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The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
Before Joe Partridge and I started the Famous Drum brand (“You must have heard of us - we’re Famous!”), I built three sets of custom painted drums for a catalog of what was to be the “Lawrence Drum Company” and had some great pics made of the shells. This was in the early mid 2000s when I was building drums at George’s Drum Shop. I abandoned the Lawrence badge name in favor of Famous, but these drums were never badged.
Read moreTony developed under the tutelage of master drummer/teacher, Alan Dawson. Miles Davis opened more avenues for development by stating, “You can’t make any mistakes in my band.” This encouraged Tony and gave him a clear musical canvas to create and develop his improvisational skills.
Read moreSandy Nelson, a drummer whose flashy style and propulsive rhythms helped elevate the importance of the instrument in early rock and roll, died Feb. 14, 2022, in Boulder City, Nev. The cause of death was not reported, however Nelson had been in hospice for some time. He was 83.
Read moreHiro said that he wanted to buy the drum from me. I said it wasn't for sale, but then he turned the table on me and said, "What if I offer you STUPID MONEY"? At this time I had gotten into a little money crunch so I asked him what kind of STUPID MONEY was he talking about. Hiro said he would pay me 10K for the drum. SOLD! That was a huge chunk of money that gave me a good head start on my financial situation.
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Drummers Bob Girouard and Gary Stevens See Their Dreams Come True
Editor’s note (Bob Giroaurd has written many articles for Modern Drummer and other drum publications)
In what might be the longest delayed record deal in history, Forest, the Massachusetts-based eclectic blues/rock/jazz band that broke up back in 1979, has signed a distribution deal with BBE Records of London, England, who is re-releasing on vinyl Forest’s eponymous and only LP, recorded in 1978.
Read moreThe kit I am featuring is a 1970s Slingerland Rock Outfit 50 N with Maple outer ply. The kit is outstanding with a 22X14 bass drum, 12X8 , 13X9, and 16X16 toms. They are just perfect for most playing situations. I love the Set-O-Matic tom mount and all the mounting hardware.
Read morePreviously, Terry has made several solo albums featuring himself in various musical styles and settings... Including ensembles, duets, songwriter collaborations with guest instrumentalists and vocalists. He's had the opportunity to perform and record with some of the world's most outstanding musicians... Including, Vic Juris - Eric Kloss, Phil Woods - Barry Miles, The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra - Billy Ocean - George Benson -Laura Nyro - Natalie Merchant - Freddie Jackson and Jeffrey Osborne...To name a few.
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If you'd like to get an interesting discussion going with a group of drummers, ask them how often they clean their cymbals. You're bound to get a plethora of opinions, and possibly a few dirty looks
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A few announcements…
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Delaware Drum Show - 2/27/22
Read moreThis set is EIGHTY years old this Christmas morning!
Ludwig & Ludwig “Swing Sensation Outfit” No. 1145PV, identical in every aspect of the famous “Top Hat” set without the cane, glove and hat design.
It is in stunning like new condition being it’s been in its cases for the past seventy years, he never played it after the 1950’s.
The musical challenges of phrasing across bar lines and changing meter.
Read moreIn case you get bored after opening all your gifts. These were inspired by Pancho Branas.
Read moreA vintage Ludwig drum made after 1963 that does not have a serial number creates much confusion and spirited debate. Few today agree on why or how drums escaped the factory with badges lacking serial numbers. Theories are often strongly expressed but weakly supported. Although speculation and conjecture are a part of the wonderful world of vintage drums, many incorrect statements become truth through repetition. This study looks at 332 vintage Ludwig drums that have badges without serial numbers.
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Tony performed with such energy you could feel it propel the rest of the band. Miles himself said that Tony was “the center that the group's sound revolved around.”
Read moreThis is a great video that shows the processes Noble & Cooley Drums uses to produce their one ply drum shells, hardware and finishes. Though I now mostly sell my own Famous Drum Company brand of one ply drums, I consider N&C to be the bench mark. Contact me if you are interested in a Famous or an N&C.
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Mat Marucci's performing credits include jazz greats Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Eddie Harris, Buddy De Franco, Les McCann, Pharoah Sanders, and John Tchicai among others and has numerous critically acclaimed recordings to his credit as both leader and sideman.
Mat is the author of several books on drumming and has written numerous articles on drumming for Modern Drummer and Downbeat magazines. He is an endorser for Zildjian, Vic Firth, Remo and formerly both Gretsch and Mapex.
Mat's latest books with Mel Bay Publications are 'Mastering The Snare Drum' and 'Essential Snare Drum Exercises' (both reviewed on Not So Modern Drummer) and 'Jazz Drumming Essentials....And More.' His music and discography can found at Spotify.com and Reverbnation.com and can be heard on most streaming platforms.
You’ve no doubt heard about the various alternatives for the lead hand (both hands in the case of matched grip): German, French and American. You may even have gotten into arguments about it. These variations are relevant to tympani and mallet players, but should drum set players be concerned as well?
Read moreLess was definitely more as Al and Richie burned through sixteen tunes with only a brief intermission. Both complimented each other with amazing displays of virtuosity throughout the show. On numerous occasions Al would smile at Richie giving him a nod of approval at some complex patterns they had just played. Sometimes it seemed to border on telepathy when they each unleashed something totally unexpected, yet it was somehow perfectly synchronized.
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. We sell them to motorcycle owners with pre 1967 bikes and didn't know they fitted drum kits. If you have any guys over there looking for these screws then can you let them know we have plenty?
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