December 1986
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VOL. 10, NO. 12 Features Columns EDUCATION ELECTRONIC INSIGHTS MIDI: An Intro For The Working Percussionist 42 by Jim Fiore ROCK PERSPECTIVES 16th-Note Triplets On Double Bass 70 by Joe Franco DRUM SOLOIST Graham Lear: "Where Am I Going?" by Chuck Kerrigan 74 STRICTLY TECHNIQUE Creative Flam Taps by Charles Outlaw 82 CONCEPTS Perseverance by Roy Burns 102 CLUB SCENE There's No Place Like Home Colbeck by Rick Van Horn 104 Annie EQUIPMENT by SHOP TALK Photo How To Make Your Own Wind Chimes by Mike Myers 84 ELECTRONIC REVIEW SIMON PHILLIPS Bass Drum Trigger Pedals From his early work as a session drummer to his recent playing by Bob Saydlowski, Jr. 106 with Pete Townsend, Simon Phillips has always been at the PRODUCT CLOSE-UP vanguard of current musical trends. He has recently become Tama Power Tower Rack System active as a producer, and he explains why that is such a natural by Rick Van Horn 108 step for him to take, JUST DRUMS 112 16 by Simon Goodwin PROFILES PORTRAITS JAMES STROUD Preservation Hall's Frank Parker One reason, perhaps, that James Stroud is very in-demand in by David Dudine 34 the Nashville studios is that he doesn't approach a project The Neville Brothers' Willie Green from the viewpoint of a drummer; he has a different way of by Robert Santelli 35 looking at things, SHOW DRUMMERS' SEMINAR by Robyn Flans 22 Nick Vincent: The Donnie And Marie Osmond Show by Jim Dinella 64 DAVE HOLLAND ON THE MOVE After going through a succession of drummers, Judas Priest Doug Zagorski: The Biggest Little found Dave Holland, who has survived the job for seven Drummer In The World years—and who has the scars to prove it! by Rick Van Horn 72 26 by Teri Saccone NEWS UPDATE 6 REMO BELLI INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS 110 His perfecting of the plastic drumhead not only led to a REVIEWS successful business for Remo Belli, but it actually ON TRACK 96 revolutionized an entire industry, by Rick Van Horn 30 DEPARTMENTS EDITOR'S OVERVIEW 2 READERS' PLATFORM 4 MD'S TEN-YEAR ASK A PRO 10 IT'S QUESTIONABLE 12 INDEX 117 DRUM MARKET 98 On Review On Track, On Tape, and Printed Page are MD's ership, and that are thereby worthy of mention in three primary review columns. Here is where we the pages of MD. bring some of the finer recordings, videocassettes, Though many publications apparently take and drum books to your attention. Occasionally, pleasure in printing bad, or downright malicious, I'll receive a letter from a reader saying that MD reviews, we prefer not to waste pages on this type never seems to have anything bad to say about an of reporting. Using valuable editorial space to album, video, or drum book. I've even had a few inform you of all the negatives on a particular cynical readers accuse us of taking payoffs in work and the reasons you should avoid it, to us, return for rave reviews—kind of like publishing does not constitute productive usage of that space. payola! Well, nothing could be further from the If our reviewers honestly approve of a particular truth. project, you'll certainly read about it here. If, on In reality, our reviewing procedure is based on the other hand, they feel the material has little or an editorial policy initiated many years ago and no value, you're not likely to hear about it at all in adhered to since then. This policy maintains that MD. Being extremely selective about the material we will devote space in review departments only to we review, we feel, is the most beneficial way to materials that we strongly feel will benefit the read- handle the situation. Double Exposure These past two years have been very exciting for and was proudly sitting atop The Tonight Show MD. Among the most exhilarating moments was band's piano, when a closeup shot suddenly put us our exposure on the most prestigious medium of in full view of millions of late-night TV viewers. them all—TV! And if that wasn't enough, it occurred on a Friday For those who may have missed us, our initial evening when the viewer ratings are the highest. debut came on the Late Night With David Letter- Exciting? Sure was. Thrilling moments like this man show, when Letterman proudly displayed the don't usually happen to special-interest publica- magazine with drummer Steve Jordan on the tions like MD—without paying for them! Who cover. Our second TV spot occurred on The would have thought, ten years ago, that a little- Tonight Show, where host Johnny Carson made known publication—born in a basement—would mention of MD's cover story on drummer Ed someday grow to make its presence known to mil- Shaughnessy. Our April cover had been framed lions of people around the world. Certainly, not I! PUBLISHER ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Spagnardi Isabel Spagnardi Susan Alexander, Chip Deffaa, Robyn Flans, Simon Goodwin, Jeff Potter, Teri Saccone, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Robert Santelli, Bob Saydlowski, Jr., Robin Isabel Spagnardi Ellen Corsi Tolleson, T. Bruce Wittet. ASSISTANT EDITOR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER MODERN DRUMMER Magazine (ISSN 0194- Tracy Kearney 4533) is published monthly by MODERN Ronald Spagnardi DRUMMER Publications, Inc., 870 Pompton DEALER SERVICE MANAGER Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. Second-Class FEATURES EDITOR Sharon M. Leary Postage paid at Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 and at Rick Mattingly additional mailing offices. Copyright 1986 by CIRCULATION Modern Drummer Publications, Inc. All rights MANAGING EDITOR Leo Spagnardi reserved. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Rick Van Horn Crystal W. Van Horn SUBSCRIPTIONS: $22.95 per year; $41.95, two Denise Genna years. Single copies $2.75. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Agnes Joyce MANUSCRIPTS: Modern Drummer welcomes Susan Hannum manuscripts, however, cannot assume responsi- William F. Miller SALES PROMOTION MANAGER bility for them. Manuscripts must be accompa- Evelyn Urry nied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Allow at least six EDITORIAL ASSISTANT MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD weeks for a change. Please provide both old and Patricia DiStefano new address. Henry Adler, Carmine Appice, Louie Bellson, MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is avail- Bill Bruford, Roy Burns, Jim Chapin, Les able for resale at bulk rates. Direct correspon- ART DIRECTOR DeMerle, Len DiMuzio, Charlie Donnelly, Peter dence to Modern Drummer, Dealer Service, 870 Pompton Ave., Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. Tel: 800- David H. Creamer Erskine, Danny Gottlieb, Sonny Igoe, Jim 221-1988 or 201-239-4140. Keltner, Mel Lewis, Larrie Londin, Peter POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mod- Magadini, George Marsh, Butch Miles, Joe ern Drummer, P.O. Box 469, Cedar Grove, NJ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Morello, Andy Newmark, Neil Peart, Charlie 07009. Kevin W. Kearns Perry, Paul T. Riddle, Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Smith, Ed Thigpen. TOMMY LEE a man with Tommy's talent (or lack of it) MORE STEVE SMITH I'd like to thank you for your article on on the cover. I know there is not a scarcity Your latest Steve Smith interview [Aug., Tommy Lee in the September, 1986 MD, of talented drummers in the world, so '86 MD] will join the ranks of your other and also for fairly recent articles on A. J. maybe you guys just wanted to expand and "great" interviews (like the second Bill Pero and Nicko McBrain. I love hard rock, feature different types of music. That still Bruford talk and Andy Newmark's cover and I'm glad to see these deserving players does not explain Tommy's presence on the story.) All your interviews are good, but in a respectable magazine. Keep up the cover; there are plenty of metal drummers something great is rare—as is a great good work. that blow him away. If you must put metal drummer. Steve is a great drummer, and Geoff Barnes drummers on your cover, why not Eric more than that, he shows us what a real Lake Oswego, OR Carr or Tommy Aldridge? Sure, they man he is. He didn't grouse in the press aren't married to Heather Locklear and about being fired from a big-name group. In reference to comments made by Tommy don't twirl their sticks as well as Tommy He told it like it was—and his maturity Lee, I don't mean to sound biased, but Lee, but they don't have to tilt their risers impressed me. The honorable Mr. Smith how can anybody who cracks Rude cym- 90 degrees to cover up for a less than medi- even said some nice things about the very bals every two or three days use a paper- ocre solo. Remember that the name of guys who "ousted" him from one of thin splash tastefully—especially in his your magazine is Modern Drummer, not America's highest-paying drum chairs. It type of music? This is almost like having Primitive Pounder. Who's on the cover was a story that needed to be told; congrats four bass drums—which is complete B.S. next month—Mickey Dolenz? to Steve and MD for doing so. Tommy just seems to have a "watch me Bill Sons Darryl Crawford crack this cymbal" attitude. Splashes and Dallas, TX Arlington, TX China-types have very specific uses in music, and even seem to require a certain technique in order to be used tastefully. (I BUN E. CARLOS feel that Stewart Copeland and Richie Great to see Bun E. Carlos get some recog- TRANSCRIPTION REVELATION Hayward exhibit good splash technique; nition! [Sep. '86 MD] I was fortunate I've been reading your magazine for years, Neil Peart and Mark Brzezicki display enough to see him in Italy with the 1st Air- and I love it.