*The death of 50 year old Taylor Hawkins last week stunned the world of drummers. Why was he so immensely popular and admired by drummers the world over?
Read more1924 - 1926 Leedy ‘Paisley Gold’ Professional Model Snare Drum - Finish : Paisley Gold (Uncatalogued) Size : 5 x 14
There are two known examples of this particular Leedy finish on snares. The first first example belongs to Mike Curotto, which was previously referred to as "Antique Wallpaper", given the pattern and nature of the material, and the second being this featured drum only recently uncovered in October of 2021. It is also understood that there is an example of a bass drum that was seen however not documented to my knowledge as of this writing. The shell and wrap on these drums are what makes them so unique.
Read moreThe Mystery of Ludwig & Ludwig “Butterscotch Pearl”
There have been sightings over the years of Ludwig & Ludwig oval-badged drums with an unusual dark golden marine pearl wrap. The history of these drums is a bit unclear as Ludwig catalogs, ads, or brochures do not reference them. I first saw such a kit in Bun E Carlos’s collection back in a visit to Rockford, IL in 2013. I was quite struck by the amazing, rich, golden color of the pearl.
Read morePete Cater: Remembering Tony Williams
“Tony was, in my opinion, one of the few master improvisers of our instrument. He added significantly to the vocabulary of jazz drumming and though his earliest recorded output is now over sixty years old, it nonetheless sounds as ground breaking and innovative as if recorded yesterday."
Read moreMike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 27
“Some shuffles might be too nasty for some bands or players so you have to take some of the grease or looseness off of it - or change how it moves. Same with funk beats, some are too funky and cats don't get it. Am I the only one that has experienced this? It's like a 1958 Chevy with a big engine and glass pack muffler. It shook when you went through the gears. It felt like the body was fitting on the frame real loose. Some cats would drive it and think something was wrong.”
Read moreMiles Ahead - A look back at Canada's Milestone Percussion
The Milestone shells -- each one lovingly hand formed by Clapham and Co. -- were made from a range of 'formulas', each one selected for tone and resonance. Type 2 and 4 made for great bass drums. Toms were available in formula 3 and formula 6. Snares came in formulas 5 and 8. To my ears, there are subtle but discernible differences between the formulas.
Read more1928 Slingerland “Speed Sticks” Counter Top Drumstick Display.
You don’t find “Speed Sticks” advertised in Slingerland catalogs after the early 1930s.
I believe that this is one of two still in existence today, and also one of the very first if not the first dealer display items ever made by the Slingerland company.
RIP Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters
Taylor Hawkins, to me, was the ultimate drum nerd. He had so much fun playing the drums and talking about drums and drummers, and was a fan of the other great rock drummers: his peers. He plays and nails so many of the iconic rock drum parts in this interview video. At 41:00 he plays the drum part to the Toto Song "Rosanna" that the late Jeff Porcaro created, which is not an easy part to play with the finesse that Porcaro did. Taylor nails it in this video. Especially
Read more1960s Ludwig Hollywood Set
This is a 1960s Ludwig Hollywood set that I bought from my longtime friend Bill Pace, who by the way is doing fine. I talked to him this week and even though he doesn't get out and go as much as he once did, he is playing his drums and still buys and sells at times. He felt that the kit was in need of restoration, including a new finish, so this was his project 20 plus years ago. He said the finish was badly damaged and wanted to make them look and sound good again.
Read moreThe Most Important Sticking Ever?
Watch any drummer in any situation -- especially during a drum solo -- and you'll probably see a rather ordinary figure. And you'll see it a lot. That's because the sticking is simple, versatile, easily executed, and very effective … and it‘s a lot of fun to play. It's this one: RLL (or LRR if you prefer).
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