I hope you all had a good holiday and didn’t get switches and ashes in your stockings! There are some great articles in this issue. Keep in mind that all the writers contribute these articles for free. Nobody gets paid at Not So Modern Drummer. Jim Catalano, who worked for Ludwig for decades, shares his 1912 Ludwig Catalog #1. Yes, the first one! Marc Patch goes heavy metal with Japanese metal snares from the sixties and seventies. David Barsalou reviews a Liberty DeVitto clinic. Bob Spellman shares some thoughts and videos of Jack Sperling. I was not very aware of Mr. Sperling. I knew the name but the videos of his masterful drumming has made me very aware and I plan on doing a deep dive into his history. Mike Curotto, whose vintage drum collection seems to have no end, shares a 1926-27 Ludwig & Ludwig 5x15 Stipelgold Super Ludwig snare drum. Michael Peck has a mystery drum that stumped me. If you have an idea of what it is please comment or email Michael. I have been busy making more videos at Memphis Drum Shop of 5 minute lessons. There is a link to those eight videos in one of the articles.
I am pleased to announce several changes in my career. Because I turned 70 last February, I decided this past fall to cut down on the more strenuous gigs because the travel, the long hours, lugging gear and night time driving just was just wearing me out. Not to mention my old man aches and pains were making it no fun. (it’s a young man’s game). So I am now teaching full time and only accepting the easier gigs playing music I enjoy. My videos on YouTube have attracted a lot of new students, including some remote zoom students. Also, I am pleased to announce that I have been hired by the Delta Music Institute at Delta State University in Cleveland MS to teach drum set students starting in January. So, I’m teaching Tuesday through Saturday at Memphis Drum Shop, my home studio and DSU.
Just as I started cutting out most of the hard gigs, I got a call from my old friend, Wally Fowler, down the road in West Memphis Arkansas. Wally and I were on the road fifty years ago in a band named The Royal American Showmen. Wally has been after me ever since I moved to Memphis in 2018 to play with his big band, Jubilation Jazz. I wanted to but I had steady house gigs in Memphis and couldn’t do it. He called me this November about subbing in December for his drummer, Drew Stewart, who was having surgery. My calendar just happened to be wide open, so I played ten Christmas concerts, spreading the “big band jazz gospel” at different churches around the Tennessee/Arkansas area with this fine organization of mostly retired pro musicians. It looks like I’ll be playing more big band jazz shows with them this Spring while Drew recuperates. I really appreciate these gigs and these fine musicians. I also appreciate that someone else is doing the driving (I have a hard time driving at night now), the guys and gals in the band schlep all the gear to the stage, and the concerts are only an hour and a half long. Plus I dig getting to play the jazz drumming that I studied at North Texas State University and the fellowship of twenty really great people. 2025 is looking pretty good to me!
Signing off, George Lawrence