INSIDE YAMAHA • NEW FROM MAPEX, ZILDJIAN & DDRUM Mudvayne’sMudvayne’s SPÜGSPÜG PPUSHINGUSHING TTHEHE LLIMITIMIT CARLOS VEGA A MUSICAL LIFE REMEMBERED YOUNG JAZZ LIONS RODNEY GREEN, DANIEL FREEDMAN, KARRIEM RIGGINS & ALI JACKSON! THE CLINIC TRAIL HOW TO GET STARTED CARTER BEAUFORD BUSTED STUFF REVEALED $4.99US $6.99CAN 02 SURVIVING ON STAGE! TIPS FOR THE UNMIKED DRUMMER 0 74808 01203 9 We’ve been making the world’s finest sticks for years. And experience tells us that there are no shortcuts when it comes to mak- ing a stick. There is, however a The journey from wooden dowel to finished drumstick is a tough one. Each stick makes its way through the hands of several craftsmen before it leaves us. And at every test, there’s always the chance of getting turned into firewood. But it does get easier when our sticks reach the store. Because once you feel a pair in your hands, you’ll appreciate the time it spent in ours. TM © 2002 Pro-Mark Corporation. We use only non-endangered wood. promark-stix.com Contents ContentsVolume 27, Number 2 Cover photo by Alex Solca Inset photo by Paul La Raia MUDVAYNE’S SPÜG When a player of such monstrous skills claims he doesn’t even consider himself a drummer, you know he’s got some pretty interesting ideas to share. Mudvayne’s heavy hitter shows us how molds are meant to be broken. by Adam Budofsky 46 Alex Solca UPDATE 24 CARLOS VEGA Bon Jovi’s TICO TORRES A MUSICAL LIFE 66 Lucid Nation’s PATTY SCHEMEL It’s been five years since Carlos Vega left us, Hate Eternal’s DEREK RODDY leaving a hole in the studio drumming scene that’s impossible to fill. In this touching trib- Chicago’s TRIS IMBODEN ute, James Taylor, Lee Sklar, and a host of Drummer/Leader DARREN LYONS other top musicians reflect on a drummer of startling talent and style. Lissa Wales by Robyn Flans WOODSHED 112 J.D. BLAIR THE JAZZ LIONS When the kids go to bed and inspiration 120 strikes, Shania Twain’s J.D. Blair sneaks NYC has always been a Mecca for jazz. upstairs to his Music City music room. Karriem Riggins, Daniel Freedman, Rodney by Robin Tolleson Green, and Ali Jackson are the latest and greatest drummers to invade The Big Apple. by Ken Micallef MD GIVEAWAY Win a drum lesson From Bon Jovi’s 139 Tico Torres and a trip for two to Los Angeles to see Bon Jovi live in concert! Education 84 ROCK PERSPECTIVES 88 LATIN SYMPOSIUM 102 THE JOBBING DRUMMER Linear Double Bass Ideas: Afro-Cuban Coordination For Playing Unmiked, Part 1: Simple Steps To Impressive Fills Drumset: Songo With I’m Hitting As Hard As I Can! by Rory Faciane Right-Hand Clave by T. Bruce Wittet by Maria Martinez 86 JAZZ DRUMMERS’ 108 CONCEPTS WORKSHOP 90 OFF THE RECORD The Value Of A Teacher Three-Beat Licks: The Dave Matthews Band’s by Tom Van Schaik Tips For Playing Over The Barline Carter Beauford: Busted Stuff by Pete Riley by Ed Breckenfeld 92 TEACHERS’ FORUM The Clinic Trail: How To Get Started by Joe Bergamini Departments 6AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW Page 146 Dig 20 IT’S QUESTIONABLE 154 DRUM MARKET by Adam Budofsky Including Vintage Showcase 146 CRITIQUE 8READERS’ PLATFORM 160 DRUMKIT OF THE MONTH 150 BACKBEATS 16 ASK A PRO Elvin Jones Birthday Bash, Vinnie Colaiuta, Virgil Donati, Chick Corea reunion concert, and Scott Rockenfield and more Equipment 34 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP 42 Quick Looks: Meinl Ibo Drums Mapex Saturn Pro And Drumset Timbales Studio Drumkit by Norman Arnold by Will Romano 98 COLLECTORS’ CORNER 36 Zildjian ZXT Series Cymbals Ludwig Jazz Festival Snare Drum by Mike Haid by Harry Cangany Mapex Hammered And 38 99 Make Your Old Classics Precious Metal Snare Drums by Will Romano Shine Like New by Ned Ingberman 40 Regal Tip X-Series Drumsticks by Martin Patmos 114 ELECTRONIC REVIEW ddrum4 SE Signature Edition Electronic Drumkit Quick Looks: LP Shakers 41 by Rick Long And Merengue Guira by Norman Arnold 134 SPOTLIGHT MD Visits Yamaha Japan Quick Looks: Bosphorus 42 by T. Bruce Wittet Hammer China Cymbal by Robin Tolleson Page 34 140 NEW AND NOTABLE AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW Volume 27, Number 2 The World’s Most Widely Read Drum Magazine EDITOR/PUBLISHER RONALD SPAGNARDI CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ISABEL SPAGNARDI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER TRACY A. KEARNS SENIOR EDITOR RICK VAN HORN EDITORIAL DIRECTOR WILLIAM F. MILLER MANAGING EDITOR ADAM J. BUDOFSKY Dig EDITORIAL ASSISTANT SUZANNE HURRING SENIOR ART DIRECTOR SCOTT G. BIENSTOCK ometimes I think we’re a little naive. As the editors of Modern ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR MICHELE M. NEWHOUSE Drummer, we go through the daily business of putting together a mag- ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR S OSEPH ING ADVERTISING DIRECTOR J K azine for readers who have only one thing in common: the drums. But in ADVERTISING ASSISTANT BOB BERENSON the specialized world we live in today, there’s a magazine or Web site for EDITOR/ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE JOAN C. STICKEL BILLY AMENDOLA any sub-sub-genre you can think of, in any field of interest. So we’d have WEB SITE DIRECTOR OFFICE ASSISTANT KEVIN W. KEARNS to be naive to think we can appeal to any person, in any segment of soci- ROSLYN MADIA ety, as long as they like to hit things with sticks. But when it comes to deciding who and what to cover in MD, our only MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: Henry Adler, concern is whether there’s something cool for drummers in the story. Kenny Aronoff, Eddie Bayers, Louie Bellson, Bill Bruford, Harry Cangany, Jim Chapin, Dennis DeLucia, Les DeMerle, Len Education, sex, race, income, age—these things matter very little when DiMuzio, Charlie Donnelly, Peter Erskine, Vic Firth, Bob Gatzen, you’re sitting ten feet from Elvin Jones at the Blue Note, engulfed by his Danny Gottlieb, Sonny Igoe, Jim Keltner, Paul Leim, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Joe Morello, Rod Morgenstein, Andy polyrhythmic maelstrom. Or if you catch a Tool video on M2, and you’re Newmark, Neil Peart, Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Smith, Ed pinned to your seat by Danny Carey’s NASA-worthy number games. Thigpen, Billy Ward, Dave Weckl, Paul Wertico. Perhaps this is why we’re always baffled when somebody writes in, after CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Michael Bettine, Robyn Flans, Burt Korall, Rick Mattingly, Ken Micallef, Mark Parsons, Mike we covered this artist or that, complaining simply because that player’s Haid, Robin Tolleson, Lauren Vogel Weiss, T. Bruce Wittet. band has a funny name, or they have tattoos, or, God forbid, they have a MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is pub- lished monthly by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc., hit record on the charts. Doesn’t everybody think like us? At the end of the 12 Old Bridge Road, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. PERIODICALS day, isn’t it only about the music? MAIL POSTAGE paid at Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 and at addi- tional mailing offices. Copyright 2003 by MODERN DRUM- I’ve been thinking a lot about this dilemma since I started working on MER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction this month’s cover story with Spüg of Mudvayne. To the casual music fan, without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Mudvayne is another in a seemingly endless train of made-for-MTV bands EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: MOD- ERN DRUMMER Publications, 12 Old Bridge Road, Cedar Grove, featuring loud guitars, scary makeup, and the weight of the world on their NJ 07009. Tel: (973) 239-4140. Fax: (973) 239-7139. Email: [email protected] shoulders. But wait. Listen. Isn’t that guitar riff in 5/4, while the drums are MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photographic in straight time? And, man, that bass player has some serious chops. material, however, cannot assume responsibility for them. Such Those lyrics are kinda deep, too. items must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. After speaking to Spüg for all of two minutes, it became very clear to me SUBSCRIPTIONS: US, Canada, and Mexico $34.97 per year; $56.97, two years. Other international $41.97 per year, $79.97, two that this was not your cliché modern rock star. Yes, he has thousands of years. Single copies $4.99. rabid teenage fans. But he also has ideas. He has plans. He has talent. He SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: Modern Drummer, PO has humor. He has diverse interests. He has a vision for himself and for his Box 480, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0480. Change of address: Allow at least six weeks for a change. Please provide both old and new art. He has really good taste in music. address. Toll free tel: (800) 551-3786. And, sad to say, he’ll have detractors who, scared off by the funny MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is available for resale at bulk names, scary makeup, and loud guitars, will likely never listen carefully to rates. Direct correspondence to Modern Drummer Retail Vision, 2 Maple Street, Suite 6, Middlebury, VT 05753, (800) 381-1288. his music. Their loss. Those who know that in order to discover the real REPRINTS: For reprints contact Heather Osborne at PARS deal, you have to dig a little, will benefit from the music he plays, and the International Corp., tel: (212) 221-9595, ext. 333, fax: (212) 221-1468, words he says. At least, that’s what we naive editors are banking on. [email protected], www.magreprints.com. INTERNATIONAL LICENSING REPRESENTATIVE: Robert Abramson & Associates, Inc. Libby Abramson, President, 700 Post Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583, (914) 723-4700. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Modern Drummer, PO Box 480, Mt.