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Welcome everyone to my Rogers World! I am super excited to have this fantastic opportunity to share my love for these amazing drums with the readers of ‘Not So Modern Drummer.’ My passion for drums started when my family lived in Venezuela.
Read moreCapri Pearl to me is like a wonderful mix of vintage Rogers Mardi Gras and Ludwig Sparkling Galaxy Pearl (my previous favorite). As I did more research on the rarity of the wrap, I soon discovered there were different variations as it was made from 1958-1966.
Read moreLiverpool's King's Dock on July 19 2003 was the venue for a long awaited and much anticipated reunion between Eric Clapton and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. The occasion was both a celebration of John Mayall's 70th year and a fundraiser for Unicef. Joe Yuele on drums driving the band hard with the most perfect double shuffle.
For 25 years Joe Yuele was the driving force behind The Father of British Blues, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. But with a 50 year career span that also includes other notable artist such as Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Dobie Gray, Coco Montoya, and Rick Vito, (to name just a few), there is so much more to Joe's story.
Read moreIn 1967, Yamaha introduced their first drum set - the D20 and D30. From their first conception, these drums were made from birch. The ends of the master ply are cut diagonally, ran through the glue machine and then put into the mold. Once they overlap the diagonal unto itself they hit the joints so they are locked in. Each seam is staggered 120 degrees so that the tension of the shell is evenly spaced. Once this is done, they stick an airbag in the middle of the shell so the glue is evenly spread throughout the drum. This method doesn't require the wood and glue to be put under high temperatures to create a bond.
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My tribute to Neil Peart
Read moreThere was the hockey kit, the actual Stanley Cup, a full big band and an entire film crew. We shook hands and chatted, I congratulated him on his new young daughter, and as I remember— he was the one that was asking me all the questions.
Read moreDrumSellers.com is starting to attract drum builders who find it a great place to sell their wares. This month we focus on a maker of very unusual drums and percussion instruments, Ken Lovelett, an accomplished percussionist who is spending a lot of time these days inventing new kinds of percussion instruments.
Read moreIf you know of Ronnie, you probably know him as Elvis Presley’s drummer from 1969 to 1977. In my personal opinion,
Read moreThere was a time many years ago when a 3-piece combo kit or “outfit” was all a jobbing drummer needed. There was no room for any “floor tom” in a cab. And certainly not on any subway train. So when the opportunity arises to purchase a set in the bass drum, tom tom, snare drum format: do we think one can find a matching floor tom to make our 4 piece kit dream normalcy come true?
Read morePlaying Drums is physically demanding and can take its toll on your body over time. Sticks, heads and parts can be easily replaced. Unfortunately your body requires much more preventive measures. As drummers we spend a great deal of time and money on our gear but spend little on preventive care - many times playing through the pain or dysfunction. The “Drummer’s Tune Up 2020” program is a FREE 6-week drummer-specific health & wellness program starting in January 2020.
Read moreThere are today a lot of companies making drum heads, ranging from the global standards -- Remo, Evans, etc. -- to boutique makers such as Earthtone and Kentville. And of course, every maker offers a variety of styles, sometimes to the point of our total bewilderment.
Read more….One such finish was called DeLuxe Marble and it was a short-lived finish that was painted on the shells to look like faux marble. The finish first appeared in the 1941 catalog and it lasted through WWII. Because a 10% metals law was put into effect during WWII limiting the use of metals on products, WFL was forced to design a drum made mostly of wood. That means that there were very few sets made in DeLuxe Marble that featured all-metal lugs and hardware made pre- WWII.
Read moreThere are a lot of lessons to be learned from something like this, the least being the miraculous power of music to heal, to inspire, and to bring joy, to say nothing of forcing all of us to ask just what miracles go on in a 90-year-old, show business human mind (when she forgot a lyric or two, she made up her own, and “her own” words were just perfect).
Read moreI have just purchased this 1970s Slingerland Pop Outfit in recent days. The toms are standard sizes 12, 13, 16 and as you can see, single headed. The rockers in the 70s were removing the bottom heads to get a dry funky sound from their drums. Most of the drum companies decided to just make the drums with top heads only to basically get that sound the pop drummers wanted.
Read moreThe finish was Abalone Pearl! And, the Drum that this beautiful finish is attached to is a 1930s Leedy 5x14 Broadway Standard Model. I have actually only seen this finish on a Slingerland 1930s Radio King snare drum and a miscellaneous vintage bass drum. What a beautiful, stunning and striking finish this is. The Abalone Pearl has a three dimensional vibe that really illuminates with the change of natural lighting. The array of beautiful colors is what makes this finish pop. Apparently, there are only a handful of drums with this rare finish that exist. Also, I have not seen another Leedy snare drum equipped with the Abalone Pearl finish.
Read moreI used the term “Root Beer Swirl” for lack of a better name. The only Slingerland finish that is remotely similar is Black Diamond Pearl (1928-1995) but aside from any possibility of a harsh fading the actual finish patterns are still vastly different. So the questions remain...an un-catalogued finish or a special order with an un-catalogued finish?
Sometimes a good sense of humor keeps things in perspective so I’ll use two quotes from my good friends Harry Cangany and John Aldridge. Harry: “Mike, you have such beautiful drums, but every now and then you show us something that is just butt ugly. That looks like some plastic just melted together and they used all of it.” John: “Mike, that drum is uglier than home-made soap.”
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This will be a short review. Good and short because I really am impressed with these heads. I play at least three nights a week with a big rock and soul band named FreeWorld on Beale Street in Memphis and a good number of well-known drummers sit in on my drums. It’s a pretty hard-hitting gig and the guys that sit in don’t hold back. Though I prefer single ply heads on recording sessions and lighter gigs, I have used all sorts of two ply heads on my Gretsch drums over the years for the louder gigs. The two-ply heads last longer. They also all start denting up immediately and I’ll use each set as long as I can until they just won’t tune up anymore or are looking like the surface of the moon.
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Words of wisdom from that rascal sage, George Lawrence
Read moreIn the international press, Paul has been called “an inspired madman,” and “a restless innovator.” The same could be said of painter Jackson Pollock. There is a direct rhythmic connection between what Paul composes on the drums and what Pollock visually composed on canvas. Each deliberately using an organized rhythmic pattern while communicating their inconsistencies, anomalies and imperfections. Both speaking different languages of which only they can understand and interpret. Critics may never be able to fully describe the true motivations and complete originality of Paul Wertico and Jackson Pollock since both were creating in the moment.
Read moreFrom editor George Lawrence - November 2019 issue of Not So Modern Drummer
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