CONTENTSVolume 38 • Number 5 EDUCATION

66 DRUM COUNTRY Train Beat Variations A Dozen Ways to Play One of the Most Essential Drumset Grooves by Jim Riley

68 ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC Open-Handed Playing Discovering Rhythms Inside the Paradiddle by Claus Hessler

70 AROUND THE WORLD Samba Starter Unlocking a World of Options by Adam Osmianski

74 STRICTLY TECHNIQUE Rhythm and Timing Part 3: Single 16ths by Bill Bachman

76 JAZZ DRUMMER’S WORKSHOP Shifting Sands Rhythmic Transition Examples by Steve Fidyk

78 IN THE POCKET Dubstep Drumming Part 1: The Basics by Donny Gruendler

22 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP • Zildjian Kerope Series Cymbals • Promark Select Balance Drumsticks • Brady Baritone Series Snare Drums • Aquarian Modern Vintage II and Deep Vintage II Drumheads

26 ELECTRONIC REVIEW Nord Drum 2 and Pad

28 GEARING UP Styx’s Todd Sucherman

82 NEW AND NOTABLE

8 AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW In and Out of Context by Michael Parillo

10 READERS’ PLATFORM

16 ASK A PRO Keith Carlock, Je� Watts

18 IT’S QUESTIONABLE Mind Matters: Married to the Demo

88 SHOWCASE Featuring Drum Market

91 CRITIQUE Featuring Taking the Reins

94 IN MEMORIAM Chico Hamilton, Ricky Wellman

96 KIT OF THE MONTH Both Sides Now

EQUIPMENT

DEPARTMENTS

Cover and contents photos by Rick Malkin

12 UPDATE • Cage the Elephant’s Jared Champion • Gemini Syndrome’s Brian Steele Medina

30 SHOP TALK Gregg Keplinger by Jason Sutter When heavyweight drum stars like Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron, Death Cab for Cutie’s Jason McGerr, and studio and touring ace Matt Chamberlain get obsessive with a drum maker, you know there’s something to the story.

34 ENCORE Miles Davis Bitches Brew by Je� Potter When it came out more than forty years ago, it blew open the doors for what was possible in jazz—and blew by those who preferred living in the past. Today, its double-drummer-fueled grooves still seem years ahead of their time.

36 PORTRAITS Amadeus by Billy Amendola The drummer otherwise known as Antwan J. Thompson lays down killer beats for R&B royalty like Diddy, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz. See where a childhood geeking out on Steve Gadd, Dennis Chambers, and Vinnie Colaiuta can get you?

40 2014 READERS POLL RESULTS This year’s poll includes the typical mix of established icons and � rst-timer faves. Find out who’s who in the hearts and minds of the world’s most knowledgeable drumming fans.

62 STEVEN SCHICK by Will Romano Not many drummers have the conviction to put all their eggs in the basket of a brand-new, esoteric musical movement. But we’re talking about a guy who will walk hundreds of miles for love and dedicate hundreds of hours to learning a single piece of music. We should all be so courageous!

86 UP & COMING Rachel Fuhrer by Stephen Bidwell “John Bonham is number one for me. Elvin Jones. Billy Cobham. I go through phases of pretty much everything.” For sure, Ume’s blistering indie rock is the better for its drummer’s diverse tastes—and intense delivery.

On the Cover

50 JIM RILEYby Ilya Stemkovsky

For more than a decade he’s rocked the world’s greatest concert venues with the superstars Rascal Flatts, in the process setting a standard for drumming in modern country music. But he’s just as in� uential when he’s home, guiding the careers of talented up-and-comers via his popular tutorials, well-attended clinics, and creative in-person lessons.

Win This Wild Dixon Drumkit

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