VOLUME 15, NUMBER 1 ROB AFFUSO FEATURES Banging out 2 and 4 with metal monsters Skid Row hasn't exactly dulled drummer Rob Affuso. In this interview, Rob explains how there's a lot more to his playing DAVID than a simple backbeat, and a lot more to life than fame. Plus an Affuso setup BEAL and listeners' guide. LOUIE •by Teri Saccone Drums, samplers, cymbals, 28 soundtracks, triggers.... At a BELLSON relatively young age, David Beal has mastered these and many Terms like "legendary" and other musical tools with people "historical" certainly should come like Joe Cocker, Julian Lennon, to mind when discussing Louie Little Steven, and Michael MD'S 15TH Bellson. But they don't tell the Shrieve. Learn how Beal has whole story. Louie's drumming balanced the skins with the ANNIVERSARY brings the class of the past buttons in his widely and the ingenuity of the present diverse career. SCRAPBOOK together—the result is some- •by Ten Saccone 24 thing completely original. This Not to pat ourselves on the back time out, the master describes or anything, but a lot of great the process in words rather than stories, photos, and columns music. have found their way onto MD's •by Rick Mattingly pages in the past 15 years. Here 18 are some of the highlights from the magazine's first decade and a half. •by Ron Spagnardi 32 MD TRIVIA CONTEST Win a PureCussion Kit and Accessories! 70 Cover Photo: Ebet Roberts COLUMNS Education 58 ROCK PERSPECTIVES Hitting Hard: Part 2 BY KENNY ARONOFF Equipment 66 ROCK 'N' 42 PRODUCT JAZZ CLINIC CLOSE-UP Departments Filling In The Holes Mapex Orion On The Hi-Hat: Custom Drumkit Part 1 4 EDITOR'S BY RICK MATTINGLY BY ROD MORGENSTEIN OVERVIEW 44 Vater Timpani Mallets 68 AROUND THE BY RICK MATTINGLY 6 READERS' WORLD PLATFORM News Basie Drumming 46 Remo Legero Drumkit BY PETER FAIRCLOUGH BY ADAM BUDOFSKY 18 ASK A PRO 8 UPDATE Carl Palmer, John 48 Drumslinger Bags 72 SHOW 12 IT'S Densmore, Jackie DRUMMERS' BY RICK MATTINGLY Santos, and QUESTIONABLE Tourniquet's Ted SEMINAR Pearl H-880 52 Kirkpatrick, plus News Road Warriors Hi-Hat Stand 120 CRITIQUE BY MICHAEL L. BRIGGS BY WILLIAM F. MILLER 133 INDUSTRY 74 STRICTLY 54 ELECTRONIC 146 DRUM MARKET HAPPENINGS TECHNIQUE REVIEW Rhythmic Rudimental Ensoniq EPS 142 IN MEMORIAM Progressions: Part 8 And Sound Library Gone But Profiles Not Forgotten BY JOE MORELLO BY PAUL M. VAN PATTEN 62 PORTRAITS 76 DRUM SOLOIST 136 NEW AND Premier's Joel Rosenblatt: NOTABLE Tony Doughty "On Fire" BY WILLIAM F. MILLER TRANSCRIBED BY JEFF WALD 118 CONCEPTS Playing Time BY ROY BURNS EDITOR'S OVERVIEW EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ronald Spagnardi ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Isabel Spagnardi MANAGING EDITOR Rick Van Horn An Anniversary Issue FEATURES EDITOR William F. Miller ASSOCIATE EDITOR Adam Budofsky CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Rick Mattingly It's rather hard to believe that 14 years have come EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Karen Walsh and gone since I sat down to write my very first ART DIRECTOR Scott G. Bienstock Editor's Overview. A grand total of 133 issues of ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Modern Drummer have crossed my desk since Tracy A. Kearns January 1977, and this issue marks the beginning ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Joan C. Stickel of our 15th consecutive year of publishing. ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bob Berenson Obviously, this is a special occasion for everyone SALES AND MARKETING Crystal W. Van Horn involved with the magazine. And for readers who DIRECTOR may not go all the way back to the beginning with Modern CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Lori Spagnardi Drummer, we've put together a special MD 15th Anniversary CONSULTANT TO THE Arnold E. Abramson Scrapbook in celebration of this landmark. The whole story starts PUBLISHER on page 32 for those interested in how it all began and progressed. I always feel a strong need to mention that MD's growth from a MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: Henry Adler, Kenny 32-page quarterly magazine that reached 3000 readers, to an inter- Aronoff, Louie Bellson, Bill Bruford, Roy Burns, Jim Chapin, Alan Dawson, Dennis DeLucia, Les DeMerle, Len DiMuzio, Charlie national publication (now including the Soviet Union) seen by Donnelly, Peter Erskine, Vic Firth, Danny Gottlieb, Sonny Igoe, Jim nearly 250,000 drummers each month, wouldn't have been possible Keltner, Larrie Londin, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Joe Morello, Andy Newmark, Neil Peart, Charlie Perry, Dave Samuels, John Santos, without the help of a great many people. It's taken literally hun- Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Smith, Ed Thigpen. dreds of talented writers and photographers, an industry of CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Susan Alexander, Robyn Flans, Simon responsive and supportive advertisers and music dealers, and a Goodwin, Jeff Potter, Teri Saccone, Robert Santelli, Robin Tolleson, marvelous in-house staff to pull it off. They've all played a vital Lauren Vogel, T. Bruce Wittet. role in our reaching this milestone, and my sincere thanks go out MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is published to everyone involved. You know who you are. monthly with an additional issue in July by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc., 870 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. Needless to say, the MD readers have always been the essence of Second-Class Postage paid at Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 and at additional our success throughout the years. No magazine in existence can mailing offices. Copyright 1991 by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the per- stand the test of time without the support of a loyal, devoted read- mission of the publisher is prohibited. ership. We thank you for always being there for us, supplying feed- EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: MODERN back whenever we requested it, keeping us well-aware of your DRUMMER Publications, 870 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ needs as players, and for staying with us all these years. MD always 07009. Tel: (201) 239-4140. has been and always will be for you, and we hope you'll hang MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photographic mate- around for what we feel is the "Best of Modern Drummer" yet to rial, however, cannot assume responsibility for them. Such items must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. come. We've made some great strides over the past 14 years. And I like MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is available for resale at bulk rates. Direct correspondence to Modern Drummer, Dealer Service, P.O. to think we've shared a wealth of valuable techniques and concepts Box 389, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. Tel.: (800) 334-DRUM or (815) 734- with you through MD's pages. But perhaps the most satisfying 6013. aspect has been the role Modern Drummer has played in bringing SUBSCRIPTIONS: $27.95 per year; $49.95, two years. Single copies the brotherhood of drummers a little closer together. We've been $3.95. given the opportunity to open up a line of communication between SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: Modern Drummer, P.O. Box manufacturers and consumers. Students and teachers. Rock 480, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0480. Change of address: Allow at least six weeks for a change. Please provide both old and new address. Toll Free drummers and jazz artists. Superstars and aspiring pros. Young Tel.: (800) 435-0715. drummers and old. Maybe we all relate just a bit better to each other now than we did prior to MD's existence. And as far as we're A Member Of: concerned, that's been the most enjoyable and enriching aspect of Audit Bureau Of Circulations Membership applied for. it all. MPA Magazine Publishers of America READERS' PLATFORM Alex Acuna ment was that MD should restrict its cov- It's great to see the world's finest drum erage to active drummers. magazine feature a talented artist such as Alternative Therapy Alex Acuna [Oct. '90 MD]. I didn't know Dear Mr. Watson, Thank you for the timely and informative much about Alex before MD's interview. I felt I had to reply to your strange let- article by Susan Alexander dealing with The first thing I realized when reading ter in the August issue. Perhaps you are carpal tunnel syndrome [Sept. '90 MD]. the article was that this man is very not aware that I actually still play the Today it is important for all musicians to knowledgeable on his profession. I'm a drums! I regularly play with Genesis (a adopt a preventative and pro-mainte- drummer who has recently started rock group), my own band (all kinds of nance attitude toward health care. As an exploring percussion. After reading music), Eric Clapton, and anyone else alternative health care provider, I am Alex's article I have a real positive atti- who asks me. Whether I should be inter- encouraged by articles such as this one. tude for my journey into percussion play- viewed is up to those who decide on Too often, problems are left until there ing. I wish Alex much success with what- who's HOT and who's NOT, but don't are few options remaining in their treat- ever project he may take on next, and I try to hit me with the "He doesn't play ment and management. Conditions such thank MD for a great interview! anymore" routine. as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, Scott Elia Whether I was ever "great" is up to and loss of joint mobility often occur Yorktown Heights NY those that listen. Both myself and Don because of overuse and abusive stresses; Henley have developed from just playing they are conditions that present early drums to writing and singing as well. warning signs. If a musician adopts an True, Don only plays occasionally; that's active role in his or her own health care, Eric Singer not my business.