A TRIBUTE TO RUSH’S INCOMPARABLE DRUM ICON THE WORLD’S #1 DRUM RESOURCE MAY 2020 ©2020 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved. From each and every one of us at DW, we’d simply like to say thank you. Thank you for the artistry. Thank you for the boundless inspiration. And most of all, thank you for the friendship. You will forever be in our hearts. Volume 44 • Number 5 CONTENTS Cover photo by Sayre Berman ON THE COVER 34 NEIL PEART MD pays tribute to the man who gave us inspiration, joy, pride, direction, and so very much more. 36 NEIL ON RECORD 70 STYLE AND ANALYSIS: 44 THE EVOLUTION OF A LIVE RIG THE DEEP CUTS 48 NEIL PEART, WRITER 74 FIRST PERSON: 52 REMEMBERING NEIL NEIL ON “MALIGNANT NARCISSISM” 26 UP AND COMING: JOSHUA HUMLIE OF WE THREE 28 WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT…CERRONE? The drummer’s musical skills are outweighed only by his ambitions, Since the 1970s he’s sold more than 30 million records, and his playing which include exploring a real-time multi-instrumental approach. and recording techniques infl uenced numerous dance and electronic by Mike Haid music artists. by Martin Patmos LESSONS DEPARTMENTS 76 BASICS 4 AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW “Rhythm Basics” Expanded, Part 3 by Andy Shoniker In His Image by Adam Budofsky 78 ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC 6 READERS’ PLATFORM Percussion Playing for Drummers, Part 2 by Damon Grant and Marcos Torres A Life Changed Forever 8 OUT NOW EQUIPMENT Patrick Hallahan on Vanessa Carlton’s Love Is an Art 12 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP 10 ON TOUR WFLIII Three-Piece Drumset and 20 IN THE STUDIO Peter Anderson with the Ocean Blue Matching Snare Drummer/Producer Elton Charles Doc Sweeney Classic Collection 84 CRITIQUE Snares 80 NEW AND NOTABLE Sabian AAX Brilliant Thin Crashes 88 BACK THROUGH THE STACK and Ride and 14" Medium Hi-Hats Billy Cobham, August–September 1979 Gibraltar GSSVR Stealth Side V Rack AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW In His Image Founder Ronald Spagnardi 1943–2003 ole models are a tricky thing. If we’re to make our way through life Rsuccessfully, it’s immensely helpful to identify people who have President/CEO Isabel Spagnardi fi gured it all out. But when you reach a certain age, you realize that Senior Vice President Lori Spagnardi “fi guring it all out” is a chimera, an unachievable desire that only a Publisher David Frangioni narcissist or a lunatic would dare claim. And we begin to perceive Vice President Kevin W. Kearns what it truly means to be human. We realize that the goal shouldn’t be perfection, but rather improvement—of our art, our relationships, our Associate Publisher Tracy A. Kearns understanding of ourselves. And we come to understand that it’s through Advertising Director Bob Berenson well-honed skills, hard-earned wisdom, and strength of character that Advertising Assistant LaShanda Gibson any of us manages to survive in the face of barriers both internal and external, and do it with our humanity intact. Senior Art Director Scott G. Bienstock As I write this, a month after Neil Peart’s passing, it’s strange to say, but Editorial Director Adam J. Budofsky his drumming is not at the front of my mind. His humanity is. Managing Editor Michael Dawson Neil was not a magician; he made no eff ort to mask or hide his Editor at Large Billy Amendola rhythmic charms. I agree with those who’ve suggested that one of the reasons he was so popular was that his drumming ideas were complex enough to intrigue us, but not so beyond our comprehension that we THE MD PRO PANEL/ADVISORY BOARD: Chris Adler, Kenny Aronoff, Eddie could never imagine fi guring them out. They were a gift to us, and a true Bayers, Gregg Bissonette, Jason Bittner, Bill Bruford, Will Calhoun, Terri Lyne gift is something that a person can use. Carrington, Matt Chamberlain, Jeff Davis, Peter Erskine, Daniel Glass, Benny Neil was not a show-off ; as active as his playing was, it never Greb, Matt Halpern, Horacio Hernandez, Gerald Heyward, Taku Hirano, Susie Ibarra, Jim Keltner, Paul Leim, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Pat Mastelotto, overwhelmed the music. “Less is more” was a nonsensical concept to Allison Miller, Rod Morgenstein, Andy Newmark, Stephen Perkins, Dafnis him, at least as some sort of general guideline. (How could you grow Prieto, Rich Redmond, Brian Reitzell, Jim Riley, Antonio Sanchez, Gil Sharone, up loving Keith Moon and buy into that kind of gobbledygook?) No, he Chad Smith, Steve Smith, Todd Sucherman, Billy Ward, Kenny Washington, understood that a desire to excite, to entertain, to astound was perfectly Dave Weckl, Paul Wertico human. “Look!” he appeared to shout from behind the drums, “look at this amazing thing I discovered!” Not, “Look at me,” but “Look at this.” It’s not a CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: SUBSCRIPTIONS: subtle diff erence. Patrick Berkery, Stephen Bidwell, U.S. $32.95, Canada $40.95, And Neil was not a guru. It’s a cliché because it’s true: The more Keith Carne, David Ciauro, John Colpitts, other international $47.95 Bob Girouard, Mike Haid, John Martinez, per year. For two-year we learn, the less we know, and Neil seemed obsessed with learning. Ben Meyer, Ken Micallef, Jeff Potter, subscription prices go to www. Moreover, he was not stingy with what he discovered. Those seven Will Romano, Ilya Stemkovsky, moderndrummer.com. books he wrote are not short. And those eighteen albums’ worth of Lauren Vogel Weiss, Paul Wells. Single copies $6.99. lyrics? So many ideas, so much imagery…so many questions! These MODERN DRUMMER magazine SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: were not the ramblings of someone who’d “fi gured it all out.” And yet, (ISSN 0194-4533) is published monthly Modern Drummer, PO Box 274, Oregon, by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, IL 61061-9920. Change of address: the confi dence with which he shared his ideas—musical, philosophical, Inc., 271 Route 46 West, Suite H-214, Allow at least six weeks for a change. interpersonal—was astounding. That confi dence, however, was not born Fairfi eld, NJ 07004. PERIODICALS Please provide both old and new from arrogance, but from the knowledge that he put the time and work MAIL POSTAGE paid at Fairfi eld, NJ address. Call 800-551-3786 or 815- 07004 and at additional mailing offi ces. 732-5283. Phone hours, in to communicate them as clearly and poetically as possible. Copyright 2020 by MODERN DRUMMER 8AM–4:30PM Monday–Friday CST, Is there a more human activity than to strike an object and marvel at Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. or visit Subscriber Services at Reproduction without the permission of the www.moderndrummer.com. the sound it throws back at us? Is there a more human desire than to tap publisher is prohibited. the shoulder of the person next to us and say, “Hey, listen to this”? Is there POSTMASTER: Send address changes to a more human pursuit than to keep on hitting that object until you no EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ Modern Drummer, PO Box 274, Oregon, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: IL 61061-9920. longer can, because you know that there’s no end to the joy it brings you MODERN DRUMMER Publications, and your fellow man? 271 Route 46 West, Suite H-214, Canadian Publications Mail Agreement And if we believe these things, and want them for ourselves, is there a Fairfi eld, NJ 07004. Tel: 973-239- No. 41480017 Return undeliverable 4140. Fax: 973-239-7139. Canadian addresses to: PO Box 875, Stn A, greater role model than Neil Peart? Email: [email protected]. Windsor ON N9A 6P2 MODERN DRUMMER welcomes MEMBER: National Association of Music manuscripts and photos but cannot Merchants, Percussive Arts Society assume responsibility for them. Adam Budofsky Editorial Director MODERN DRUMMER ONLINE: www.moderndrummer.com PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES Music Key facebook.com/moderndrummer @modern_drummer 4 Modern Drummer May 2020 No other retailer o ers more for drummers than Sweetwater Snare, cymbals, and hardware not included not cymbals, and hardware Snare, Zildjian 10" PCS002 Cymbal Stack Porter & Davies BC2 Tactile Ludwig Classic Maple Fab 22 110th Drum Monitor with Throne Anniversary Shell Pack — Emerald Pearl Experience the Sweetwater Di erence Today Best Prices Massive Gear Selection Expert Advice thanks to our huge of nearly 40,000 products from and attention to detail from our highly buying power today’s best brands knowledgeable Sales Engineers Free Technical Support Free 2-year Warranty Fast, Free Shipping from trained professionals and factory-trained service from our centrally located on every product we sell technicians to solve any issue warehouse in Fort Wayne, IN More ways to pay than any other retailer. (800) 222-4700 Sweetwater.com March 2020 Modern Drummer 5 READERS’ PLATFORM A Life Changed Forever Modern Drummer readers immediately shared their heartfelt feelings with us when they heard about the passing of drumming icon Neil Peart. One particular letter stood out for us. We think it speaks for a great many of his fans. ave you ever experienced a moment when you realize your life Hhas changed? A moment that you will forever remember for the rest of your life? Something where you know, right then and there, that your life will never be the same again? A true defining moment. That is what happened when I heard my first Rush song, and the drumming of Neil Peart. It was during the Christmas break of 1982. I was riding on a high-school bus, returning from one of my first winter track meets. This was an incredible transitional time in my young life.