Dec-Jan 1980-81
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MODERN DRUMMER CONTENTS FEATURES: BUDDY RICH It was four years ago, the January, 1977 premier issue of Modern Drummer, that Buddy Rich graced our cover. Rich is back again, with comments that are inspiring and honest. This exclusive interview is filled with anecdotes tracing Rich's early career and personal acquaintances. But the main focus is Rich's philosophy regarding his music and the success and failure that he holds himself accountable for. His strong convictions about his art and life have carried him to the pinnacle of rever- ance among musicians who have played for or listened to him throughout the years. 12 ROCK DRUMMERS OF THE 80's As we move into a new decade, certain trends in contem- porary music have already become apparent. To find out more about rock music of the 80's and the style of drumming that it incorporates, we have interviewed Clem Burke of Blondie; Bruce Gary of The Knack; Stan Lynch of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; and Alan Myers of Devo. 16 GREAT JAZZ DRUMMERS, PART 4 From the mid 50's into the 60's, jazz drumming artists devel- oped continually—experimenting with styles and new rhythmic patterns in big bands as well as the avant-garde groups. Drum- mers of this period included Louis Hayes, Alan Dawson, Joe Morello and later Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette and Tony Williams. Fusion was born in the 70's bridging the gap between jazz and rock and producing a crop of tasteful, technically skilled musicians, including Danny Seraphine, Bobby Colomby, Lenny White and Billy Cobham. 20 MD ARTICLE COMPENDIUM 24 WEIGHTLIFTING AND DRUMMING 30 DRUM EXECUTIVES—WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHERE WE'RE GOING 27 COLUMNS: EDITOR'S OVERVIEW 2 SLIGHTLY OFFBEAT ASK A PRO 4 Driving Utopia by Karen Larcombe 70 IT'S QUESTIONABLE 6 READERS PLATFORM 9 THE CLUB SCENE Tips for the Singing Drummer JAZZ DRUMMER'S WORKSHOP by Rick Van Horn 78 Unison Exercises by Ed Soph 33 DRUM MARKET 82 SHOP TALK The Care and Feeding of Drums, Part II STRICTLY TECHNIQUE by Frank Kofsky 42 The Always Available Drumset by Tom Princen 86 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP Pedals in Perspective, Part II PRINTED PAGE 92 by Bob Saydlowski, Jr. 46 CONCEPTS ELECTRONIC INSIGHTS Showing Up—The Key to Success Percussion Interfaces, Part I by Roy Burns 54 by David Ernst 96 ROCK PERSPECTIVES INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS 98 A Practical Application of Flams JUST DRUMS 102 by David Garibaldi 58 It's somewhat hard to believe—but true. Mod- terview, though I'd venture to say quite a bit. ern Drummer Magazine is about to enter its fifth Thanks Buddy, for giving us the opportunity to year of publishing. Over the past four years get this project off on the right foot, both then we've brought you dozens of the world's great- and now. An insightful and illuminating dis- est drummers through our feature interviews, cussion with the all-time phenomenon of modern and presented the concepts of an equally impres- drumming is here in Buddy: Revisited. sive array of respected authorities via our educa- We've also assembled an MD Compendium; a tional columns. We've reported on events, new complete reader reference guide to the feature products and innovations, schools and manufac- material and educational articles we've pub- turers. All in all, we've done our damndest to lished since our first issue. Though all Volume 1 make Modern Drummer the kind of publication back issues are no longer available, many of the you'd benefit from and enjoy. more recent issues still are. A bound reprint of Our reward rests with our acceptance and Volume 1, in its entirety, will soon be made subsequent growth. MD is now read by nearly available. 40,000 drummers in the U.S. and more than 50 In keeping with our special issue theme, foreign lands; the size of an average issue has we've gathered a host of comments from high tripled since our inception; the magazine's Advi- level executives within some of our major drum sory Board has leaped from the four original companies. We asked for their views on the di- members, to include twenty-six of the leading rection of the industry over the past five years. experts in America. MD can presently be found The result is an interesting perspective on just in over 700 of the nation's leading drum shops where we've been and where we're going as an and music stores, on newsstands, and in record industry. and bookshops. We've also had one increase in Any landmark issue would hardly be complete frequency from four issues per year to six just without some personal thank yous. And yet, two years ago, which leads me directly to a there are so many people to thank, one hardly rather exciting bit of information. knows where to begin. Suffice to say that MD I'm delighted to officially announce that Mod- would surely not have reached this point without ern Drummer will once again be increasing its the fine work and effort of scores of writers, cor- publishing frequency. We're going to nine issues respondents, photographers and columnists, to this time and it'll all begin with our February/ name a few. Our thanks to all of you. Special March issue early next year. Numerous requests thanks to the MD Advisory Board members who for a frequency increase prompted us to survey a stand ready to assist every day of the year; to substantial portion of our readership, our adver- hundreds of professional drummers around the tisers and dealers, to get their thoughts on more world who have become our dear friends; to the MD. Happily, the overwhelming majority in advertising community who has supported our every group surveyed were very much in favor efforts all along; and to one hard working group of an increase. We've got a wealth of great mate- of behind the scenes players, who have been rial and ideas planned for next year, and we're making the entire complex operation work for looking forward to having you with us. Nine is- four years, and doing one helluva job in the pro- sues of MD promises to be even more conducive cess. My staff. to the needs of the thousands of serious drum- But most of all, we thank you the individual mers who are our loyal readers. reader. After all is said and done, I think it's im- We gave considerable thought on how to portant to be aware that there would be no Mod- make this issue special in celebration of our fifth ern Drummer at all without your support. We year. We soon realized, nothing could be better thank you for staying with us for four years, and than to revisit Buddy Rich, MD's very first fea- look forward to being an important part of your ture interview subject. Buddy was as receptive musical growth through the editorial content of to our request this time as he was when we first this magazine for many years to come. approached him as unknowns, four years ago. It's difficult to say how much of our early suc- Ron Spagnardi cess was realized on the strength of that first in- Editor ROBERTO PETACCIA Q. Why do you play left handed on a set- up traditionally used by right handed drummers? Gregory Heller Chicago, IL A. Basically because it frees me up from crossing hands when riding on the hi-hat. I believe in playing as naturally as possible, and because I'm left handed, that's the best way for me to play. When I got my first set of drums, I led with my LES DE MERLE left hand, and I was also left footed. It was very natural for me to play this way. Q. Do you have any practice sugges- When I began taking private lessons, tions for incorporating my bass drum foot and developing my double bass drum into my playing? technique, I had the advantage of a Billy Hanleny Honolulu, HI strong left foot. A. Select variations of rudiments such as the paradiddle. Try using it in two and HAL BLAINE A. Yes, I do a lot of commercials. I've four bar solos by playing the right foot got about 300 on the air. I work with the along with the right hand. Practice sub- Q. Besides playing with John Denver, "King of the Jingles" out here, a man stituting the right foot for the right hand. the studio work you do runs the gamut of named Don Piestrup, and he gives me a You can also practice double stroke recording. Do you find your playing is re- lot of freedom. If there's a phrase I want sticking but play the pattern between the stricted on motion pictures, television, to catch, or a little fill I want to do, he lets left hand and the right foot. Try taping it and commercials? Also, do you feel the me go ahead and do them. That makes it on a cassette and check for an evenness time allotted to complete these sessions very creative. I've really done a great of volume and phrasing. affects the quality of the music? deal of films over the last seven or eight Dennis Gilman years. When you're working in movies Tacarigua, Trinidad, West Indies and TV, the standards are pretty pat. You're called to play a chart that's put in front of you, and generally they want it played exactly as written.