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Not So Modern Drummer

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Since 1988, a treasure trove of information about vintage drums, custom drums & legendary drummers

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The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988

Not So Modern Drummer

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Legendary Drummers

Legendary Drummers, Shelly Manne,

Featured
Elton John, Nigel Olson - The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
Jan 25, 2019
Elton John, Nigel Olson - The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
Jan 25, 2019

Drummer Nigel Olsson has been playing and recording with Elton John since 1970. He has performed in concert with Elton over 2,500 times. Nigel, the consummate showman, is always smiling. On stage, he is impeccably dressed with a shirt, tie and, trademark white gloves. Joining with Ray Cooper and John Mahon, they were a complete rhythmic force unlike any other. With a long and impressive resume… Nigel has played with The Spencer Davis Group, Uriah Heep, and as a first-call studio drummer. His credentials also include time with Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, and Kiki Dee.

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Jan 25, 2019
Mike Clark: Word of Wisdom - Chapter 20
Jan 25, 2019
Mike Clark: Word of Wisdom - Chapter 20
Jan 25, 2019

Chapter 20 in our ongoing series of conversations, quotes, commentary, and updates with jazz drumming legend Mike Clark. Mike’s keen observations provide numerous insights into “all things music”. Mike tells it like it is… The good, the bad, and everything else in between:

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Jan 25, 2019
Terry Bozzio: Here And Now
Jan 24, 2019
Terry Bozzio: Here And Now
Jan 24, 2019

 I had already recognized Terry Bozzio as a ground - breaking musician, having seen him previously on three different occasions…In the 1970’s with Frank Zappa, the early 1980’s with Missing Persons, and at one of his drum clinics a few years later. Having no idea what to expect that night…It was a shock to the system to say the least. This one-man performance by Terry Bozzio was completely different than anything I had ever seen or heard before…Terry with his huge kit - and nothing else… Demonstrating a complete and total mastery of the instrument throughout the show. The audience loved it all, applauding loudly after every one of Terry’s original compositions.

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Jan 24, 2019
Viola Smith turns 106
Dec 20, 2018
Viola Smith turns 106
Dec 20, 2018

Viola Smith (born November 29, 1912) is an American drummer best known for her work in orchestras, swing bands, and popular music from the 1920s until 1975. She was one of the first professional female drummers.

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Dec 20, 2018
Melvin and Me - "I've never had a bad night"
Dec 20, 2018
Melvin and Me - "I've never had a bad night"
Dec 20, 2018

"I've never had a bad night!"

Yup, that's what Mel Lewis said, as stated by John Riley in "Beyond Bop Drumming." At the time, John thought it seemed like a bit of hubris, but Mel had a very good explanation. You see, Mel strove to be such a proficient player that even on an off night he was still plenty good at his job.

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Dec 20, 2018
Ben Dixon, noted jazz drummer, dies.
Dec 20, 2018
Ben Dixon, noted jazz drummer, dies.
Dec 20, 2018

Dixon was one of the great organ jazz specialists. He was born in Gaffney, South Carolina and grew up in Washington D.C. and Buffalo, NY. Early in his career, Dixon played with Buck Hill, Shirley Horn and Webster Young. During Dixon’s three-year stint with the popular r&b singer Lloyd Price, Dixon met John Patton, whom he persuaded to take up the Hammond. Introduced by Lou Donaldson to Blue Note’s Alfred Lion, Dixon and Patton (plus guitarist Grant Green) went on to form a prolific tandem on many of the label’s now-classic soul jazz albums of the early and mid-sixties. He

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Dec 20, 2018
Famous drummer John Von Ohlen "The Baron" dies at age 77
Dec 20, 2018
Famous drummer John Von Ohlen "The Baron" dies at age 77
Dec 20, 2018

Legendary jazz drummer John Von Ohlen, “The Baron,” died on Oct. 3 following a long illness. He was 77.

He was a drummer, bandleader and recording artist. You could only marvel at his effortless technique, his musicality and his seamless communication with his fellow musicians. Small wonder he was the drummer of choice for Rosemary Clooney, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Tony Bennett, Benny Goodman, Mel Torme and Perry Como. He toured and recorded with Kenton for two years.. Von Ohlen was one of the last big band drummers of his era.

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Dec 20, 2018
Harvey Wolfson and his Gretsch Drums
Nov 30, 2018
Harvey Wolfson and his Gretsch Drums
Nov 30, 2018

“By now it was 1956, and my drums were getting pretty worn and shabby from all the traveling. So I talked to the officer in charge of the tour, whose name was Lieutenant Whiting. I told him that I’d pretty much used my drums up playing so many dates. He told me to go to the music store in downtown Atlanta and order whatever I thought I was going to need, and send the bill to him.

“I went to the store and ordered the best set of drums that I could find in the Gretsch catalog: a Broadkaster ‘Bop’ outfit, including two 22″ K Zildjian cymbals.

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Nov 30, 2018
Matt Kelly: Dropkick Murphys' Driving Force
Nov 21, 2018
Matt Kelly: Dropkick Murphys' Driving Force
Nov 21, 2018

On August 25th 2018, The Dropkick Murphys rocked out the brand new MGM Grand Casino in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. The outdoor weekend performance was a benefit concert for the Thomas J. Sullivan Foundation. Gunnery Sergeant Sullivan was killed on July 16, 2015 in a domestic terror attack while stationed at the Naval Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Springfield native Sullivan was attempting to save his fellow Marines when he was fatally shot during the assault.

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Nov 21, 2018
DRUMSVILLE! EXHIBIT TO OPEN NOVEMBER 8, 2018 at NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM
Oct 30, 2018
DRUMSVILLE! EXHIBIT TO OPEN NOVEMBER 8, 2018 at NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM
Oct 30, 2018

NEW ORLEANS (October 11, 2018) — The New Orleans Jazz Museum will debut a new exhibition, Drumsville!: Evolution of the New Orleans Beat. Launching on November 8, 2018, the exhibit will celebrate both the New Orleans Tricentennial and International Drum Month, along with the development of the drum kit in New Orleans and the ongoing evolution of rich local drumming traditions.

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Oct 30, 2018
Elvin Jones' Personal Gig Poster Collection
Oct 29, 2018
Elvin Jones' Personal Gig Poster Collection
Oct 29, 2018

Over the 14 years I’ve known Keiko, she has shared countless Elvin stories. One reoccurring story was about a collection of Elvin’s promotional posters they’d collected in their 30 plus years of touring the world. They came up in conversation many times, but we never discussed them in much detail. Earlier this year, the posters came up again. I eventually purchased the posters along with a forgotten cache of Elvin’s gear that had been stored in a friends garage in New Jersey (more about that soon). The posters arrived in a couple of Elvin’s old Jazz Machine trap cases. There were about 100 unique posters, photos and paintings, many of them with multiples, that Elvin and Keiko personally collected from gigs spanning 4 decades. They were collected from all over Europe, Asia, South America and the US. 

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Oct 29, 2018
Ken Harck: Sweet Home Chicago
Oct 26, 2018
Ken Harck: Sweet Home Chicago
Oct 26, 2018

In 1976 he moved to Los Angeles, California to play with bassist Glen Cornick of Jethro Tull…Later replaced by Foreigner’s Bruce Trien. He played with legendary session piano player Nicky Hopkins who had worked with the Rolling’s Stones, The Who, The Beatles and Jeff Beck. Ken also performed with ‘Badfinger’ - 1977 -1978, and Off-Broadway from 1978 to 1984. The original members of Off Broadway have since re-grouped, and are still playing to this day. Ken also enjoys sharing stories from his LA studio days, and his brushes with fame – Including: Tom Petty, Cher, Gregg Allman, and Keith Richards.

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Oct 26, 2018
An Evening with Pat Metheny featuring Antonio Sanchez
Oct 26, 2018
An Evening with Pat Metheny featuring Antonio Sanchez
Oct 26, 2018

“Antonio Sanchez remains one of the greatest drummers of this or any era.  It is thrilling to get on the bandstand with Antonio every night. You just can't wait to play with him”. —Pet Metheny

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Oct 26, 2018
You Don't Know Jack: Chapter Three
Sep 18, 2018
You Don't Know Jack: Chapter Three
Sep 18, 2018

 A little later Buddy comes over puts his arm around me and says; Jack would you play for me? Picture this: A fifteen-year old kid sitting behind Buddy Rich’s drums. I still don’t have the words to describe how incredible that felt.

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Sep 18, 2018
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 19
Sep 18, 2018
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 19
Sep 18, 2018

“Damn, gotta’ couple of really good students...The lesson is - I will charge them and steal their licks. If you are interested in me stealing your licks… Hit me up for a few lessons. “

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Sep 18, 2018
Important Message from Hal Blaine
Sep 18, 2018
Important Message from Hal Blaine
Sep 18, 2018

THE RECORDING ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Will air on PBS - October 5, 2018 

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Sep 18, 2018
Interview with Famed Rockabilly Drummer, Steve Clark
Sep 11, 2018
Interview with Famed Rockabilly Drummer, Steve Clark
Sep 11, 2018

In the summer of 1974, a friend of mine was hosting an ‘all-night’ Rockabilly variety show at Myron’s Ballroom in Los Angeles and he asked me to sit in with Ray Campi. Colin Winski was singing vocals and playing rhythm guitar. We ended up playing several shows together throughout the summer as the Rollin’ Rock Rockabilly Band.

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Sep 11, 2018
FAT - The Celebration Continues
Sep 6, 2018
FAT - The Celebration Continues
Sep 6, 2018

FAT has some major gigs this weekend including the new MGM Grand Casino in Springfield, Mass. There is no doubt their huge fan club will be out in force. David Barsalou shares the history of their great drummers in this article.


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Sep 6, 2018
You Don't Know Jack: Chapter Two
Jul 30, 2018
You Don't Know Jack: Chapter Two
Jul 30, 2018

Walking along with my friend John we saw drum cases emblazoned with “The Buddy Rich Orchestra” on their sides. Excited as always when anything ‘Buddy’ came into view. John, his voice filled with excitement said: You know Buddy…Lets go in. I said yeah, but this is a recording studio, we can’t just walk in there.  John, ever persistent finally convinced me to enter the famed RCA building.

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Jul 30, 2018
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 18
Jul 30, 2018
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 18
Jul 30, 2018

“Man, I had beyond a blast playing with the Great Eddie Henderson…There were some fantastic drummers in who I really dig, Billy Drummond, Sylvia Cuenca, Steve Johns, and the all time master - my hero Billy Hart. You know all those folks can hear the entire picture and then some. How great is that? Such great artists all in one place and one town. Billy Harper was there as well…Damn, I Love New York !”

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Jul 30, 2018
Rick Garvin: The Pursuit of Excellence
Jun 30, 2018
Rick Garvin: The Pursuit of Excellence
Jun 30, 2018

A special story about drummer Rick Garvin. This is a heart felt tribute to a fellow drummer from one of his peers, and with glowing praise from many he played with. Every drummer would like to have an accomplished career like this and be remembered in this way.

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Jun 30, 2018
Famed Drummer Roy Burns passes
May 7, 2018
Famed Drummer Roy Burns passes
May 7, 2018

Roy Burns dedicated his life to drums and drummers. The drumming community owes this gentleman a huge debt of gratitude. I will miss my friend sorely. - Vic Salazar.


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May 7, 2018
John "Jabo" Starks, Famed Drummer for James Brown, Dies at 79
May 3, 2018
John "Jabo" Starks, Famed Drummer for James Brown, Dies at 79
May 3, 2018
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May 3, 2018
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom  -  Chapter 17
Apr 21, 2018
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 17
Apr 21, 2018

This is Chapter 17 in an ongoing series of conversations, quotes, commentary, and updates with drumming legend Mike Clark. Mike’s keen observations provide numerous insights into ‘all things music’. I ask Mike to just tell it like it is…This includes the good, the bad, and everything else in between.

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Apr 21, 2018
You Don't Know Jack: Chapter One
Apr 21, 2018
You Don't Know Jack: Chapter One
Apr 21, 2018

Not So Modern Drummer features the true-life adventures of Jack Scarangella in our new ongoing series.


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Apr 21, 2018
Gordy Knudtson: the Visionary - part one
Apr 19, 2018
Gordy Knudtson: the Visionary - part one
Apr 19, 2018

After Gordy’s presentation Joe Morello said…

“I’m so glad you did this! Billy Gladstone was messing around with this when I was studying with him, but he never documented it. I think you took it further than he did!”

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Apr 19, 2018
Adam Nussbaum - The Leadbelly Project
Mar 24, 2018
Adam Nussbaum - The Leadbelly Project
Mar 24, 2018

After organizing projects released under group names - Nuttree, Another Nuttree & BANN - in past years… Here’s the first one under Adam Nussbaum's own name - The LeadBelly Project  w/ Steve Cardenas, Nate Radley & Ohad Talmor The CD was just released on February  23rd on Sunnyside Records  http://sunnysidezone.com/album/the-lead-belly-project

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Mar 24, 2018
Drum Legend Terry Bozzio's “Reality Tour” 2018 North America
Mar 20, 2018
Drum Legend Terry Bozzio's “Reality Tour” 2018 North America
Mar 20, 2018

He has spent the last 30 years performing Solo Drum Music for Sold Out Audiences all Around the World, from India to Japan, from Europe to North America.

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Mar 20, 2018
Drummer and actor Mickey Jones dies at 76
Mar 13, 2018
Drummer and actor Mickey Jones dies at 76
Mar 13, 2018

Mickey Jones, drummer for Bob Dylan, Johnny Rivers, Trini Lopez, and The First Edition with Kenny Rogers…Passed away on February 7, 2018 after a long illness.

Mickey was also a prolific television actor, appearing on ‘Home Improvement’, ‘Baywatch’, ‘T.J. Hooker’, and ‘Justified’ – coupled with numerous Hollywood film roles. Jones also earned seventeen gold records during his extensive musical career.

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Mar 13, 2018
'Retro Report' CD featuring Mike Clark & Delbert Bump...release date April 6
Mar 13, 2018
'Retro Report' CD featuring Mike Clark & Delbert Bump...release date April 6
Mar 13, 2018

“He’s a great jazz drummer—and he hasn’t lost any of the stuff that he brought from Oakland. So now he’s totally free to do both, and he does. The solo he played on the album Thrust, on the song “Actual Proof,” is one of the best drum solos on any of my albums. So many people have remarked about that solo, saying, ‘Incredible.’

-Herbie Hancock

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Mar 13, 2018

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