-paid child star in
well before most children the world, tours Australia 1938
began their conventional at age six. Rich joins the Tommy Dorsey
schooling. Orchestra, beginning a long personal,
artistic, and business relationship
Indeed, there was with singer Frank Sinatra.
nothing conventional about
Buddy Rich. On the drums, 1939
he simply went places that Buddy joins the big band
led by Artie Shaw, one of
no one else could go. For the most popular acts of the
sure, he knew the value of swing era.
dazzling an audience. But
Buddy also understood the
value of hard work, and 1917 1921 1923 1937 1938 1939 1942 1944
he was notorious for the
demands he put on himself
and on the players in his
bands.
Ultimately, it was his
loyalty to the music 1937
9PJOQVPUZOPZÄYZ[
and to the concept of major jazz group,
greatness that drove him. led by clarinetist
Even though he was paid Joe Marsala.
historically well early in his
career, later he risked his 1942
1921 Rich enlists in the Marine Corps
savings, his friendships, At four years old, Rich becomes known as in the midst of World War II.
and even his health taking “Traps, the Drum Wonder.”
He and drum instructor Henry
the music—his music—to Adler coauthor the popular
the people. What he left us method book Buddy Rich’s
Modern Interpretation of Snare
with was a treasure trove Drum Rudiments.
of recordings featuring the
most exciting drumming
of all time, a lifetime’s
worth of staggering
performances, and the
notion that magic, in the
form of drumming wizardry,
is a very real thing indeed.
Here we celebrate
the century that has
passed since the greatest
drummer of all time was
born.

1962
9PJOILNPUZOPZSVUN[PTL
friendship with TV stars
1VOUU`*HYZVUHUK4LY]
.YPɉU/L^PSSHWWLHYVU
1954 the variety shows hosted
1946 9PJOYLWVY[LKS`LHYUZH^LLR^P[O IÌV[OTLU[OYV\NOV\[
Frank Sinatra provides the Harry James Orchestra, making him the his career. Buddy’s
ÄUHUJPHSIHJRPUNMVY9PJO[V OPNOLZ[WHPKZPKLTHUPU[OL^VYSK ZHWWLHYHUJLZVU
Z[HY[OPZVÛIHUK *HYZVU»ZTonight Show
PUWHY[PJ\SHYPUÅ\LUJL
an entire generation of
drummers.
0U(WYPS)\KK`»ZVUS`JOPSK*H[O`PZIVYU
1946 1950 1953 1954 1955 1959 1962 1966 1968
1966
9PJOWLYMVYTZHIPN
1950 IHUKHYYHUNLTLU[
9PJOHWWLHYZVUTVZ[VM 1959 of a medley from
Bird and DizHZ[\KPVHSI\T 9PJOZ\ɈLYZOPZÄYZ[ Leonard Bernstein’s
I`*OHYSPL7HYRLYHUK+Paa` heart attack. West Side Story,
.PSSLZWPL4H_9VHJOWSH`Z and records it as
on two tracks. the “West Side
Story Suite” for the
HSI\TSwingin’
New Big Band.
1953
9PJOILNPUZH[^LS]L 1968
`LHYVUHNHPUVɈHNHPU 6ULVM9PJO»ZTVZ[WVW\SHY
stint with trumpet performances, a live recording
player Harry James. MYVT*HLZHYZ7HSHJLVM
¸*OHUULS6UL:\P[L¹PZMLH[\YLK
Buddy marries Marie VU[OLHSI\TMercy, Mercy
Allison on April 21.
1955
1944 9PJOHUK.LUL2Y\WH[OL[^VTVZ[
Buddy, following a popular drummers in the world at the
discharge from the [PTL[LHT\WMVY[OLHSI\TKrupa
Marines for medical and Rich. They appear on only one cut
reasons, rejoins together, “Bernie’s Tune,” which features
Tommy Dorsey. HZP_TPU\[LKY\TIH[[SLIL[^LLU[OL
two heavyweights.

Buddy Rich: A Timeline
1977
Buddy appears on
the cover of the debut
PZZ\LVM[OL^VYSK»ZÄYZ[
major drum magazine,
Modern Drummer.
1983
After playing Rogers, Slingerland,
HUK3\K^PNKY\TZH[KPɈLYLU[
points in his career, Buddy tours
with a custom kit built for him by
Drum Workshop.
1973 1974 1977 1980 1981 1983 1984 1985
1980
Rich is inducted into
the Modern Drummer
Hall of Fame.
1974
Rich opens 1981
his own New Buddy appears in an episode of The
York club, Muppet Show that features a drum 1984
Buddy’s battle with the Muppet character Rich’s grandson, Nick, is born
Place. Animal, whose drumming is provided on September 9.
by English musician Ronnie Verrell.
1973
PBS TV broadcasts
Buddy’s performance 1985
at the Top of the Plaza Mr. Drums: Live on King
in Rochester, New York. Street hits the shelves. It’s
0[»Z[OLÄYZ[^PKLS`ZLLU the last of Buddy’s albums
full-length concert by released during his lifetime.
the Rich band, and
subsequently becomes
a touchstone for
thousands of nascent
jazz drummers.

1998
Genesis drummer and solo
Z[HY7OPS*VSSPUZWLYMVYTZ
at a tribute concert
VYNHUPaLKI`*H[O`9PJO
A Salute to Buddy Rich,
which is later released
VU+=+;OLL]LU[HSZV
MLH[\YLZ:[L]L:TP[OHUK
+LUUPZ*OHTILYZ
2002
Rich appears
VU[OLJV]LYVM
the April issue of
Modern Drummer,
OPZÄM[O[PTL
1991
3VUN[PTLMYPLUKHUKJVUÄKHU[4LS
Tormé’s Buddy Rich biography,
Traps, The Drum Wonder, is 2012
released. 9PJOPZ]V[LK[OLNYLH[LZ[KY\TTLYVMHSS
time by Modern Drummer readers.
1987 1991 1994 1998 2002 2012 2014 2017
1994
Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy
Rich is released. Produced by Rush’s Neil Peart, the
HSI\TMLH[\YLZWLYMVYTHUJLZI`1VL4VYLSSV:[L]L
.HKK4H_9VHJO)PSS`*VIOHT+H]L>LJRS:PTVU
7OPSSPWZ:[L]L:TP[O2LUU`(YVUVɈHUK7LHY[ 2014
himself, accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band. ;OLWVW\SHYÄSTWhiplash
(ZLJVUK]VS\TLPZPZZ\LKPU is released, featuring music
recorded by Rich.
2017
*H[O`9PJOHSVUN^P[O.YLNN7V[[LYHUK[OL)\KK`9PJOIPN
IHUKJLSLIYH[LZ[OLO\UKYLK[OHUUP]LYZHY`VM)\KK`»ZIPY[O
^P[OZOV^ZPU3VZ(UNLSLZ5L^@VYR*P[`;L_HZ*OPJHNV
0[HS`HUK[OL<2
1987
On April 2, at age
sixty-nine, Rich
dies of heart failure,
following surgery for
a malignant brain
tumor.

c k e r
T u
Ru l e
The seasoned basher

reunites with Thursday,
backs a British boy
band, drives the bus
for Yellowcard, and
releases a solid new Story by Ben Meyer
Photos By John Fell
sample library.
T hirty-nine-year-old
New Jersey native
Tucker Rule has remained
more than busy since
his band Thursday—one
of the most successful
to emerge from the
brutally passionate
hardcore/emo/screamo
scene that took hold
on the East Coast in the
1990s—disbanded in
2012. Following a stint
backing British boy band
the Wanted and filling in
with Murphy’s Law and
My Chemical Romance,
the drummer toured
with pop-punk standouts
Yellowcard and recorded
an EP with famed
producer Ross Robinson
in the side project Get
Involved! Last year saw
Thursday reuniting for
several shows, and 2017
found the group on the
road for real. MD spoke
with the recently married
drummer, fresh off the
initial leg of the band’s
first tour in six years.

MD: What’s the status of the rebooted trying to get through this time right now. pretty much as active as you’d ever been,
Thursday? We might write a new record, we might not. correct?
Tucker: We just finished a month-and- We might do some more touring, we might Tucker: Absolutely. I didn’t have any real
a-half-long tour with Touché Amoré and not. It’s just kind of up in the air. If it wasn’t lapse, aside from a few months here and
Basement, which was awesome. People by the seat of our pants, it wouldn’t be how there. I’d think, I can’t wait to get home, and
have been asking what’s happening with we’ve always done it. then a week and a half later I’d want to be
the band, and the response is we’re just MD: During Thursday’s hiatus, you were back on tour.

Tools of the Trade
2
3
B E
4
A
1
C
5
D
Drums: Q Drum copper kit Heads: Remo X14 snare Hardware: DW 5000 series
in damask patina with maple batter (with Moongel stands and bass drum pedal
reinforcement rings for muffling) and Hazy with Low Boy wood beater
A. 7.5x14 brass snare Ambassador snare-side,
B. 10x14 tom CS Black Dot or White Dot Accessories: PureSound
C. 16x16 floor tom tom batters and Clear Custom 24-strand snare
D. 16x18 floor tom Ambassador resonants, and wires, Reflexx CP1
E. 14x26 bass drum Coated Powerstroke 3 bass Conditioning Pad, Big Fat The Official Drums of
drum batter (with Falam Snare Drum products, Jerry
Cymbals: Zildjian
1. 16" K Light hi-hats
Slam Pad and small towel
for muffling) and Smooth
Harvey Audio JH16 custom
in-ear monitors Chris
Johnson
2. 22" Avedis ride Ambassador front head
3. 24" K Light ride Tucker Rule teaches at
4. 22" K Light ride Sticks: Promark Forward reverblessons.com and can be
5. 22" K Kerope ride with Balance 5B 595 reached at reverblessons.com/
Promark R22 Cymbal Rattler instructors/tucker. Yamaha artist since 2006,
Chris Johnson has performed
alongside the biggest names
MD: So what did you do when Thursday played, so they took us around the world in music history. Along with his
stopped working? for three or four years. It was amazing. We incredible drumming talent, he
Tucker: Right when Thursday broke up, I did a bunch of television, and it was one of possesses a drive and encouraging
had the opportunity to be in the backing the craziest experiences of my life. It really attitude that makes him the first
group for this British boy band called the taught me to try to play as perfectly as call of several major producers
Wanted, which was a super-cool experience. you possibly can, because you’re under a and musical directors.
We did a show at the Gramercy Theatre in microscope. Chris has worked with such iconic
New York for a bunch of industry folk, and MD: You’re still playing realtively flat toms artists as Lady Gaga, Rhianna,
the boys in the band loved the way we and cymbals. Jennifer Lopez and Stevie Wonder
as well as his own solo projects.
Chris Johnson trusts Yamaha
Sample This drums to help bring his energy
to the worldwide stage.
Tucker Rule was recently approached by John captured with close mics, room mics, and multi-
Naclerio of Nada Recording and drumsamples. mic combos. The library includes presets for
com to create a sound library with his custom both Native Instruments’ Kontakt 5 sampler Get reacquainted with Chris here:
Q Drum Company kit. The library consists of and Steven Slate Drums’ Trigger 2.0 plugin. MD 4wrd.it/OfficialJohnson
more than 2,500 individual samples with an got to check out the library, and the snares
average of fifteen velocity layers and multiple alone are well worth the $34.99 price tag. The
articulations per instrument. Naclerio sampled kicks and toms sound huge and warm, and the
Rule’s custom copper-shell Q drumkit as well cymbals are dripping with character.
as a Q maple kit. Snare samples include Rule’s “This is something I’d always wanted to do,”
primary 7x14 brass Q snare, an 8x14 steel-shell Rule says, “but it’s hard to come up with the
Keplinger, a 6.5x14 Tama bell brass, a 5x14 funding to do a project like this. John hit me
Ludwig Supraphonic, a 7x14 Ayotte maple, a up and said that he wanted to do a sample
6.5x14 Ayotte steel, and a 7x14 Q aluminum library. There were a bunch of other drummers
that Rule favored on tour with Yellowcard. I knew that were [already] part of it. It kind of
Samples of Rule’s complete set of Zildjian K fell in my lap.” Visit drumsamples.com for more
www.yamahadrums.com
Custom Special Dry cymbals are also included, information.

Tucker Rule
Tucker: When I started playing in and I’ve always loved his playing. When
Yellowcard, there were a lot of faster fills Todd told me that he’d gotten Lars Weiss,
around the kit, so I started tilting the rack the bass player from Judge, I asked who
tom a little more toward me just to make it else was involved. He said that Brian
easier to get between the toms. Everything Deneeve [From Autumn to Ashes] was
else is the same. I played the same cymbals playing, and I was like, Cool, all my friends—
TWO NEW with the pop band as I did with Yellowcard, let’s do this!
KEG
which are the same ones I play with Since Glassjaw had done a record with
Thursday. All rides, all the time! [laughs] My Ross Robinson, we decided to have him
kit is all Bonham sizes. produce our EP. It was awesome, a crazy
MODELS MD: And you’re still tilting your snare down

and away from you.
experience. He’s a super-deep dude and
really knows how to get it
Same dimensions as our top- Tucker: That started out of you. I was terrified
selling 5A and 5B but with a when I got tired of buying at first. I was like, I know
Keg / Barrel shaped tip for great new jeans, because I he hates drummers and
cymbal articulation and tone. would either soak them in he’s going to beat me up.
Now available through your local blood or rip holes in them But he was super-cool.
Vater Drumstick dealer. where my snare hand I thought that I’d really
would hit. So I raised it, trimmed the fat and
but I didn’t like the angle. I created rhythmic hooks
figured out along the way that a producer would
that I preferred the sound appreciate, and he was
of a rimshot, because a like, “Play more. More
lot of the stuff I played, I fills, more everything.” I
KEG 5A
L 16" • 40.64cm D .570" • 1.45cm
was fighting loud guitars.
Playing rimshots helps
learned a lot from that
experience.
me be loud enough to cut MD: How has getting
VHK5AW through the music. married affected your
MD: So tilting the drum career goals?
away from you helped you get a consistent Tucker: It has and it hasn’t. My wife’s
rimshot? always been really supportive. She
Tucker: Yeah, and it turned out to be understands that I take this really seriously,
comfortable for me somehow. Though as sometimes way too seriously, and she
I angled it, it got to a place where no one allows our spare bedroom to be filled with
KEG 5B
L 16" • 40.64cm D .605" • 1.54cm
else could play my drums! [laughs]
MD: Talk about your relationship with Q
drums and other crap that I collect. I guess
this is something that every drummer and
Drum Company. Did you move directly musician says, but now if I’m going to leave
VHK5BW from C&C to them? the house, it’s got to be for something
Tucker: I did. When I was with the boy that’s really awesome and for the good
band I got in touch with Ilan Rubin [Nine of the whole. I try to take everything that
Inch Nails], who’s part owner of Q Drum makes sense. I just love playing drums, and
Company, and I asked him if he could if I get an opportunity I’m going to take it,
put me in touch with Jeremy Berman, and she usually has my back.
co-owner and builder with Q. I’d been MD: Part of being a musician is realizing
sweating them for few years. Thursday did that we can’t play like we’re twenty forever.
a tour with Taking Back Sunday a bunch of Have you had any hand or wrist problems
years ago, and [Ilan’s solo project] the New over the years?
Regime was the opener. His live drummer, Tucker: No, thankfully I haven’t. It’s kind
TACKY SACK Hayden Scott, had one of the first Q kits,

and I thought it sounded awesome. I fell
of ridiculous, but I attribute it to playing
larger cymbals over the years. There’s so
VTS in love with them, and once I saw that much give in them that you can bend them
A grip enhancing rosin powder that they were making metal drums with with your hand. And I’ve always tried to
absorbs moisture and provides added riveted seams, I decided that I needed one keep up with my technique and figure out
control of your drumsticks while performing of these kits. Ilan is a good bud of mine, how to evolve it. I always stretch a bunch
in humid and sweaty conditions. Gently and Jeremy’s become a close friend, so it’s before shows, and I just recently started
“clap” your hands on the Tacky Sack to worked out really nicely. using the Reflexx CP1 pad. It’s really gotten
apply rosin powder to your palms. Cord MD: How did Get Involved! come about, me into stretching and playing more
included to hang Tacky Sack from your and what was it like working with producer rudiments. I think it’s what’s kept me from
snare drum, stick bag, hardware etc. Ross Robinson? ripping up my hands on this last Thursday
Tucker: Get Involved! was a project with tour. You can get more power from hitting
#SWITCHTOVATER my friend Todd Weinstock, who used to just as hard with better technique.
play in Glassjaw. We’ve always been close
VATER.COM
ON STAGE
Fishbone’s GEARING UP AND UP CLOSE
Interview by Dave Previ
Photos by Heather Courtney
Philip “Fish” Fisher

Drums: DW Collectors Series with Cymbals: Zildjian
maple shells in Classic Teal Marine 1. 15" K Light hi-hats
wrap 2. 19" Constantinople crash
A. 5x14 black-nickel brass snare 3. 19" K Custom Dark Thin crash
B. 14" LP Tito Puente timbale 4. 12" Zil-Bel
C. 9x12 tom 5. 22" Constantinople Medium ride
D. 16x16 floor tom 6. 18" K Custom Dark crash
E. 18x20 bass drum 7. 13" K Custom Hybrid hi-hats
8. 20" Oriental China Trash
Sticks: Promark 747 Hickory “Fishstick”
Heads: Remo Vintage Coated
Hardware: DW 9000 series pedals, Ambassador batters on all drums,
stands, throne, and remote hi-hat Clear Ambassador tom resonants, DW
vented on front of kick
Philip “Fish” Fisher recently returned to legendary ska/funk/punk band

Fishbone after a sixteen-year hiatus, during which time the drummer played
with Justin Timberlake, House of Pain, Lady Antebellum, and Christina
Aguilera. Fish stepped back into the band for a tour to commemorate the
twentieth anniversary of the 1996 release Chim Chim’s Badass Revenge.
Fishbone is a large band that’s known for putting on high-energy shows,
and Fish often sets up sideways. “Nobody was doing that [at the time], and
it worked better sonically,” he says. “The mics didn’t catch as much cymbal
bleed in the smaller rooms we were playing. It started at Madam Wong’s in
L.A., where Fishbone did its first gig. I looked at the stage and said, I’m going
to set up sideways, and it stuck.”
When asked why he plays large cymbals, Fish replies, “The bigger the
cymbal, the wider the tonal range. I don’t like the sound of fast, short,
small cymbals. I like to use various techniques to get all kinds of sounds
out of them.
“I choose my snare based upon the environment,” Fish continues. “If I’m playing outside, I’m probably going to use a wood drum. If the gig is inside, I’m most likely
going to use metal.” The snare Fish used on the night this interview was conducted has a brass shell. “It has the right amount of clang, cut, and body,” he says.
Fishbone is a powerful band, but Fish chooses to kick it with a smaller bass drum. “The 20" is my favorite size,” he says. “My first recording was on a 20" drum, and
everybody was surprised at the tone I got out of it. Most drummers were using bigger drums, which gave them a bigger click but less tone. I’ve always loved to have
some tone in my kick.”
The entire setup, including the timbale and bell, is an exact replica of what Fish used in 1996 during the original Chim Chim’s Badass Revenge tour. “Truth be told,” says
Fish, “that’s the same head on the timbale from the record date.”
4
5 6
C
2
1
E 7
8
A
D
B
BASICS
Odd Groupings in Four-Bar Phrases
Trading Fours With Threes, Fives, and Sevens
by Joel Rothman
One of the basic skills required for playing jazz is the ability to trade fours, or improvise four-bar solos, with
other members of a band. In this lesson we’ll look at some possible approaches to trading fours in 4/4 using
three-, five-, and seven-beat phrases. The bass drum is omitted in this lesson, so play any kick pattern that you
feel is comfortable and appropriate.
Three-Beat Groupings
Four bars of 4/4 contain sixteen beats in which to solo. Five phrases of a repeated three-beat figure in 4/4 take
up fifteen beats, leaving one beat left over at the end of the phrase.

‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœ œ‹ œœœ‹ œœœ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ‹ œœœ
÷ 44 Œ
5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 /
Instead of having the one-beat rest at the end of the four-bar phrase, it can be placed between any of the five
three-beat figures. An example is notated in Exercise 2, but also try placing the rest between the other three-
beat groupings.

‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœ œ‹ œœœ‹ œœœ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ

Œ ‹ œœœ œœœ
‹
÷ 44
5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 /
To make this lesson’s examples musical, trade fours with yourself by playing four bars of jazz time between
each solo.

‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹
4
÷4 ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
Five-Beat Groupings
Next we’ll work with groupings of five beats. Three five-beat figures take up fifteen beats, once again leaving a
one-beat rest at the end of the phrase. Just as we did with three-beat groupings, try moving the rest in between
each of the five-beat phrases.

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ œœœ‹ œ‹ œœœ‹ ‹ œ‹ œœœ ‹ œ‹ œœœ‹ Œ
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5
Combining Three- and Five-Beat Groupings

We can also combine three- and five-beat phrases within four-bar solos. Two three-beat figures and two five-
beat figures take up a total of sixteen beats in 4/4. There are six possible permutations using this combination.
Remember to trade fours with yourself by playing four bars of jazz time between each notated solo.

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
5 / / 5 / / 5 / / 5 / / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ
5 / / 5 / / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ ‹ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ
5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / /

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ ‹ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹
5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 / / 5 / / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ
5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 / / 5 / /

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ
5 / / 5 / / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / /
Trading Fours With Groups of Seven

In 4/4, two seven-beat groupings take up fourteen beats, leaving two beats to either rest or improvise at the end
of the phrase. Try moving the two-beat break to different points in the following phrase.

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œœ œ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ œœœ ‹ Ó
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5
Combining each of the three-, five-, and seven-beat figures in 4/4 takes up fifteen beats, leaving a rest that can
be moved to different positions in the phrase. Experiment with moving these figures around to create different
four-bar phrases. Also try developing your own four-bar solos in 4/4 that incorporate the concepts in this lesson.
Have fun!
Joel Rothman is the author of nearly 100 drum and percussion books, which sell worldwide
through his company, JR Publications. For more info, visit joelrothman.com.

STRICTLY TECHNIQUE
STRICTLY TECHNIQUE
Hybrid Rudimental Ritual

Variations on a Classic Method
by Mike Alfieri
The following material is an addendum to legendary drummer and educator Alan Dawson’s
rudimental ritual, an exercise for jazz independence that combines the standard rudiments
into a single routine that’s played over a foot ostinato. (For Dawson’s original ritual, check out
John Ramsay’s book The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary as Taught by Alan Dawson.) Since the
inception of Dawson’s work, the standard rudiments have evolved into new combinations of
sticking patterns, which are referred to as hybrid rudiments. Modern rudimental and drumset
Saulmon C. Addison
players use these hybrid stickings to expand their vocabulary and refine their control.
A few of the ideas present in Dawson’s ritual are exactly the same as the contemporary
hybrid rudiments. For instance, let’s look at the hybrid rudiment known as the cheese (Exercise 1). To
perform this combination, double the primary note of a flam. This rudiment seems modern and hip,
but Alan’s students were playing cheeses in the ’60s—though they referred to them as flam dadas.

÷ 44 œj œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œ
j
œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œ
j
œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œ
j
œ œ œ œj œ œ œ
O 5 5 / U / / 5 O 5 5 / U / / 5 O 5 5 / U / / 5 O 5 5 / U / / 5
Without a standard list, the etymology of the hybrids is lost, and we find many homophones—
rudiments with different names that are essentially the same.
Included in this lesson are hybrids that can stand alone, rather than simply be viewed as variations
of standard rudiments. Start practicing this list at a tempo of around 72 bpm, and play either of the
following foot ostinatos underneath the hands.

÷ 44 œ .. .. ..
‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ ‹ œ œ‹ ‹ œ œ‹ ‹ œ œ‹ ‹ œ œ‹ ‹ œ
In the following exercise, note that not all flams are accented. The accents dramatically change the
type of stroke you use and will reveal new technical challenges.
Inexhaustible variations can be created by inverting the stickings, displacing accents, changing
subdivision rates, doubling strokes, adding flams, and so on. Be creative and discover your own
hybrid rudiments. And remember, always practice consistently and with focus.
Here’s the ritual.
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
Egg beater
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5
/ / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / /
> > > > >

Var. 1
> > > > > > > > > > > > > >
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 5 5 / / 5 / 5
/ / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / / / 5 5 / 5 /
> > > > > > > >

Book report
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj œ œ œ ..
j j j j j j j
5 5 / O 5 5 5 / / 5 U / / / 5 5 / O5 5 5 / / 5 U/ / / 5 5 / O 5 5 5 / / 5 U/ / / 5 5 / O5 5 5 / / 5 U/ / /

Grandma
> > > > > > > > > >
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 / /
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ ..
5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5 5 / 5 5 / / 5 / / 5
> > > > > > > > > >
Flam drag
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
œ
j j j j j j j j j j
O5 / / 5 U/ 5 5 / O5 / / 5 U/ 5 5 / O5 / / 5 U/ 5 5 / O5 / / 5 U/ 5 5 / O5 / / 5 5 U/ 5 5 / /
> > > > > > > > > > > >
Single-hand flam drag Patty flam five
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
j j j j j j j j j j j j
O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 5 / O5 5 / / 5 U/ O5 5 / / 5 U/
U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / / 5 U/ / 5 5 / O5 U/ / 5 5 / O5
>
Ta-cha-da
> > > > > > > > > Ta-cha-dada
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j j j j j
œ
j
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj œ œj œ œ ..
j j j j
5 U/ 5 / O5 / 5 U/ 5 / O5 / 5 U/ 5 / O5 / 5 U/ 5 / O5 / 5 U/ O5 5 / O5 U/ /
> > > > > >

Shirley Murphy

÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / / 5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / / 5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / /

÷œœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœ

5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / / 5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / / 5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / / 5 / / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / / /
> > > > > > > > > > > > > >
Chutra-cheese
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œjœ œjœ ..
œ
j j j j j j j j j j j j
O5 / / 5 U/ / 5 U/ 5 5 / O5 5 / O5 / / 5 U/ / 5 U / 5 5 / O5 5 / O5 / / 5 U/ / 5 U/ 5 5 / O5 5 / O5 U/
Alternating flams
÷ .. œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ
O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/ O5 U/

÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj œ ..
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j
O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U / O 5 U /
Mike Alfieri is a freelance drummer in New York City and has a bachelor’s degree in music education from the
Crane School of Music. He currently studies with John Riley at SUNY Purchase. For more info, visit mikealfieri.net.

ROCK PERSPECTIVES
STYLE AND ANALYSIS
“Walkin’”
Tony Williams’ Technique, Language, and Innovations
by Ruben Bellavia
>
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ œ œ œ‹
‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 44 œ œ

œ œ
In private lessons with educators such as John Riley, Ari
Hoenig, and Greg Hutchinson, I learned how important it is to
understand and embrace the conventions of the jazz idiom.
The great jazz drummers of the past invented and developed ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
a new musical language. And in order to understand any At 1:38, all four limbs are comping. Similar combinations
language, you have to listen to it carefully, imitate it, and can be found in Four-Way Coordination by Marvin Dahlgren
then internalize its vocabulary. In this lesson we’ll examine a and Elliot Fine and in Advanced Techniques for the Modern
portion of the jazz drumming lexicon by taking a look at Tony Drummer by Jim Chapin.
‹ ‹
œ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹
Williams’ performance on “Walkin’” from the 1964 live Miles
÷ 44 œ
Davis album “Four” & More.
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
During a speech he made at a 1985 Zildjian Day
performance, Williams said that his idea of a perfect drummer
included the technique of Max Roach, the groove of Art Blakey,
and the creativity of Philly Joe Jones. Williams explained that
‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‹ œ‹
he learned entire performances by Roach, Jones, and Blakey
÷
by ear. This was illuminating, and I thought, If I transcribe Tony
‹ œ ‹ œ
Williams, I could also learn from each drummer he studied.
“Walkin’” is a very fast up-tempo blues. Every week I
tried to learn four measures of the tune at eighty percent
of the original speed. Gradually I linked phrases together Language
and increased the tempo. Once I learned the drum solo and Williams’ vocabulary reveals a deep knowledge of the bebop
the comping during Miles’ solo, I wrote out the parts. By language. The strong influence of Jimmy Cobb, Max Roach,
thoroughly studying this track, I was able to notice many and Philly Joe Jones can be clearly heard. These excerpts
different aspects of Tony’s playing. illustrate some references to the bebop vocabulary while
pushing the ideas further.
Technique At 0:19, you can hear Williams’ bebop comping. Max Roach
and Kenny Clarke often played these ideas.
>
One of Tony’s signature phrases includes a fast combination of
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹œ œ‹ ‹ ‹œ œ‹ ‹ œ‹
five consecutive ride notes. The figure is repeated in “Walkin’”
÷ 44 ( œ)

>
with different variations. Here’s an example that starts at 0:16.
(‹ ) ‹ ‹ ‹ ( œ‹) ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ œ œ
÷ 44 œ œ‹ You can hear this next figure played by Jimmy Cobb on
F some live Miles Davis recordings from the late ’50s and early
’60s. You can end this fill on beat 4 or the downbeat of the
Williams adds the bass drum on the first 8th note at 0:34. following measure (0:50).
>
÷ 44 œ‹ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 44 Œ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ( œ‹) ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹

œ
At 1:30, the snare replaces one of the cymbal strokes.
F
Williams makes it seem like there are still five notes on the At 1:35, Tony plays a rimclick on the fourth beat, which is
ride by balancing the dynamics between the bass drum, typical of Art Blakey and other hard-bop drummers.
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ( œ‹) ‹ ‹‹ ‹
snare, and ride.
÷ 44

>
‹ ‹
4
÷4 œ ( œ‹) ‹ œ ‹
Innovations
Tony reinvented comping by introducing polyrhythms,
In this passage, Williams incorporates all four limbs into a implied modulations, and longer phrases. “Walkin’” features
phrase, which is another of his trademarks (0:47). a few of these moments. Check out how he phrases two- and
three-note groupings at 0:36.

‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‹
At 1:07, Tony creates an alternating effect between hi-hat
÷ 44
splashes and the snare.
œ ‹
4 ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹
÷4

‹ ‹o +‹ ‹ ‹o +‹
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹
÷œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ This powerful fill at 1:16 isn’t resolved until beat 4 of the
>
following measure.
> > > > > > > ‹ ‹ ‹ >‹

There’s another example of three-note groupings at 0:57.
‹ ‹
4œ

‹ ÷4 œ œ œ
4œ
÷4 œ‹ œ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‹ œ‹ œ‹ œ‹ œ œœ œœœ
œ œ œ œ œ f
>

‹ œ‹ œ‹ œ‹ ‰ j œ‹ œ‹ œ‹ Œ œ
÷ œ œ œ œ
Barbara Ferrando
Ruben Bellavia plays with international jazz musicians
including Antonio Faraò, Fabio Giachino, and Fabrizio
Bosso, among others. Bellavia endorses Inima snare
ONLINE LESSON drums, Istanbul Agop cymbals, and Vater drumsticks.
moderndrummer.com
For more info, visit rubenbellavia.com.
ONLINE CALL CENTER SUPERSTORE

INTERSTATEMUSIC.COM 5)/"5*0/"-"7& .*-8"6,&& 8*t
JAZZ DRUMMER’S
JAZZ DRUMMER’S WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP
Tony Williams’ Concepts

Developing Tension and Release
by Matt Fisher
Tony Williams redefined the role of the modern jazz drummer with his original and innovative vocabulary.
This lesson presents some of the central themes of his lexicon as heard on the up-tempo version of “So
What” from the Miles Davis record “Four” & More and provides some practical applications of these ideas.
Williams turned traditional bebop drumming on its head by freeing up the role of the drummer. He
extended the parameters of a drummer’s activity with polyrhythmic command and technical virtuosity.
Tension and Release

Central to Williams’ playing is the idea of tension and release, a common feature of jazz music that displaces
the listener’s musical expectations. Tony often obscures the pulse by varying the continuity of the meter. He
then reverts back to a simpler rhythm in which the meter is much more explicit, providing a resolution for
the listener. Implying a new meter by superimposing rhythmic groupings over the original pulse became a
significant feature of his style.
Williams causes one of the first extended moments of rhythmic tension in “So What,” at the beginning of
the first chorus of Herbie Hancock’s piano solo (5:58). Tony fragments the pulse with a five-beat quarter-note
rhythmic cycle, notated in Exercise 1.

÷ 44 Œ Û Œ Û Û Œ Û Œ Û Û Œ Û Œ Û Û Œ Û Œ Û Û

The cycle repeats three times, followed by further development of the idea in measure five. Due to the five-
beat cycle’s repetition, the quarter notes recur in different places in each bar, causing displacement of the
meter. As a result, the listener gets the sensation that beat 1 is lost.
The repeated figure in the following example also suggests a common 4/4 jazz ride pattern that starts on
beat 2.
‹ ‹
4 Œ œ‹ Œ œ‹ œ‹ Œ œ‹ Œ œ‹ œ‹ Œ œ‹ Œ œ‹ œ‹ Œ œ‹ Œ œ‹ Œ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹z
÷4 Œ œ Œ œ Œ œ œ Œ
‹o +‹

Displacement Application Exercise

In the following exercise we’ll play four bars of jazz time, then the five-beat displacement rhythm, repeated
three times, followed by a return to the original feel. The hi-hat foot is played on beat 3 of each five-note
cycle to enhance the effect of the implied slower tempo.

‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
4
÷4 ‰ ‰ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ œ ..
‹ ‹ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‹ ‹ ‹
Next we’ll apply the five-note grouping to 16th notes to imply a faster tempo. This exercise works better at
medium and fast tempos. Initially you may want to play ghost notes between the ride cymbal notes, and play
the bass drum on beat 1 of each bar.

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ œœ.
4
÷4 ‰ ‰ ≈ ≈ .
‹ ‹ ‘ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
To further emphasize the new meter, try putting the hi-hat on the implied beats 2 and 4, as notated in
Exercise 5.

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ œœ.
4
÷4 ‰ ‰ ≈ ≈ ≈ .
‹ ‹ ‘ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
Dotted Quarter–Note Superimpositions
Williams generates another implied decrease in tempo in the piano solo at 6:22 by using dotted quarter
notes. Here’s what he plays.
‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹
÷ 44 œ Œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ Œ
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
Check out how Tony’s ride lines up with a dotted quarter–note rhythm.
‹ ‹ ‹ Œ ‹ ‹ ‹ Œ ‹ ‹ ‹ Œ ‹ ‹ ‹ Œ
÷ 44 Û . Û. Û Û Û. Û. Û Û Û. Û.
J J
Similar to the five-beat rhythmic cycle, Williams again creates the illusion of a slowed-down jazz ride
pattern. This became an integral part of the drummer’s vocabulary throughout his time with Miles Davis.
Implied Metric Modulation Exercises

To get comfortable with dotted-quarter-note-modulations, start with the following exercise.
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ( œ) ( œ) ‹ ( œ) ‹ ‹ ( œ) ( œ) ‹ ( œ) ‹ ‹ ( œ) ( œ) ‹ ( œ) ‹ ‹ ( œ) ( œ) ‹ ( œ) ‹ ‹ ( œ)
÷ 44 œ ( œ) ( œ) ( œ) œ ‹ œ ‹ œ ‹
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
Removing the ghost notes leaves a dotted quarter–note jazz ride pattern, as notated in the second half of
the next exercise. Play four bars of time followed by four bars of the implied dotted-quarter-note rhythm.
To start, play the bass drum on beat 1 and the hi-hat on beats 2 and 4. You may prefer to at first play the
sticking from Exercise 8 while playing the left hand on a quiet surface, such as your knee, to help you hear
j j j
the subdivisions. These exercises work well in medium and fast tempos.

‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‰‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ .
4
÷4 ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
‹ ‹ ‘ ‘ ‘ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ .
Now let’s keep the hi-hat foot on beats 2 and 4 while playing the bass drum on the implied beat 1.
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹

j j j j j
4 ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ .
÷4 ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
‹ ‹ ‘ ‘ ‘ œ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ .
j j j j j j j j j j
Finally, move both the hi-hat and the bass drum to the implied tempo.

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‰‹‰‹‹ ‰‹‰‹ ‹ ‰‹ ‰‹‹ ‰‹‰‹ ‹ ‰‹‰‹‹ .
4
÷4 ‰ ‰ .
‹ ‹ ‘‘‘ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹
Try playing these exercises over eight-bar (or more) forms to produce a longer duration of tension.
Matt Fisher has performed and collaborated with Tina May, Jacqui Dankworth, Najma Akhtar, and Steve
Waterman, among others, and has toured internationally. Matt is also an educator, an examiner for
Trinity College London, and an adjudicator for the International ArtsGames Drumming Federation held
in Canada. He endorses Kandu cajons.

ROCK PERSPECTIVES
ROCK PERSPECTIVES
A New Perspective
Displacing Four-Over-Three Polyrhythms ONLINE LESSON
by Aaron Edgar moderndrummer.com
The four-over-three polyrhythm comprises four equally straightforward groove, but maintain the notated hi-hat and
spaced notes and three equally spaced notes played ride cymbal pattern throughout both phrases. Try to maintain
simultaneously. We can build one by using a subdivision that the same pulse from the basic groove when you play the
both sides of the rhythm can fit within evenly. A measure of polyrhythmic variations.
16th notes in 3/4 gives us twelve notes that are evenly divisible
‹ ‹ ‹œ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹. œ ‹ ‹ .
÷ 43 œ œ .
by both four and three. By playing quarter notes, we get the

.
three side of the polyrhythm. The four side is created by
accenting every third 16th note.
Exercise 1 demonstrates a four-over-three polyrhythm ‹ ‹ ‹
‹. ‹ ‹ ‹ œ. ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹œ‹ .
applied to the bass drum and snare with a 16th-note hi-hat
÷ 43 œ . œ

.
pattern that ties the rhythm together.
‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ œ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 43 œœ

œ œ ..
‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹. œ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ. ‹ ‹ œ .
÷ 43 œ

In the previous example, both sides of the polyrhythm start
‹ ‹ ‹ .
on the beat. Within a 16th-note framework, you can displace
the four side to start on either the “e” or “&” of beat 1. If you
start Exercise 1 on either beat 2 or beat 3, you’ll see these Once you’ve mastered Exercises 5–7, try accenting each
permutations. snare note individually. For example, play Exercise 5 and ghost
The possibilities get especially interesting when you displace all the snare notes except the third. Do this for each snare
the four side by one 32nd note, as notated in Exercise 2. note in the exercise, and come up with your own grooves that
Exercises 3 and 4 demonstrate the two remaining offbeat 32nd- feature your favorite accents.
note positions. This next exercise adds a bass drum ostinato and moves the
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ > >
four side of the polyrhythm around the drumkit.
÷ 43 œ œ

œœ œ œ œ ..
‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹. œ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ. ‹ ‹ .
÷ 43 œ

œ.
‹ œ œ. ‹ œ œ ‹ œ
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 43 œ œ

œœ œœ œ .. Next let’s explore all of the possible permutations of this
rhythm by playing a double bass pattern and splitting the four-
‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
over-three polyrhythm between our hands. In Exercise 9, the
÷ 43 œ

œ œ œ œœ œ ..
four side starts on the beat with our left hand on a rack tom.
The three side, which so far has been represented by a quarter
note on the bass drum or hi-hat foot, can also be displaced to
any of the eight 32nd-note partials within each beat. We’ll push
Practice these exercises slowly, count the 16th notes out the three side forward by one 32nd note with our right hand on
loud, and focus on making the four side of the polyrhythm a floor tom between the first and second bass drum notes of
even. You’re looking for the patterns to groove on autopilot each beat.
until the four side of the polyrhythm feels evenly spaced. Keep
÷ 43 œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ

.
œ œ œ œ œ .
œ
your hi-hat and bass drum solid while running through all six
œ œ
variations.
When practicing advanced rhythmic concepts, developing
them within a groove gives us a musical context. If you
alternate between an ordinary 16th-note hi-hat beat and the Similar to how we accented each individual note of the four
exercises in this lesson, you can home in on how the pocket side in Exercises 5–7, try replacing each of the rack tom notes
is supposed to feel. Make sure the polyrhythm remains in Exercise 9 with the snare. In Exercise 10, the fourth rack
consistent. tom note is played as a snare accent to create a syncopated
Next we’ll incorporate a familiar ride pattern. Our hi-hat foot groove. Be sure to practice these examples into and out of more
will play the “&” of each beat and represent the three side. standard 16th-note double bass grooves.
Practice exercises 5–7 by alternating each pattern with a

>
œ œ œ
÷3 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ ..
The next example pushes the four side forward by one
32nd note. The polyrhythm is now played entirely between
the 16th-note double bass pattern. Go slowly, practice with
a metronome, and make sure the rhythm sits evenly. Once
comfortable, move each partial of the polyrhythm to an
accented snare to isolate and solidify the feel of each note.
÷ 43 œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..

œ œ œ œ œ œ
With your right hand between the first and second kick of
each beat, experiment with the remaining permutations of the
four side on the rack tom.
Within this double bass framework, you can work your way
through each permutation of both sides of the polyrhythm.
The application of these rhythms and the context in which you
practice them is only limited by your imagination. Exercise 12
demonstrates an offbeat variation that forms a tom melody
>
between the bass drum pattern.
÷ 43 œ œ œ œ œ

œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
>
> ‹
œ œ œ œ .
÷œ œœ
œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ .
Now we’ll voice the three side on the “e” of each beat and
play four aggressive snare accents. Exercise 13 demonstrates
a displaced feel when alternated with a more common 16th-
note double bass groove. In Exercise 14, the snare pattern is
pushed forward one 32nd note and lands entirely between the
double bass pattern.
‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ
÷ 43 œ œ œ

œ .
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .
‹ ‹ ‹
÷ 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..

œ œ œ
Come up with your own ways of voicing these rhythms
musically while you work through the remaining variations.
Think dynamically and musically while you explore these new
rhythms to expand your own creativity.
Aaron Edgar plays with the Canadian prog-
metal band Third Ion and is a session drummer,
clinician, and author. He teaches weekly live
lessons on Drumeo.com. You can find his book,
Boom!!, as well as information on how to sign
up for private lessons, at aaronedgardrum.com.

CONCEPTS
Visualize
Get Set Up for Success Before You Hit the Stage
by Mark Schulman
Professional high diver been afraid,” she says. “It’s This is a method people audience. Try visualizing
Lucy Streeter stared down freedom to me. It’s flying use to find success for the crowd as being full
120 feet and nine inches to through the air, and I feel specific behaviors or of loving allies. Grammy-
the water below from her like I’m a bird. I just love events. It’s the foundation nominated saxophonist
one-square-foot perch— speed, and I love the wind for positive thinking, and Dave Koz always thinks of
and jumped. The speed in my face. Before I [jump], athletes, speakers, soldiers, an audience this way. “They
as she descended clocked I see myself doing a flip, and actors frequently can’t wait to love you,” Koz
in at nearly eighty miles landing perfectly straight up use it to enhance their once told me. “So instead
per hour. She claims to and down, and squeezing performances. Visualization of worrying that people will
have had no fear, that she’s as tight as I possibly can— practices are also a common hate you, remind yourself
“tough as nails.” because your body can be form of spiritual exercise. that they’re just waiting
Streeter jumped from the ripped apart as soon as you In Vajrayana Buddhism, to love you. Then all you
cliffs of Acapulco, where hit the water. I see myself complex visualizations are need is to go out there and
divers have to time their coming up and waving and a very important part of the be yourself. If you have
jump to an approaching smiling to the crowd. That’s practice. that confidence going in, it
wave and clear twenty-two always huge.” There are a number of makes jumping off the cliff
feet of distance away from Streeter’s process employs ways to use visualization easier because you know
the cliff, or end up smashing visualization, which means to gain clarity, especially that they’re there with the
into the rocks below. But, “I using your imagination when cultivating a net.”
can’t tell you that I’ve ever to create mental images. relationship with your
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Action Step memory bigger and brighter human thought.
Close your eyes and spend a in my mind. The general Some modern
minute breathing in for five function behind this—other scientists argue
seconds and then out for five than mood control—is that quantum
seconds. Continue breathing to accomplish goals. You physics supports
slowly, and conjure images of visualize yourself achieving this as well. Bristol’s
people you love and who love a particular objective and explanation is that
you. Imagine these people are focus on that visualization a person with a
in the audience of your next until you’ve achieved it in strong belief exists
gig, loving everything you real life. In theory, this allows with a certain
do. Now imagine everyone you to focus on a particular vibration that seeks
else in the audience loving goal more fully and achieve it those with similar
everything you do. Own and more readily. frequencies.
absorb their appreciation for In the book Change Your My conclusion
you. Life With NLP, Lindsey is this: You can’t
Sian Beilock writes about Agness writes that the achieve deep-felt
visualization in the book conscious mind is the goal- goals by action
Choke: What the Secrets of the setter, and the unconscious alone. You are
Brain Reveal About Getting mind is the goal-getter. helped along the Mark Schulman is a first-call drummer
It Right When You Have To. The key is to allow your way by the quality who’s played for Pink, Foreigner, Cher,
Beilock points out that sports unconscious mind to achieve and intensity of Billy Idol, Sheryl Crow, and Stevie
whatever you focus on with the beliefs that you Nicks. For more information, go to
trainers often suggest that markschulman.com.
athletes associate thoughts your conscious mind. Just hold.
of love and family with the be careful where you place
adrenaline rush they get your attention, because it will
during performances. It manifest itself—positively or
reduces their chances of negatively.
messing up, because instead Claude Bristol was a
of associating that adrenaline forerunner on these ideas
with reasons to fail, they about visualization in the
associate it with positive 1940s, expanding on 19th-
thoughts. century principles that
Dr. Richard Bandler suggested there’s intelligence
models the conscious and in everything that exists in
unconscious patterns unique the universe. In the book The
to each of us in such a way Magic of Believing, Bristol
that we are continuously argued that we’re all linked by
moving toward a higher a universal mind. Psychiatrist
potential. His neuro- Carl Jung had a similar idea,
linguistic programming (NLP) which he referred to as the
creates change in people as collective unconscious. He
they respond to and utilize theorized that the beliefs of
what they think (neuro), what individuals were quantifiable
they say (linguistic), and and could directly impact
what they do (programming). the minds of other people.
The process is all about So the more powerfully you
visualization. broadcast your thoughts, the
I’ve had some positive more likely the world would
experiences using NLP pick up on them and react
techniques from motivational accordingly.
speaker Tony Robbins. Astrophysicist Sir Arthur
In one, I think of a happy Eddington was sure that the
memory, note how I feel physical laws of the universe
about it, and then make that could be influenced by

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The new Tune-Bot Studio unit offers
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Tama
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This new hi-hat stand is said to deliver flexibility in tight spaces,
portability, and quick setup and teardown. Features include dual-
leg construction, a security clutch, six-way tension adjustment, a
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tama.com

Hired Gun
A new music documentary pushes some of the world’s
greatest freelancers—including many of our favorite
drummers—“out of the shadows and into the spotlight.”
by Billy Amendola
T here’s been a lot of anticipation,

buzz, and positive feedback
surrounding the film Hired Gun: Out
and throw it in a blender! We
chose to focus on Liberty DeVitto,
for instance, because his story is
of the Shadows, Into the Spotlight, simultaneously triumphant and
and it’s easy to see why. Hired Gun tragic.”
shares hard truths about the music “Liberty was the first person I
industry that anyone who’s spent time reached out to for a interview,”
in it inherently understands, but in a Strine adds. “His story was so
way that’s compelling even to non- compelling that I knew he had to
musicians. be a focal point in this film. It’ll
“Hired Gun tells the story of make heads spin.” And to be sure,
musicians who get hired by the DeVitto holds nothing back as he
greatest artists and bands to tour talks about his long association
and record,” explains Kenny Aronoff, with Billy Joel, including how it
who in the film explains in grueling came to an unceremonious end
detail the pressure he faced in the after thirty years.
studio coming up with his part for Among the other drummers
John Mellencamp’s 1982 megahit who get to share their stories
“Jack & Diane.” “The film captures and music are Mark Schulman
the ups and downs of what it’s like (Pink, Cher, Foreigner), Eric Singer
being a sideman. It doesn’t glorify the (Lita Ford, Black Sabbath, Kiss),
glamour—there’s life and death in this Glen Sobel (Tony MacAlpine,
movie.” Elliott Yamin, Alice Cooper), and
Director Fran Strine digs deep in Chris Johnson (Seal, Patti LaBelle,
his interviews. You’ll hear emotional Rihanna). Also represented are
accounts of the rollercoaster ride of non-drummers including Rudy
being a sideman with no guarantees, Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Whitesnake),
including tales of band members Phil X (Triumph, Bon Jovi), Jason
losing their jobs—and sometimes Newsted (Voivod, Metallica), Steve
their lives—in the process. “Hired Lukather (Toto, Boz Scaggs), and
Gun is about musicians whose DNA Jay Graydon (Al Jarreau, Steely
is all over the recordings and tours we love,” Strine says, “but whose Dan), as well as famous bandleaders and producers such as Alice
names or faces we might not know. It’s a music documentary Cooper, Rob Zombie, Bob Ezrin, and David Foster.
with passion and talent at its core.” Examples of that talent are not For the players involved, Hired Gun provided more than just a
just talked about but strewn across the film; the included musical chance to talk about themselves. “My participation was a great
performances feature plenty of shredding guitars and drum solos— opportunity to give thanks to all of those people who trusted in
and even unique musical pairings. “A highlight for me was playing me and were influential in my career,” Rudy Sarzo says. “Fran Strine
double drums with [longtime Billy Joel drummer] Liberty DeVitto,” was instrumental in getting all the fine details of my story.” And,
Aronoff says with the enthusiasm of a lifelong fan. mirroring Kenny Aronoff ’s words above, a highlight for Sarzo was
The success of Hired Gun is surely in part down to the fact that the opportunity to perform with Aronoff and DeVitto: “For a bass
it was coproduced by one of its own, guitarist Jason Hook. In the player,” he says, “it doesn’t get any better than that.” It’s a neat
film the journeyman musician shares personal experiences of reminder that for many hired guns, the opportunity to play top-level
playing rock ’n’ roll, then suddenly finding himself touring with music far outweighs promises of fame and fortune.
soft-pop artists Mandy Moore and Hilary Duff, then getting back Following a Fathom Events screening in more than 300 theaters
to heavy music with Alice Cooper, and eventually finding success across the United States this past June, Hired Gun was released
as a member of the popular groove-metal band Five Finger Death worldwide on video on demand, as well as on DVD and Blu-ray, by
Punch. Vision Films in association with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
“The most important goal in any creative project is to make sure The collector’s-edition DVD and Blu-ray versions contain exclusive
you touch a nerve in the heart of the audience,” Hook tells MD, bonus material. It’s definitely one for your music library. For more, go
“and our aim with Hired Gun is to rip the nerve out of your chest to hiredgunthefilm.com.

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)DLUÀHOG1- October 2017 Modern Drummer 87
CRITIQUE
RECORDINGS Taking the Reins
Ignacio Berroa Trio Straight Ahead From Havana
Berroa blends the best of both worlds.
A key architect in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and modern jazz

styles for the drumset, Ignacio Berroa takes a different tack from
his previous discs here, offering jazz takes on classic Cuban
popular songs. On some tunes, the straight-ahead element
is literal in its 4/4 swing. On others that are framed by Cuban
rhythms, the straight-ahead is implied by Berroa’s looser, open
jazz sensibility. The entire session sizzles.
Berroa’s young sidemen, pianist Martin Bejerano and
bassist Josh Allen, are keenly attuned
to his concepts. Rubén Blades (a former
employer) cameos on the humorous
swinger “Negro de Sociedad,” while guest
conguero CONRADO “COKY” GARCIA is
a fiercely grooving partner with Berroa
on “Los Tres Golpes.” It’s an overdue
pleasure to have the fiery, grooving
drummer back in the leader’s seat, as
this is only the third solo disc of his long,
prolific career. More, por favor. (Codes
Drum Music) Jeff Potter
Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet King of Xhosa

A drummer-led group with a fresh take on a classic sound.
Jeff “Siege” Siegel has worked with his quartet for some time, but now, after developing a bond with
South African trumpeter Feya Faku, he’s added a fresh dimension. With that beautiful trumpet voice
intertwining with sax and a driving rhythm section, King of Xhosa took shape. Siegel’s drumming
supports, prods, and moves the group expertly—clean ride cymbals shimmer, while crisp snare accents
push the soloists to the next level. It’s that ability to build levels of energy that makes Siegel’s playing
stand out. And on the tunes where he opens into a drum break or short solo, his execution is inventive
and to the point. A solid and well-played album. (Artists Recording Collective) Martin Patmos
Harris Eisenstadt Recent Developments

Thoughtful, fun, creative music from a unique voice.
Drummers can hear things differently from the way other musicians do, and Harris Eisenstadt proves
the point. After a series of albums with his Canada Day project, on Recent Developments he breaks
new ground as a writer and player. Eisenstadt’s adventurous compositions are challenging, humorous,
catchy, and atmospheric, and they draw on contemporary chamber music, jazz, improv, and avant-garde
techniques. Serving his vision, Eisenstadt’s drumming provides pulse and color while displaying judicious
chops. Yet perhaps most exciting is the combination of instruments joining him here—flute, bassoon,
trumpet, trombone, cello, bass, banjo, tuba—and his ability to break these instruments out of traditional
roles and blend them. As a composer and improviser of creative music, Eisenstadt is one to watch.
(Songlines) Martin Patmos
Other Drummer-Leds to Check Out

Han Bennink Trio Adelante /// Amandla (Claude Coleman Jr.) Laughing Hearts /// Billy Jones 3’s a Crowd ///
Chris Blondal Quartet Alone or Not /// Günter Baby Sommer Le Piccole Cose /// Pierre van der Linden Drum Poetry ///
Luis Muñoz The Dead Man /// Mika Kallio Impulsion /// Tina Raymond Left Right Left

at 17
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Critique
MULTIMEDIA
The Conga and Bongo Drum in Jazz by Trevor Salloum with Bobby Sanabria
A well-researched and comprehensive guide sheds light on two arguably overlooked voices in modern
jazz education.
With The Conga and Bongo Drum in Jazz, percussionist, author, and educator Trevor Salloum presents history,
techniques, stylistic approaches, and plenty of additional resources for playing congas and bongos in
contemporary jazz settings. The book opens with a fairly thorough historical retrospective on the drums’ uses
in jazz and the pioneers of the instruments, such as Candido Camero and Chano Pozo. Salloum also discusses
bongo and conga drumming’s current state, or lack thereof, in modern jazz music-education programs.
Notation, instrument descriptions, posture, and proper tuning are discussed and accompanied by photos
where needed, and diagrams illustrate exactly which part of your hand plays each stroke. Swing patterns, as well as suggested
grooves for Latin jazz tunes, are notated for both congas and bongos. Proper clave technique and patterns are also covered.
Be sure to dig into the book’s extras, which include an interview with veteran jazz guitarist and UCLA professor Kenny Burrell,
plus video demos and a helpful glossary. Salloum also presents a comprehensive discography with additional percussionist
information, and each suggested tune is annotated with specific insight that relates to material covered earlier in the book.
The method has a few minor organizational hiccups—for instance, a martillo rhythm is referred to a few times at the
beginning of the bongo chapter yet remains undefined until the chapter’s final section. But ultimately Salloum’s work succeeds
Lucas Beck
in addressing the clear need for more educational resources on the role of conga and bongo drums in jazz. (Mel Bay, $19.99)
Willie Rose
Dead Cross Dead Cross

Pummeling, satisfying, and fresh from the first note, the debut album by this quartet is exactly what
DAVE LOMBARDO fans will hope it is.
Dave Lombardo’s playing with Dead Cross combines his signature double kick, ride bursts, and furious tom fills
with punk-inspired savagery that serves both the structure and bombast of the music. Lombardo’s breathless blast
beats on opening track “Seizure and Desist” and classic thrash attack on “Obedience School” and “Shillelagh” show
that he hasn’t lost a step since his fabled years with Slayer. Produced by Dead Cross and Ross Robinson, the project
features distinct vocal contributions from Lombardo’s Fantômas bandmate Mike Patton as well as guitarist Michael
Crain (Retox) and bassist Justin Pearson (Retox, the Locust). Dead Cross should please fans of any of its members’
projects and new ones alike. (Ipecac) Ben Meyer
The Contortionist Clairvoyant

The Indianapolis sextet’s highly anticipated fourth full-length finds On the strength of its 2014 breakthrough album, Language
drummer JOEY BACA and band branching out but keeping their roots (reissued in 2015 with several live, semi-acoustic tracks), the
firmly in the soil. Contortionist has toured the States and Europe, sharing stages
with heavy tech bands like Periphery, Norma Jean, Between
the Buried and Me, Good Tiger, Dance Gavin Dance, and
Toothgrinder. Drummer Joey Baca’s signature precision, grace,
and power are on full display on Clairvoyant, with big, natural
drum tones thanks in no small measure to
the band’s choice, once again, of producer/
engineer/mixer Jamie King (the Basement
Recording NC). Featuring rich, ambient
sonic explorations, clean vocals, and more
prominent, glassy synth textures, Clairvoyant
is the next logical step in the band’s move
toward ambient prog territory and away
from the angular technical death metal of its
first two releases. Fans of the group’s heavier material won’t
be disappointed here, though, as the album’s opener and
title track feature the Contortionist’s signature grinding heft.
Gooseshots
Drumming highlights include Baca’s slick metric modulations

on “Godspeed” and “Absolve” and his deeply textured
playing on the album’s nine-and-a-half-minute 5/4 closer,
“Monochrome (Pensive).” (Good Fight Music) Ben Meyer

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ENCORE
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ENCORE
Yes’s Close to the Edge

In the long list of accomplishments that led to Yes’s
induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year,
Bill Bruford’s final statement with the band surely
ranks as highly as any.
W hen the term indepen-

dence is applied within
the context of a Modern
pains and pleasures, fused into
one universal experience. This
philosophical connectedness is
Drummer feature, it’s usually represented beautifully by the
in reference to a technical multitude of musical styles the
skill drummers possess by band explores in the work, and
which they simultaneously may well serve as a metaphor
orchestrate different rhythmic for the kaleidoscopic spectrum
patterns with multiple limbs. of influences that prog rock, in
On Close to the Edge, Yes’s fifth general, embraces.
studio album, drummer Bill Bucking trends and any sensible
Bruford demonstrates those record executives’ expectations,
aforementioned drumming Yes boldly designed a jigsaw
abilities, as many a great pattern of musical genres snuggly
skinsman has. But in this case juxtaposed to one another, from
the word can be applied American country and western and
in a much broader sense avant-garde jazz-rock fusion (with
as well—to the inarguably shades of Mahavishnu Orchestra)
groundbreaking nature of the to eighteenth-century European
1972 release itself, which effec- baroque. Percussive puzzle master
tively closed the argument Bruford carves out several elegant
that the full artistic potential patterns throughout the epic track,
of rock music could or should varying them slightly through
be constrained in any way. beat displacement, among other rhythmic and compositional
The first thing you should know about the record is that the methodologies, to create subtle complexity.
nineteen-minute, multi-sectional title track consumes the entire “What was my role in the track’s creation?” Bruford posits to
first side of the original LP. Yes had explored vast musical terrain Modern Drummer in an exclusive interview for this article. “Good
previous to Close to the Edge, having sculpted enduring classics question, since the handful of photos of the time show me sitting at
such as the top-twenty U.S. hit “Roundabout” and the cosmically the kit reading a paper or otherwise looking bored. I’m interested in
hip “Starship Trooper.” These songs are now considered classics. group dynamics and the creative process. In that light, and thinking
But they’re nothing on the order of magnitude of “Close to about it a bit, I was at best the grit in the oyster, the provocateur,
the Edge,” which elicits the grandeur, dynamics, and scope of something of an irritant, always asking a different question,
classical symphonies while somehow maintaining cohesiveness, wanting to do it another, better, different way at a better, different
conciseness, and coherency. tempo or meter.”
“Close to the Edge,” featuring lyrics by singer Jon Anderson that “And You and I,” which opens the original LP’s second side, may
were inspired by Hermann Hesse’s 1922 novel, Siddhartha, ends as be the epitome of symphonic pastoral prog, a transcendent blend
it begins—wish a rush of running water, chirping birds, and buzzing of hypnotic acoustic/folky qualities and sweeping, slowly unfolding
insects, representing the river and the majestic “om” at the center passages. Bruford’s playing here is economical, generating
of the German author’s fictional yarn. The character of Siddhartha, maximum power with a minimal number of beats.
spiritually transformed upon hearing the river’s calming sound, Bruford shares top songwriting billing for composing one of the
perceives it as the hum of the cosmos—all human joys and sorrows, overarching themes of the song, as well as a co-credit, with bassist
Drums on the Edge

“I was pretty disinterested in equipment [at the time],” Bruford tells MD today. “So long as it stood up and sounded okay, I was
happy enough.” Bruford banged Hayman drums with a teakwood finish. He chose from either an 8x12 or 9x13 tom-tom and
a 14x14 or 16x16 floor tom. His bass drum was 14x22, and he played either a 5x14 Ludwig Supraphonic or a 5.5x14 wood
Hayman snare. The cymbals he used were a 15" Super Zyn crash as well as an arsenal of Paistes, including 15" Giant Beat
hi-hats; 16", 17", 18", and 20" 602 crashes; and 20" and 22" 602 rides. A cowbell was always at the ready, as were percussion
accessories such as a tambourine and triangle. Remo heads were spanked with Ludwig or Hayman 5A sticks.

Chris Squire, for penning the “Eclipse” section. “Piano had always audiotape was the wrong piece, at least according to stories spun
been my second instrument, and a fascination,” Bruford says. “So by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. The sonics didn’t quite match up,
long as the tempo was slow enough, my limited technique was and the band was forced to live with the track as is.
just about sufficient to get the point across. I was given a generous The tortuous process of constructing Close to the Edge convinced
credit for the main theme of ‘And You and I,’ so I had begun to dip Yes’s founding drummer to jump ship. In an effort to sharpen his
my toe in the composition waters, for sure.” musical instincts and develop fully as an artist, Bruford accepted
The final entry, “Siberian Khatru”—the shortest song on the an invitation to join Robert
record, running a skimpy nine minutes—throbs with a common- Fripp’s semi-improvisational A Simple “Ding!”
time pulse and boasts two main feels: a straightforward dance-y King Crimson, an early Yes The six-beat bump sculpted by
beat and a jazzy shuffle. A snare drum figure, perhaps constructed rival. He couldn’t wait to our crafty drummer and bassist
Chris Squire in “And You and
of double-stroke rolls, slowly surfaces within the stereo image at leave. Bruford was so eager I,” beginning at approximately
approximately 5:40. The to skedaddle from the hit- 1:13, is actually a looped bit of
patterns are stealthy but making prog band, in fact, audio. Marking this pulsating
Economical impactful—a hallmark of he announced his exit prior figure is the beautiful chime of a
Abandon Bruford’s playing. to the September release of triangle. Why did Bruford choose
this particular piece of concert
As guitarist Steve Howe To some observers it the album.
performs nearly atonal guitar percussion? “Same reason
acrobatics in the title track,
might appear as though Drummer Alan White, anyone does anything in music,”
Bruford lunges for the jugular, nary a beat is out of place ostensibly Bruford’s he says. “Because it might be
playing patterns that possess on the record, yet this replacement, racked up effective and/or beautiful—on a
properties of conversational good day, both.”
precision was the offspring credits early in his career as
dialogue and free-jazz abandon. of a painful birth. Yes spent a young journeyman, having
As the song progresses through
its four major movements, the weeks—months—writing, performed or recorded with John Lennon, Joe Cocker, George
band traverses several different rehearsing, recording, Harrison, and Terry Reid, among others. As the decade wore on,
tempos. Bruford navigates and mixing Close to the White steadily evolved into his role as a hard-driving foil for his more
time signatures such as twelve, Edge. Tracking, layering, cerebral Yes cohorts. Meanwhile, Bruford conducted a wide-ranging
nine, and six by employing
economical rhythms possessing
and tinkering were part search for musical independence and percussive innovation. During
an underlying logic. of the seemingly never- the 1970s he could not sit still; he collaborated with Crimson, Gong,
ending creation process. Genesis, U.K., Missouri-based Pavlov’s Dog, Led Zeppelin/Pink Floyd
The meticulous work pal Roy Harper, and National Health. Bruford even reunited with
began to grind on Bruford’s nerves. “The pitch of the snare drum his former Yes partners on occasion and spearheaded the (largely)
descends over the course of the [title] track, which, suggested [one] instrumental rock band bearing his name.
commentator, indicates how long it was taking to record,” Bruford In the decades since the record was unleashed, Close to the
says. “True, I guess. I just hadn’t noticed, and probably wouldn’t Edge has not only come to represent the pinnacle of Yes’s musical
have cared if I had.” and compositional ambitions, but to trigger artistic growth and
A creeping mania beset the band’s collective consciousness free thought among its hordes of followers. It provided Yes with
and led to one infamous incident that’s passed into Yes lore. The a prototype for commercial success, if not a license to indulge
story goes that a missing piece of tape from the album’s title track in creative excess (and combat conventional music industry
had been accidentally discarded, only to be recovered from the “wisdom”), while also liberating a maverick percussionist to
dustbin before being lost forever. Miraculously, coproducer Eddy redefine his career and reshape progressive rock forever.
Offord was able to patch things up. But, as it turns out, the slice of Will Romano

BACKBEATS
The 2017 Chicago Drum Show
A weekend of rhythmic bliss replete with vintage and modern gear,
enlightening workshops, and brilliant performances.
T he Chicago Drum Show, the enduring brainchild of

drum historian Rob Cook, returned to the Odeum
Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois, this past May 20–21
Bissonette
for its twenty-seventh edition. Global manufacturers

and collectors packed the venue with tantalizing
vintage, custom, and modern gear. The vintage corner
featured extremely rare snares from collector Joe
Luoma, including an engraved 5x14 Slingerland Black
Beauty Artist model, a one-of-a-kind uncatalogued
Ludwig & Ludwig cinnamon swirl 5x14, two 5x14
Leedy snares—one in red onyx finish and one in black
onyx—and a 6x14 Billy Gladstone drum. Collector Brian
Hill also displayed a wonderful assortment of well-pre-
served French and Indian War–, Revolutionary War–,
and Civil War–era rope-tension drums.
A bevy of talented boutique and well-known drum
manufacturers exhibited gear galore, including wares
from companies such as Bolanos, Canopus, Chicago
Drum, Craviotto, daVille Drumworks, Doc Sweeney,
Dixon, Dunnett Classic/George Way, P. Ellis, Goodman, Riley
Holland, Holloman, Infinity, Jenkins-Martin, Kumu,
Ludwig, Outlaw, Palmetto, Parra, RBH, SJC, Sonor, Stone
Custom, William F. Ludwig III, and Yamaha. The custom
drum company Beat Boogie displayed a stunning
24K-gold-plated, engraved brass Beat Beauty model,
which was the result of a collaboration between the
company and drum craftsman Adrian Kirchler. At the
Trick Drums booth, Mike Morgan (studio, independent)
hand engraved a brass shell using a pneumatic
engraving tool and stereo microscope. Attendees also
feasted on a wide array of fine vintage and modern
cymbals from Amedia, Crescent, Meinl, Paiste, Sabian,
UFIP, and Zildjian.
Master classes were held both days, with insights
from Jim Payne (author and educator), Daniel Glass
(Royal Crown Revue), Jim Riley (Rascal Flatts), Gregg
Bissonette (Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band), and
Aldo Mazza (educator and KoSA founder). Remo Payne
representative Jeff Davenport held a tuning clinic,
and Gary Astridge, the curator of Ringo Starr’s drum
collection, discussed the former Beatle’s setups. Kelli
Rae Stubbs (author and educator), Matt Brennan
(University of Edinburgh), and Glass held a roundtable
discussion on their Postcard Project, a forthcoming
book that surveys the evolution of the drumset from
1900 to 1930 as depicted on surviving postcards from
that period.
Mazza opened the clinics on a unique hybrid
kit that included a glockenspiel, djembe, and Korg
Wavedrum. He integrated the acoustic and electronic
voices seamlessly while infusing them with modern
and Latin rhythms. In the next clinic, Bissonette regaled
attendees with funny stories about his experiences
with Ringo and his early days at the University of North

Pearson
Texas. He also demonstrated a tasty paradiddle-

diddle fill.
On Saturday evening, KHS America treated a
packed room to a series of drum clinics performed by
Johnny Rabb (Collective Soul, author), Nir Z (studio), Nir Z
and Lee Pearson (Chris Botti). Rabb demonstrated
blazing one-handed rolls. He also created guiro-like
effects with his RhythmSaw ridged drumsticks and
cleverly manipulated small cymbals on his snare to
create electronic-inspired sounds. Nir Z emphasized
the importance of solid timekeeping and the need
to play seamlessly with sequenced tracks—skills that
the session guru explained are necessary for modern
studio drummers. During a melodic and dynamic
performance, Pearson explored his drumset’s textures
with rods, mallets, and sticks. While he admitted that
showmanship isn’t everything, he explained that it
helps to get the attention of his audience. He then
capped off an incredible solo by playing for several
minutes with a towel completely covering his head.
Riley opened Sunday’s clinics by handily playing
to a variety of tracks in different styles. At the end of
his performance, he invited the audience on stage
for a group photo. Payne gave an informative clinic Rabb
on James Brown’s drummers that served as a fitting
tribute to the players who so profoundly shaped the
sound and feel of modern drumming.
Event organizer and host Rob Cook says, “2017
was a breakout year for the Chicago Drum Show.
Toward the end of the setup day, it felt like the show
was already in full swing. Although initial access was
limited to exhibitors, VIPs, and staff, there were nearly
600 people in the arena, and our ‘circular economy’
was booming. When the show opened to the public
Saturday morning, there were long lines waiting to
get in. Saturday set a single-day attendance record for
the show, and overall attendance for the weekend was
up by 26 percent this year. We’re very encouraged by
this growth and have started planning for the twenty-
eighth show in 2018.”
Story and photos by Robert Campbell

Custom-Shop Chops
This one-of-a-kind kit comes to us from New York City–based and a 20x28 bass drum featuring maple shells with brass fittings.
drummer Adam Romanowski, who commissioned a budding drum (Romanowski will use various auxiliary snares, depending on the
builder for the set in 2003. “My friend Ilya Hamovic started making gig he’s playing.) The hardware is made by DW and includes the
drums after a short stint working at [the now defunct music retailer] company’s 5000 series hi-hat
Manny’s Music in New York City,” Romanowski says. “He figured stand and 9000 series double
he could probably build the same-quality drums that many top bass pedal.
manufacturers were producing at the time.” According to Romanowski,
Hamovic started out by building snare drums that were Hamovic built a total of only
eventually purchased by a few top drummers, including Dennis four drumsets under the
Chambers and Will Calhoun. “That was a good sign that he was Custom Works manufacturing
doing something right,” Romanowski says. “After he started label, and each was unique to
gaining traction, I asked him to build a snare drum for me. Once he the customer who ordered it.
completed the snare, I persuaded him to build this drumset. I always “Nowadays Ilya builds custom
imagined a certain configuration in my head, but I wasn’t able to motorcycles,” Romanowski says.
find it on the market. I asked Ilya, and he agreed to make it for me.” “He’s a true artist!”
The kit comprises a 5x14 snare, a 7x10 tom, a 10x14 floor tom,
Photo Submission: Hi-res digital photos, along with descriptive text, may be emailed to [email protected]. Show “Kit of the Month” in the subject line.
COMING UP IN MODERN DRUMMER

GREEN DAY’S TRÉ COOL
A LOT LIKE BIRDS’ JOSEPH ARRINGTON • THE NATIONAL’S BRYAN DEVENDORF
ADAM DEITCH • JIMMY COBB • AND MORE!
#micitlikeit
MIC IT. LIKE IT.

Gretsch Catalina Club isn’t just for gigs.
Warm tone and a wide tuning range
equals studio-friendly. The pros know
a good thing when they hear it. Zach Danziger • Independent
Hear it for yourself on YouTube or at gretschdrums.com

25 YEARS OF
CYMBAL BRILLIANCE
Twenty five years ago, we created of one of today’s most popular cymbal series worldwide - Zildjian A Custom.
We took the classic A Zildjian, with its unparalleled legacy and historic sound, and crafted a new, sophisticated
expression for the next generation. Featuring thinner weights and a striking brilliant finish, A Custom delivers a
crisp, bright, responsive, and more refined sound for a variety of music genres.
Visit Zildjian.com/ac25 to see the full collection and win an opportunity to visit the Zildjian Factory.
COMING IN SEPTEMBER
23” A Custom 25th Anniversary Ride, Limited Edition
Only 1,000 worldwide. Ask your local dealer for details.
12 Modern Drummer June 2014

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LESSONS EQUIPMENT DEPARTMENTS

74 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop WIN! 16 Must-Have Gear

96 Kit of the Month

8 Modern Drummer October 2017

(800) 222-4700 Sweetwater.com

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of all time were also vocalists—I’m thinking of Stevie

More New Releases Venom, Inc. Avé

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Daxx Nielsen With Cheap Trick

Also on the Road

October 2017 Modern Drummer 13

Sweetwater GearFest 2017 Draws Record Crowds and Sales

Vic Firth Joins in Global Make Music Day Celebration

Dom Famularo (educator, Corey Fonville

Who’s author, clinician) is using

Playing Lenny Castro (Toto) and

14 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 15

Look for Glover on tour with Thorcraft Cobra in

associated with for twenty years, in the not-too-

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Paiste launched the Masters series in 2011 as a collection of twelve

18 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 19

20 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 21

The Canadian manufacturer

22 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 23

S ince forming in 2009 while the members attended the Berklee

24 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 25

For the past nineteen years he’s held

26 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 27

L ast September, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City

Story by Ken Micallef

32 Modern Drummer October 2017

vibration opens up. up and coming back.

Jack Swings, Jack Sings

October 2017 Modern Drummer 33

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October 2017 Modern Drummer 35

36 Modern Drummer October 2017

October 2017 Modern Drummer 37

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Check out Jack‘s latest

2. Chick Webb Spinnin’ the Webb (Chick Webb, 1929-39)

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Pictured: Damon Grant

October 2017 Modern Drummer 43

44 Modern Drummer October 2017

46 Modern Drummer October 2017

Bring this coupon in and

OCDP OCSN0713CA 13x7"

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