• CHARLIE BENANTE • TRAPT • PEARL FIRECRACKERS • JACKJACK DDEEJOHNETTEJOHNETTE CCHANGINGHANGING DDIRECTIONSIRECTIONS SSCOTTCOTT UUNDERWOODNDERWOOD TTRACKINGRACKING WWITHITH TTRAINRAIN TTOMMYOMMY SSICKLESICKLES OFF NOTHINGFACEOTHINGFACE WIN! O N Super Gear From Smith Drums, RROBOB BBOURDONOURDON Sabian Cymbals, LINKININKIN PARKARK CHARTHART Gibraltar Hardware, L P C and Evans Heads YYAMAHAAMAHA’’SS AABSOLUTEBSOLUTE NNOUVEAUOUVEAU KKITIT $4.99US $6.99CAN 10 MDMD F FESTEST 20032003 MMONSTERONSTER PPLAYERSLAYERS && MMASSIVEASSIVE KKITSITS!! 0 74808 01203 9 Contents ContentsVolume 27, Number 10 Jazz Legend Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette has remained one of the world’s premier drummers by always looking forward, and never losing the passion. Oh, and by playing some of the most uniquely beautiful music on the drums ever. by Ken Micallef 38 Paul La Raia Train’s UPDATE 22 Scott Underwood 54 Charlie Benante While fans discuss Train’s “new direction,” followers of Scott of Anthrax Underwood know at least one thing is beyond debate: That’s one helluva player behind the kit. by David John Farinella Sam McCandless of Cold Paul La Raia Stix Hooper of The Crusaders Modern Drummer’s 66 Festival Weekend 2003 J.R. Conners The MD Fest turned Sweet Sixteen this year. How sweet? Check of Cave In the lineup: Steve Smith, Airto, Mike Portnoy, Shawn Pelton, Nick D’Virgilio, Antonio Sanchez, Matt Wilson, Nathaniel Townsley, The Drumbassadors, Hip Pickles, and the two hottest “undiscovered” Stan Frazier drummers around. Yeah, that’s sweet. of Sugar Ray by T. Bruce Wittet Alex Solca Playback 120 Tommy Sickles Aerosmith’s Of Nothingface 130 Joey Kramer Every now and then, a drum roadie seizes that once-in-a-lifetime Everything old is new again, at least on opportunity of replacing the drummer he schleps for. Rarely, Aerosmith’s latest album, where they tap into though, is the new guy as roaring as one Mr. Tommy Sickles. the great songs and feels of the past. Seems by Waleed Rashidi like a good time to talk to Joey Kramer about some of the band’s historic recordings. by Billy Amendola Paul La Raia WIN! WIN! WIN! A Custom Kit From Smith Drums, Hand Hammered Cymbals From Sabian, A Drum Rack, Hardware, And Pedals From Gibraltar, 64 And Sticks And Accessories From Vater. Education 90 OFF THE RECORD 98 ROCK CHARTS 108 TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Trapt’s Aaron Montgomery Linkin Park’s Rob Bourdon: Insurance “In The Pocket,” Part 1: by Ed Breckenfeld “Somewhere I Belong” Considering Your Coverage Transcribed by Joe Bergamini by Bruce Hicks 92 ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC Quick Snaps: 102 CONCEPTS 114 THE JOBBING DRUMMER The Right Motion Is Key Fundamentals: Drumming For God: by Rod Morgenstein The Lowest Common Denominator Playing In A Church Band by Billy Ward by Philip J. Hendrickson 94 LATIN SYMPOSIUM Mambo #1: 106 BASICS Afro-Cuban Coordination For Drumset What Makes A Drummer Good? by Maria Martinez by Robert E. Beasley Departments Page 150 8AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW 118 ON THE MOVE 160 BACKBEATS Speaking Softly, Saying A Lot Berklee Percussion Week and more by Adam Budofsky 150 CRITIQUE 170 DRUM MARKET 12 READERS’ PLATFORM 156 SPECIALTY PRODUCTS Including Vintage Showcase SHOWCASE 14 IT’S QUESTIONABLE 176 DRUMKIT OF THE MONTH 18 ASK A PRO Mike Portnoy, Danny Carey, and Terry Bozzio Equipment 26 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP Yamaha Maple Absolute Nouveau Kit by Chap Ostrander 28 Sabian AA Metal-X Series Cymbals by Mike Haid 29 Quick Looks: Yamaha DSM100 Mesh Drum Throne Page 140 by Chap Ostrander 34 ELECTRONIC REVIEW 30 Pearl FireCracker Snare Drums Roland SPD-S Sampling Pad by Rick Long by Will Romano 31 Quick Looks: 126 COLLECTORS’ CORNER Thumpers Bass Drum Pillows Slingerland Jet Outfit by Russ Barbone by Harry Cangany 128 Fixing Bent Rims Quick Looks: Evans J1 Drumhead 32 by Ned Ingberman And Min-EMAD Damping System Page 26 by Chap Ostrander 138 NEW AND NOTABLE AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW Volume 27, Number 10 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 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT SUZANNE HURRING SENIOR ART DIRECTOR SCOTT G. BIENSTOCK ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR MICHELE M. NEWHOUSE ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR JOSEPH KING Speaking Softly, Saying A Lot ADVERTISING DIRECTOR BOB BERENSON ADVERTISING ASSISTANT JOAN C. STICKEL learly, Jack DeJohnette does not play games—at least in the neg- EDITOR/ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE BILLY AMENDOLA Cative sense of the term. In the positive sense, that’s actually what WEB SITE DIRECTOR KEVIN W. KEARNS OFFICE ASSISTANT ROSLYN MADIA he does a lot: turns music over, reveals what it looks like from the OFFICE ASSISTANT ROSEMARY BLAHA other side, bounces it off the wall, sees what it’ll do. The games Jack doesn’t play are those with rules set in stone. This MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: Henry Adler, year’s Montreal Jazz Festival honored DeJohnette by arranging part Kenny Aronoff, Eddie Bayers, Louie Bellson, Bill Bruford, Harry Cangany, Jim Chapin, Dennis DeLucia, Les DeMerle, Len of its Invitation Series around him, and on four consecutive nights, DiMuzio, Charlie Donnelly, Peter Erskine, Vic Firth, Bob Gatzen, audience members were reminded of how Jack sees music, particu- Danny Gottlieb, Sonny Igoe, Jim Keltner, Paul Leim, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Joe Morello, Rod Morgenstein, Andy larly jazz. DeJohnette believes jazz is a palette on which to create and Newmark, Neil Peart, Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Smith, Ed trade fresh ideas, not a historically preserved format that demands Thigpen, Billy Ward, Dave Weckl, Paul Wertico. that certain things be played at certain times. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Michael Bettine, Robyn Flans, Burt Korall, Rick Mattingly, Ken Micallef, Mark Parsons, Mike After reading this month’s cover story with DeJohnette, I was par- Haid, Robin Tolleson, Lauren Vogel Weiss, T. Bruce Wittet. ticularly psyched to see his performances in Montreal, and he didn’t MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is pub- lished monthly by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc., disappoint. Whether in a trio format with Herbie Hancock and Dave 12 Old Bridge Road, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. PERIODICALS Holland, in duets with Gambian kora master Foday Musa Suso and MAIL POSTAGE paid at Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 and at addi- tional mailing offices. Copyright 2003 by MODERN DRUM- vocalist Bobby McFerrin, or amid a multi-percussion fabric with MER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction Luisito Quintero and Giovanni Hidalgo, Jack answered to the without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. demands of invention, not repetition. The audiences were, without EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: MOD- ERN DRUMMER Publications, 12 Old Bridge Road, Cedar Grove, exception, ecstatic. NJ 07009. Tel: (973) 239-4140. Fax: (973) 239-7139. Email: [email protected] Though all the shows were intense, particularly opening night with MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photographic Hancock and Holland, Jack’s duet with Foday Musa Suso knocked me material, however, cannot assume responsibility for them. Such out the most. As Foday set up mesmerizing harp-like arpeggios and items must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. loops, DeJohnette accompanied with what writer Ken Micallef accu- SUBSCRIPTIONS: US, Canada, and Mexico $34.97 per year; $56.97, two years. Other international $41.97 per year, $79.97, two rately describes as a complete lack of cliché, not to mention a huge years. Single copies $4.99. amount of restraint and taste. I mean, seeing the sets of his new SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: Modern Drummer, PO Sabian Resonating Bells perched upon his kit like tiny metallic Box 480, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0480. Change of address: Allow at least six weeks for a change. Please provide both old and new Christmas trees, I was struck by “the drummer’s urge” to sneak on address. Toll free tel: (800) 551-3786. stage and wail away. Jack, however, made sweet refined music on MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is available for resale at bulk them, often ignoring them completely until he chose to punctuate the rates. Direct correspondence to Modern Drummer Retail Vision, 2 Maple Street, Suite 6, Middlebury, VT 05753, (800) 381-1288. very end of a long piece—with one or two simple strikes. REPRINTS: For reprints contact Heather Osborne at PARS Often it takes very few sentences, a quiet voice, and a sense of International Corp., tel: (212) 221-9595, ext. 333, fax: (212) 221-1468, mystery to communicate a meaningful tale. True musical masters like [email protected], www.magreprints.com. Jack DeJohnette know this very well. INTERNATIONAL LICENSING REPRESENTATIVE: Robert Abramson & Associates, Inc. Libby Abramson, President, PO Box 740346, Boyton Beach, FL 33474-0346, [email protected]. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Modern Drummer, PO Box 480, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. MEMBER: Magazine Publishers Of America, National Association Of Music Merchants, American Music Conference, Percussive Arts Society, Music Educators National Conference, Percussion Marketing Council, Music Magazine Publishers Association MODERN DRUMMER ONLINE: www.moderndrummer.com PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES 8 Modern Drummer October 2003 READERS’ PLATFORM GENE KRUPA Thank you for Burt Korall’s July ’03 fea- drumming. He seems to me, in some way, It’s always fun reading about Gene. ture on Gene Krupa. I’m from the era in the Ringo Starr of the swing era. They are However, Burt Korall’s comment about which Krupa was the inspiration to take up both monumentally influential, forever Gene being self-taught gives the impres- underestimated, still controversial, much sion that he had no formal training until he studied, and subsequently revered. met the great Gus Moeller in New York. The thing that drew me and millions of According to Maurie Lishon’s Franks For others to Gene’s playing was his surrender The Memories, in 1926 a then-sixteen- to the event.