Drummers on Drumming

Latest Episodes:

Where's The Beat?! (can you find the ONE in these 10 songs?) Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

Back in the day, Gunnar Olsen and I launched a segment for this show named 'Save It For the Pod!' without much of a plan beyond discussing random topics in a back-and-forth, list-style format. We managed to produce just three episodes before life got in the way. However, I'm considering bringing it back as an enjoyable addition to this podcast feed. As a way to reconnect with the show's essence, I'm re-airing episode 3, where we each share five songs that initially left us completely puzzled about where the downbeat is

I hope you enjoy !

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Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Dave Elitch - Top 5 Things You're NOT Doing That Are Hurting You & Your Drumming Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

Today, we have a very special guest, Dave Elitch, here to talk about his new online course titled "Staying Out of Your Own Way." Dave believes that musicians should approach their craft with the mindset of athletes, and he's created this new course because he sees a significant need for it in the community. Until now, such a resource simply didn't exist.

As of this recording, the course is available for pre-order, with the official launch set for March 4th, 2024. For those listening in the future, head over to daveelitch.com or sooyow.com (which stands for Staying Out Of Your Own Way) to grab your copy.

To keep things engaging, I've asked Dave to put together a top 5 list, and he's chosen "Top 5 Things You're Not Doing That Are Hurting You and Your Drumming." So, grab your notepads, folks, because it's time to learn. And a big thank you to Dave for joining us today! Always a pleasure to have you. Cheers!

*note from show - Dave suggests finding a “Myofascial Sports Massage Therapist who does Deep Tissue Sports Massage who works on Athletes”

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Big Fat Five: Allison Miller's (Drummer / Composer / Teacher) Top 5 Influential Records Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is Allison Miller. Allison, based in New York City, is an American drummer, composer, and educator known for her versatile style. Fusing jazz with rock, funk, and global music elements, she has collaborated with notable artists including Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile, and others. A prolific solo artist, her latest album "Rivers in Our Veins" was released in 2023. Miller's dynamic drumming and dedication to musical innovation resonate with audiences across the globe. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Allison Miller into the musician she is today. Cheers!

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ALLISON’S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - Around the World in a Day

Artist - Prince

Release Year - 1985

Key Track(s) - Tamborine, Condition of the Heart, Temptation

Drummer - Prince, Sheila E

Album - Miles Smiles

Artist - Miles Davis

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) - Freedom Jazz Dance, Gingerbread Boy, Footprints, Dolores

Drummer - Tony Williams

Album - The Avant-Garde

Artist - John Coltrane and Don Cherry

Release Year - 1966

Key Track(s) - The Invisible, The Blessing, Focus on Sanity

Drummer - Ed Blackwell

Album - Plantation Lullabies

Artist - Meshell Ndegeocello

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - I’m Diggin’ You, Step into the Projects, Call Me, Sit Outside Your Door

Drummer - David Gamson

Album - Zoning

Artist - Mary Lou Williams

Release Year - 1974

Key Track(s) - Praise The Lord, Intermission, Rosa Mae

Drummer - Mickey Roker

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Speak No Evil - Wayne Shorter

Black and Red - Live in Willisau

The Cure - Keith Jarrett Trio

Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock

Sounds of Joy - Joe Lovano

Unity - Larry Young

Special Edition - Jack Dejohnette

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: Bill Bruford's (Yes / King Crimson / Earthworks / Genesis) 5 Influential Records Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is THE Bill Bruford. Bill is a legendary drummer whose illustrious career spans over five decades, marked by pioneering contributions to progressive rock, jazz fusion, and beyond. Emerging onto the music scene in the late 1960s, Bruford gained prominence as the drummer for progressive rock icons Yes, where his intricate rhythms and dynamic playing style helped define the band's sound. His tenure with Yes produced several critically acclaimed albums, including "Close to the Edge" and "Fragile," solidifying his reputation as one of the foremost drummers of his generation.

In addition to his work with Yes, Bruford became a member of the seminal progressive rock band King Crimson, where his innovative drumming continued to captivate audiences and influence generations of musicians. Over the years, Bruford's musical journey evolved, leading him to explore jazz fusion with his own band, Earthworks, and delve into experimental projects that pushed the boundaries of musical expression. A prolific recording artist, respected educator, and insightful author, Bill Bruford's multifaceted career is a testament to his unwavering dedication to pushing the limits of creativity and leaving an indelible mark on the world of music.

Check out "Bill Bruford: Inspirations" playlist HERE

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BILL'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - Drums Unlimited

Artist - Max Roach

Release Year - 1966

Key Track(s) - For Big Sid

Drummer - Max Roach

Album - Live Sesh and Extra Songs

Artist - Louis Cole

Release Year - 2019

Key Track(s) - F it Up - Live Sesh

Drummer - Louis Cole

Album - Caravan

Artist - Art Blakey & Jazz Messenger

Release Year - 1963

Key Track(s) - Caravan

Drummer - Art Blakey

Album - Blackstar

Artist - David Bowie

Release Year - 2016

Key Track(s) - Blackstar

Drummer - Mark Guiliana

Album - Fresh Cream

Artist - Cream

Release Year - 1966

Key Track(s) - I Feel Free

Drummer - Ginger Baker

HONORABLE MENTION:

Artist: John Taverner

Track: The Lamb

Release Year: 1982

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: Brian Dunne's (Hall & Oates / Live at Daryl's House) Top 5 Influential Records Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is Brian Dunne. Brian is the current drummer for Hall & Oates as well as the house drummer for Live From Daryl's House. Everything Brian plays sounds like a pre-produced groove and it's no wonder that he’s held the throne behind so many incredible musicians…including but certainly not limited to Joe Walsh, Ben Folds, Allen Stone, Average White Band, Cee Lo Green, Sting, Michael Brecker, Chaka Khan, Hesekiah Walker and many more. His pocket is insane and all of the information in today's episode is coming from someone who KNOWS about studio drumming. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Brian Dunne into the drummer he is today. Cheers!

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BRIAN’S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - What We Do

Artist - John Scofield

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - Camp Out

Drummer - Bill Stewart

Album - Upfront

Artist - David Sanborn

Release Year - 1992

Key Track(s) - Snakes

Drummer - Steve Jordan

Album - Plantation Lullabies

Artist - Meshell Ndegeocello

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - I'm Diggin' You - Like an Old Soul Record

Drummer - Programmed David Gamson

Album - The Best of Earth Wind and Fire

Artist - Earth Wind and Fire

Release Year - 1978

Key Track(s) - Fantasy

Drummer

Maurice White, Fred White, Ralph Johnson

Album - Stomping at the Savoy

Artist - Rufus and Chaka Khan

Release Year - 1983

Key Track(s) - Tell Me Something Good

Drummer - JR Robinson

HONORABLE MENTION:

Album - Closer To The Light

Artist - Leni Stern

Release Year - 1990

Key Track(s) - Sandbox

Drummer - Zack Danziger / Dennis Chambers

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: Sarah Jones' (Harry Styles / New Young Pony Club / Hot Chip) Top 5 Influential Records Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

This week's guest is Sarah Jones…an English musician best known for being a session and touring drummer. She has recorded and/or toured with New Young Pony Club, Aynsley Lister, Bat for Lashes, Puscifer, Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Pillow Person and many more. Since 2017, she has been in one of the most high-profile drum thrones in the world as the drummer for Harry Styles band. She’s a veteran and such a great player. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Sarah Jones into the drummer she is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

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SARAH’S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - From The Beginning

Artist - Small Faces

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) - All or Nothing

Drummer - Kenney Jones

Album - Metropolis pt 2 Scenes From a Memory

Artist - Dream Theatre

Release Year - 1999

Key Track(s) - Scene 2 Overture 1928

Drummer - Mike Portnoy

Album - Around The Fur

Artist - Deftones

Release Year - 1997

Key Track(s) - My Own Summer / Around The Fur

Drummer - Abe Cunningham

Album - Still Bill

Artist - Bill Withers

Release Year - 1972

Key Track(s) - Kissing My Love

Drummer - James Gadson

Album - Survivor

Artist - Destiny's Child

Release Year - 2001

Key Track(s) - Survivor

Drummer - Electronic

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: Arbak Dal's (T Cymbals / Independent) Top 5 Influential Records Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is Arbak Dal––a phenomenal turkish drummer and founder of T Cymbals. He’s toured and/or recorded with countless European artists over the years in addition to his own solo projects. He also worked for decades as the everyman at Istanbul Agop Cymbals before taking a crack at doing it all himself with T Cymbals. I met him a few years ago at NAMM and he's just a hoot :) If you’re heading to NAMM this weekend in Anaheim, be sure to stop by the T Cymbals booth and say hi to Arbak yourself. I’ll also be there on Sunday so shoot me a DM and maybe we can link up. I hope you enjoy this chat about the 5 (actually 6) records that helped shape Arbak Dal into the drummer and cymbalsmith he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

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ARBAK’S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - Led Zeppelin IV

Release Year - 1971

Artist - Led Zeppelin

Key Track(s) - Stairway to Heaven / Black Dog

Drummer - John Bonham

Album - Come and Taste the Band

Release Year - 1975

Artist - Deep Purple

Key Track(s) - Getting Tighter / You keep on Moving

Drummer - Ian Paice

Album - Crash

Release Year - 1996

Artist - Dave Matthews

Key Track(s) - Too much - #41

Drummer - Carter Beauford

Album - Behind Closed Doors

Release Year - 1991

Artist - Peter Erskine

Key Track(s) - Bulgana

Drummer - Peter Erskine

Album - Kingdom of Desire

Release Year - 1992

Artist - TOTO

Key Track - Jake to the Bone

Drummer - Jeff Porcaro

Album - Take Me Back To Eden

Release Year - 2023

Artist - Sleep Token

Key Track(s) - The Summoning

Drummer - II

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: JP Bouvet's (Childish Japes / Educator) Top 5 Influential Records Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is JP Bouvet. JP is a fabulous drummer, educator and winner of the 2011 Guitar Center Drum Off. He has his own band called Childish Japes and has toured with artists like Steve Tai and Zack Wylde as part of guitar supergroup Generation Axe…AND he runs his educational drum website where he specializes in teaching improvisation. I am a happily-subscribed student and I suggest you all do the same. If you wanted to try out his website for free (www.jpbouvetmethod.com), use the code: bigfatfive

JP Bouvet is clearly a great deliverer of information and his insight into approaching this instrument is invaluable. I know you’ll enjoy this chat about the 5 records that helped shaped JP Bouvet into the drummer he is today. Cheers!

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JP'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

Album - The Chick Corea Elektric Band

Artist - Chick Corea

Release Year - 1986

Key Track(s) - Got a Match? / King Cockroach

Drummer - Dave Weckl

Album - Perceptual

Artist - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band

Release Year - 2000

Key Track(s) - Crooked Creek

Drummer - Brian Blade

Album - Flood

Artist - Herbie Hancock

Release Year - 1975

Key Track(s) - Actual Proof

Drummer - Mike Clark

Album - Prog

Artist - The Bad Plus

Release Year - 2007

Key Track(s) - Thriftstore / Jewelry / Physical Cities

Drummer - Dave King

Album - I Have the Room Above Her

Artist - Bill Frisell / Joe Lovano / Paul Motian

Release Year- 2004

Key Track(s) - Osmosis Part 1

Drummer - Paul Motian

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: Ray Brown's (Snail Mail) Top 5 Influential Records Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is Ray Brown...drummer for the band Snail Mail. I’ve been a big fan of Ray's drumming since I first heard him on Snail Mail’s debut album, Lush, in 2017. His upbringing in the DC area music scene gives him authority on a lot of music I've never heard before...and I'm assuming maybe some of you as well? He’s got a lot of energy and it was so enjoyable getting to sit back, relax, and learn a lot from a guitarist / bassist turned fabulous drummer. If you’re unfamiliar with Snail Mail, I’m excited for you to find one of your new favorite bands! Also, we play a lot more than 5 tracks today, so buckle up. Here are some of the records that helped shape Ray Brown into the musician he is today. Cheers!

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RAY’S BIG FAT FIVE👇🏻

Album - The Smiths

Artist - The Smiths

Release Year - 1984

Key Track(s) - Still Ill (Live on the Tube version 1:28 verse/chorus transition)

Drummer - Mike Joyce

Album - Red Medicine

Artist - Fugazi

Release Year - 1995

Key Track(s) - Birthday Pony (fill at 1:01)

Drummer - Brendan Canty

Album - Floral Green

Artist - Title Fight

Release Year - 2012

Key Track(s) - Like A Ritual (chorus fill 1:02)

Drummer - Ben Russin

Album - S/T

Artist - Clique

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Lil T

Drummer - Tom Anthony

Album - Tesseract

Artist - Warehouse

Release Year - 2015

Key Track(s) - Promethean Gaze

Drummer - Doug Bleichner

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Album - Am

Artist - Ovlov

Release Year - 2013

Key Track(s) - The Well

Drummer - Theo Hartlett

Album - Hoodwink'd

Artist - LVL Up

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Angel from Space

Drummer - Greg Rutkin

Album - In Utero

Artist - Nirvana

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - Serve the Servants

Drummer - Dave Grohl

Album - Drop

Artist - Turnstile

Release Year - 2016

Key Track(s) - Nonstop Feeling

Drummer - Daniel Fang

Album - Lonesome Crowded West

Artist - Modest Mouse

Release Year - 1997

Key Track(s) - Truckers Atlas

Drummer - Jeremiah Green

Album - DSU

Artist - Alex G

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Harvey

Drummer - Alex G

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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Big Fat Five: Rhys Hastings' (Yves Tumor / Educator) Top 5 Influential Records Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

This week’s guest is Rhys Hastings. This episode has been a long time coming as both Rhys and myself have been two ships in the night trying to schedule this thing. We’ve both had an insanely busy year of touring, but we finally did it! Rhys is an incredible person and drummer based in Los Angeles and has played with the likes of Yves Tumor, Melanie Martinez, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon, Mark Ronson, Tobias Jesso Jr and many more. His mind/body approcah to the instrument is very inspring and I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Rhys Hastings inot the drummer he is today. Cheers!

Check out Rhys' website HERE
Find out more about The Hastings Method HERE

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

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RHYS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

Album - Ege Bamyasi

Artist - CAN

Release Year - 1972

Key Track(s) - Pinch / Vitamin C / Soup / I'm So Green

Drummer - Jaki Liebezeit

Album - Speak No Evil

Artist - Wayne Shorter

Release Year - 1966

Key Track(s) - Witch Hunt / Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum / Dance Cadaverous

Drummer - Elvin Jones

Album - Miles Smiles

Artist - Miles Davis

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) - Footprints, Dolores, Freedom Jazz Dance, Gingerbread Boy

Drummer - Tony Williams

Album - I Want You

Artist - Marvin Gaye

Release Year - 1976

Key Track(s) - I Want You / Come Live With Me Angel / Soon I'll Be Loving You Again

Drummer - James Gadson

Album - Siamese Dream

Artist - Smashing Pumpkins

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - Cherub Rock / Quiet / Geek USA

Drummer - Jimmy Chamberlain

Honorable Mentions:

Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced"

Led Zeppelin "Houses of the Holy"

David Axelrod "Song of Innocence"

Yes "Yes"

Minnie Ripperton "Adventures in Paradise"

D'Angelo "Voodoo"

J Dilla "The Shining"

Also mentioned during the show:

Minnie Riperton - Adventures in Paradise

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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