Learn the history of broadway drummers dating back to the days of Vaudeville, up to the modern times where shows are technical marvels that run Ableton, have screens on all the music stands, and the drummer is often playing remotely in a complete different part of the building! Warren Odze is a broadway veteran and has been performing on the stage since the 70's, but his music career has been in full swing for over 50 years. He takes us through the changes that drummers on Broadway have faced ov...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast We go back to post World War 2 Japan and learn about the origins of Pearl as a music stand manufacturer in 1946. They then entered the world of drums in the 50's and began to rise to the drum company that we know today by creating "stencil drums" for over 30 other brand names, including CB-700 and Apollo, before creating the iconic Pearl "Presidents Series" in 1966. Raymond Massey is the Director of Product Development and gives us an extensive run through of each decade of this iconic drum bran...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Claus teaches us all about the Moeller Technique and its origins with Sanford Moeller, and how he passed the technique along to the legendary Jim Chapin who taught Claus and many famous drummers. This episode is full of great history and stories about how this method of playing was passed down through the generations, and also hear all about Claus's passion for rope tension drums, collapsed rudiments, and a number of other topics! Claus Hessler is an author, performer and educator who had a very...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jim was the director of marketing at Ludwig for 36 years and was the right hand man to Bill Ludwig II, aka "The Chief". He shares amazing stories about his time he had with the chief, and his four decade career in the drum industry with Ludwig, and also Premier and Slingerland. Jim brought The Chief out of retirement and back into the company after he had sold the company to Selmer, then he had a great rest of his career with Jim by his side. This episode is a great blueprint for how to work you...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast North drums are some of the most unique looking drums ever made. They are horn shaped fiberglass drums that were made between the late 60's through the early 90's and were created by my guest, Roger North. Early on, Roger played the first North Drums tom on stage at Woodstock 1969 with his band Quill before he ever actually went into production and created the business. A few years later, he was in full swing and creating drums for Billy Cobham, Alan White, Gerry Brown, Doug Clifford and many mo...
Aug 11, 2020•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joe Morello was one of the most innovative and masterful drummers of the last century, but did you know he was playing Violin with the Boston Symphony at age 9? Learn about how the iconic "Take 5" Drummer made the switch to drums and became the legend we know today. Steve Fidyk is a legendary drummer and educator in his own right, and he was lucky enough to study with Joe and have a very close relationship with him as a student and a friend. Joe began his music life as a virtuosic violinist who ...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Learn the origins of this iconic book that is the most thorough and extensive resource for all things cymbals! Hugo tells us how he gathered all the information for the book and we learn tons of valuable tips and tricks along the way. While writing the book, Hugo was taken all over the world by the major drum companies who wanted to teach him the origins of the companies that we all know and love. That gave him a great understanding of the cymbal making process, the history of the companies, and...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast John Sparrow is the drummer for the Violent Femmes and a die hard Slingerland enthusiast! This is a fun episode where we talk about Slingerland high points in the history of this great American brand, and also some low points through the decades as the company evolved and tried to keep up with the constantly changing world of music. John is an endorser of A&F Drums but has been a Slingerland fan since he was a kid starting by playing his dads Radio King's. We talk about the great Gene Krupa, Rol...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rob and Tony are the founders of the iconic American drum brand, GMS Drum Co. They were one of four custom-shop companies that started in the 1980's, well before the boom of boutique brands in the mid 2000's. It is a great story of an underdog brand exploding in popularity and how they kept up with demand! They are USA made drums that are known as some of the highest quality drums you can buy thanks to the extreme attention to detail. We learn about the origins of the brand and how they exploded...
Jul 14, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We learn about Ajax, Carlton, Hayman, Beverley, and Premier drums - just to name a few! We discuss pre and post war drums made in England, and the many similarities and differences between British drums and the classic American brands. Geoff is a renowned author and expert on the history of the drum set, with a special knowledge about British drums. We go through the full history of all these different brands that were at the top of the drum world for many years, and then disappeared as the Amer...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rudimental drumming first appeared in in the Swiss Army in the 1300's to set the tempo and communicate commands during battle, and then spread around Europe where it evolved and was eventually documented in 1588 as the first form of drum notation. It then continued across Europe, and eventually made it to America and evolved into the 26 Rudiments that we have today. This is just scratching the surface of what we learn from Mark Beecher in this episode! Mark Beecher is the president of the Nation...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff takes us back to the ice age where drums were made of turtle shells that were flipped over, had skin stretched over them, and then dried in the sun for tension. We then move forward through history and touch on many of the highlights in the fascinating history of drum tuning. Jeff also gives us tips and tricks on how to get the sound you want out of your drums in a quick and easy way, without overthinking. Jeff Davenport is a UK based drum tuning expert who is a regular fixture at drum show...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Barry James is the last living student of George Lawrence Stone (Stick Control, Accents and Rebounds) who still teaches the Stone technique. Barry is 81 years old and took lessons with Stone in 1957 in Boston College. He has had an amazing career and still teaches via Skype to people around the world. We learn what it was like to step into Stones Boston drum studio and learn from the author of one of the most beloved drum books in history, "Stick Control". Barry took his experiences and co-wrote...
Jun 16, 2020•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Charlie Watts is one of the most important drummers in Rock and Roll History. Mike Edison is the author of "Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters" and he gives us a great in depth look at the importance of Charlie and the Rolling Stones on popular culture. Learn about the impact Charlie made on pop culture with The Rolling Stones and as a passionate jazz drummer. We discuss his personal life and his hobbies including his mega collection of drums, art, and all types of things. I hav...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did Premier secretly produce Ludwig Supraphonic shells in the 70's? Listen to find out! Founded in 1922, Premier is the most famous brand in British drum history and has a fascinating story. Mike Ellis is an expert on Premier and an avid restorer who shares the complete history with us plus tons of great stories along the way. Learn all about the comparisons between classic American brands and Premier through the brands evolution as they battled for market share, and inevitably what held Premier...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast We learn the role of drummers in the Military and the purpose they served as a form of communication and a way to keep the troops unified during battle starting with the US Colonies through to the Revolutionary War. Then we take a deep dive into the Civil War and learn all about the importance of the Fife and Drum Corp on both sides in the extremely bloody war that divided the country. Patrick Jones is a Fife and Drum Corps expert and regularly performs with Camp Chase Fifes and Drums at events ...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rob tells us the story of the postponed 2020 Chicago Drum Show and what we can expect in 2021. He also tells us about the 30 year history of the show going back to year one with some great stories along the way. We also chat about drum legend George Way and fill in some gaps in his history that has been covered in previous episodes on Way. This is an unprecedented year for many things around the world, and drum shows are no different. Rob was faced with a tough decision but I think he made the r...
May 17, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast (You do not need to have listened to part 1 to enjoy this episode) Part 2 covers the role of working drummers starting in the 1960's with session drummers, then Rock and Roll superstar's, through the 80's monster drumsets and up to modern times. Matt is a brilliant historian and educator, and he brings us a very fun and relaxed conversation about this amazing history of how drummers survived and worked throughout history. We cover interesting bits such as why you cant copyright a drum beat, why ...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Andy Zildjian is the president of Sabian Cymbals and takes us on a very fun journey through the history of the company that dates back to its founding in 1981 by his father, Robert Zildjian. This episode features tons of great information about his famous family in general and we discuss the factors that caused the split in the family and become the iconic Sabian cymbals that we know today. We learn all about how Robert Zildjian founded the company and how much of a visionary he was as a busines...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast We talk about celebrities who are also drummers such as Chevy Chase, Bob Crane, Johnny Carson, Andy Kaufman and many more. It is amazing how many classic celebrities of the silver screen enjoyed playing the drums, and could have easily been famous musicians if they didn't become famous for acting and/or comedy. This is a fun episode that features information about people you may not know are drummers, and also info on Ringo and Keith Moon - two men who are known for being funny guys. Find Steven...
Apr 28, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Uli is the Ludwig Marketing and Artist Relations Manager and shares the complete history of the iconic Black Beauty snare drum. We discuss how it originated as the 1919 "Inspiration Model" and then evolved into Black beauty we know today over the next 100 years. Learn about how Ludwig was not the first company to use the "Black Beauty" name, but they became the most famous. We talk about the different processes that have been used to make the shells and what makes them some of the most sought-af...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dom Famularo teaches us about Billy Gladstone, Sanford A, Moeller, and George L. Stone - the godfathers of drumming technique. He also shares many great stories from his journey through learning from the students of these great teachers including Shelly Manne, Jim Chapin, and Joe Morello. The lineage of educators that run from these three men runs so much deeper than I ever imagined. This episode features one of my favorite Buddy Rich stories that I have ever heard. Dom got to hang out with Budd...
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bill shares the full story of C&C drums that began with the first kit he made for Carl Palmer, and then later grew to be one of the most popular boutique drum brands in the world. Before that, Bill Cardwell had a long background in vintage drum collecting and restoring including owning a drum shop and being involved with the very first issue of Not So Modern Drummer. Bill followed his passion and retired early from Bayer Corporation and followed his dream to work with drums and never looked back...
Apr 07, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast CEO of Modern Drummer Magazine, David Frangioni is this weeks guest. We discuss the history of Modern Drummer and talk about how drummers can make the best of the current "Stay Home" situation, plus we learn about his long and exciting career in the music world. In March 2020, we are all faced with the Covid-19 virus that has everyone staying at home to help control the spread of the virus. David has some great information on what we can do to make the absolute best of this time and come out on ...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gary is a historian and expert on all things Ringo Starr. He has curated Ringo's collection of original Beatles drum kits and is full of great stories about Ringo that you won't hear from anyone else! We talk about a biography of Ringo, A description of all of his drum sets through the years, and Garys involvement with Ringo and his drums including over 4 million dollars in auction sales from Ringo's collection that Gary curated. Check out Gary's website at https://www.ringosbeatlekits.com/ to l...
Mar 24, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This James Brown song from 1969 made a very small splash at first, until it's beat was re-discovered in the 80's and changed the world of music forever. We take a deep dive learning everything about Clyde Stubblefield's Funky Drummer beat including how and where it was recorded, the gear he used, the impact on music, and Clyde's legacy. Dylan Wissing has created "sample replays" for artists such as Kanye West, Eminem, TI, John Legend and many more. Find out how he recreates drum beats like Funky...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This very special episode takes a deep dive into the history of New Orleans Jazz and features multiple interviews that I did in New Orleans while I was there to see the Rolling Stones and meet Charlie Watts in July, 2019. I was lucky enough to sit down with Stanton Moore and get the full history of Nola Jazz, and also go backstage with Walter Harris and Joe Lastie at Preservation Hall Jazz Club, plus even more information from Greg Lambousy of the Nola Jazz Museum. New Orleans is one of the few ...
Feb 25, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sezar teaches us the full History of Istanbul Agop, dating back to its origins in the Zildjian K Factory where Agop Tomurcuk learned how to make cymbals. We discuss how hand hammered cymbals are made and why Turkey is so special for cymbal making. We learn all about the history of the different lines Istanbul Agop offers and also the story behind the split with Istanbul Mehmet. Sezar Inceoglu is the International Sales Manager at Istanbul Agop and is a wealth of knowledge who is very passionate ...
Feb 18, 2020•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Matt takes us on a deep dive into the early mistreatment of drummers in the musicians labour unions dating back to the early 20th century, through the rise of the "Radio Stars" of the 1940's all the way up to the great session drummers like Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer. The episode kicks off by learning the origins of drummer jokes that we have all heard through our careers and is full of great information throughout. Dr. Matt Brennan is an author, musician, and educator at the University of Glasg...
Feb 04, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Drum Engraving goes back to the 1920's when drums such as the Slingerland and Ludwig Black Beauty's would become legendary thanks to the intricate engraving on the metal shells. Fast forward to today, John is the man behind the hand engraving for companies such as Ludwig, A&F, DW, Pearl, C&C and Joyful Noise. He is also the founder of the amazing publication "Not So Modern Drummer", which has been an amazing resource for vintage drum enthusiasts for almost 30 years. We go through the full histor...
Jan 21, 2020•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast