One of the greatest entertainers in the big band era was Lionel Hampton. Known predominantly for his wonderful vibes playing, Lionel also excelled on the drums, as a front man, singer and even a piano player. I collected a taste of all these attributes in the great Lionel Hampton with videos from throughout his career. […]…
So much of the music to come out of New Orleans has one thing in common: it always grooves. And the New Orleans drummer Terence Higgins, groove is first and foremost in anything he seems to touch. Higgins is known mostly as the drummer of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band but has played with many […]…
As I look into many of the great early drummers, there seems to be a common thread as to who was the originator of popular drumming. Well now I’ve heard the same thing said by drummers like Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Louie Bellson… “Listen to Papa Jo Jones.” Jones was the regular drummer for […]…
In the swinging ’40s and ’50s, there were a lot of really great drummers that helped bring the drums to the forefront on the bandstand. Players like Jo Jones, Chick Webb, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa were among some of these names. Another name that highlighted the drums as a solo instrument was Louie Bellson. […]…
I wanted to take a trip back in time to feature some of the great on screen entertainers in show biz. One of the popular forms of entertainment, and a personal favorite, was the drum and tap dance duos. That was back when the actors had a variety of talents on screen. I found two […]…
Buddy Miles’ resume was filled with powerful players. Buddy played with Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsys, he played with heavy cats like Carlos Santana, and even recorded several of his own albums. One of the many things that impresses me most about Buddy Miles is that he didn’t just play the drums. He […]…
In the last several years, Brian Blade has risen to prominence as one of the foremost jazz drummers in the music industry. He’s gained that popularity by being a versatile and unique drummer, knowing how to blend with a variety of groups and music styles. He’s played with some of the best jazz musicians in […]…
This post is dedicated to the type of drummer interested in recording drums, as it is an art form just as vital as drumming is for any professional recording. I’ve recorded in many different scenarios over my career, and tuned a lot of drums to make sure they sound great for sessions, but the sound […]…
There are plenty of professional drummers you probably haven’t heard about but have seen with all sorts of big names. One of those drummers is Sonny Emory. Granted he’s made quite a name for himself as a session and live drummer, plus he puts on a slammin’ live solo on stage. He’s played with groups […]…
I recently came across a video produced by Steve Smith, famed drummer for the hit band Journey and jazz drummer aficionado, endorsing a product called the Samsung Zomm Q3 Handy Video Recorder. Now, whether or not you look into that specific product is irrelevant, but the point I would like to make is just how […]…