Thursday, Nov 17, the folks over at Drum Channel will be live streaming a performance and interview with drummer Hannah Ford and bassist Nik West.  It’s FREE!  Click Here.

UKDrummer.com recently spoke with legendary drummer, Bill Bruford, to talk about his autobiography and vinyl release, Bill Bruford – The Autobiography.

Here’s a taste

UKDrummer.com: The music scene has changed quite a lot since your retirement in 2009, what are your thoughts on the current shape of the Rock drumming world?

Bruford: It really is an entirely different place compared to the world I grew up in, drummers used to be expected to be different, and often had to think out of the box in order to make their playing more interesting or unique. Everything was played and performed in ‘real time’ and live, and when you made a record every member of the band sat in the same room and recorded together, and hopefully with a little luck you were a little different on that recording than what you were on the previous one. Bands didn’t just release the same album over and over back then.

Read the full interview here!

How did the Journey gig come around?

The short answer is I was playing in a band that was opening for Journey; they heard what I was playing, liked what I was doing and asked me if I wanted to join the band.

I feel like I need to give you a little more background and give you a more complete answer. Growing up in the 60s I was very involved with playing big band music and small group jazz. I started playing drums in 1963 when I was 9 years old and my teacher was a big band drummer. I didn’t get interested in rock until I heard Jimi Hendrix in 1967 with Mitch Mitchell playing drums and then I heard Ginger Baker with Cream. At that point I started to enjoy listening to rock music. I did play some rock with a few local bands during my teen years in the Boston area but my main focus was playing jazz.
I was a student at Berklee from ’72-76 and during summer breaks in ’74 & ‘75 I did some touring with the Lin Biviano Big Band. Lin and most of the members of the band had toured and recorded with Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson. In fact most of that band play on the classic Buddy Rich album called “Rich In London,” recorded in 1971 live at Ronnie Scott’s. In 1976 I left Berklee to join Jean-Luc Ponty’s band, which was a jazz-rock fusion band.In those years fusion was still a relatively new style of music. When I first played with Ponty I was using a small Gretsch jazz drumset. The kit didn’t work with that music because it was too small, the band was very loud and powerful and in January 1977 I started to play Sonor drums.

Read the full interview here!

News

As of April 14, he’s raised £502, so please consider giving!

You can support Mike over at JustGiving.com.

Here’s a little vid about Mike:

Sick Drummer Magazine, who brought you the first drum magazine devoted to extreme drumming, the first interactive drum magazine and interactive advertisements within a digital drum magazine, now bring you the first ever digital video magazine.

This youtube video of Sick Drummer Magazine Issue #17 holds all the content from the actual issue, exclusive video from Animals As Leaders, Vader, Cradle of Filth and a video lesson from Alex Micklewright on single foot blasting. This issue also contains audio tracks from Animals As Leaders and SepticFlesh, as well as introduces a brand new way for us to engage our readers using motion enhancements over static advertisements.

Please take some time to read through the issue, watch the exclusive videos and to share this with all your friends!

Drum-Tap Battle | Sidewalk Chalk from David Burkart on Vimeo.

“Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain meet Dave Grohl at the Seattle Sea-Tac airport. It wasn’t the first time they’d met, however; there’d been unknown encounters before. Once, backstage at a San Francisco Melvins show, and once at a party the Scream guys attended after a show in Olympia. As an icebreaker on the phone with Cobain just prior to meeting in Seattle, Grohl recalls a girl hijacking that party with her annoying singer/songwriter performance. It was Cobain’s girlfriend, Tobi Vail (who would soon form Bikini Kill). Cobain remembers the party too and thought Grohl and his bandmates were obnoxious.

The next day Nirvana play their one and only live show with Dan Peters on drums and Grohl, shocked that 1,500 kids have come to see a band he thought were unknowns, gets his first glimpse of the buzz that’s been simmering around the band, fuelled by their Sub Pop release Bleach; years later he would tell Rolling Stone that he had spent their set standing outside talking to a friend.”

Click here for more …

Direct Download



Direct Download

From flipsidememphis.com

Where does the Memphis beat come from? The endless procession of great drummers that has powered the city’s sounds had to get their drums somewhere, and the preferred place for drummers in the know is the Memphis Drum Shop. This Midtown institution has more cymbals than you can shake a stick at, and an unbeatable selections of skins for every skill level. From the beginner to the expert to the rock god, anything a drummer wants to hit, they’ve got it. Even more amazing is their collection of vintage drums, many of which are signed souveniers from rock and soul legends.

But it’s more than just a store, it’s a center of education. Countless Memphis drummers got their first lessons here, whether they’re marching in the drum line or seated behind the kit. With a staff who is dedicated to the art of the beat, Memphis Drum Shop truly is “Drum Heaven”.

Flipside Memphis – MDS

Flipside Memphis

Memphis Drum Shop

Music Inc. Magainze

Source: Drummercafe.com

Alfred Music Publishing announces the release of the Drum Atlas series. This innovative and compelling new series transports some of the world’s most unique and dynamic rhythms to drummers everywhere. This exotic series widens a drummer’s musical scope by introducing sounds from Brazil, Cuba, India, and Salsa, with additional titles to be released later this year.

Drum Atlas: Brazil offers an inside look into the catchy rhythms and emotional depth of Brazilian music. For drummers, this book presents an incredible opportunity to incorporate a wide variety of beats in an exciting, dynamic context by learning basic Brazilian beats and ways to create variety through sticking patterns, the placement of accents, and the use of brushes. In addition, drummers will learn about the percussion instruments of Brazil, how to perform alongside them, and even how to emulate them as a sole drummer. Drum Atlas: Brazil also explores the importance of drumming in Brazilian culture, including celebrations such as Carnival, and the various cultural influences that made Brazilian drumming possible, allowing drummers to understand how Brazilian rhythm has spread throughout the world, influencing contemporary styles like jazz and pop.

Drum Atlas: Cuba captures the incredibly lively rhythms that have caused Cuban music to experience a surge in international popularity. Musicians know that playing Cuban music requires a relaxed, yet steady, feel for the clave-the underlying groove that is not always easy for newcomers to grasp. Drum Atlas: Cuba deciphers how to internalize the clave and build layer upon layer of rhythm on its foundation while demonstrating how to incorporate those infectious Cuban rhythms into your drumset playing. Perfect for every style of drummer, these rhythm exercises will improve your sense of syncopation and limb independence. With the many varieties of Cuban styles in this book, there are plenty of opportunities to play truly authentic Cuban sounds as a solo drummer as well as with a band using the sample bass and piano parts provided.

Drum Atlas: India unlocks the secrets of the rhythmic theory and tradition that remains largely untapped by modern drummers by explaining how the traditional rhythms of instruments such as the tabla, mridangam, and dhol can be adapted to the modern drumset. This book decodes bol, or spoken syllables, that Indian percussionists have used for centuries to communicate drum patterns. Indian rhythms are often composed of familiar patterns with 3, 4, 6, 8, or 16 beats, but sometimes delve into patterns of 5 or 7 beats that may seem unusual to a Western drummer. Drum Atlas: India teaches the theory behind tal, rhythmic cycles of various numbers of beats. Mastering this knowledge will improve soloing, linear phrasing, and subdividing skills while providing opportunities to incorporate Indian rhythmic concepts into other musical styles, such as rock, funk, and jazz.

Drum Atlas: Salsa celebrates the music that came out of the great melting pot of New York City, born from the music of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other island nations. For drummers, salsa music is an incredible opportunity to incorporate a wide variety of beats in an exciting, danceable context. Drum Atlas: Salsa covers the important rhythms and drumset techniques required to play this style while demonstrating the salsa song form and ways to play solos and fills within the style. Also, this comprehensive guide to salsa includes a discussions on the different percussion instruments, how to perform alongside them, tricks on how to emulate them when you are the sole drummer, and salsa’s influence on Latin jazz, as demonstrated through the drumbeats of Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and others.

Drum Atlas: Brazil, Drum Atlas: Cuba, Drum Atlas: India, and Drum Atlas: Salsa are now available as a book and CD set for $16.95 each. Pick up your copies at a local music retail store, or buy them today right here at the Drummer Cafe.

Source: Harmony-Central.com

Alfred Music Publishing is excited to announce the release of two epic songbooks for drums: Mothership by Led Zeppelin and 2112 by Rush. Each songbook features authentic drum transcriptions to every song played on the album.

Arguably the most influential and innovative rock band ever, Led Zeppelin has sold over 200 million records worldwide, and they continue to inspire successive generations with their passionate, groundbreaking, genre-transcendent, mystic, heavy and blues-infused rock ‘n roll. Spanning their epic career, Mothership is an unprecedented collection that pulls immortal songs from all eight of the band’s classic studio albums, one of the 20th century’s most enduring bodies of musical work. This is the must-have book for all fans of Led Zeppelin and the immortal drum work of the legendary John Bonham. Titles: Achilles Last Stand All My Love Babe I’m Gonna Leave You Black Dog Communication Breakdown Dazed and Confused D’yer Mak’er Good Times Bad Times Heartbreaker Houses of the Holy Immigrant Song In the Evening Kashmir No Quarter Nobody’s Fault but Mine Over the Hills and Far Away Ramble On Rock and Roll Since I’ve Been Loving You Stairway to Heaven The Song Remains the Same Trampled Under Foot When the Levee Breaks * Whole Lotta Love. Mothership (Drum Transcriptions) is now available for $24.95.

Alfred expands their Classic Album Editions songbooks for drums with 2112 by Rush, the band’s fourth album. Rush’s earliest commercially successful hit, 2112 is considered to be their first true “classic” album. With a unique blend of heavy rock and progressive rock, Rush crafted a true masterpiece in the seven-movement suite “2112,” a concept piece with lyrics by Neil Peart that tells the story of a futuristic society controlled by technology. Titles: 2112 A Passage to Bangkok The Twilight Zone Lessons Tears * Something for Nothing. 2112, authentic drumset edition, is now available for $14.95.

Source: All About Jazz

The first clip shows Erskine playing a more-or-less free form drum solo. It was recorded in 2004 at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). The second video, down below, features the drummer in a trio with guitarist John Abercrombie and bassist Marc Johnson, recorded at NYC’s Village Vanguard. Lastly, the third clip provides a glimpse of Erskine the teacher, as he demonstrates a New Orleans-style groove and solo.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V70BYk5D0e8[/youtube]

Read More …

Lots of good metal drummers in this book, including the coffee-drinking Charlie Benante. Maybe he and this book can curl up next to a warm toasty fire on a winter’s night with his coffee mug. HARDCORE!!!

Source: Harmony-Central.com

Alfred Presents: On the Beaten Path: Metal – The Drummer’s Guide to the Genre
March 06, 2009

Alfred is proud to announce the release of On the Beaten Path: Metal—The Drummer’s Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It, a much-anticipated extension to the highly acclaimed, award-winning book On the Beaten Path: The Drummer’s Guide to Musical Styles and the Legends Who Defined Them, voted “No. 1 Educational Book” in the 2008 Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll!, and voted “No. 1 Book” in the 2008 DRUM! Reader’s Poll!

On the Beaten Path: Metal — The Drummer’s Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It is a must-have guide for drummers providing valuable insight into the history and development of the metal genre. This comprehensive book contains over a 100 pages that explore the ins and outs of a dozen legendary drummers that impacted the metal genre the most. The book will lead you through the beats, licks, solos, and grooves that made each artist famous, with insight into their approaches, the gear they used, the bands they played in, and the drummers who influenced them as well as amazing photos, timelines showing important milestones in metal history, and a listing of essential metal recordings that every drummer should own. The authentic transcriptions and easy-to-follow step-by-step lessons guide you through 36 famous beats and solos from songs by Metallica, Slipknot, Meshuggah, Slayer, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, Anthrax, and others. There is a beginning, intermediate, and advanced transcription and lesson for each of the 12 drummers presented in the book. All the beats and solos that are presented in the book are performed on the accompanying CD.

On the Beaten Path: Metal — The Drummer’s Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It is now available as a book and CD for $19.95. Other titles in the On the Beaten Path series are available now, including On the Beaten Path: Progressive Rock — The Drummer’s Guide to the Genre and the Legends Who Defined It, and the award-winning On the Beaten Path — The Drummer’s Guide to Musical Styles and the Legends Who Defined Them. Pick up your copies at a local retail music store, or buy them today at http://www.alfred.com/alfredweb/front/General.aspx?pageid=299&catid=55

On the Beaten Path: Metal Drummers include:

* Chris Adler (Lamb of God)
* Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
* Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall)
* Clive Burr (Iron Maiden)
* Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)
* Joey Jordison (Slipknot)
* Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
* Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.alfred.com/.