227 avsnitt • Längd: 55 min • Veckovis: Onsdag
DRUMMERS ON DRUMMING dives deep into the groove, quirks, and ingenuity that define some of the world’s most innovative drummers. Hosted by Ben Hilzinger (Cannons, Eve 6) and powered by Big Fat Snare Drum, this podcast brings together a unique blend of personal stories, raw insights, and surprising perspectives.
Each episode unpacks what makes a drummer’s voice their own—whether it’s through Big Fat Five, where guests reveal the five albums, moments, or influences that shaped their style, or The Drum Panel, a spirited roundtable tackling the instrument’s most polarizing debates. Expect bold opinions, unexpected connections, and an authentic look at the drumming life—on and off the kit.
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Get Your Copy of the ’Drummers on Drumming’ Book Today!
🎯 Click here to order now!
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.
The podcast Drummers on Drumming is created by Ben Hilzinger. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
This week’s episode is going to be a little different. I’m starting a new, perhaps self-indulgent series where I pose a question on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram and make an episode out of your responses. Maybe it’ll stick. Who knows?…but these are the conversations I have with my musician friends anyways, so now I’m just pushing record. The first question posed was “which records helped define the 70’s drum sound?”. We got A LOT of responses and opinions were certainly shared (THANK YOU!) Ihad to shave a 5,000 hour playlist down to a handful of songs. Then, I called up my good buddy and amazing drummer, Jake Reed, to chat with me about his views on 70’s recording techniques and listen to the songs with me. Please enjoy!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, the podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This is another segment of Big Fat Five, where I invite my favorite drummers to break down the five records that shaped their approach to the instrument.
Today, I’m joined by my friend Chris “Woody” Wood, drummer for the internationally loved band, Bastille. Since exploding onto the scene with Bad Blood in 2013, Bastille has become a staple of modern alt-pop—balancing sweeping, atmospheric moments with massive sing-along choruses.
Woody’s playing is a perfect example of how space, groove, and feel can elevate a song without ever getting in the way—something especially crucial in an arena-sized band like Bastille. But make no mistake, he still finds his moments, keeping his playing fresh, musical, and relevant for well over a decade.
Beyond the kit, Woody is just a hilarious and thoughtful dude. He even co-hosts his own podcast, Away Days w/ Woody and Piers, a comedic deep dive into the world of away football fandom. We get into all of that and more—while uncovering the five records that shaped him into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
CHRIS' BIG FAT FIVE:
Artist - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album - Californication
Release Year - 1999
Key Track - "Scar Tissue"
Drummer - Chad Smith
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Artist - Queens Of The Stone Age
Album - Songs For The Deaf
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - "Hangin' Tree," "Millionaire"
Drummer - Dave Grohl
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Artist - Smashing Pumpkins
Album - Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - "Jelly Belly," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
Drummer - Jimmy Chamberlin
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Artist - Mars Volta
Album - Deloused In The Comatorium
Release Year - 2003
Key Track(s) - "Inertiatic ESP," "Cicatraz ESP"
Drummer - Jon Theodore
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Artist - Nate Smith
Album - ANYTHING HE PLAYS ON
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 11 of The Drum Panel
Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.
For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special guest, Britt Bowman (Demi Lovato, KiNG Mala, Meg Myers, Royal and the Serpent, Toni Cornell).
Today we discuss:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, the podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This is another segment of Big Fat Five, where I invite my favorite drummers to break down the five records that shaped their approach to the instrument.
Today, I’m joined by Ian Matthews, drummer for the "future rock" Kasabian—a group that, like many of the greats, enjoys massive success outside the U.S. while somehow remaining criminally underrated stateside. With eight studio albums and a reputation for explosive, anthemic live shows, Kasabian has been shaping the sound of modern rock for decades. And at the heart of it all? Ian Matthews—the powerhouse engine behind their dynamic and electrifying sound.
We cover a lot in this conversation—stuff that will help any drummer level up their playing and presence on the kit. I also want to mention something special: If you've listened to The Drum Panel recently, you know I’ve talked about a certain project from November 2024 that I was really stoked about. Well, Ian was one of my main inspirations for those sessions.
This one meant a lot. Enjoy the five records that shaped Ian Matthews into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
IAN'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Artist - Buddy Rich
Album - Live At Ronnie Scott’s
Release Year - 1972
Key Track - "Time Being"
Drummer - Buddy Rich
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Artist - Leo Sayer
Album - Endless Flight
Release Year - 1976
Key Track - "When I Need You"
Drummer - Jeff Porcaro, Steve Gadd, Rick Shlosser, Nigel Olsson, Ed Greene,
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Artist - Dave Brubeck
Album - Time Out
Release Year - 1959
Key Track - "Take 5," "Blue Rondo á la Turk"
Drummer - Joe Morello
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Artist - Iron Maiden
Album - Live After Death
Release Year - 1985
Key Track - "Aces High"
Drummer - Nicko McBrain
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Artist - Steely Dan
Album - Aja
Release Year - 1977
Key Track - "Aja," "Home At Last"
Drummer - Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Jim Keltner, Rich Moratta, Ed Greene
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Today, we’ve got another segment of the podcast called Big Fat Five. This is where I invite my favorite drummers on the show to break down the five records that helped shape their approach to the instrument.
Our guest today is Jason Gerken, a Kansas City-based drummer known for his work with Molly McGuire, Shiner, Open Hand, Project 86, and most recently, Hum. After our episode with Jared Shavelson a few weeks ago, I got a flood of DMs from people thanking me for introducing them to Jason’s drumming on The Egg by Shiner. I knew I had to get him on ASAP. Jason’s drumming carries so much weight—in every sense of the word. I know a lot of my friends were especially looking forward to this one, so here you go. I hope you all enjoy the five records that shaped Jason Gerken into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JASON'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Artist - Chicago
Album - IX
Release Year - 1975
Key Track - Beginnings
Drummer - Danny Seraphine
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Artist - Rush
Album - Moving Pictures
Release Year - 1981
Key Track - Red Barchetta
Drummer - Neil Peart
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Artist - Jimi Hendrix Experience
Album - Essentials 1&2
Release Year - 1967
Key Track(s) - "If 6 Was 9" and other B-sides
Drummer - Mitch Mitchell
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Artist - Yes
Album - Fragile
Release Year - 1971
Key Track - Heart of the Sunrise
Drummer - Bill Bruford
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Artist - Government Issue
Album - You/Crash
Release Year - 1987
Key Track - Jaded Eyes
Drummer - Peter Moffett
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Artist - Bitch Magnet
Album - Umber
Release Year - 1989
Key Track - Navajo Ace
Drummer - Orestes Delatorre
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Artist - Steely Dan
Album - The Royal Scam
Release Year - 1976
Key Track - Green Earrings
Drummer - Bernard Purdie
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Artist - Bastro
Album - Diablo Guapo
Release Year - 1989
Key Track - Sing the Troubled Beast
Drummer - John McEntire
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Artist - Helmet
Album - Strap It On
Release Year - 1992
Key Track - FBLA
Drummer - John Stanier
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 10 of The Drum Panel
Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.
For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special guest, Jessica Burdeaux (Covet, City Mouth, Host of Reverb.com's "What's That Sound?" series on YouTube).
Today we discuss:
As promised...
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Today, we’ve got another segment of the podcast called Big Fat Five. This is where I invite my favorite drummers on the show to break down the five records that helped shape their approach to the instrument. This format also inspired my book, Drummers on Drumming, which is available now as a paperback or ebook on Amazon.
Today’s guest is Jared Shavelson. I met Jared through a mutual buddy and Big Fat Five alum, Mike Robinson. Jared is the real deal. He studied jazz in college but left early to kickstart his career—and it’s safe to say that decision paid off. Over the years, he’s played with Seal, The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx, Joyce Manor, The Hope Conspiracy, Paint It Black, The Aquabats, and so many others.
I just saw him perform with Mariachi El Bronx on New Year’s Eve, opening for Morrissey at The Palladium. He was playing a cocktail kit, and the Afro-Cuban rhythms he was laying down were absolutely insane—I was completely blown away.
Now, we were supposed to record this a few days ago, but life in LA had other plans. Between the fires and travel chaos, it was hard to pin down a time. Jared ended up flying out of Los Angeles Thursday night, only to get stuck in Atlanta during a snowstorm when his flight was canceled. After being stranded at the airport for 18 hours, he decided to help pass the time by hopping on the mic with me. That’s why the audio in this episode might be a little rough—picture Jared huddled in the corner of a busy terminal while we recorded.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JARED'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Led Zeppelin 1
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Release Year - 1969
Key Track(s) - Good times bad times / How Many More Times
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - Time Out
Artist - Dave Brubeck
Release Year - 1959
Key Track(s) - Take Five / Kathy’s Waltz
Drummer - Joe Morello
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Album - Alice In Chains Unplugged
Artist - Alive in Chains
Release Year - 1996
Key Track(s) - Nutshell / No Excuses / Down in a Hole
Drummer - Sean Kinney
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Album - Out of Step
Artist - Minor threat
Release Year - 1984
Key Track(s) - Betray
Drummer - Jeff Nelson
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Album - The Egg
Artist - Shiner
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - The Egg / Surgery / Andalusia
Drummer - Jason Gerken
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 9 of The Drum Panel
Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.
For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special guest, Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum & drummer for Winnetka Bowling League).
Today we discuss:
Listen to 500 Anõs by La Armada HERE
Check out Kris' cute little digital recorder HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Ok, I promise I won’t be promoting my book forever—but give me at least a few weeks to talk about it (I’m proud of it!). And hey, the sooner you grab a copy, the sooner you’ll stop feeling guilty... and, well, left out.
In this episode, I read a few excerpts from my new book, Drummers on Drumming. You’ll hear stories and song choices from incredible drummers like Joe Bagale, David Raouf (rdavidr), Joe Seiders, Ilan Rubin and Jesse Kongos. These highlights give you a taste of the insights and inspiration you’ll find in the book. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into the creative minds of today's top players.
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Get Your Copy of the 'Drummers on Drumming' Book Today!
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.
Ok, I promise I won’t be promoting my book forever—but give me at least a few weeks to talk about it (I’m proud of it!). And hey, the sooner you grab a copy, the sooner you’ll stop feeling guilty... and, well, left out.
In this episode, I read a few excerpts from my new book, Drummers on Drumming. You’ll hear stories and song choices from incredible drummers like Jason McGerr, Madden Klass, Jojo Mayer, Noa Kahn, Andrew Marshall, Michael Benjamin Lerner, and Brendan Buckley. These highlights give you a taste of the insights and inspiration you’ll find in the book. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into the creative minds of today's top players.
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Get Your Copy of the 'Drummers on Drumming' Book Today!
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.
Episode 8 of The Drum Panel
This week, Eric (@ericsurrea) is back!...alongside our newest bestie George Martinez (@skinnygeorge).
In this episode, we dive into:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Episode 7 of The Drum Panel
This week, we're joined by Stacy Jones (Miley Cyrus, Letters to Cleo, American Hi-Fi) and Elias Mallin (Kesha, Noah Cyrus, Filter)—two seasoned veterans of the touring music industry and influential figures in shaping the competitive LA music scene.
This episode steps away from our usual bullet-point list of hot takes and dives into a bigger-picture conversation about what it really takes to build and sustain a career in live music. We cover everything from technique tips and tuning tricks to staying mentally sharp during performances, audition dos and don’ts, and plenty of honest stories about the ups and downs of auditions and live shows.
Special thanks to Patches Sound for hosting us!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Welcome back to Big Fat Five—a segment of Drummers on Drumming brought to you by Big Fat Snare Drum, where I chat with my favorite drummers about the stories and records that shaped their sound. I’m your host, Ben Hilzinger, and this week’s guest is the incredible Sterling Laws.
Sterling is a fellow Pacific Northwest native now based in Los Angeles, but more importantly, he’s a Grammy-nominated drummer whose resume is as impressive as it gets. He’s worked with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Kim Gordon, Chappell Roan, NIKI, Matt Berninger, Liz Phair, The War on Drugs, Linda Perry, Aly & AJ, Lo Moon, Dave Stewart, and many more.
Sterling is out there doing the thing and still manages to bring a unique perspective to the kit while working with such a diverse roster of artists—a quality that’s both rare and inspiring. It’s exactly why I was so excited to talk to him.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
STERLING'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Badmotorfinger
Artist - Soundgarden
Release Year - 1991
Key Track(s) - Rusty Cage, Searching With My Good Eye Closed, Jesus Christ Pose
Drummer - Matt Cameron
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Album - In Rainbows
Artist - Radiohead
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - 15 Steps, Bodysnatchers, Weird Fishes, Reckoner
Drummer - Philip Selway
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Album - Future Self
Artist - The Globes
Release Year - 2011
Key Track(s) Pigeon, Stay Awake, A Stitch Couldn't Save The World
Drummer - Marcus Ourada
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Album - Boxer
Artist - The National
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Mistaken For Strangers, Brainy, Apartment Story
Drummer - Bryan Devendorf
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Album - Live From The Ryman And More
Artist - Sheryl Crow
Release Year - 2019
Key Track(s) - A Change Would Do You Good, Everything Is Broken, Maybe Angels, If It Makes You Happy
Drummer - Fred Eltringham
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming!
Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with a true force in modern drumming—Ilan Rubin. You’ve heard his incredible work behind the kit with artists like Nine Inch Nails, Danny Elfman, Angels & Airwaves, Paramore and so many more. But Ilan is not just an outstanding drummer; he’s also a passionate educator, and his latest project proves just that.
He’s recently released his instructional book, Start Somewhere to Go Somewhere, and trust me, it’s not just another drum method book.
In this episode, we certainly discuss the book, but we dive deep into Ilan’s philosophy on practice and technique in a way that I personally haven’t heard him talk about before … and why he felt compelled to share his unique perspective in an already crowded field of drum education. I have the book and ive been able to spend some more time with it since recording this episode and I can say first hand, it’s worth it. So without further ado…here is my chat with the youngest rock n roll hall of fame inductee, Ilan Rubin.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Episode 6 of The Drum Panel
This week's guests are two of my favorite drummers and people, Sarab Singh (MUNA) and Adam Christgau (Tegan and Sara).
In this episode, we dive into:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
We’ve got another installment of Big Fat Five: a segment where I talk to drummers about the stories and records that shaped their sound.
Today’s guest is Lucy Ritter, a New York/New Jersey native who picked up the drums at just 9 years old and was already landing professional gigs by 14. After three years at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, she made the bold decision to leave and join her first major tour: the Broadway musical An Officer and a Gentleman. That gig opened doors, eventually leading to her being offered the drum chair for the Grammy Award-winning musical Jagged Little Pill.
These days, Lucy has stepped away from the Broadway scene and taken on an exciting new role as the drummer for one of today’s fastest-rising pop acts, Chappell Roan. We dig into how she landed that gig and explore the five records that have profoundly influenced her drumming style. This episode has been a long time coming, so let’s dive in. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the incredibly talented Lucy Ritter... cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
LUCY'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - A Love Supreme
Artist - John Coltrane
Release Year - 1965
Key Track(s) - Pt. II - Resolution & Pt. III - Pursuance
Drummer - Elvin Jones
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Album - Earfood
Artist - Roy Hargrove
Release Year - 2008
Key Track(s) - Strasbourg / St. Denis, The Stinger, Mr.Clean
Drummer - Motez Coleman
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Album - Grow
Artist - Chon
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - But / all of them
Drummer - Nathan Camarena, Brian Evans, Matt Garstka
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Album - Live at Velfarre
Artist - Earth, Wind & Fire
Release Year - 1996
Key Track(s) - In The Stone, September, Let Your Feelings Show, Let’s Groove
Drummer - Sonny Emory
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Album - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
Artist - Blink-182
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - 3
Drummer - Travis Barker
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 5 of The Drum Panel
This week's guests are my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City / Sessions) and good buddy Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum).
SUBMIT YOUR CONTROVERSIAL MUSIC OPINIONS HERE
In this episode, we dive into:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Today I’m joined by Jesse Boyle, my good buddy and the drummer for the boundary-pushing band Chase Atlantic. Known for blending genres like alternative, R&B, and electronic music, Jesse’s unique approach drives the pulse behind Chase’s immersive live soundscapes. We’ll dive into the top five influences that shaped his drumming and musical journey and we get into a newer career he’s started…all because he gave himself permission. I think it’s important for everyone to stay tuned through the end of the episode.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JESSE'S BIG FAT FIVE:
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Album - Reggatta De Blanc
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1979
Key Track(s) - Message in a Bottle, Walking On the Moon
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
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Album - By The Way
Artist - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - By the Way, Don’t Forget Me
Drummer - Chad Smith
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Album - Only by the Night
Artist - Kings of Leon
Release Year - 2008
Key Track(s) - Closer, I Want You
Drummer - Nathan Followill
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Album - The Colour and The Shape
Artist - Foo Fighters
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - My Hero, Everlong
Drummer - Dave Grohl / William Goldsmith
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Album - TOTO IV
Artist - TOTO
Release Year - 1982
Key Track(s) - Rosanna
Drummer - Jeff Porcaro
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Hey friends, Ben Hilzinger here. I wanted to take a few minutes to talk to you about a pretty exciting shift I’m making with this podcast. After much thought, I’ve decided to change the name of the podcast. Moving forward, it will be known as Drummers on Drumming.
Let me tell you a little about how I got here.
This whole thing started as The Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast, just a fun way to connect with drummers I admire—talking about stories, gear, grooves, and whatever else came up. It was a blast. But after a while, I wanted to dive deeper into the stories that shaped the way drummers think and play. That’s where the Big Fat Five concept came from: drummers sharing the five records or moments that influenced them the most.
The Big Fat Five format really connected with people, and I loved it. But over time, I realized the name was becoming a little limiting. I’ve got so many ideas for other segments—like The Drum Panel, where multiple drummers join me for roundtable discussions—and I didn’t want to feel stuck in one format. I needed a title that gave me space to try new things and keep the podcast fresh.
And honestly, if I want to keep doing this—and growing the show—I need to make sure it’s easy for new listeners to find. Big Fat Five isn’t exactly the most discoverable name if someone’s searching for “drumming podcasts.” So this rebrand to Drummers on Drumming not only reflects the direction I want to take, but it’ll also make the show more findable for people who haven’t discovered it yet.
Now, here’s how the change will happen. Right now, the podcast is still called Big Fat Five, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up before the switch. One week from today, both the name and the podcast icon will officially change to Drummers on Drumming. So, if you see the new name and artwork in your podcast feed next week, don’t worry—it’s still the same show you know and love, just with a new name and more room to grow.
Oh! And speaking of exciting new things, I’ve been working on a book—also called Drummers on Drumming—and it’s almost ready! The book dives deep into the Big Fat Five concept, with insights from some truly amazing drummers. I’m currently wrapping up the book cover as I record this, and I plan to have it available by Black Friday. So keep an eye out for that—it’ll make a pretty sweet gift for the drummer in your life...or, you know, yourself.
So there you have it—a new chapter for the podcast. It’s the same vibe, the same passion, just with a new name and more freedom to explore new ideas. I can’t wait to bring you along for this next phase.
Thank you so much for listening, supporting, and being part of this journey. I’ll see you next time on Drummers on Drumming.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Episode 4 of The Drum Panel
This week's guests are my good buddies Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum), and Mark Stepro (The Wallflowers, Butch Walker).
In this episode, we dive into:
Check out Steward Copeland on Drumeo HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Our guest today is one of Berlin’s rising stars in the drumming world, Julian Wieder. At just 25, he’s already making serious moves across the RnB, Hip-Hop, and Indie scene, both on stage and in the studio. I first discovered Julian thanks to the algorithm gods on Big Fat Snare Drum’s Explorer page—and once I saw his playing, I knew I had to get him on the show. His feel is unreal, blending pocket grooves with a sense of freedom that feels completely natural and effortless. Plus, he’s not just a drummer…he’s an educator, and a bit of a clinic master in the making.
In this episode, we’ll dive into the top records that shaped his sound, and he introduced me to a new favorite of mine that I can’t wait for you to hear. So I hope you enjoy the top records that helped shaped Julian Wieder into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JULIAN'S BIG FAT FIVE:
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Album - The Joy Of Motion
Artist - Animals as Leaders
Release Year - 2014
Key Track(s) - The Woven Web, Tooth and Claw
Drummer - Matt Garstka
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Album - Continuum
Artist - John Mayer
Release Year - 2006
Key Track(s) - Waiting On The World To Change, Gravity
Drummer - Steve Jordan
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Album - Wallflower
Artist - Jordan Rakei
Release Year - 2017
Key Track(s) - Eye To Eye, Sorceress
Drummer - Jim Macrae
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Album - Chris Dave and The Drumhedz
Artist - Chris Dave
Release Year - 2018
Key Track - Whatever
Drummer - Chris Dave
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Album - Past Present and Futures
Artist - Chick Corea
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - Fingerprints, Rhumba Flamenco
Drummer - Jeff Ballard
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Honorable Mentions:
Nas - Illmatic
Ghost Note - Swagism
Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Our guest today is Gabe Smith, the current CEO of Drums for Gracie Abrams Inc. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, now based in New York City, Gabe has also worked with incredible contemporary artists like Wet, Tei Shi, Eden, Frankie Cosmos, Kimbra and many more. Last summer, he opened for Taylor Swift and is about to rejoin that tour after some headline shows with Gracie Abrams. He’s a busy guy! It took some finessing since we’re both on tour, but we made it happen. I loved his picks, and I’m excited for you to hear this one. Please enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Gabe Smith into the sought-after, hardworking musician he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
GABE'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Abbey Road
Artist - The Beatles
Release Year - 1969
Key Track - She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Drummer - Ringo
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Album - Songs In The Key of Life
Artist - Stevie Wonder
Release Year - 1976
Key Track - Knocks Me Off My Feet
Drummer - Stevie Wonder
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Album - When The Pawn...
Artist - Fiona Apple
Release Year - 1999
Key Track - A Mistake
Drummer - Matt Chamberlain
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Album - Friendly Travelers Live
Artist - Wolfgang Muthspiel, Brian Blade
Release Year - 2007
Key Track - Gnadenwald (Live)
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - Donny Hathaway
Artist - Donny Hathaway
Release Year - 1971
Key Track - She Is My Lady
Drummer - Al Jackson Jr.
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 3 of The Drum Panel
This week's guests are my good buddies Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Carina Round), Neal Daniels (Matchbox 20, Liz Phair), Mike Robinson (Blame My Youth, Food On Tour Podcast).
In this episode, we dive into:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Our guest today is Daniel Glass. Daniel is a renowned drummer, educator, and historian known for his deep expertise in the roots of American drumming, particularly in jazz, swing, and early rock 'n' roll. A member of the pioneering retro-swing band Royal Crown Revue, Glass has performed with a wide array of top artists, blending historical influence with modern flair. His passion for drumming history is reflected in his books, clinics, and instructional videos. The project that introduced Daniel to me was his three-hour documentary called “The Century Project” which explores the evolution of the drum set and drumming styles from 1865 to 1965. Glass is also celebrated for his dynamic, groove-focused playing and his ability to bridge the gap between past and present drumming traditions. Go check out all his happenings at danielglass.com, but for now, please enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Daniel Glass into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
DANIEL'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Made In Japan
Artist - Deep Purple
Release Year - 1972
Key Track(s) - Highway Star, Space Truckin', The Mule
Drummer - Ian Paice
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Album - Three Quartets
Artist - Chick Corea
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - Quartet No. 1, Quartet No. 2, Part 2
Drummer - Steve Gadd
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Album - Buffalo
Artist - Frank Zappa
Release Year - 2007 (from a 1980 live concert)
Key Track(s) - The Torture Never Stops
Drummer - Vinnie Colaiuta
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Album - Lyric
Artist - Billy Childs
Release Year - 2005
Key Track(s) - In Carson's Eyes, Into the Light, Scarborough Fair, American Landscape
Drummer - Brian Blade, Marvin "Smitty" Smith
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Album - From Darkness
Artist - Avishai Cohen
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - Beyond, Abie, C#-, From Darkness
Drummer - Daniel Dor
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Honorable Mentions:
Album - Blue
Artist - Joni Mitchell
Release Year - 1971
Key Track(s) - All I Want, This Flight Tonight
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Album - The Concert at Carnegie Hall
Artist - Benny Goodman
Release Year - 1938
Key Track(s) - Don't Be That Way, Honeysuckle Rose, Sing, Sing, Sing
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Album - Drumsville
Artist - Earl Palmer
Release Year - 1961
Drummer - Earl Palmer
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Album - Live at the Royal Festival Hall
Artist - John McLaughlin
Release Year - 1989
Key Track(s) - Mother Tongues
Drummer - Trilok Gurtu
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Album - Tiny Resistors
Artist - Todd Sickafoose
Release Year - 2008
Key Track(s) - Allision Miller
Drummer - Everyone Is Going
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 2 PART DEUX of The Drum Panel
Welcome to The Drum Panel—a segment where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions on polarizing and controversial drum topics submitted by our listeners.
Today's episode is the second half of a conversation between myself (Ben), my co-host Eric Urrea and special guest, Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum & drummer for Winnetka Bowling League).
Today we discuss:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Our guest today is Taye Dever, a young drummer from North Carolina who recently came onto my radar and quickly grabbed my attention. Taye draws inspiration from a diverse range of genres, including R&B, Pop, Folk, Rap, Gospel, and more. While his musical style is eclectic, he seems to be a fresh face in the music scene. I’m honored if this is your first introduction to his work. We dive right in, so here are the records that have shaped Taye Dever into the musician he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
TAYE'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Not Guilty
Artist - The New Life Community Choir featuring John P. Kee
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Rain On Us
Drummer - Calvin Rodgers
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Album - Thirsty
Artist - Marvin Sapp
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Praise Him In Advance
Drummer - Calvin Rodgers
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Album - Confessions
Artist - Usher
Release Year - 2004
Key Track(s) - "Caught Up" Aaron Spears' drum performance @ 2006 Modern Drummer Festival
Drummer - Aaron Spears
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Album - Pure Energy DVD
Artist - Various drummers
Release Year - 2009
Key Track(s) - Rekindled featuring Tony Royster Jr
Drummer - Tony Royster Jr.
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Album - Paramore
Artist - Paramore
Release Year - 2013
Key Track(s) - Ain’t It Fun?, Still Into You
Drummer - Ilan Rubin
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episode 2 of The Drum Panel
Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions on polarizing and controversial drum topics submitted by our listeners.
For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special guest, Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum & drummer for Winnetka Bowling League).
Today we discuss:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Today's guest is Philo Tsoungui, an independent drummer based in Berlin, Germany. Philo has played with many incredible artists both in Germany and internationally, including a recent stint with The Mars Volta.
I can't praise Philo's playing enough; it just works. While it can be categorized as Hip Hop, it's so much more than any single genre, as you'll discover in this episode. Philo shares many incredibly valuable insights, and we actually kicked off our recorded conversation by discussing practice routines (in an ideal world).
So, without further ado, please enjoy the top 5 influences that shaped the incredible Philo Tsoungui. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
PHILO'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Black Orpheus
Artist - Keziah Jones
Release Year - 2003
Key Track - Afrosurrealismfortheladies
Drummer - Joshua McKenzie / Jose Joyette
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Album - The Bedlam in Goliath
Artist - The Mars Volta
Release Year - 2008
Key Track - Wax Simulacra
Drummer - Thomas Pridgen
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Album - Black Radio
Artist - Robert Glasper
Release Year - 2012
Key Track - Afro Blue
Drummer - Chris "Daddy" Dave
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Album - Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group: Live Los Angeles on Sept 14th, 2010 (video)
Artist - Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group
Release Year - 2010
Drummer - Deantoni Parks
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Album - Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Performance
Artist - Lenny "The Ox" Reece & The Lesson GK
Release Year - 2018
Key Track - The Weekend
Drummer - Lenny "The Ox" Reece
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Today, my good friend and fellow professional drummer, Eric Urrea, and I are excited to launch the pilot episode of a new segment on our podcast, tentatively named “The Drum Panel.”
Drummers are known for having strong opinions, and we aim to delve into many of these in a roundtable format. For this first recording, it’s just the two of us, but our vision is to feature multiple drummers from diverse backgrounds in each episode to foster engaging, relatable, and thought-provoking discussions. We invite you to join us on this journey.
Today we discuss:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
This week’s guest is Adolfo Torres. Adolfo's musical journey started in Cali, Colombia, and from a young age, his passion for music was evident, leading his parents to enroll him in drum lessons. This early start paved the way for his education at the Drummers Collective in NYC and later at Berklee College of Music on an American Tour Scholarship.
After his studies, Adolfo moved to Austin, TX, playing with artists like JT Coldfire and Jennifer B and the Groove Kings, where he learned about the life of a working musician. In 2013, he returned to Colombia, forming the band M.I.J.O, which blends Classic, Modern, and Progressive Rock. All that being said, I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time and go check out a few of his videos before you listen to our chat. It will set the stage for a lot of what we talk about. I hope you enjoy the five records that shaped Adolfo Torres into the musician he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ADOLFO'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - The Inner Mounting Flame
Artist - The Mahavishnu Orchestra
Release Year f- 1971
Key Track(s) - The Noonward Race, Vital Transformation, You Know You Know
Drummer - Billy Cobham
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Album - Paranoid
Artist - Black Sabbath
Release Year - 1970
Key Track(s) - War Pigs, Rat Salad, Fairies Wear Boots
Drummer - Bill Ward
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Album - Red
Artist - King Crimson
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - One More Red Nightmare, Starless
Drummer - Bill Bruford
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Album - Badmotorfinger
Artist - Soundgarden
Release Year - 1991
Key Track(s) - Rusty Cage, Slaves & Bulldozers
Drummer - Matt Cameron
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Album - Amputechture
Artist - The Mars Volta
Release Year - 2006
Key Track(s) - Tetragrammaton, Meccamputechture, Viscera Eyes, Day of the Baphomets
Drummer - Jon Theodore
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Band of Gypsys - Hendrix
Presence - Led Zeppelin
Bridge of Sighs - Robin Trower
Tony Williams Lifetime: The Collection
Master of Reality - Black Sabbath
10,000 Days - Tool
Deloused in the Commatorium - The Mars Volta
Down on the Upside - Soundgarden
Gretchen Goes to Nebraska - King’s X
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Our guest today is none other than Jost Nickel, a renowned German drummer, composer, and educator. Jost is part of the golden generation of drummers from Germany, alongside his friends and fellow drumming legends Anika Nilles, Marco Minnemann, and Benny Greb.
Currently, Jost keeps busy with Jan Delay and Disko No. 1, but his talent has graced many hit records both in Germany and beyond. He's also had the privilege of playing with jazz greats like Randy Brecker, Jeff Lorber, Jimmy Haslip, Barry Finnerty, and many more.
In addition to his impressive performance career, Jost has authored four highly successful instructional books: Jost Nickel’s GROOVE BOOK, Jost Nickel’s FILL BOOK, Jost Nickel’s SNARE BOOK, and Jost Nickel’s BEGINNER BOOK.
I absolutely love Jost’s playing. It's always so crisp, clear, snappy, and incredibly creative, yet it always feels good. Today, we're diving into the five records that have helped shape Jost Nickel into the phenomenal drummer he is today. Cheers!"
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JOST'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Artist - Sting
Release Year - 1985
Key Track - Shadows in the Rain
Drummer - Omar Hakim
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Album - Master Plan
Artist - Dave Weckl
Release Year - 1990
Key Track - Tower of Inspiration
Drummer - Dave Weckl
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Album - True Colors
Artist - Level 42
Release Year - 1984
Key Track - Kansas City Milkman
Drummer - Phil Gould
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Album - This Time
Artist - Al Jarreau
Release Year - 1980
Key Track(s) - Spain (I Can Recall)
Drummer - Steve Gadd
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Album - Synchronicity
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1983
Key Track - King of Pain
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Nick Wilkerson. For the past decade, Nick has been the drummer for the critically acclaimed Louisville, KY rock band, White Reaper. Recently, he decided to embark on a solo journey as an independent artist, and I’m eager to see what he creates next.
I always invite drummers on this show who truly move me with their playing. I discovered Nick’s videos on Instagram and was immediately impressed before I even realized he was the drummer for White Reaper, a band I really admire. Check out his videos, and you'll understand why.
I was stoked to have this conversation with Nick, and it’s moments like these that make me love what I do. Now, enjoy as we explore the five records that helped shape Nick Wilkerson into the musician he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
NICK'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 Soundtrack
Artist - Various
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - Boy Who Destroyed The World (AFI), If You Must (Del The Funkee Homosapien), Amoeba (Adolescents)
Drummer - Various
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Album - American Idiot
Artist - Green Day
Release Year - 2004
Key Track(s) - Jesus of Suburbia, St Jimmy, Homecoming
Drummer - Tre Cool
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Album - Bad Brains
Artist - Bad Brains
Release Year - 1982
Key Track(s) - Attitude, Banned in DC, Big Takeover
Drummer - Earl Hudson
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Album - Live At Leeds
Artist - The Who
Release Year - 1970
Key Track(s) - Heaven And Hell, Can’t Explain, Happy Jack
Drummer - Keith Moon
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Album - Wonderful Rainbow
Artist - Lightning Bolt
Release Year - 2003
Key Track(s) - Assassins, Two Towers, Crown of Storms
Drummer - Brian Chippendale
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Isaiah Weatherspoon, a Philadelphia-based drummer who started playing at the age of four. He went on to graduate from Berklee College of Music in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Music Production and Engineering. Over the years, Isaiah has performed with an impressive roster of artists, including Lizz Wright, Greg Phillinganes, Lauren Talese, Leehom Wang, Justin Timberlake, Sister Sledge, and many more.
I first noticed Isaiah when I saw a video on Instagram of him using one of our Big Fat Snare Drum Steve's Donuts on his floor tom during an outdoor concert. He was going crazy on the drums, and I was truly impressed. His positive energy and outlook made this conversation a real pleasure. Plus, we dive into a fascinating topic: synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon that Isaiah proudly embraces.
So, without further ado, here are the five records that have shaped Isaiah Weatherspoon into the musician he is today. Cheers!
Check out his book: MUSIC IS COOL! Music Coloring Book for Kids
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ISAIAH'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Not Guilty
Artist - John P Kee
Release Year - 2000
Key Track - Rain On Us
Drummer - Calvin Rodgers
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Album - Purpose By Design
Artist - Fred Hammond and Radical For Christ
Release Year - 2000
Key Track - Jesus Be a Fence Around Me
Drummer - Marvin McQuitty
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Album - In A Dream
Artist - Gretchen Parlato
Release Year - 2009
Key Track - Butterfly
Drummer - "No drums on this record. But I believe Kendrick Scott plays on album"
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Album - Ten Summoner's Tale
Artist - Sting
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Seven Days
Drummer - Vinnie Colaiuta
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Album - Choose Your Weapon
Artist - Hiatus Kaiyote
Release Year - 2015
Key Track - By Fire
Drummer - Perrin Moss
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s guest is Eric Somers-Urrea…a Chicago-based drummer, educator and producer who I very-much admire both on and off the kit. His main project is a band called Marina City and his sincerity / kindness as a person matches his incredible prowess on the drums. I just can’t say enough good things about him.
This is a edited and re-airing of my conversation with Eric from a few years ago so some references are a little dated, but I'm pushing this to the top of the feed because I might be switching things up a bit and, to keep things cryptic, let's just say I want you to get to know Eric a little bit more. Stay tuned. Please enjoy our chat about the 5 main influences that shaped Eric into the drummer he is today, but first…we play a little game. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ERIC'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Performance - Drum Corps International 2004 Finals
Release Year - 2004
Artist - The Cavaliers
Song Choice - https://youtu.be/KpUuMM1y2_o?t=140 (anywhere between 2:20-4:20ish)
Drummer - The Cavaliers Drumline
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Album - Quadrophenia
Release Year - 1973
Artist - The Who
Song Choice - The Real Me (1:30ish)
Drummer - Keith Moon
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Album - Deadwing
Release Year - 2005
Artist - Porcupine Tree
Song Choice - Glass Arm Shattering (3:30ish)
Drummer - Gavin Harrison
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Album - Mer De Noms
Release Year - 2000
Artist - A Perfect Circle
Song Choice - Judith (2:40)
Drummer - Josh Freese
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Album - With Teeth
Release Year - 2005
Artist - Nine Inch Nails
Song Choice - All the Love in the World
Drummer - Dave Grohl/ Trent Reznor
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
"Glass Prison" by Dream Theater
"Heart Don't Stand a Chance" by Anderson .Paak (Tiny Desk Concert version 3:45)
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Megan Spencer, a talented young drummer and educator from just outside Los Angeles. Megan recently caught my attention with her amazing cover of Marques Murrey's Million Dollar Baby remix, and I was instantly drawn to her unique tones and vibe. So, I’m excited to have her on the show! I'm always grateful for the opportunity to connect with new drummers who inspire ME and learn about the drummers who inspired THEM, in hopes of inspiring YOU. Thanks for hanging around. Today, Megan will share the five records that have significantly shaped her journey as a drummer. Enjoy the episode! Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
MEGAN'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Innervisions
Artist - Stevie Wonder
Release Year - 1973
Key Track - Higher Ground
Drummer - Stevie Wonder
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Album - Bad
Artist - Michael Jackson
Release Year - 1987
Key Track - Smooth Criminal, Bad, Dirty Diana, Man in the Mirror
Drummer - John (JR) Robinson
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Album - Ten Summoner’s Tales
Artist - Sting
Release Year - 1993
Key Track - Seven Days
Drummer - Vinnie Colaiuta
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Album - Alive in South Africa
Artist - Israel Houghton & New Breed
Release Year - 2005
Key Track - Turn it Around, Still Standing
Drummer - Mike Clemmons
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Album - Loopified
Artist - Dirty Loops
Release Year - 2014
Key Track - Hit Me, Rolling in the Deep
Drummer - Aron Mellergard
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Chris Fryar, primarily known for his work with the Zac Brown Band. He has also worked with Oteil and the Peacemakers, led by bassist Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band, as well as with Victor Wooten, John Popper, Steve Bailey, and many more.
Chris is powerful, creative, and consistent, yet very reactive and conversational with his playing. I was so happy to chat with him. I'll be honest—I haven't really said this in an intro before, but this conversation is what I envisioned when I started this podcast. Chris is incredible at sharing his story through his choices and offers invaluable advice along the way.
This is hands down one of my favorite episodes. Please enjoy my chat with Chris Fryar about the five records that shaped him into the musician he is today. And make sure you check out his honorable mentions. He's got plenty, and they'll all make you a better player. I promise.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
CHRIS' BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Zenyatta Mondatta
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1980
Key Track(s) - Shadows In The Rain, Driven To Tears, When The World Is Running Down
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
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Album - Ten Summoner's Tales
Artist - Sting
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Seven Days, St. Augustine in Hell, She's Too Good For Me, Shape of My Heart
Drummer - Vinnie Colaiuta
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Album - Kind of Blue
Artist - Miles Davis
Release Year - 1959
Key Track(s) - So What, All Blues, Freddie Freeloader
Drummer - Jimmy Cobb
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Album - Live and In Living Color
Artist - Tower Of Power
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Knock Yourself Out (live), What Is Hip (live)
Drummer - David Garibaldi
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Album - Robben Ford & The Blue Line
Artist - Robben Ford
Release Year - 1992
Key Track(s) - You Cut Me To The Bone, Real Man, Prison Of Love
Drummer - Tom Brechtlein
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Aja - Steely Dan
Big Swing Face - Buddy Rich Big Band
TOTO IV - TOTO
Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
Moving Pictures - Rush
Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack - various artists
Life On Planet Groove - Maceo Parker
At Fillmore East - Allman Brothers Band
HELP! - The Beatles
Rubber Soul - the Beatles
Revolver - the Beatles
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Apple Juice - Tom Scott
Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit
Heavy Weather - Weather Report
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s guest is Mark Guiliana, a visionary drummer and solo artist known for his eclectic style that blends jazz, electronic, and experimental music. He’s worked with artists like David Bowie, Brad Mehldau, St. Vincent, and has his own projects such as the Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet and Beat Music.
Mark continuously pushes the boundaries of rhythm and sound, earning him a reputation as a trailblazer in contemporary music. This is a condensed version of my conversation with Mark from early 2021. With his new album, Mark, coming out in July 2024, I wanted to highlight his insights and present an episode that fits better with our current format.
Instead of a top 5 list of records, I gave Mark a set of prompts to choose from, and we went from there. There’s so much wisdom in this chat, so even if you heard it before, give it another listen. I definitely learned new things the second time around.
Concierto de Osain del Monte VIDEO
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
This week’s guest is Porter Bliquez, a young American drum prodigy from San Francisco. Despite his age, Porter has already recorded and performed with award-winning producers and musicians associated with Kevin Gates, Olivia Rodrigo, Haan, Andy Prado Jr., and more.
While still attending USC, Porter manages to carve out time to make a significant impact in both the LA and online drum communities. At my ripe old age of 37, it's refreshing to connect with the younger generation of drummers and see what’s happening in their world. Porter is destined for the biggest stages globally, so I'm thrilled if this is the episode that introduces you to him. Please enjoy the records that helped shape Porter into the exceptional drummer he is today. Cheers!
Eric Harland - Zildjian Performance Video HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
PORTER'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Homey
Artist - Chon
Release Year - 2017
Key Track(s) - Sleepy Tea / Water slide
Drummer - Brian Evans
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Album - Black Focus
Artist - Yussef Kammal
Release Year - 2016
Key Track(s) - Strings of Light / Wingtai Drums / Joint 17
Drummer - Yussef Dayes
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Album - Chon
Artist - Chon
Release Year - 2019
Key Track(s) - Peace / Pitch Dark
Drummer - Brian Evans
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Album - Two Star & The Dream Police
Artist - Mk.gee
Release Year - 2024
Key Track(s) - Rylee & I / Dream Police / DNM / How Many Miles
Drummer - Micheal Gordon
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Album - Misadventures
Artist - Peirce the Veil
Release Year - 2016
Key Track(s) - Song For Isabel / Texas is Forever / Phantom Power / Ludicrous Speed
Drummer - Mike Fuentes
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Wiktoria Bialic. Wiktoria has been nominated for four Grammy awards for her recordings on Allison Russell's album, "The Returner." She has also recorded drums for Grammy-winning musicians like Ondre J. Pavic, Alex Marley, Maati Baani, Ralph Kaminski, SARSA, and various other artists and producers from Britain, India, Scotland, Poland, America, and Puerto Rico.
Wiktoria collaborated with Zildjian Artist Ash Soan on the single "Dark Dark Days" by Black Dog All Starsand often fills in for other well-known drummers in Poland. She won the Hit Like A Girl contest in 2021 and has performed at prestigious drum festivals such as PASIC, Bag Show, The UK Drum Show, and Silesia Drum Festival.
You can find her Instagram HERE and listen to a Spotify playlist featuring many of her recordings HERE. Wiktoria offers a great perspective on excelling as a studio musician, so get ready to improve your drumming skills. I hope you enjoy the recordings that shaped Wiktoria Bialic into the musician she is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
WIKTORIA'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Exodus
Artist - Bob Marley
Release Year - 1977
Key Track(s) 0 Three Little Birds / One Love / Whole Record :)
Drummer - Carlton Barrett
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Album - The Returner
Artist - Allison Russell
Release Year - 2023
Key Track(s) - Stay Right Here / Springtime
Drummer - Wiktoria Bialic
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Album VoodoO
Artist - D'Angelo
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s)
The Root
Drummer - Questlove
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Album - Feats Don't Fail Me Now
Artist - Little Feat
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - Skin It Back
Drummer - Richie Hayward
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Album - 7
Artist - Seal
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - Redzone Killer
Drummer - Ash Soan
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s guest is Brandon Combs. Brandon is a drummer, programmer, and producer hailing from Lansing, Michigan. Brandon obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Popular Music Studies from the University of Southern California in 2015 and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s worked with so many amazing artists, including Grammy Award-winning artist Leon Bridges, Joy Oladakun, John Legend, Raphael Saadiq, Moses Sumney, Tori Kelly, Greyson Chance, Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy, and many more. He’s got a lot of energy and his choices center around very hirable theme. I hope you enjoy the records that helped shaped Brandon Combs into the artist he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BRANDON'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Perpetual motion
Artist - Dave Weckl Band
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - Child's play
Drummer - Dave Weckl
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Album - Heavier Things
Artist - John Mayer
Release Year - 2003
Key Track(s) - New Deep / Something's Missing,
Drummer - Steve Jordan
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Album - Somethin' Bout Love
Artist - Brian Culbertson
Release Year - 1999
Key Track(s) - Do you Really Love Me?
Drummer - Chris Miskel
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Album - Mixtape - Volume One
Key Track(s) - Movin / Nine
Drummer - Ben Jones
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Album - Opal / Brunei
Artist - Vinyl Williams
Release Year - 2018 / 2016
Key Track(s) - Lansing / Feedback Delicates
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s guest is Myles Sargent. Myles is a drummer, musical director and playback engineer based in Brighton, UK. Throughout his career, he's collaborated with an array of artists and bands, including The Japanese House, Justin Jesso, Calum Scott, Thomas Headon, Gabriels, Cavetown, Mae Stephens, Gang of Youths and MANY more. He’s quickly become one of my favorite online-converted-to-real-life buddies and I was excited to force him to answer my questions for an hour. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shaped Myles Sargent into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
MYLE'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - American Idiot
Artist - Green Day
Release Year - 2004
Key Track(s) - Holiday / American Idiot
Drummer - Tre Cool
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Album - Rumours
Artist - Fleetwood Mac
Release Year - 1977
Key Track(s) - You Make Loving Fun / The Chain
Drummer - Mick Fleetwood
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Album - Nm Brass 2015 - 1. Division
Artist - Oslofiord Brass
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - St. Magnus (5:45 it gets cooking)
Composer - Peter Maxwell Davies
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Album - Little Voice
Artist - Sara Bareilles
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Vegas
Drummer - Matt Chamberlain
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Album - Rickie Lee Jones
Artist - Rickie Lee Jones
Release Year - 1979
Key Track(s) - Chuck E's in Love (and that fill at 1:55)
Drummer - Steve Gadd
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Any Honorable Mentions?
Album - Face Value
Artist - Phil Collins
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - In the Air Tonight
Drummer - Phil Collins
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Album - Regatta De Blanc
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1979
Key Track(s) - Walking on the Moon
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Steve Durham. Steve is a Drummer, Musical Director and Producer from London, UK. He began playing drums at 8 years old and was out on the road by the time he was 14. Since then he's worked with Louis Tomlinson (One Direction), Dermot Kennedy, Wolf Alice, Foals, Holly Humberstone, Aurora, Declan Mckenna, Marina and the Diamonds and more. I hope you enjoy the 5 records plus a few honorable mentions that helped shape Steve Durham into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
STEVE'S BIG FAT FIVE
Album - VHS! Invisible Touch Tour
Artist - Genesis
Release Year - 1987
Key Track(s) - Drum Duet / Los Endos
Drummer - Phil Collins & Chester Thompson
WATCH HERE
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Album - Who’s Next
Artist - The Who
Release Year - 1971
Key Track(s) - Won’t Get Fooled Again
Drummer - Keith Moon
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Album - Colour Of Spring
Artist - Talk Talk
Release Year - 1986
Key Track(s) - Give It Up
Drummer - Lee Harris
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Album - The Bends
Artist - Radiohead
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - High and Dry
Drummer - Phil Selway
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Album - Puzzle
Artist - Biffy Clyro
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Saturday Superhouse
Drummer - Ben Johnston
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Key Tracks(s) - Good Times Bad Times / Whole Lotta Love
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out, Wait for Something Wild
Artist - Sikth
Key Track - Skies of the Millennium Night
Release Year - 2003
Drummer - Dan ‘The Lord’ Foord
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Performance - Live at Woodstock '69
Artist - Santana
Key Track - Soul Sacrifice
Drummer - Michael Shrieve (age 20)
WATCH HERE
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Gunnar Olsen. Gunnar's been on the show a lot recently with "save it for the pod" segments. But I noticed his Big Fat Five episode is almost 4 years old, which is a shame. Recently, I went to the Hollywood Bowl with my friends Mike Robinson and Neal Daniels, both show alumni, to see Gunnar play with Puscifer on the Sessanta tour, celebrating Maynard James Keenan's 60th birthday. It was mind-blowing. Gunnar is an incredible drummer, one of the best out there. At this show, Josh Freese was playing with A Perfect Circle, but now that Josh is busy with Foo Fighters gigs, Gunnar is playing with both Puscifer and A Perfect Circle for the rest of the tour. It's unbelievable and well-deserved. Puscifer is a perfect fit for Gunnar. Apart from this tour, Gunnar has also recorded or toured with Big Data, Bruce Springsteen, Miley Cyrus, HOKO, Mother Feather, Fischerspooner, Goo Goo Dolls, and many others. He's possibly my favorite drummer, and I admire him a lot. He's a close friend, and I always try to catch his shows when we're in the same town. Although this conversation is from 4 years ago, I wanted to bring it back up because the information is still relevant. It's fascinating to hear Gunnar talk about Tim Alexander of Primus, who has been a big influence on him, and now see them hanging out on tour together, seeming like best buds. Anyway, Gunnar, I'm really proud of you, and I admire your career more than you know, even though I tell you all the time. I hope you enjoy the records that helped shape Gunnar Olsen into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
GUNNAR'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - ...And Justice For All
Artist - Metallica
Release Year - 1988
Key Track(s) - Harvester of Sorrow
Drummer - Lars Urich
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Album - Reggatta De Blanc
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1979
Key Track(s) - The Bed's Too Big Without You
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
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Album - Songs for the Deaf
Artist - Queens of the Stone Age
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - Song for the Dead
Drummer - Dave Grohl
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Album - Dust
Artist - Ben Monder
Release Year - 2006
Key Track(s) - Dust
Drummer - Jim Black
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Album - Largo
Artist - Brad Mehldau
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - When It Rains
Drummer - Matt Chamberlain
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is Earl Talbot. Earl is a renowned Drummer, Composer, Producer, and Music Instructor. He wrote and produced over 90 songs broadcast regularly on the Oprah Winfrey Show. His career includes performances with house music legends Derick Carter and Mark Farina, as well as touring and recording with Master Griots Dialy Mady Cissoko, Christian Bourdon, Poi Dog Pondering, The Chicago Sinfonietta, as well as scores of other artists and clients.
As a multi platinum recording artist, Earl has worked on songs from Maya Angelou's "Human Family Remix" with Tamarra Love, to Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy's production of "The Hush Sound" with Shawn O'Keefe. Earl wrote and produced 3 songs for Katt William’s ‘American Hustle’. His hit song "Yakalelo" with French sensation "Nomads" earned a Diamond Record for it's success throughout Central Europe and North Africa.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
EARL'S BIG FAT FIVE
Album - Back In Black
Artist - ACDC
Release Year - 1980
Key Track(s) - Back In Black
Drummer - Phill Rudd
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Album - Time Out
Artist - Dave Brubeck
Release Year - 1952
Key Track(s) - Pick Up Sticks
Drummer - Joe Morello
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Album - Moving Pictures
Artist - Rush
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - YYZ
Drummer - Neil Peart
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Album - Glass Menagerie
Artist - Billy Cobham
Release Year - 1982
Key Track(s) - Observations and Reflections
Drummer - Billy Cobham
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Album - My Favorite Things
Artist - John Coltrane
Release Year - 1961
Key Track(s) - My Favorite Things
Drummer - Elvin Jones
HONORABLE MENTIONS
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Album - Regatta de Blanc
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1979
Key Track(s) - Walking on the Moon
Drummer - Stuart Copeland
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Album - Romantic Warrior
Artist - Return to Forever
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Medieval Overture
Drummer - Lenny White
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Album - Van Halen
Artist - Van Halen
Release Year - 1978
Key Track(s) - Runnin with the Devil
Drummer - Alex Van Halen
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Album - By All Means Necessary
Artist - KRS One and Boogie Down Productions
Release Year - 1988
Key Track(s) - I’m Still #1
Drummer - (Sample, All the People- Cramp Your Style)
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Album - Let’s Dance
Artist - David Bowie
Release Year - 1983
Key Track(s) - Modern Love
Drummer - Omar Hakim
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Album - The Game
Artist - Queen
Release Year - 1980
Key Track(s) - Another One Bites the Dust
Drummer - Roger Taylor
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Album - Nightclubbing
Artist - Grace Jones
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - Pull Up to the Bumper
Drummer - Sly Dunbar
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week, our guest is Maxwell Flanders, a close friend of mine and pseudo-neighbor based in Los Angeles, California. He's a highly sought-after touring and session drummer who recently wrapped up touring with Lizzie McAlpine and is now preparing for a world tour with Luke Hemmings. I've admired Max's drumming for a long time; he plays with such creativity, and his selections today reflect why. I hope you enjoy learning about the five records that have influenced Maxwell Flanders into becoming the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
MAX'S BIG FAT FIVE
Album - 1
Artist - The Beatles
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Ticket to Ride, Paperback Writer, The Ballad of John and Yoko
Drummer - Ringo Star
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Album - The Nightfly
Artist - Donald Fagen
Release Year - 1982
Key Track(s) - Ruby Baby, The Goodbye Look
Drummer - Jeff Porcaro
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Album - Stuff
Artist - Stuff
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Foots, (Do You) Want Some of This, Happy Farms
Drummer - Steve Gadd
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Album - Tom Scott and the L.A. Express
Artist - Tom Scott
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - Bless My Soul, Sneakin' In the Back, Nunya
Drummer - John Guerin
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Album - Wrecking Ball
Artist - Emmylou Harris
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - Where Will I Be
Drummer - Brian Blade
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s guest is Steve Jocz, also known as Stevo 32. Steve is a Canadian musician best known as the original drummer of the punk rock band Sum 41. Steve co-founded Sum 41 in 1996 with Deryck Whibley and played a significant role in the band's early success, contributing to their distinctive punk rock sound. He remained with Sum 41 until 2013, showcasing his drumming skills on albums like "All Killer No Filler”, “Does This Look Infected?” and Chuck." After leaving Sum 41, Steve left music behind all-but-completely...only to rekindle his relationship with the drums around 2019. We get into a lot of fun Sum 41 history and insider stories via very welcomed tangents and I was smiling the whole time. Steve was a big part of my drumming when I was younger and I was giddy as all hell to have him on the show. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Steve Jocz into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
STEVE'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Nevermind
Artist - Nirvana
Release Year - 1991
Key Track(s) - In Bloom
Drummer - Dave Grohl
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Album - Dookie
Artist - Green Day
Release Year - 1994
Key Track(s) - Burnout (1:12 - 1:38)
Drummer - Tre Cool
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Album - Master Of Puppets
Artist - Metallica
Release Year - 1985
Key Track(s) - Master Of Puppets
Drummer - Lars Ulrich
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Album - Live Fast, Diarhea
Artist - The Vandals
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - And Now We Dance (00:40 - 01:15)
Drummer - Josh Freese
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Album - Milestones
Artist - Miles Davis
Release Year - 1958
Key Track(s) - Two Bass Hit (00:00 - 01:00)
Drummer - Philly Joe Jones
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is JohnnyBgood. I've been following his Instagram account for a while now and I'm really impressed by his nostalgic, retro-futuristic synth sounds and vintage video game vibe. Paired with a clean, opaque colored-infused aesthetic, it's beautiful in its minimalist approach. He's committed to his branding so strongly that he chooses to remain anonymous, creating a character and a whole world to convey his art. It's great – he's a great guy. I love his choices. While he may not consider himself a drummer's drummer, he sees himself more as a producer, which I think is fabulous and a perspective we should all tap into more often. I hope you enjoy learning about the 5 records that shaped JohnnyBgood into the musician he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JOHNNYBGOOD'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Where the Light is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles
Artist - John Mayer
Release Year - 2008
Key Track(s) - I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Drummer - J.J. Johnson
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Album - Songs About Jane
Artist - Maroon 5
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - The Sun
Drummer - Ryan Dusick
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Album - Come to Daddy
Artist - Aphex Twin
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - Flim
Drummer - Aphex Twin
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Album - Single Release on YouTube
Artist - Shawn Wasabi
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - Marble Soda
Drummer - Shawn Wasabi
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Album - Small Plates
Artist - J3PO
Release Year - 2019
Key Track(s) - Intensor (Feat. Ateller)
Drummer - Ateller
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s guest is Nick Adams … a Los Angeles-based touring and recording drummer whose passion for music and live performance has led him to work with an array of well-known artists such as Rivers Cuomo,Noah Cyrus, Fifth Harmony, Aly & Aj, Liz Phair, and Take That among others. I am obsessed with his Instagram; he gets such amazing sounds and is a nerd when it comes to engineering himself out of his own studio. If you want to watch a drummer who plays deceivingly hard parts with absolute conviction….please go check him out. I'm stoked to introduce a bunch of you to Nick! So please enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Nick Adams into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
NICK'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Steve Miller Band: Greatest Hits 1974-78
Artist - Steve Miller Band
Release Year - 1974-78
Key Track(s) - Take The Money And Run, Swingtown
Drummer - Gary Mallaber
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Album - Take Off Your Pants And Jacket
Artist - Blink 182
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - Story of a Lonely Guy
Drummer - Travis Barker
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Album - Lateralus
Artist - Tool
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - The Grudge, Ticks & Leeches
Drummer - Danny Carey
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Album - Sawdust
Artist - The Killers
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Sam's Town
Drummer - Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
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Album - Hotel California
Artist - The Eagles
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Life in the Fast Lane
Drummer - Don Henley
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week’s topic on our "Save It For the Pod" segment with Mr. Gunnar Olsen is the timeless and seemingly underrated drummer of Radiohead, Phil Selway. Gunnar and I each choose our top 5 Phil beats and go a dissectin’!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
GUNNAR'S CHOICES:
Track - Morning Bell (Live in Oxford)
Album - I Might Be Wrong
Release Year - 2001
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Track - There, There
Album - Hail To the Thief
Release Year - 2003
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Track - Pyramid Song
Album - Amnesiac
Release Year - 2001
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Track - Where I End and You Begin
Album - In Rainbows From the Basement
Release Year - 2008
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Track - Bodysnatchers
Album - In Rainbows
Release Year - 2007
BEN'S CHOICES:
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Track - All I Need
Album - In Rainbows
Release Year - 2007
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Track - Dollars and Cents
Album - Amnesiac
Release Year - 2001
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Track - 15 Step
Album - In Rainbows
Release Year - 2007
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Track - Myxomatosis
Album - Hail To the Thief
Release Year - 2003
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Track - Rekoner
Album - In Rainbows
Release Year - 2007
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Track - I Might Be Wrong
Album - Amnesiac
Release Year - 2007
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
This week's guest is drummer and producer Russel Holzman (@starpowerdrummer). Russell received his education in Jazz and Classical music at the New England Conservatory. Currently, he tours with artists such as Caroline Polachek and, known for his captivating drumming videos, Russell has garnered a substantial following on social media. Based in NYC, he adeptly juggles in-studio recording sessions with global live performances. I hope you enjoy the top 5 recordings that helped shape Russell Holzman into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
Be sure to scope Russell's finely crafted DnB style drum loops & sample pack HERE. These unique and original drum loops were played-live by Russell, not programmed, and are 100% royalty-free.
There are 3 different mix styles for each loop: Clean (highly usable, standard studio mix), Comp (over compressed, modern breakcore style mix) and Vintage (old school, classic Amen Break style mix).
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
RUSSELL’S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Zeppelin 1
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Release Year - 1969
Key Track(s) - Dazed and Confused
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - Nil Recurring
Artist - Porcupine Tree
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Cheating The Polygraph
Drummer - Gavin Harrison
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Performance - Live At Cafe Bohemia
Artist - Miles Davis
Release Year - 1957
Key Track(s) - Walkin
Drummer - Philly Joe Jones
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Album - Break Stuff
Artist - Vijay Iyer Trio
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - Taking Flight
Drummer - Marcus Gilmore
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Album - Secret Liaison
Artist - Source Direct
Release Year - 1996
Key Track(s) - Secret Liaison
Drummer - Source Direct
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Any Honorable Mentions?
Performance - Coltrane Live @ Half Note, NYC
Artist - John Coltrane
Release Year - 1965
Track - I Want To Talk About You
Drummer - Elvin Jones
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
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
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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
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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
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Album - Zoning
Artist - Mary Lou Williams
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - Praise The Lord, Intermission, Rosa Mae
Drummer - Mickey Roker
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
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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.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BILL'S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - Drums Unlimited
Artist - Max Roach
Release Year - 1966
Key Track(s) - For Big Sid
Drummer - Max Roach
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Album - Live Sesh and Extra Songs
Artist - Louis Cole
Release Year - 2019
Key Track(s) - F it Up - Live Sesh
Drummer - Louis Cole
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Album - Caravan
Artist - Art Blakey & Jazz Messenger
Release Year - 1963
Key Track(s) - Caravan
Drummer - Art Blakey
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Album - Blackstar
Artist - David Bowie
Release Year - 2016
Key Track(s) - Blackstar
Drummer - Mark Guiliana
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Album - Fresh Cream
Artist - Cream
Release Year - 1966
Key Track(s) - I Feel Free
Drummer - Ginger Baker
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HONORABLE MENTION:
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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.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BRIAN’S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - What We Do
Artist - John Scofield
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Camp Out
Drummer - Bill Stewart
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Album - Upfront
Artist - David Sanborn
Release Year - 1992
Key Track(s) - Snakes
Drummer - Steve Jordan
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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
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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
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Album - Stomping at the Savoy
Artist - Rufus and Chaka Khan
Release Year - 1983
Key Track(s) - Tell Me Something Good
Drummer - JR Robinson
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HONORABLE MENTION:
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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.
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!
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.
SARAH’S BIG FAT FIVE:
Album - From The Beginning
Artist - Small Faces
Release Year - 1967
Key Track(s) - All or Nothing
Drummer - Kenney Jones
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Album - Metropolis pt 2 Scenes From a Memory
Artist - Dream Theatre
Release Year - 1999
Key Track(s) - Scene 2 Overture 1928
Drummer - Mike Portnoy
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Album - Around The Fur
Artist - Deftones
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - My Own Summer / Around The Fur
Drummer - Abe Cunningham
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Album - Still Bill
Artist - Bill Withers
Release Year - 1972
Key Track(s) - Kissing My Love
Drummer - James Gadson
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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.
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!
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.
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
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Album - Come and Taste the Band
Release Year - 1975
Artist - Deep Purple
Key Track(s) - Getting Tighter / You keep on Moving
Drummer - Ian Paice
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Album - Crash
Release Year - 1996
Artist - Dave Matthews
Key Track(s) - Too much - #41
Drummer - Carter Beauford
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Album - Behind Closed Doors
Release Year - 1991
Artist - Peter Erskine
Key Track(s) - Bulgana
Drummer - Peter Erskine
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Album - Kingdom of Desire
Release Year - 1992
Artist - TOTO
Key Track - Jake to the Bone
Drummer - Jeff Porcaro
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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.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
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
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Album - Perceptual
Artist - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Crooked Creek
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - Flood
Artist - Herbie Hancock
Release Year - 1975
Key Track(s) - Actual Proof
Drummer - Mike Clark
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Album - Prog
Artist - The Bad Plus
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Thriftstore / Jewelry / Physical Cities
Drummer - Dave King
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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.
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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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
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
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Album - Red Medicine
Artist - Fugazi
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - Birthday Pony (fill at 1:01)
Drummer - Brendan Canty
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Album - Floral Green
Artist - Title Fight
Release Year - 2012
Key Track(s) - Like A Ritual (chorus fill 1:02)
Drummer - Ben Russin
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Album - S/T
Artist - Clique
Release Year - 2014
Key Track(s) - Lil T
Drummer - Tom Anthony
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Album - Tesseract
Artist - Warehouse
Release Year - 2015
Key Track(s) - Promethean Gaze
Drummer - Doug Bleichner
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
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Album - Am
Artist - Ovlov
Release Year - 2013
Key Track(s) - The Well
Drummer - Theo Hartlett
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Album - Hoodwink'd
Artist - LVL Up
Release Year - 2014
Key Track(s) - Angel from Space
Drummer - Greg Rutkin
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Album - In Utero
Artist - Nirvana
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Serve the Servants
Drummer - Dave Grohl
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Album - Drop
Artist - Turnstile
Release Year - 2016
Key Track(s) - Nonstop Feeling
Drummer - Daniel Fang
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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.
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!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
RHYS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Ege Bamyasi
Artist - CAN
Release Year - 1972
Key Track(s) - Pinch / Vitamin C / Soup / I'm So Green
Drummer - Jaki Liebezeit
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Album - Speak No Evil
Artist - Wayne Shorter
Release Year - 1966
Key Track(s) - Witch Hunt / Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum / Dance Cadaverous
Drummer - Elvin Jones
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Album - Miles Smiles
Artist - Miles Davis
Release Year - 1967
Key Track(s) - Footprints, Dolores, Freedom Jazz Dance, Gingerbread Boy
Drummer - Tony Williams
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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
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Album - Siamese Dream
Artist - Smashing Pumpkins
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Cherub Rock / Quiet / Geek USA
Drummer - Jimmy Chamberlain
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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.
I need your help to make this show the best it can be going into the new year. Even after 170+ episodes...I'm ALL EARS on how I can improve. Below is a link to an anonymous survey for you to give me ANY AND ALL feedback. Seriously...dont mince words 😬
YOU CAN FILL OUT THE SURVEY HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
This week’s guest is Zach Jones. Zach is a is a drummer, singer, songwriter, and producer from Brooklyn, NY. Zach has performed and recorded with artists such as Sting, Ingrid Michaelson, A Great Big World, Elle King, and many more. He also writes and records music with his own group, Zach Jones & the Tricky Bits. He’s the kindest dude ever; I was smiling the whole time. We could all benefit from being a little more like Zach on and off the kit so I know you’ll enjoy my chat with Zach Jones about the 5 records that helped shape into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ZACH’S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - With The Beatles
Artist - The Beatles
Release Year - 1963
Key Track(s) - It Won’t Be Long, All I’ve Got to Do, All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man
Drummer - Ringo Starr
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Album - ‘60s Soul: When A Man Loves A Woman
Artist - Various
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - Soul Man, Knock On Wood, Chain Of Fools
Drummer - Al Jackson, Jr., Roger Hawkins
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Album - Live
Artist - James Taylor
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Your Smiling Face, Mexico, Country Road
Drummer - Carlos Vega
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Album - Every Breath You Take: The Classics
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - Can’t Stand Losing You, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
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Album - The Royal Scam
Artist - Steely Dan
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Kid Charlemagne, The Caves of Altamira, Green Earrings
Drummer - Bernard Purdie, Rick Marotta (Everything You Did)
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Any Honorable Mentions?
“When The Pawn…”, Fiona Apple, Matt Chamberlain on drums
“Transatlanticism” & “Plans”, Death Cab For Cutie, Jason McGerr on drums
“Riot!” & “After Laughter”, Paramore, Zac Farro on drums
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Griffin Goldsmith, drummer for the band Dawes. I’ve been lucky enough to see Griffin perform a few times in person the last month and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite drummers. Also…Dawes just released a 10TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION of their album “Stories Dont End” on limited edition storm cloud vinyl with Remixed & Remastered songs + 6 Bonus Tracks. You can check out that and all their other offerings at dawestheband.com
In addition to Dawes, Griff has also worked with countless artists such as Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Robbie Robertson, Jim Keltner, Elvis Costello, Sharon Von Etten, Angel Olson, Jenny Lewis, Bahamas and the list goes on and on. He’s recently added film scoring to his list of accomplishments. His delicate and deliberate touch is timeless and honors the gold standard of what it means to be a studio musician. Conversations like this are why I get so excited every week to talk to the best drummers of the day. Griffin’s choices are sourced from the apex of human artistry behind the kit and I know you will all be better drummers after hearing what he has to say. Please enjoy my conversation with Griffin Goldsmith…also please go down a rabbit hole of his playing, not only throughout the entire Dawes catalogue, but all the artists I just mentioned. I can't stress enough how underrated he is. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
GRIFF'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Think!
Release Year - 1960
Artist - James Brown & The Famous Flames
Album - Stax Profiles: Little Milton
Release Year - 2006
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Artist - Little Milton
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - Let Me Down Easy (the fill at 2:36)
Drummer - Calep Emphrey Jr.
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Album - Good News
Release Year - 1977
Artist - Attitudes
Song Choice - Drink My Water
Drummer - Jim Keltner
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Album - Desire
Release Year - 1976
Artist - Bob Dylan
Key Track(s) - Oh, Sister
Drummer - Howard Wyeth
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Album - The Royal Scam
Release Year - 1976
Artist - Steely Dan
Key Track(s) - Kid Charlemagne
Drummer - Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
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Album - No Secrets
Release Year - 1972
Artist - Carly Simon
Key Track(s) - You're So Vain
Drummer - Jim Gordon
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Evan Woodle. I was turned onto Evan’s playing through a previous guest of the podcast, Sheridan Riley of the band Alvvays. Evan got his start in the internationally acclaimed Roosevelt High School jazz program in Seattle before going on to earn a Jazz Studies degree from the University of Washington. Go huskies. Evan has toured the world with countless acts, but remains an ambassador for the Seattle Jazz Scene. He maintains a private drum studio, works with local jazz institution Origin Arts, and is one of the co-founders and current organizers of the Racer Sessions, a bimonthly free-improvisation series and a forum for cutting-edge composers and performers. I am a huge fan of his playing, knowledge, and perspective on music so I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Evan Woodle into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
YONI'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Kind of Blue
Artist - Miles Davis
Release Year - 1959
Key Track(s) - So What, Freddie Freeloader, All Blues
Drummer - Jimmy Cobb
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Album - Yaya3
Artist - Yaya3
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - Slow Orbit
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - Speak
Artist - Speak
Release Year - 2010
Key Track(s) - Amalgam in the Middle, Mustard Knuckles
Drummer - Chris Icasiano
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Album - Offend Maggie
Artist - Deerhoof
Release Year - 2008
Key Track(s) - Jagged Fruit
Drummer - Greg Saunier
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Album - Heigh Ho
Artist - Blake Mills
Release Year - 2014
Key Track(s) - Just Out of View
Drummer - Jim Keltner
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HONORABLE MENTION
Album - I Have the Room Above Her
Artist - Paul Motian / Bill Frisell / Joe Lovano
Release - 2005
Drummer - Paul Motian
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Yoni Madar. Yoni is an Israeli multi-instrumentalist with an incredible facility on the kit; it’s a mad scientist level of technical ability. He has released multiple books on his unique approach to technique that I urge everyone go check them out on his website www.madardrum.com. Once there, you can also contact him about private lessons 😊 Yoni truly is a drummer to the core. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Yoni Madar into the multi-instrumentalist he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
YONI'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Selling England by the Pound
Artist - Genesis
Release Year - 1973
Key Track(s) - Dancing With the Moonlit Knight
Drummer - Phil Collins
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Album - Wind & Wuthering
Artist - Genesis
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Wot Gorilla?
Drummer - Phil Collins
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Album - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Artist - Genesis
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - Anyway
Drummer - Phil Collins
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Album - The Gist of the Gemini
Artist - Gino Vannelli
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - The Battle Cry
Drummer - Graham Lear
-
Album - The Court of the Crimson King
Artist - King Crimson
Release Year - 1969
Key Track(s) - Moonchild
Drummer - Michael Giles
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Branden Steineckert. Brandon will always be a massive part of my childhood as a founding member of The Used (specifically the first two records for which he played drums and had a major role in the songwriting). But for the last decade, Branden has also been the drummer for Rancid; he’s a legend playing with legends. I was uniquely excited about this one so I hope you enjoy my chat with Branden Steineckert about the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BRANDEN'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Nevermind
Artist - Nirvana
Release Year - 1991
Key Track(s) - Territorial Pissings
Drummer - Dave Grohl
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Album - Rage Against The Machine
Artist - Rage Against The Machine
Release Year - 1992
Key Track(s) - Killing In The Name
Drummer - Brad Wilk
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Album - Dookie
Artist - Green Day
Release Year - 1994
Key Track(s) - Longview
Drummer - Tre Cool
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Album - Get Some
Artist - Snot
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - I Jus’ Lie
Drummer - Jamie Miller
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Album - The Shape of Punk To Come
Artist - Refused
Release Year - 1998
Key Track(s) - New Noise
Drummer - David Sandström
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Honorable Mentions:
Nine Inch Nails - Trent Reznor
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Chad Smith
Korn - Self Titled - David Silveri
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Travis Orbin…Travis is a progressive / metal-leaning drummer who has recorded and/or performed with Darkest Hour, Of Legends, Sky Eats Airplane, Periphery and many more heavy hitters. He’s probably the most technically proficient drummer we’ve had on the show, but he’s also one of the most creative and prolific. His setup is also very unique…often being described as a “minimalist, quasi-open-stance kit”. He’s very well-studied in his craft as both a drummer and composer, and I hope you enjoy the 5-ish records that helped shape Travis Orbin into the musician he is today. Cheers!
Dennis Chambers – Serious Moves (ft. J. Scofield, G. Grainger, J. Beard) - WATCH HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
TRAVIS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - ...And Justice for All
Artist - Metallica
Release Year - 1988
Key Track(s) - One, The Frayed Ends of Sanity
Drummer - Lars Ulrich
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Album - Serious Moves (VHS)
Artist - Dennis Chambers (John Scofield)
Release Year - 1992
Key Track(s) - Trim
Drummer - Dennis Chambers
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Album - Soul Vaccination: Tower of Power Live
Artist - Tower Of Power
Release Year - 1999
Key Track(s) - Soul Vaccination, So Very Hard to Go
Drummer - David Garibaldi
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Album - Serious Young Insects
Artist - On The Virg
Release Year - 1999
Key Track(s) - Native Metal, Alien Hip-Hop
Drummer - Virgil Donati
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Album - Universe
Artist - Planet X
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Clonus
Drummer - Virgil Donati
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Album - Joe's Garage
Artist - Frank Zappa
Release Year - 1979
Key Track(s) - Catholic Girls
Drummer - Vinnie Colaiuta
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Chris Icasiano - Chris is a Filipino-American percussionist and composer from Redmond, WA. His specialization in free-improvisation and experimental music combined with his vast experience with pop and rock have made him a highly sought after collaborator in all genres of music. His debut solo work Provinces explores the complexity of cultural identity and community as a second generation immigrant in Seattle.
You can find Chris on the road with Fleet Foxes and Pure Bathing Culture or at home in Seattle playing weirdo experimental shows as a soloist or with longtime drum and sax duo Bad Luck. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Chris Icasiano into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
CHRIS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Koln Concert
Artist - Keith Jarrett
Release Year - 1975
Key Track(s) - Part I
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Album - Perceptual
Artist - Brian Blade Fellowship
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Reconciliation
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Artist - Midlake
Release Year - 2006
Key Track(s) - Roscoe; Van Occupanther
Drummer - McKenzie Smith
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Album - Catch Thirty-Three
Artist - Meshuggah
Release Year - 2005
Key Track(s) - In Death - Is Death; Autonomy Lost; The Paradoxical Spiral
Drummer - Tomas Haake
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Album - Time (the revelator)
Artist - Gillian Welch
Release Year - 2001
Key Track(s) - I Dream a Highway; Dear Someone; Revelator
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Brody Simpson. I’ve been wanting to re-work this episode and shoot it to the top of the feed because this conversation, which originally aired in August of 2020, is an episode that I quote all the time when chatting to current guests–whether it makes it into the shows or not. My motto has been “just repeat Brody’s opinions and people will think you’re insightful and creative”. But anyways, if you don’t know Brody, he’s a New Zealand-based drummer and studio owner who has been blowing people’s minds on social media for years. His unique, broken-while-being-perfectly-unbroken grooves are at the forefront of the dilla / Neo soul movement and, to be honest, his breakdown of that style of drumming is worth its weight in gold. His choices are great, but a lot different than one might expect. Before listening to this episode, I encourage you to go down the rabbit hole of his playing, because I ask him a lot of specific questions about his videos. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this new and improved chat about the 5 records that shaped Brody Simpson into the player her is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BRODY'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Grace
Release Year - 1994
Artist - Jeff Buckley
Key Track(s) - Lover, You Should Have Come Over
Drummer - Matt Johnson
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Album - Nevermind
Release Year - 1991
Artist - Nirvana
Key Track(s) - Drain You
Drummer - David Grohl
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Album - 21
Release Year - 2011
Artist - Adele
Key Track(s) - He Won't Go
Drummer - Chris "Daddy" Dave
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Album - Thirteenth Step
Release Year - 2003
Artist - A Perfect Circle
Key Tracks - The Package
Drummer - Josh Freese
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Album - To Pimp A Butterfly
Release Year - 2015
Artist - Kendrick Lamar
Key Track(s) - Hood Politics
Drummer (if known) - Robert ‘Sput’ Searight?
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Rob Humphreys. Originally from New Mexico, Rob currently lives in Los Angeles and has quite the impressive list of professional credits having played and/or recorded with Billy Ray Cyrus, Celine Dion, Karon O, Kacey Musgraves, Leonard Cohen, Theo Katzman, Elle King, Scary Pockets and MANY MORE. I absolutely love his playing. He’s just a cool damn dude. Maybe someday I can be rad like him. Anyway…I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Rob Humphreys into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
Check out Rob’s videos HERE
Check The Meters 1974 HERE
Check out Theo Katsman’s YouTube Channel HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ROB'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album That Thing You Do - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Artist - The Oneders
Release Year - 1996
Key Track(s) - That Thing You Do
Drummer - Guy Patterson (Kenny Arnoff, Adam Schlesinger)
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Album - Elastic
Artist - Joshua Redman
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - Molten Soul, Still Pushin’ That Rock
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - Rejuvenation
Artist - The Meters
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - People Say, Just Kissed My Baby, Jungle Man
Drummer - Zigaboo Modeliste
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Album - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Artist - Fiona Apple
Release Year - 2012
Key Track(s) - Left Alone
Drummer - Charlie Drayton
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Album - Be The Wheel
Artist - Theo Katzman
Release Year - 2023
Key Track(s) - She’s In My Shoe
Drummer - Jordan Rose
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HONORABLE MENTION:
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Album - Fire Eater
Artist - Rusty Bryant
Release Year - 1971
Key Track(s) - Fire Eater
Drummer - Idris Muhammad
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This past week, we lost a very important member of the drumming community, Dom Famularo. Known as "Drumming's Global Ambassador" spent the last 30 years traveling the globe preaching the gospel of drumming. An intense performer, Dom remains one of the most respected solo drum artists in the world, with a career built solely upon his unique skills as a drummer, educator, author and motivational speaker.
Dom was a guest on this show in 2021 and it was, of course, a great chat chalk-full of life lessons. It was back before I asked the guests to pick 5 records that shaped them into the players they are today…instead I provided prompts (which I read aloud) and they answered them accordingly. Dom answers went far beyond drumming…of course 😊
I learned that Dom’s cancer had retuned back in June when I reached out regarding a little secret project I’m working on. After hearing about his health, the Big Fat Snare Drum team offered to organize a fundraiser to offset some of the costs of his cancer treatment, but in typical selfless fashion, Dom kindly insisted we raise awareness for his non-profit Can-Do Musos … an organization for disabled musicians. You can find out more about this non-profit at candomusos.com; you can donate directly on the website.
I’ve learned a lot from Dom, far beyond the parameters of this conversation you’re about to hear, and so if you enjoy this podcast, Dom has indirectly impacted your life too. I have donated myself, and, if you have the ability, I encourage you to check it out.
I have updated this chat a bit and, of course wanted to shoot it to the top of my feed not only to celebrate Dom’s life, but to promote his non-profit work and re-air an episode that will certainly leave you smiling and a better person. Rest in Peace Dom. I can’t wait to chat with you again on the other side.
Also please visit WhyHunger.org
https://youtu.be/4zio72R2Nmw?si=CAiCNoBbQSt8ZMiR
Thank you for everything Dom and I hope you rest in peace. Cheers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is THE Jimmy Chamberlin. He is a singular player that blends jazz/rock/prog and I was SO curious as to what his top 5 would be; and he did not disappoint. He is, of course, most known for his time with Smashing Pumpkins, but he's also formed his own group, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, in addition to a supergroup with Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan called Zwan. He's performed and recorded with Skysaw, Frank Catalano, and many more…and so…without further ado, I hope you enjoy the five records that helped shape Jimmy Chamberlin into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JIMMY'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Tony Williams Lifetime - Believe it
Artist - Tony Williams
Release Year - 1975
Key Track(s) - Fred / Proto-Cosmos
Drummer - Tony Williams
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Album - Blow by Blow
Artist - Jeff Beck
Release Year - 1975
Key Track(s) - Air Blower / Scatterbrain
Drummer - Richard Bailey
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Album - Captain Beyond
Artist - Captain Beyond
Release Year - 1972
Key Track(s) - Dancing Madly Backwards
Drummer - Bobby Caldwell
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Album - Unorthodox Behaviour
Artist - Brand X
Release Year - 1976
Key Track(s) - Euthanasia Waltz / Smacks / Euphoric Hysteria
Drummer - Phil Collins
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Album - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Artist - Traffic
Release Year - 1971
Key Track(s) - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Drummer - Jim Gordon
Honorable Mentions:
Real McCoy/McCoy Tyner
Empyrean Isles/Herbie Hancock
Wired/Jeff Beck
Gist of the Gemini/Gino Vanelli
Now he sings, Now he sobs/Chick Corea
Bill Evans/Any
Roxy and Elsewhere/Zappa
Pat Metheny Trio/99-00
Story of Neptune/Tony Williams
Dave Holland/Big Band
Blue Train/ John Coltrane
Any Lee Morgan
Any Art Blakey
Monk
Any Roy Haynes
Hank Jones
Any Elvin
Mose Allison
Weather Report
Jazz Crusaders
UK
Terry Bozzio
Bill Bruford
Ian Paice
Nate Smith
Nate Wood
...so many drummers - I'm inspired by anyone doing their own thing!
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Tommy Igoe. Tommy is a world-class musician / producer / author / creator based in San Francisco, CA. He is the top-selling author in his field with four #1 titles on Amazon.com. He began drumming before the age of 2, started classical piano at 10, won every music competition available to him in High School, simultaneously winning two High Percussion awards with the legendary Bridgemen Drumlines.
In 1997, Tommy wrote the drum set book for Disney’s epic Broadway production of the “The Lion King” where he served as principal drummer and conductor. He has played drums on three Grammy award winning recordings and was voted the World’s #1 Jazz Drummer in the 2014 Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll. He has created two ongoing weekly musical residency at iconic Jazz clubs in New York and San Francisco. His New York band, The Birdland Big Band, is the most popular weekly music event in the city for the last 9 years. His most recent and exciting project is the Tommy Igoe Groove Conspiracy, a 15-piece supergroup from the San Francisco that has quickly become an integral part of the San Francisco cultural landscape.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
TOMMY'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Apple Juice
Artist - Tom Scott
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - Instant Relief
Drummer - Steve Gadd
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Album - Buddy Rich Swinging New Band Band
Artist - Buddy Rich
Release Year - 1996
Key Track(s) - West Side Story Medley
Drummer - Buddy Rich
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Album - Blue Matter
Artist - John Scofield
Release Year - 1987
Key Track(s) - Blue Matter
Drummer - Dennis Chambers
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Album - Manhattan Burn
Artist - Paquito D'Rivera
Release Year - 1987
Key Track(s) - All The Things You Are
Drummer - Ignacio Berra
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Album - Live in Concert (in London)
Artist - Stan Kenton
Release Year - Recorded in 1972
Drummer - John Von Ohlen
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Brandon Scott –– a fabulous drummer, YouTuber and cinematographer. I’ve been following his channel for YEARS and was really excited to finally get him on the show. Brandon’s YouTube channel is an exceptional blend of great playing, education, humor and VFX. In this episode we, of course, discuss the 5 records that helped shape Brandon into the drummer he is today, but we also touch on taking self-inventory of happiness and allowing all your passions to become one big “good life stew”…and where Brandon is at with all of that. Go check out his channel link in the show notes…and enjoy that chat! Alright cheers.
Check out Brandon’s YouTube Channel HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BRANDON'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Self Titled
Artist - Blink-182
Release Year - 2003
Key Track(s) - I Miss You
Drummer - Travis Barker
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Album - Moving Pictures
Artist - Rush
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - Tom Sawyer / YYZ
Drummer - Neil Peart
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Album - Systematic Chaos
Artist - Dream Theater
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - In The Presence of Enemies / Constant Motion
Drummer - Mike Portnoy
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Album - Colors
Artist - Between the Buried and Me
Release Year - 2007
Key Track(s) - Prequel to the Sequel / White Walls
Drummer - Blake Richardson
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Album - We Like It Here
Artist - Snarky Puppy
Release Year - 2014
Key Track(s) - What About Me?
Drummer - Larnell Lewis
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Joe Lana Jr. AKA The Cowboy Drummer. Based Rochester, NY, Joe has created quite the following with his hilarious drum videos coupled with amazing playing. If you don’t know about The Cowboy Drummer, go give him a follow right now. He has been a consistent positive force in my life, and I’m sure he will be for you too. But he’s not just an influencer, he’s a very active touring drummer with his band Dropout Kings, based in Phoenix, Arizona. He’s great. He’s a kind soul and I’m really grateful to have chatted with him. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Joe Lana into the drummer he is today!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JOE'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - The Sickness
Artist - Disturbed
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Stupify / Droppin Plates / Down With The Sickness
Drummer - Mike Wengren
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Album - Hybrid theory
Artist - Linkin Park
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - One Step Closer / Crawling / Papercut
Drummer - Rob Bourdon
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Album - Chocolate Star Fish and The Hotdog Flavored Water
Artist - Limp Bizkit
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Rollin / My Way / My Generation
Drummer - John Otto
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Album - Follow the Leader
Artist - Korn
Release Year - 1998
Key Track(s) - Freak on a Leash
Drummer - David Silveria
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Album - Dookie
Artist - Green Day
Release Year - 1994
Key Track(s) - When I Come Around / Basket Case / Welcome to Paradise
Drummer - Tre cool
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Elias Mallin. Elias is one of my newest favorite people and this chat was fun. He warned me that he’d have a lot of controversial takes and I certainly was not disappointed. Elias is one of THE go-to drummers in LA with a resume that includes Kesha, Filter, Noah Cyrus, Kill Hannah, Hollywood Undead, Julia Michaels, Fear and the Nervous System, and so many more. This chat felt like I was just shooting the sh$t with an old friend and I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shaped Elias Mallin into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ELIAS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - …And Justice For All
Artist - Metallica
Release Year - 1988
Key Track(s) - All of them
Drummer - Lars Ulrich
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Album - aenema
Artist - Tool
Release Year - 1996
Key Track(s) - All of them
Drummer - Danny Carey
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Album - White Pony
Artist - The Deftones
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - Digital Bath, Passenger
Drummer - Abe Cunningham
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Album - Live And Loud
Artist - Ozzy Osbourne
Release Year - 1993
Key Track(s) - Shot in the Dark, Crazy Train, Bark at the Moon
Drummer - Randy Castillo
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Album - Under the Table and Dreaming
Artist - Dave Mathews Band
Release Year - 1994
Key Track(s) - Ants Marching, Satellite
Drummer - Carter Beauford
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Tim Carman. Tim international touring musician, session drummer, educator, and published author with both Alfred Music and Hudson Music. He’s released 5 books and we talk about all of them at the end of our chat. Tim currently records and tours extensively with GA-20, a three-time Billboard #1 blues trio as well as leading two of his own projects: Tim Carman & The Street 45s—a world-groove inspired funk band—and the Tim Carman Trio—a vintage organ jazz trio. He loves to shuffle and I loved this chat. Big shoutout to Zack from the podcast Working Drummer for connecting Tim and me. This was a fun one with excellent choices and one of my favorite honorable mentions in this shows history. So I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Tim Carmen into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
TIM'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - The Colour and the Shape
Artist - Foo Fighters
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - All ("Hey, Johnny Park!")
Drummer - Dave Grohl
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Album - Cracklin'
Artist - Roy Haynes with Booker Ervin
Release Year - 1963
Key Track(s) - Scoochie
Drummer - Roy Haynes
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Album - Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology
Artist - The Meters
Release Year - 1995
Key Track(s) - Live Wire, Yea You're Right, Pungee, Cissy Strut
Drummer - Zigaboo Modeliste
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Album - The Capitol Vaults Jazz Series: Big John Patton
Artist - Big John Patton
Release Year - 2011
Key Track(s) - The Silver Meter, Spiffy Diffy, String Bean
Drummer - Ben Dixon (First two tracks), Clifford Jarvis (String Bean)
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Album - Natural Boogie
Artist - Hound Dog Taylor
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - See Me In the Evening
Drummer - Ted Harvey
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Johnny Kelly. Johnny is mostly known for his tenure as the drummer for Type O Negative, but his full resume includes Quiet Riot, Danzig, Silvertomb, A Pale Horse Named Death, Kill Devil Kill, and his latest endeavor, Eye Am. Johnny is a hell of a hard-hitting player, but his awareness of dynamics and the development of a theme while crafting parts is the reason he’s in the third decade of a very fruitful career. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Johnny Kelly into the drummer he is today. Cheers
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JOHNNY'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Physical Graffiti
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Release Year - 1975
Key Track(s) - In My Time of Dying, Kashmir, Ten Years Gone
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - Sabotage
Artist - Black Sabbath
Release Year - 1975
Key Track(s) - The Writ, Megalomania
Drummer - Bill Ward
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Album - BBC Sessions
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Release Year - 1997
Key Track(s) - Since I’ve Been Loving You, Thank You
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - Motley Crue
Artist - Motley Crue
Release Year - 1994
Key Track(s) - Power To The Music, Till Death Do Us Part
Drummer - Tommy Lee
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Album - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Artist - Beatles
Release Year - 1967
Key Track(s) - Lovely Rita, A Day In The Life
Drummer - Ringo Star
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Tina Raymond. Tina is an accomplished drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA and is the director of Jazz Studies at California State University Northridge. She presented globally and her teaching credits include Los Angeles City College, The Herbie Hancock Institute, University of Michigan, Bard College and Idyllwild Arts. She’s toured all over the world as a both a leader and sideman. Her upcoming releases include “Divinations” featuring 6 of her own compositions and Rachel Eckroth’s Live at Sam First. She’s incredibly talented and an expert at relaying information in a fun way. I really hope you learn something from this one; she goes over A LOT. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Tina Raymond into the drummer she is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
TINA'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Artist - Bill Evans
Release Year - 1959
Key Track(s) - Minority
Drummer - Philly Joe Jones
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Album - Live at The Pershing
Artist - Ahmad Jamal
Release Year - 1959
Key Track(s) Surrey With The Fringe On Top, Poinciana
Drummer
Vernel Fournier
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Album - When the Pawn…
Artist - Fiona Apple
Release Year - 1999
Key Track(s) - Limp, Fast As You Can
Drummer - Matt Chamberlain, Butch Norton, Jim Keltner
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Album - Art Pepper + Eleven
Artist - Art Pepper
Release Year - 1960
Key Track(s) - Move, Groovin’ High
Drummer - Mel Lewis
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Album - Soul Station
Artist - Hank Mobley
Release Year - 1960
Key Track(s) - This I Dig of You
Drummer - Art Blakey
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Bosh Rothman. Bosh is an LA based drummer who’s played with Kills Birds, Living Things, Blondshell, Kim Gordon, Courtney Love, Marissa Nadler, Alison Mosshart and many more. I was first turned on to Bosh when I subbed for the main live drummer of the band, Blondshell this past January / February. And, while Bosh doesn’t normally tour with Blondshell, he recorded the drums on her debut record and it was really fun to learn his parts. The record kicks ass btw. Ever since that tour, I’ve wanted to get Bosh on the show so we finally made it happen…and I’m grateful we did! I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Bosh Rothman into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BOSH'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Lōc-ed After Dark
Artist - Tone Loc
Release Year - 1989
Key Track(s) - Wild thing
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Album - Appetite For Destruction
Artist - Guns N’ Roses
Release Year - 1987
Key Track(s)
Welcome to the jungle
Drummer - Steven Adler
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Album - White Album
Artist - The Beatles
Release Year - 1968
Key Track(s) - All!
Drummer - Ringo Starr/Paul McCartney
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Album - The Doors
Artist - The Doors
Release Year - 1967
Key Track(s) - Break On Through
Drummer - John Densmore
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Album - Plastic Ono band
Artist - John Lennon
Release Year - 1971
Key Track(s) - Well Well Well
Drummer - Ringo Starr
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is the one…the only Stanton Moore. Stanton is a GRAMMY award-winning drummer, educator and performer born and raised in New Orleans. His pride for his hometown is pretty unmatched. In the early ‘90s, Moore helped found the New Orleans-based essential funk band Galactic who continue to amass a worldwide audience via recording and touring globally. The band has averaged 100 shows a year for the last 25 years. Moore launched his solo career in 1998. He has 8 records under his own name. In 2022 Moore started a new project with Grammy award winning guitarist and producer Eric Krasno. The Krasno / Moore Project’s current record is “Book of Queens”.
Throughout his 25 year career, Moore has played and or recorded with a diverse group of artists including Maceo Parker, Joss Stone, Irma Thomas, Leo Nocentelli and George Porter (of the Meters),Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine), Corrosion of Conformity, Donald Harrison Jr., Nicholas Payton, Trombone Shorty, Skerik, Charlie Hunter, Robert Walter, Will Bernard, Ivan Neville, Anders Osborne and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Les Claypool (Primus) to name a few.
With a bachelor’s degree in music and business from Loyola University, Moore stays involved in education by constantly presenting clinics and teaching master classes and private lessons all over the world. He has released two books and three video projects. His book Groove Alchemy was picked by Modern Drummer as one of the top 25 instructional drum books of all time. To continue with his passion for teaching and to become more closely connected with his students, he recently launched his own online drum academy, StantonMooreDrumAcademy.com. He’s the man and this is one for the books. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Stanton Moore into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
STANTON'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Live at Birdland
Artist - John Coltrane
Key Track(s) - Afro Blue
Drummer - Elvin Jones
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Album - 20 Greatest hits
Artist - James Brown
Key Track(s) - All
Drummer - Melvin Parker, Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield
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Album - Look a Py Py
Artist - The Meters
Key Track(s) - All
Drummer - Zigaboo Modeliste
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Album - Physical Graffiti
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Key Track(s) - All
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - Crawfish Fiesta
Artist - Professor Longhair
Key Track(s) - All
Drummer - Johnny Vidacovich
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Rich Redmond. Rich has been the touring and recording drummer with multi platinum country rocker Jason Aldean for nearly two decades. He has recorded 31 #1 radio hits and plays to millions of fans per year in iconic venues across the globe. Rich has also worked with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ludacris, Bryan Adams, Bob Seger, Chris Cornell, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan and many more. Rich is also a busy educator, speaker, author and actor. www.richredmond.com. But before that, I hope you enjoy the 5 (actually six) records that helped shape Rich Redmond into the player he is today. Cheers !
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
RICH'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Winelight
Artist - Grover Washington Jr. (Featuring Bill Withers)
Release Year - 1980
Key Track(s) - "Just The Two Of Us"
Drummer - Steve Gadd, Ralph MacDonald (also writer)
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Album - Foreigner
Artist - Foreigner
Release Year - 1977
Key Track(s) - "Feels Like The First Time" and "Double Vision"
Drummer - Dennis Elliott
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Album - Outlandos D'Amour
Artist - The Police
Release Year - 1978
Key Track(s) - "So Lonely", "Born in the 50's", "Can't Stand Losing You"
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
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Album - The Power Station
Artist - The Power Station
Release Year - 1985
Key Track(s) - "Bang A Gong" and "Some Like It Hot"
Drummer - Tony Thompson
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Album - "Scarecrow" 1985 and "The Lonesome Jubilee" 1987
Artist - John Mellencamp
Release Year - 1985 and 1987
Key Track(s) - "Small Town" and "Lonely Ol' Night" 1985 and "Check it Out" and "Hard Times For An Honest Man" 1987
Drummer -Kenny Aronoff
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Curt Bisquera, AKA Kirkee B. He’s played with so many great artists, such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty, Sarah Mclaughlin, Lana Del Ray, and Johnny Cash, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. His pocket is deeeeeep, and his stories are endless. This episode is Kirkee B’s SECOND appearance on the show; I had him on a few years back to discuss five defining moments in his recording career, but this time he discusses the five records that helped shape him to be one of the GO-TO sessions players in LA. I love him. He’s so fun. I hope you enjoy my chat with the one and only Curt Bisquera.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
KIRKEE B'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Yellowjackets
Artist - Yellowjackets
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - Matinee Idol
Drummer - Ricky Lawson
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Performance - Live at Disneyland
Artist - Buddy Rich
Release Year - 1976
Drummer - Buddy Rich
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Album - What Time Is It?
Artist - The Time
Release Year - 1982
Key Track(s) - The Walk
Drummer - Morris Day
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Album - TOTO IV
Artist - TOTO
Release Year - 1982
Key Track(s) - Waiting For Your Love
Drummer - Jeff Porcaro
Album - Group Sex
Artist - Circle Jerks
Release Year - 1981
Key Track(s) - Red Tape
Drummer - Lucky Leher
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Noah Hecht - a Brooklyn-based drummer / instructor who proudly studied under Billy Hart at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and College. He’s worked with Purr, Yeasayer, Eleanor Friedberger, Man Forever, Porches, Cassandra Jenkins and many more. If I were to state a through line for this chat, it’s that Noah is obsessed with placement and its relationship with time. You’ll see what I mean 😊 BYEEE!
Noah’s Teacher - Marivaldo Lima
https://www.instagram.com/marivaldolima/
2 Part Documentary - Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante (it’s in Portuguese, but used those CC’s)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bU0L6HHSpc8
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UIMORU9ao1o
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
NOAH'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - On The Beach
Artist - Neil Young
Release Year - 1974
Key Track(s) - Revolution Blues
Drummer - Levon Helm
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Album - A Love Supreme
Artist - John Coltrane
Release Year - 1965
Key Track(s) - Acknowledgement
Drummer - Elvin Jones
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Album - Billy Hart Quartet
Artist - Billy Hart
Release Year - 2006
Key Track(s) - Neon
Drummer - Billy Hart
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Album - Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante
Artist - Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - Cheguei Meu Povo
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Album - Voodoo
Artist - D'Angelo
Release Year - 2000
Key Track(s) - The Root
Drummer - Questlove
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Chris Dadge, a Canadian drummer producer based out of Calgary, Alberta. He’s worked with so many great artists and he tells you all about a month in the life of him …so I’ll let the master do the talking. Just push play; it’s worth it. Thanks again to Sheridan Riley, drummer for the band Alvvays for recommending Chris. He did not dissappoint. All right, please enjoy my chat with Chris Dodge about the 5 records that shaped him into the player…and person he is today. Cheers!
Check out Chris' Discography HERE
Phil Minto and Roger Turner Performance HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
CHRIS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Gone, Just Like A Train
Artist - Bill Frisell
Release Year - 1998
Key Track(s) - Verona; Egg Radio; Girl Asks Boy (Pt. 1)
Drummer - Jim Keltner
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Album - Outlaster
Artist - Nina Nastasia
Release Year - 2010
Key Track(s) - You're A Holy Man; You Can Take Your Time
Drummer - Jay Bellerose
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Album - Largo
Artist - Brad Mehldau
Release Year - 2002
Key Track(s) - Dusty McNugget; When It Rains
Drummer - Matt Chamberlain
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Album - Drainage
Artist - Phil Minton and Roger Turner
Release Year - 2003
Key Track(s) - All of it!
Drummer - Roger Turner
Album - Nefertiti
Artist - Miles Davis
Release Year - 1968
Key Track(s) - Nefertiti; Fall; Hand Jive
Drummer - Tony Williams
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Jojo Mayer. I am in the midst of a project that has me going through a bunch of our past episodes (I will be announcing this project shortly and I’m super excited about it), but when I went back through the Jojo’s episode, I was reminded of its importance. Jojo is mind-blowing player who helped pioneer the drum n bass movement in New York City by “reverse engineering” programmed drum loops and applying them to the drum set. He is also revered for his exceptional technique, which he dissects in the wildly-popular instructional series titled “Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer Parts 1 & 2”. He is the leader of his own band, Nerve, which he founded back in 1997. We don’t necessarily stick to the normal format in this one; Jojo is a great storyteller. We start off with a few anecdotes about a cymbal once-owned by Billy Higgins that Jojo picked up by happenstance and Jojo’s time spent “studying” with Freddy Gruber, but we certainly touch on a lot of Jojo’s opinions / perspectives regarding accepting influences, but knowing when they’re actually a detriment to your personal growth on the instrument. He’s a very philosophical man and shares quite a few nuggets of slap-you-in-the-face style wisdom. Even though this is probably one of our most-downloaded episodes over the life of the show, we’ve been getting a lot of new listeners and I wanted to push this towards the top because, well…it’s important. I’ve cleaned it up a bit and put a cute lil bow in it. Stay tuned for my fun little project announcement, but in the meantime…please enjoy my chat with my esteemed guest, Jojo Mayer. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Kris Myers - a Nashville-based drummer whose main project is the progressive-rock band Umphrey’s McGee, but he’s also played with a variety of jazz artists including Nicholas Payton, Randy Brecker, Dennis DiBlasio and many more. With Umphrey’s, Kris has shared the stage with Les Claypool, Huey Lewis, Stephen Perkins, Victor Wooten, Bill Evans, Jason Bonham and many more…as always. He truly is an INSANE drummer and I will say he’s probably the best guest at breaking down his choices. Even though we’ve heard a few of his picks before, I learned a lot from his explanations. AND a Big Fat thanks to Neal Daniels for the recommendation :) Go check out Neal’s episode from a few weeks back. OKKKKKK…here are Kris Myers’ 5 records that shaped him into the drummer he is today :)))
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
KRIS' BIG FAT FIVE👇🏻
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Album - Zenyatta Mondatta
Release Year - 1980
Artist - The Police
Key Track(s) - Driven To Tears
Drummer - Stewart Copeland
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Album - Are You Experienced?
Release Year - 1967
Artist - Jimi Hendrix
Key Track(s) - Fire
Drummer - Mitch Mitchell
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Album - Led Zeppelin
Release Year - 1969
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Key Track(s) - Good Times Bad Times
Drummer - John Bonham
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Album - Speak No Evil
Release Year - 1966
Artist - Wayne Shorter
Key Track(s) - Witch Hunt
Drummer - Elvin Jones
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Album - Vinnie Calaiuta
Release Year - 1993
Artist - Vinnie Calaiuta
Key Track(s) - I’m Tweeked! Attack of the 20 LB Pizza
Drummer - Vinnie Calaiuta
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Ian Froman - an incredible jazz drummer based in New York City. Ian has taught at Berklee College of Music, Drummers Collective, New School University, City College of New York in addition to private lessons. He has toured the world with so many of the greatest players in the genre including (but CERTAINLY not limited to) John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Michael Brecker, Gary Burton, and Matthew Garrison. This is easily one of my favorite conversations I’ve ever had…and not just on the podcast. Ian is such a fun story teller and he’s got A LOT of stories. Also, a big shoutout to Mike Powers from Boston who suggested I reach out to Ian! Alright, here is Ian Froman’s Big Fat Five. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
IAN'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - A Love Supreme
Release Year - 1965
Artist - John Coltrane
Song Choice - Resolution
Drummer - Elvin Jones
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Album - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Release Year - 1968
Artist - Chick Corea
Song Choice - Steps
Drummer - Roy Haynes
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Album - Still Live
Release Year - 1986
Artist - Keith Jarrett
Drummer - Jack DeJohnette
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Album - Michael Brecker
Release Year - 1987
Artist - Michael Brecker
Song Choice - Syzygy
Drummer - Jack Dejohnette
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Album - Paths Prints
Release Year - 1982
Artist - Jan Garbarek
Drummer - Jon Christensen
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Neal Daniels…an LA-based drummer with credits that include LP, Liz Phair, Matt Nathanson, Booker T. Jones, Post Malone, Due Lipa, Camila Cabello and many more. As is common with this podcast, we’ve known each other from afar for quite some time, but this podcast keeps bringing people together! Neal is a pro drummer through and through and this is certainly a masterclass in the journey towards enlightenment. We talk about the music that sparked his initial interest in drums / his inevitable stoner rock stage / his previous tendency to overplay / his moving to LA & feeling lost with his playing. Don't worry, it all has a happy ending. Please enjoy my conversation with Neal Daniels about the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
NEALS BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - TEN
Release Year - 1991
Artist - Pearl Jam
Song Choice (to be played during the show) - Alive
Drummer (if known) - Dave Krusen
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Album - Master Of Puppets
Release Year - 1986
Artist - Metallica
Song Choice (to be played during the show) - Battery
Drummer (if known) - Lars Ulrich
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Album - Anchor Drops
Release Year - 2004
Artist - Umphrey's Mcgee
Song Choice (to be played during the show) - Ja Junk Part 1
Drummer (if known) - Kris Myers
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Album - Over-Nite Sensation
Release Year - 1973
Artist - Frank Zappa
Song Choice (to be played during the show) - I'm The Slime
Drummer (if known) - Ralph Humphrey
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Album - Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein
Release Year - 1976
Artist - Parliament
Song Choice (to be played during the show) - Everything Is On The One
Drummer (if known) - Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Kellii Scott - drummer for the band Failure. He’s also worked with Liquid Jesus, A Perfect Circle, Queens of the Stoneage, Veruca Salt, Pink, James Blunt, Christina Aguilera, Linda Perry, Faith Hill, etc.…it’s all over the place. He’s a monster-of-a-player and, while we’ve known OF each other from afar for a bit, we finally got to meet backstage at a Sunny Day Real Estate concert recently in LA (thanks to William Goldsmith!). I hope you enjoy my interview with Kellii Scott about the 5 records that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
KELLII'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Highway to Hell
Release Year - 1979
Artist - ACDC
Song Choice - Walk All Over You
Drummer - Phil Rudd
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Album - All The World's A Stage
Release Year - 1976
Artist - Rush
Song Choice - 2112 Overture
Drummer - Neil Peart
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Album - Destroyer
Release Year - 1976
Artist - Kiss
Song Choice - Flaming Youth
Drummer - Peter Criss
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Album - Number of the Beast
Release Year - 1982
Artist - Iron Maiden
Song Choice - Prisoner
Drummer - Clive Burr
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Album - In Through The Out Door
Release Year - 1979
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Song Choice - Fool In The Rain
Drummer - John Henry Bonham
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Noa Kahn…a Grammy-nominated drummer who, while only moving to the US from Israel in 2019, has already taken the industry by storm and getting hired by some of the best names in the game…including Jax and Big Wild. I had the pleasure of sharing a bill with her last month and wow - she’s incredibly humble, but SUCH a monster player. Her name will be heard a lot for some time to come. I was so excited to chat and I hope you enjoy this conversation with one of my new favorite drummers, Noa Kahn, on the 5 records that shaped her into the musician she is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
NOAH'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Tower of Power
Release Year - 1973
Artist - Tower of Power
Song Choice - Soul Vaccination
Drummer - David Garibaldi
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Album - Master Plan
Release Year - 1990
Artist - Dave Weckl
Song Choice - Festival De Ritmo
Drummer - Dave Weckl
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Album - Live In Concert
Release Year - 2001
Artist - Kim Burrell
Song Choice - I’ll Keep Holding On
Drummer - Robert “Sput” Searight
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Album - Elastic
Release Year - 2002
Artist - Joshua Redman
Song Choice - Jazz Crimes
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - Fuzzy
Release Year - 2007
Artist - Oz Noy
Song Choice - Fuzzy
Drummer - Keith Carlock
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Andrew Marshall – the incredible drummer for both Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. He was one of the first drummers I met when moving to LA and we’ve been friends ever since. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Andrew Marshall into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
ANDREW'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - The Birthday Concert
Release Year - 1995 (recorded in 1981)
Artist - Jaco Pastorius
Song Choice - Soul Intro/The Chicken
Drummer - Peter Erskine
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Album - Soul Vaccination: Tower of Power Live
Release Year - 1999
Artist - Tower of Power
Song Choice - Soul Vaccination
Drummer - David Garibaldi
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Album - To The Stars
Release Year - 2004
Artist - Chick Corea Elektric Band
Song Choice - Mistress Luck--The Party
Drummer - Dave Weckl
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Album - ...Is A Real Boy
Release Year - 2004
Artist - Say Anything
Song Choice - Belt
Drummer - Coby Linder
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Album - The Bells Sketch
Release Year - 2010
Artist - James Blake
Song Choice - Buzzard & Kestrel
Drummer - James Blake (programming)
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Jordan Rose - a Brooklyn-based session drummer who’s worked with Theo Katzman, Cory Wong, SZA, Caleb Hawley, Charlie Puth, Pomplamoose, Charlie Hunter and so many other legends. I know I’m a broken record, but I LOVE his feel on the kit and I couldn’t wait to get him on the show. He’s overcome a lot in his life, including a period of 2 years where he lost hearing in his right ear, but it only made him into a better musician. We also talk about music helped him overcoming his social anxiety (something that I personally struggle with to this day). All in all, Jordan is a gem. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shaped Jordan Rose into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JORDAN'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - The Best of Yellowjackets
Release Year - 1999
Artist - Yellowjackets
Song Choice - New Rochelle
Drummer - Will Kennedy
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Album - Texas Flood
Release Year - 1983
Artist - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Song Choice - Lenny
Drummer - Chris Layton
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Album - Continuum
Release Year - 2006
Artist - John Mayer
Song Choice - Vultures
Drummer - Steve Jordan
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Album - Donny Hathaway Live
Release Year - 1972
Artist - Donny Hathaway
Song Choice - You've Got a Friend
Drummer - Fred White
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Album - Band of Gypsys (50th Anniversary / Live At Fillmore East, 1970)
Artist - Jimi Hendrix
Song Choice - Power To Love - Live
Drummer - Buddy Miles
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
Life on Planet Groove by Maceo Parker - Kenwood Dennard on drums
Bill Withers Live at Carnegie Hall - James Gadson on drums
King Curtis Live At The Fillmore West - Bernard Purdie on drums
Without A Net by Wayne Shorter - Brian Blade on drums
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Jonathan Pinson - an award-winning drummer and band leader. He’s played with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Mark Turner and so many others…he has a Masters in music from UCLA via the very prestigious Thelonius Munk Institute of Jazz Performance. He is currently a professor at California Institute of the Arts and the leader of his own band, Boom Clap. He’s an incredible musician and it was an honor to have him on the show. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that’s helped shape Jonathon Pinson into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
JONATHAN'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Perceptual
Release Year - 2000
Artist - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
Song Choice - Perceptual
Drummer - Brian Blade
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Album - Citizen Tain
Release Year - 1999
Artist - Jeff Tain Watts
Song Choice - The Impaler
Drummer - Jeff Tain Watts
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Album - Live on Tour in Europe
Release Year - 1976
Artist - The Billy Cobham George Duke Band
Song Choice - Almustafa The Beloved
Drummer - Billy Cobham
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Album - Continuum
Release Year - 2006
Artist - John Mayer
Song Choice - Gravity
Drummer - Steve Jordan
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Album - Live at The Village Vanguard
Release Year - 1999
Artist - Wynton Marsalis
Song Choice - Jig’s Jig
Drummer - Herlin Riley
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week, Mike Schulte (drummer for The Pork Tornadoes / Dope Walker and co-host of the podcast ‘Confused Breakfast’) and I discuss each of our 5 favorite movies involving music in SOME capacity 😊. This was a lot of fun.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Butch Vig. He needs no introduction, but HERE WE GO. He is one of the most successful producers in rock history - having produced a handful of critically and commercially acclaimed albums such as Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’, both ‘Gish’ and ‘Siamese Dream’ from Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth’s ‘Dirty’, Soul Asylum’s ‘Let Your Big Light Shine’, Foo Fighters’ ‘Wasting Light’, Jimmy Eat World’s ‘Chase This Light’ and the two latest Silversun Pickups records ‘Widow’s Weeds’ and ‘Physical Thrills’. In addition to producing, Butch is one helluva drummer - having played with Spooner, Fire Town, 5 Billion in Diamonds and, of course, Garbage. This was a milestone for both myself and the podcast; I love how it turned out. Butch is a sweetheart of a man and it made me love him and his career even more. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Butch Vig into the producer and drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
BUTCH'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻
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Album - Who's Next
Release Year - 1971
Artist - The Who
Song Choice - Behind Blue Eyes
Drummer - Keith Moon
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Album - Country Life
Release Year - 1974
Artist - Roxy Music
Song Choice - Out Of The Blue
Drummer - Paul Thompson
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Album - Ramones
Release Year - 1976
Artist - Ramones
Song Choice - Beat On The Brat
Drummer - Tommy Ramone
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Album - Marquee Moon
Release Year - 1977
Artist - Televison
Song Choice - See No Evil
Drummer - Billy Ficca
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Album - London Calling
Release Year - 1979
Artist - The Clash
Song Choice - Train In Vain
Drummer - Topper Headon
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Nate Wood. Nate can do it all…and he can do it all at once. In his solo project fOUR, he sings / plays bass/keys/drums all at the same time. Wow. But throughout his career, he’s been involving in so many projects including Kneebody, Wayne Krantz, George Harrison, Tigran Hamasyan, Louis Cole, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, Sting…incredible. It was truly and honor talking to him and I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Nate Wood in the musician he is today. Cheers!
As promised...check out the video of Marcus Gilmore HERE.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Chris Marshak - a drummer and percussionist whose worked with a boat load of great artists throughout the years including Steve Winwood, Amy Helm, James Maddock, Jeffrey Gaines, Willy Porter and many more. We also touch on some pretty vulnerable (yet universal) topics in this one and it felt amazing; he’s a great guy. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Chris Marshak into the drummer he is today, but get your notes out for this one as he gives some stellar advice than can be applied both on and off the kit. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is THE Forrest Rice. He is an incredible drummer with a seemingly endless amount of creativity flowing through as shown by the amount of projects with which he’s involved. His own project, WØLFY, has a lot of exciting things come up, but he’s also drummed for Covet, Standards and The Illustrative Violet over the last few years. Before listening to the episode, I suggest you check out his drumming. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Forrest Rice into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is…me! I’ve been getting a lot of questions from new listeners regarding my time in LA and asking for any advice on how to make strides in their drumming career. While I certainly don’t think I’m an authority on that matter, I still welcome these conversations. That being said, I wanted to upload this episode for a good reference as to what I tend to say time and time again. I also acknowledge that my favorite podcasts ARE my favorite podcasts because I feel like I know the host and, while I try to keep these conversations as causal as possible, I don’t really talk about myself and my history too much. Sooo a few months back, I interviewed Ryan Seaman for Big Fat Five, but Ryan has his own show as well on Idobi Radio called ‘Ryan Seaman and Friends’. After our chat for this podcast, I hopped on his show to talk about MY story as a drummer and offer some advice of varying credibility. I hope you enjoy getting to know me a little bit better and we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming soon! Also, please email me at [email protected] at any time to offer suggestions for the show e.g. comments, concerns, guest recommendations, congratulations on being such a great host - whatever you want! I’ve had some really kind people reach out as of late and it truly means the world. I don’t take any of it for granted. Anyways, enough about me. Here’s an episode all about me! Cheers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is my good buddy, E-MAN - drummer and recording extraordinaire. His main project these days is Andy Grammer, but he’s always busy recording out of his home studio near. Over the years, he’s worked with many amazing artists and producers including Gwen Stefani, Cody Simpson, Steve Lukather, Tommy Page, Tyler Johnson, Rabbit and it goes on and on and ON. He’s performed on SNL, David Letterman, The Tonight Show – basically all the shows 😊 But, at the end of the day, I consider him a dear friend and he’s just got a genuinely good and playful soul. I hope you enjoy the five records that shaped E-MAN into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
Check out his loops pack HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Brendan Buckley…a drummer with an incredible resume that includes Shakira, Perry Farrell, Morrissey, Tegan and Sara, Damian Rice, JJ Lin and many more. I gush all about his playing to his face in the chat so I’ll leave that there, but I will say that he is one of the most articulate guests we’ve had on the show in regards to setting up each of his choices; and because of that, this is one of my favorites. He had a little bit of a different take on his choices, so buckle and enjoy this chat with Brendan Buckley. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Brendan's Honorable Mentions (as promised)...
- Kenny Werner: "Meditation 1-4 "Effortless Mastery" 1996
- Carlos Vega: "Country Road" on James Taylor's "Live" 1993
- Omar Hakim: “Fortress Around Your Heart” on Sting’s “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” 1985
- Steve Jordan: "Ramblin" on David Sanborn's "Upfront" 1992
- John Bonham: “Good Times Bad Times” on Led Zeppelin 1 1969
- Stephen Perkins: “Mountain Song” on Jane’s Addiction’s “Nothing’s Shocking” 1988
- Matt Cameron: “Ugly Truth” on Soundgarden’s “Louder Than Love” 1989
- Dennis Chambers: "Blue Matter" on John Scofield's "Blue Matter" 1986
- Matt Chamberlain: "A Sort Of Fairytale" on Tori Amos's "Scarlet's Walk" 2002
- Tony Williams: "So What" on Miles Davis's "Four And More" 1966
- Bill Stewart: “She’s So Lucky” on John Scofield’s “Hand Jive” 1994
- Boris Williams: “Icing Sugar” on The Cure’s “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me” 1987
For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Josh Grigsby - a drummer I’ve looked up to and apparently ripped off for a quite some time. He was/is the drummer for Houston Calls (a now-defunct pop punk band from New Jersey who actually just announced a batch of reunion shows in June), but he’s also the current drummer for Mae and Just Surrender. I hope you enjoy this chat with Josh Grigsby about the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest Sheridan Riley - a drummer and overall fabulous musician based out of Washington State. Sheridan is the drummer for the band Alvvays (which I love) in addition to their own projects Peg and releases under their own name, Sheridan Riley. They’ve also worked with Avi Buffalo, Hand Habits, Cassandra Jenkins, John Mitchell Quartet, Time of Wolves, Fort Wife among many others. Sheridan is a such a kind, caring person and it shows in their conversational drumming. Please enjoy my chat with Sheridan Riley about the 5 records that shaped them into the player they are today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Jeremy Taggart. Jeremy has been mentioned on the pod of few times in other drummer’s top 5 in regards to his previous work with the band Our Lady Peace…which Jeremy joined when he was 17 and remained their drummer until 2014. He’s also a fellow podcaster with his show “Tarrant & Torrens”…which we talk about at the end of the show (it's also a musical duo)…plus he's the co-auther of the book "Canadianity ".
Jeremy and my mutual friend (and yet another friend of the pod) Mike Robinson of Blame My Youth, K Flay, Oliver Tree sums up Jeremy’s playing in a great way. Quote “Jeremy’s drumming just seems so conversational and almost stream of conscious. But at the same time so deliberate”. I mean...that’s the gaol right? We also get into his friendship…it’ll make you love Elvin even more. All in all, Jeremy has an Infectious laugh and youthful playfulness thoughout this whole conversation. I loved it. Please enjoy this chat with Jeremey Taggart about the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Dave Scalia. Dave is a Brooklyn-based professional drummer, producer, and songwriter. For the last 7 years, he’s been playing with Elle King, but throughout his career he’s also worked with White Rabbits, Dawn Richard, Theo Katzman, Miranda Lambert, A Great Big World, Darren Criss, Dierks Bentley and many more. He’s incredible, nuanced and purposeful, yet very elastic with his playing. I just love his style and I was extremely excited to chat with him. Please enjoy the 5ish records that shaped Dave Scalia into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest Adam Christgau. Adam is one of THE go-to drummers in the live music scene. He’s worked with Tegan & Sara, Troye Sivan, Sia, Weezer, John Scofield, Kacey Musgraves, Brandon Flowers, Ingrid Michaelson, Chaka Kahn, LP, Dan Romer and, of course, many more. He’s also worked on music scores including Pixar’s Luca and HBO’s Station 11. In addition to musical endeavors, Adam owns and operates Christgau Design: a high-end custom furniture company. I’ve wanted to get Adam on the show for awhile and it seemed like a great time to do it after Stacy Jones spoke so highly of him during last week’s episode. So here we go, I hope you enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Adam Christgau into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Stacy Jones … a hell of a drummer, front man, guitarist, singer, producer and musical director. He is currently the musical director AND drummer for Miley Cyrus, the primary songwriter / singer / rhythm guitarist for American Hi-Fi and the drummer for Matchbox Twenty and Letters to Cleo. As a Musical Director, he’s also worked with Olivia Rodrigo, Demi Lovato, The Chainsmokers, Logic and Ryan Tedder, Noah Cyrus, Troye Sivan, 5 Seconds of Summer, Broods and many more. And to list off a few more names he’s worked with - Veruca Salt, Madonna, Everclear, Avril Lavigne, Ariana Grande, Joan Jett, The Flaming Lips, Sheryl Crow, Butch Walker…I mean…yeah. Get out your notepads for this one ya'll. This dude not only HOLDS the drum seat, but he HIRES drummers so he knows what works and what WILL GET YOU PAID. SORRY FOR THE CAPS! I can’t say enough good things about him. Please enjoy the 5 records that shaped Stacy Jones into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s show has Zach Lind of Jimmy Eat World breaking down his favorite Jimmy Eat World grooves and tells the story of why they each hold a special place in his drumming heart. There are a lot of great perspectives in this episode including how the element of surprise is an artist’s greatest weapon, acknowledging when you’re not needed and how he’s always thinking about what he can take AWAY from a part to make it unique as opposed to adding more.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Daniel Fang…drummer for the hardcore band Turnstile.
Turnstile was nominated for three Grammys this year which includes:
Best rock performance (Holiday)
Best rock song (Blackout)
Best metal performance (Blackout)
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Nick Ruffini…host of the longest-running drumming podcast out there today…Drummer’s Resource. With over 650 episodes, Nick has talked to almost every drummer one could think imagine. I love his interviews; I’ve learned a lot from him and his show is one I look up to quite a bit. We’ve chatted a few times off the air over the years, but it was great to finally get him on the show. If you’re a fan of drumming podcasts, I’m sure you’re aware of Nick, but you might not know a lot about him as a player so let’s get to know Nick through the records that shaped him into the drummer he is today. And go check out Drummer’s Resource…but then be sure to come back to this feed! 😊
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Check out this episode's playlist HERE
This week’s guest is Sarab Singh. I’ve admired Sarah from afar for a long time and it’s funny that we’ve never met face to face prior to this chat as we’ve randomly shared lockouts in LA essentially across the hall from each other twice at this point. Sarab has worked with Ingrid Michaelson, Charlie XCX, Joji, his solo project called KLVR GRL, and most recently he’s kept busy with the band MUNA. Please enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Sarah Singh into the amazingly-unique drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
**This is the new and improved interview with James Gadson that happened 2 years ago now in November of 2020.**
‘Gadson on Gadson’. Today was a milestone for me. I’ve been such a huge fan of this man for years and I hope I hide my nervousness well enough in this conversation. This week’s guest is James Gadson…one of the funkiest drummers out there. He gave life to the 16th note groove and used it on countless records with Bill Withers, The Jackson Five, Beck, Cheryl Lynn, Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band and many more. For a time, it was rare to go a whole day without hearing James’ drumming on the radio, and probably still true to this day on some stations. We discuss the top records on which he played that best represent his career in the studio. I had a blast talking with James and he is a gentleman through and through. And if you’re a drummer, his DVD ‘Funk / R&B Drumming’ is a must watch. Honestly…must OWN. It will get you paid. I guarantee it.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is THE Sam Merrick, drummer for ‘& Juliet’ on Broadway at the Sondheim Theater in New York City. We’ll learn more about that show later on in the episode, but Sam just got done with a 1200+ long run as the drummer for the national tour of Hamilton: An American Musical. In addition to live theatre, Sam has played with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Charlie Wilson, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires…and many more. He’s also got an amazing sample pack series called Break Habits (available exclusively at The Drum Broker). He’s a stud; people want to hire him and he can teach all of us a whole hell of a lot. I wanted to find out what he focuses on from a drumming perspective that’s formed him into such a professional, consistent player. Please enjoy my chat with Sam Merrick about the 5 records that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Willy Rodriguez. Willy is a Latin-Grammy award winning drummer and percussionist based in New York City. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Willy has been playing drums since he was thirteen and his list of associated acts is endless…including Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Mon Laferte, Domino Saints and more. After leaving Puerto Rico, he attended Berklee College of Music and began making a name for himself in the Boston music scene rather quickly, but he ultimately set up shop in New York City. His work with Omar eventually led to him being called to drum on the newest The Mars Volta record (which is an insane honor for any drummer), but Willy is a singular player. He extremely knowledgeable and well-plugged in to so many scenes and genres that you can’t really describe him in any particular way; He’s just Willy. Also, hit him up on his Instagram the next time you’re in New York City and he’ll point to the right places to go. Please enjoy my chat with THE willy Rodriguez about the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Rod “Hot Rod” Elkins…drummer for Tyler Childers and The Food Stamps…among many others. Rod was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia and has spent his life keeping time and sharing his infectious love for music…but more importantly…his devotion to the song. Rod is fairly new to my radar. As you know, I’ve been on tour the last six weeks and I was recently in Lexington, Kentucky playing The Burl. My good buddy (and friend of the podcast, Steve from Junkdrummer.tv) came out to hang and we, of course, started chatting about Levon Helm. He mentioned that his buddy, Rod, was the closest living thing to Levon’s legendary style AND his drumming his currently on a top 10 country album by an artist called Tyler Childers. I immediately checked him out and damnnnn…Steve was right. Sooooo I got him on the show right away; I LOVED all his picks and loved his reasoning even more. This was a really relaxing chat and Rod has a great perspective on all things music. I hope you enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Rod Elkins into the drummer he is today!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This weeks guest is Greg Hersey…a percussionist and educational artist based out of Jackonville, Florida. He is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Episcopal School of Jacksonville. I first found him on Instagram when he started tagging Big Fat Snare Drum. His creativity has seemingly grown exponentially and it’s super inspiring and his use of multi-percussion is insane. Before you listen to the episode, I encourage you to check out some of Greg’s videos to understand the context of both my questions and his approach to music as a whole. But anyways…enough of my yacking…please enjoy the top 5 records that helped shape greg Hersey into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Dimitri Fantini. I’m actually not sure how I first found out about Dimitri, but he was my online instructor for quite some time and I’m just a huge fan of his drumming. He’s garnered quite the collection of followers on Instagram due to his consistent posting of…well super rad awesome videos. They look great, sound great…and are very inspiring. Also check out his growing YouTube. His book “The Total Drummer: a guide to developing your style, feel, touch, groove and more” was published by Hal Leonard in 2022 and continues to receive high accolades. I’ve also included a link to his free course, 'Technique Fundamentals' HERE.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is everybody’s favorite drummer, Ryan Seaman. Ryan has been on my wishlist of guests for a while now and surprisingly enough, we were finally able to work it out on the road when it’s the hardest time to schedule people! Anyways, Ryan has played with so many amazing artists throughout his career, especially in the punk rock scene, but his current project is called Mercy Music. Ryan is a one of the most likable guys out there and I look up to him AND how he’s navigated his career in so many ways. I know I say this about every guest, but I really enjoyed this chat. Ryan and I have a lot in common when it comes to our background as drummers and it was just an easy chat. He’s the kind of person you want to see succeed. Alright, please enjoy my chat with Ryan about the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok\
This week’s guest is Q. Robinson…the newly-announced touring drummer for Broadway's ‘Hamilton’ (which is huge as it's a highly-coveted chair!). But before he starts that, he currently finishing up his tenure with the “Ain’t Too Proud”…a musical about the band The Temptations. Besides Broadway, Q has played with Avery Sunshine, Bobby Brown, Anthony David and a host of others. He’s a mentor to a few of my peers and is just a bundle of positivity. On top of that, he’s a great drummer with finesse and pocket for DAYZZZ. It was great catching up with him and I hope you enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Quinton “Q” Robinson into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Ralph Alexander…an incredibly talented drummer currently out with the artist Poppy. Ralph is one of those “rarely makes a mistake” kind of drummers, but his incredible independence was the first thing that turned me onto his skills…referring to this video. I mean…wow. He’s also worked with other legendary artists including CRX (featuring Nick Valensi of The Strokes). Anyways, just trust me, he’s great. Please enjoy this chat about the 5 records that shaped him into the bombastic yet incredibly precise drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
My guest this week is my good buddy and even gooder drummer, Mike Robinson. Mike is the quintessential working LA drummer who’s played with so many rad artists and bands…most recently with the two powerhouses Oliver Tree and k.flay, but let’s add Joseph, Blame My Youth, Cannons (he subbed for me and KILLED it), Del Water Gap, MORGXN, Chain Gang of 1974, Geographer and many more. He also runs the Instagram account @food.ontour, which we talk about right off the bat. He’s a first-call drummer and I loved loved LOVED this conversation. Please enjoy my chat with Mike Robinson about the 5 records that shaped who he is as a drummer today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Let’s play a game…
Can you guess the drum machine in these 30 songs?
Check out the playlist HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Dan Bailey.
Dan is a Drummer / Music Director / Engineer / Multi-Instrumentalist who’s played with Father John Misty, First Aid Kit, Reignwolf and many more..
He also has a handful of very useful online courses known as ‘The Bailey Method”. He covers everything from tuning, to recording, to engineering with a very boots-on-the-ground approach. I’ve learned a lot from them myself and they're great. I promise.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s episode is part one of my conversation with Dan Bailey on the topic of 5 Things To Avoid When Working on a Session For An Artist".
Dan is a Drummer / Music Director / Engineer / Multi-Instrumentalist who’s played with Father John Misty, First Aid Kit, Reignwolf and many more.
He also has a handful of very useful online courses known as ‘The Bailey Method”. He covers everything from tuning, to recording, to engineering with a very boots-on-the-ground approach. I’ve learned a lot from them myself and they're great. I promise.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Ilan Rubin. He is currently the drummer for Nine Inch Nails and Angels and Airwaves, but has collaborated with Paramore, M83, Beck, Phantogram and many, many more throughout the years. He’s also the co-owner of Q Drum Co and a prolific solo artist with releases under his own name (Ilan Rubin) and 'The New Regime' where he writes and records everything himself. He’s...incredible. We discuss A LOT of different topics, but I hope you enjoy a conversation built around the 5 records that shaped Ilan into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
Paiste Roto Sound:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Rob “Beatdown” Brown. If you haven’t heard of Rob, it means you’re the perfect drummer and don’t need to work on anything. You’ve won drums. But if that’s not you (also ME!), and you’ve ever searched YouTube for literally anything drum education related…you’ve seen Mr. Beatdown. He is, hands down, my favorite YouTube instructor and one of the reasons I am lucky enough to still be a full-time drummer today. Here are the 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Eddie Burns…a Chicago-based producer / drummer who is currently out with the artist ‘Clairo’. He’s an incredible drummer with an old soul and a VAST knowledge of the Chicago music scene. I hope you enjoy the top 5 records that shaped Eddie into the drummer he is today.
WATCH - 'Questlove talks Drums, Dilla, and D'Angelo | Red Bull Music Academy' HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Thom from the band Alt-J. He’s one of the most creative drummers out there today and the band, as a whole, are young legends. It was truly an honor talking with him and, if you don’t know Alt-J, they’re crafted a unique blend of folk, indie, electronica, and rock; it's their own genre, really. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shaped Thom into the drummer he is today. He truly is a singular player and it's conversations like this that made me want to switch to this format. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Mr. Jerrod “J-rod” Sullivan…a bada$$ drummer, programmer, arranger, producer and educator. He’s incredibly clean with both his beard trimming skills and his playing, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the things I love about him. He’s incredibly prolific…posting all the time on his socials, which currently sit at almost 90,000 on YouTube and nearly 230,000 on Instagram. I’m sure it’s laughably beyond that if you’re listening to this a few years from now. He’s currently the drummer for Jeffrey Osborne / Avery Sunshine and The 4 Corners. Please enjoy the 5 records that shaped J-rod into the playe he is today. Cheers!
Follow J-Rod on Instagram HERE
Follow J-Rod on YouTube HERE
Sign Up for his newsletter HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Rajeev Maddela. He’s a drum set artist, electronic music composer, DJ, computer programmer, and rudimental percussion instructor based in Brooklyn, NY.
Under the name Maddela, he has released a host of singles and EP’s. His production work spans the genres of experimental drum and bass, future bass, and UK garage, with a focus on live performance elements and wide sonic palettes. The project I heard from him was CURRENCY AUDIO, which is an improvisational performance project exploring jungle, IDM, UK garage, dubstep and their various offshoots.
Rajeev holds a degree in Computer Science from New York University. His career as a software engineer spans nearly two decades. Let’s just say he is a go-getter and it was truly an honor to talk to him. Big shoutout to Ian Maciak for introducing Rajeev to me, and yeah…let’s learn about the top 5 records that shaped Raj into the musician he is today. Cheers!
Star of Indiana Drumline ‘93
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZF3tFhUPT4
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Jessica “The Hoot” Burdeaux. She’s a former guest of the show before we switched to the current format so I knew I had to get her back on. I’m confident you’ve seen her on either social media, Drumeo, YouTube or Reverb.com (for whom she’s sorta become the face of drumming). She’s extremely powerful and plays with a conviction that is undeniably fun to both watch and listen to. Her creative, syncopated rhythms have caught the attention of the entire drumming community and I’m very happy to call her a dear friend. You know her. You love her. I hope you enjoy my chat with Jessica Burdeaux on the 5 records that shaped her into the now-full-time drummer she is today. Cheers!
Follow Jessica on Instagram HERE
Jessica’s (now-archived) first time on the podcast - LISTEN HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest Logan Baudean…a New Orleans-raised, now LA-based musician. He can do it all. I don’t even remember how I first heard about Logan, but I’ve been following him for awhile now I was really excited to have him on. He certainly identifies as a drummer, but he’s also a sought-after guitarist, bassist and keyboardist and I’m sure the list goes on and on. Recently, he’s toured the world as the drummer for Barns Courtney and bassist for Palaye Royale. He’s just a cool guy. His perspectives are cool. His hair is cool. You won’t be able to see it, but his SHIRT was cool. Anyways, there’s a lot of great insight in this one. Truly. I hope you enjoy the 5 influential happenings that shaped Logan into the consistency-working hired guy he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Petar Janjic…a Serbian-born, Nashville-based drummer by way of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He’s one of the funkiest groovers out there today and is THE drummer for one of today’s funkiest guitarists / bandleaders, Cory Wong.
Before passing away, Prince himself even asked Petar to play on his record and…well…that’s that! He’s involved in a bunch of happenings, including his own project called ‘Heavy Chevy’. Please enjoy the trip 5 influential records that shaped Petar into the drummer he is today…CHEERS!
Petar Janjic – Wanna Be Starting Something (Michael Jackson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3FfziDlztU
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Matthew Pretty a.k.a. @thebucketboy on social media. He’s an incredible, world-renowned street percussionist based out of Las Vegas. We get into everything from his setup, to why he chose street performing and eventually stagger into the 5 biggest influences that made him into the extremely-unique player he is today. Cheers!
A few of Matthew’s street performances:
Blue Devils 2004 Drum Line:
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Eric Somers-Urrea…a Chicago-based drummer, educator and producer who I very-much admire both on and off the kit. His main project is a band called Marina City and his sincerity / kindness as a person matches his incredible prowess on the drums. I just can’t say enough good things about him. I love his drumming and this is episode is LONG overdue. Please enjoy our chat about the 5 main influences that shaped Eric into the drummer he is today, but first…we play a little game. Cheers!
Drum Corps International 2004 Finals: https://youtu.be/KpUuMM1y2_o?t=140
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Aaron Haggerty…a California-based drummer who played for Al McKay (Earth, Wind and Fire) and his ‘Al McKay All-Stars’ for 11 years. Aarons also recorded and/or toured with Kool & The Gang, Eric Gales, Gary Clark Jr, Wicked Wisdom and many more with his current gig being Willow (Smith). He’s just a badass drummer and I think you should know about him. His pocket is deep and his wisdom is wicked *wink wink*. Please enjoy the top 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
Follow Aaron on Instagram HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This week’s guest is Nick Baglio (aka @nickybagzz). I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get him on the damn podcast. If you follow Big Fat Snare Drum on Instagram (@bigfatsnaredrum), he’s literally our most-reposted account because A) he’s an amazing drummer / insanely creative and B) he captures a very powerful recorded sound and it’s super inspiring.
We get into his backstory right off the bat, but in high school Nick was continuously selected for All State and All Region Jazz Bands, which helped him earn a full music performance scholarship to study drums at the University of Miami. After graduating, he hit the ground running with the alt/rock band morissonpoe and the rest is history. He’s done all the travels and currently splits his time teaching / recording and performing from his homebase of Raleigh, NC. I love him and I hope you enjoy getting to know him a little bit and learning about the 5 records that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
This weeks guest is a Rory O’Connor…the New York-based drummer for the Gramny-nomninated band Tycho. He also finds time for his own electronic music under the name Nitemoves. Before joining Tycho, Rory played with Com Truise (another legend in that world of music). Rory brings the world of Tycho to life both in the studio AND figuring out how to re-create his own (often-chopped up) grooves for a live setting in the most interesting ways. With what I do for one of my projects, Cannons, I look up to Rory a whole hell of a lot. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Artwork by Trevin Frame
Alright so…if you listened to the ‘70’s Drum Sounds’ episode, you know that we sometimes do a little questionnaire/poll thing about a certain topic on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram. Recently, I asked “What are the simplest, yet most effective drum parts”. Of course, drummers are a bunch of smartasses so many of you answered with “tension rod, nylon washers, the snare strainer…” to which I chuckled. Well done…
But for this episode, I made a playlist of all the songs ya’ll responded with and I thought we’d go through them together. Many of them I haven’t heard before, so I’m gonna hear them in real time. AFTER that, we are going to do a little giveaway. I’m making the playlist live on Spotify HERE so I need ya’ll to choose YOUR top 5 and email me at [email protected] I’m going to choose a participant at random to win a very special package from Big Fat Snare Drum. Again, choose your 5 from this list…or hey….choose your own top 5 and email me at [email protected]. Have fun!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This weeks guest is the Greyson Nekrutman. He exploded on Instagram and YouTube over the last few years by picking a lane that he saw was lacking representation on the platforms…jazz drumming. If you can, go check out his pages below before listening to this episode so you really grasp how truly amazing Greyson is. That being said, he certainly doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as just a jazz drummer…and THAT'S why I was stoked to see his 5 drastically different choices. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Kyle Crane…a drummer I’ve been following and looking up to for years. He’s a highly-sought after independent drummer based in LA who’s worked with Daniel Lanois (look him up), Neko Case, Kurt Vile, Brad Mehldau, Bill Frisell, and Conor Oberst (plus many more), but is currently out with Maddison Cunningham. He was also a drum double for the movie ‘Whiplash’ and is the principal everything for his project, Crane Like The Bird. We talk about all this and more before hopping into the 5 records that made him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is the incomparable Josh Dion (of Paris Monster and a million other rad things). He’s a busy New York cat and I’ve wanted to get him on for a long time. If you don’t know of Josh, he’s an independent drummer for than one reason (and yes there’s a dad joke coming); he’s played with sooo many including John Scofield, Jim Campilongo, Wayne Krantz, Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Ulu, and Esperanza Spalding, but, in Paris monster, he plays drums with his left hand, synth with his right hand, and sings lead vocals…now THAT’S independence. Ok. We start off by breaking down a bunch of the songs from his career and then hop into the 5 records that shaped him into the extremely-unique drummer his is today. This was so fun and Josh’s drumming superb to say the least. Cheers!
Full Moon – The Heavy Scuffles On
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQP5Waj_jdQ
The Richard Smallwood Singers – Testimony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u99pKb7iMZ0
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
We are back to our regularly-scheduled programing with this week’s guest, Aksel Coe. I first learned of Aksel via Instagram thanks to a shoutout by our good buddies at Nelson Drum Shop (Nashville). I was hooked right away. Seriously, check him out before listening to this episode.
Aksel is the epitome of a modern drummer and has collaborated with Homes at Night, The Sisterhood Band, Cody Jinks, K.Flay, Temecula Road, Brittany Spencer, Pam Tillis, Larkin Poe, Jars of Clay, The Donelson Broncos, Okey Dokey, Savannah Conley, SONTALK, Elenowen, The Saint Johns and many, MANY more…
If you’re looking to start OR further your career as a session player, Aksel’s insight comes from a very boots-on-the-ground approach. I hope you enjoy the five records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Anthony Fung…an incredible talent drummer based in Los Angeles. I brought him on to discuss the 5 records (and subsequent drummers) to FINALLY get you into jazz. He definitely did not disappoint. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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.
Song: Fred
Album: Lifetime - The Collections
Artist: Tony Williams
Release Year: 1975
Drummer: Tony Williams
Song: Stella By Starlight
Album(s): My Funny Valentine + Four and More
Artist: Miles Davis
Release Year: 1965 & 1966
Drummer: Tony Williams
Song: Matrix
Album : Now He Sings and Now He Sobs
Artist: Chick Corea
Release Year: 1968
Drummer: Roy Haynes
Song: Acknowledgement
Album: A Love Supreme
Artist: John Coltrane
Release Year: 1965
Drummer: Elvin Jones
Song: Blues For Ball
Album: Supertrios
Artist: McCoy Tyner
Release Year: 1977
Drummers: Jack Dejohnette & Tony Williams
Song: Cornbread
Album: Cornbread
Artist”: Lee Morgan
Release Year: 1965
Drummer: Billy Higgins
Honorable Mention!
Song: Freedom Day
Album: We Insist! (Subtitled Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite)
Artist: Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach
Release Year: 1960
Drummer: Max Roach
Artwork by Trevin Frame. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s episode is going to be a little different. I’m starting a new, perhaps self-indulgent series where I pose a question on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram and make an episode out of your responses. Maybe it’ll stick. Who knows?…but these are the conversations I have with my musician friends anyways, so now I’m just pushing record. The first question posed was “which records helped define the 70’s drum sound?”. We got A LOT of responses and opinions were certainly shared (THANK YOU!) Ihad to shave a 5,000 hour playlist down to a handful of songs. Then, I called up my good buddy and amazing drummer, Jake Reed, to chat with me about his views on 70’s recording techniques and listen to the songs with me. Please enjoy!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Blair Sinta. Blair’s drumming resume includes touring and/or recording with Alanis Morrisette, Ringo Starr, Annie Lennox, Gwen Stefani, Stevie Nicks, Chris Cornell, John Fogerty, Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard, Lisa Loeb, Better Than Ezra, Josh Groban, Damien Rice…I mean that’s basically everyone right? He’s based out of Los Angeles and runs his own studio where he records himself for artists, records other drummers, runs live lessons, records online courses and talks to meandering podcasts hosts. Also…please go check out his own podcast titled, Recording Drums with Blair Sinta. He’s chatted with some monster players, but make sure you still like my show more betterly and whatnot. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s amazing guest is Mr. Donnie Marple. Donnie was (still is) the 2007 Guitar Center Drum Off Champion and has been the new guy in Lee Brice’s band for over 10 years. He is a monster soloist who can really hold it down. Donnie is the exact drummer you want in your band and his career is gonna keep going and going. He’s played on numerous #1 hits and is a gentlemen through and through. I kind of just want him to be my best friend. Alright bye !!!!
Donnie Marple playing “Rumor” with Lee Brice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT0aFDfRyRg
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Donnie Marple - Guitar Center's 19th Annual Drum-Off Winner (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpsMz57p8N4
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Mr. David Raouf aka rdavidr. I’ve been a fan of his YouTube Channel for years and, with his seemingly-endless offering of videos featuring drum tips, tricks, hacks and DIY projects, David has combined a love of craftsmanship and drums into a beautifully-hilarious melting pot of education and entertainment. The dude knows his way around a garage and his beard gives mine a run for its money. Please enjoy the 5-ish records that shaped David’s style behind the kit and beyond.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is THE William Goldsmith. William has been a member of two incredibly influential bands with Sunny Day Real Estate and Foo Fighters in addition to The Fire Theft, his current project Assertion, and many others. William’s emotional and bombastic-yet-dynamic grooves have been in many previous guests top 5. If you listen to the show, especially recently…you’ve heard his name quite a bit. I could go on and on about this drumming, but I sorta do it to his face at the top of this conversation. I hope you enjoy learning about the records the shaped William into the drummer he is today….with a whole bunch of tangents that I loved exploring.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Stella Mozgawa…drummer for the band Warpaint. In addition to her band, she’s also collaborated with Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, Flea, Adam Green, Regina Spektor, The xx, Sharon Von Eaten and many, many more. It’s basically a list of all the cool kids…but like that actual cool kids. I’m truly a fan of Stella, so having watched and read many of her interviews before this chat, I knew she has incredible taste in music and I was so stoked to hear what she had to say. Her style was most-recently dissected in my episode with Martina Barakoska (being that Stella was on her big fat five list) so go check that out pleeaseee. Basically, Stella’s the shit. She’s rad on and off the drums and this was a really joyful conversation. I hope you enjoy my chat with Stella about the 5 records thats made her into the drummer she is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Tim Very…drummer for the rock band Manchester Orchestra. Tim is a highly-imaginative crafter of parts who knows exactly where to sit in a song. He’s powerful, playful and perfectly in tune to what the vibe needs to be. I first saw Tim live at The Fillmore in Philadelphia in 2018, but not because I bought a ticket. I was on tour with my band and we were playing the smaller, upstairs room of that same venue called The Foundry. The thing is, to get to our dressing room, we had to walk along a path at the top of The Fillmore…clearly seeing the sold out Manchester Orchestra show. It’s either a good motivation booster and / or humiliation depending on how one's tour is been going.
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Anywayssssss, I hope ya’ll enjoy this chat about what makes Tim Tim! And go check him out on tour with Manchester Orchestra now! Head over to manchesterorchestra.com for all the deets. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Martina Barakoska….a Macedonian drummer / educator / composer and clinician. I heard about Martina via Instagram and was hooked immediately. She’s just starting her career and I’m really excited to see how it unfolds. All in all, she’s a badass drummer and I wanted to chat. Go give her a follow at @iamthe_m on Instagram and Tik Tok and go to school. Today, we discuss the 5(ish) records that helped shape Martina into the drummer she is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Billy Martin aka Illy B, a world-renown drummer, educator, visual artist, filmmaker, record label owner, non-profit organizer, and author…but above all else…he’s a Creative through and through. If you enjoy this episode, please go check out Billy’s interview with Mike Dawson on the Drum Candy podcast titled “Improvising and Cultivating a Creative Mindset”. Verrrryy fruitful. Billy has collaborated with some of the best out there including but not limited to John Scofield, John Zorn, Iggy Pop, Natalie Merchant, Flea, Bill Laswell, and Mickey Hart, but many people know him from his work with Medeski, Martin, and Wood featuring himself, John Medeski and Chris Wood.
I recently checked out his “Anti-Instructional” movie filmed alongside fellow teacher and friend Allen Herman titled “Life on Drums” and I can’t recommend it enough. We discuss the unique structure of the movie towards the end of our conversation, but we start off talking about soloing…something which Billy encourages all drummers to do fist thing when sitting behind the kit, “even if just for five minutes”. We also get into a bunch of my insecurities surrounding creativity before jumping into the records that shaped billy into the amazing musician he is today. Lots of good stuff in this one ya’ll. Cheers!Podcast
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Erin Tate, founding member of the Seattle-based indie-rock, Minus the Bear, but he’s played with many great bands throughout his career including Kill Sadie (from Minneapolis), Ghost Work, Time Pieces (etc.) in addition to running Indie Drummer Collective…which we get to right off the bat. Erin has an incredible ability to weave his way through odd time and syncopated phrases with seaming-ease and confidence. He’s a legend and a big inspiration to a lot of my peers (especially having grown up in the northwest). I’ve know Erin for a few years now, but this was the first time we’ve had the chance to chat like this and I was grateful to say the least. Please please PLEASE go check out Erin’s discography. He truly is a drummer with a uniquely unique creative voice. You’re amazing Erin. So here are the top 5 records that shaped Erin’s approach to the drumset. Alright cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Joe Bagale, a San Francisco-based producer, artist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and educator. Now, I know that might seem like he’s a jack of all trades and a master of none, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. As Joe’s bio states on his website, his sound is “fresh, but tangibly rooted in nostalgia” and I think that’s the perfect way to describe it. Joe is also a self-proclaimed “Groover Not A Prover” and this conversation perfectly showcases that vibe. Originally from Rochester, NY, Joe has produced and released a number of albums under his name, followed by a project he calls Otis McDonald, writing audio library music for YouTube. As I said, he basically does everything and on top of produced / recording … he’s shared the stage with (and I might add not always on drums) with Stevie Wonder, Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead, Fred Wesley and PeeWee Ellis (members of James Brown’s band) Dave Schools (of Widespread Panic), Mike Gordon (of Phish), Martin Luther (of The Roots), Gift2Gab, Lyrics Born and many more. At the end of the day, Joe just wants you to dance. Enjoy the top 5 records the built Joe Bagale into the musician he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Connor Denis…drummer for the rock band Beartooth. Connor has been touring since he was 15…making sure that live rock n roll music still rocks. Seriously, he’s a basher, but has all the technical prowess in the world to back it up. He’s got an insanely long career ahead of him and has already accomplished so much at such a relatively young age. I rarely get young, hard hitting rock n rollers on this show, so this was a fun one. Please enjoy the top 5 records (in order) that shaped Connor’s playing.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
This week’s guest is Dave Elitch and this chat is long overdue because he’s one of the most-mentioned drummers on this podcast…behind Levon Helm, of course. Dave has played with The Mars Volta, The 1975, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake…and countless others, but a lot of drummers know him as a “teacher’s teacher”. He’s helped many of the best drummers (and instructors) fine tune their own playing such as Jason McGerr, Benny Greb, Tomas Haake, Chris McHugh and even Bill Burr...who I would love to get on this podcast. His zen-like approach to viewing drummers as athletes and listening to the body and how it relates to one’s goals makes him one of the most sough-after teachers today. His online instructional course, aptly named “Getting Out Of Your Own Way” was just updated (and we do talk about all of that in this episode), but I wanted to get to know the drummer behind the instructor. I hope you enjoy my chat with Dave about the 5 records that helped shaped the way he approaches the instrument. Cheers!
As promised: https://drinklmnt.com🤘🏻🥁🔥
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Matt Johnson...one of the most-respected drummers to a handful of the guests I’ve had on this podcast. He is probably most-known in the drumming community for playing on ‘Grace’ by Jeff Buckley. He was also the touring drummer with St. Vincent for a handful of years and played with many, many other artists (you can look them all up), but the two I just mentioned are enough to make him a legend. He’s an incredible teacher and a very philosophical thinker. This episode is chalk full of fun tangents that showcase his deep thinking and very passionate approach to music. We actually recorded this episode earlier in 2021, so I apologize for the wait, but it’s finally here!
So…the audio isn’t the best in this one, which is partly why I hadn’t released it, but I think the content is all worth it. The first words you’ll hear from Matt is him responding to a story that I’ve told a few times on this podcast about when we shared practice spaces across the hall from each other at a facility in Los Angeles. I took a lesson with him (it was obviously great) and at the end he wanted to see what kit I was working with him my room. At the time, it was a shared kit; it wasn’t even mine. I wanna say it was an old beat up Ludwig standard? with pitted heads and it was just falling apart. It did not sound good when I played it at all. But when he sat behind the kit, it transformed into the most vibey, musical kit I’d heard in-person in a long time. He proved it really is all in the hands and mind of the player. I think about that moment all time…anyways…enjoy my lighthearted, but simulatanously heavy conversation with one of my favorite drummers matt Johnson.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
**GET YOUR NOTEPAD OUT FOR THIS ONE!**
This week’s guest is Terry Keating of the Bonzoleum YouTube Page. Soooo when I first started this podcast, I had no idea what I was doing (and sometimes I feel like I still don’t) so it was just called ‘The Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast’. There wasn’t really any sort of format besides it somehow focusing on drums. In the summer of 2020, however, I started to hone in on a format that excited me, which is what you’re used to now, but I wanted to separate the original episodes from the current state of the show to avoid confusion. The good news is you can still hear all of the conversations at bigfatsnaredrum.com under the Archived Episodes tab, but they no longer exist on this feed. That being said, one of my favorite episodes EVER features Terry Keating, a massive John Bonham historian and enthusiast. While it was one of the most-listened-to episodes, it was released under the ‘Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast’ era so TO THE ARCHIVE IT WENT! For many reasons, I wanted to bring this episode back to life, therefore, I am re-airing it so people can enjoy the energy that is Terry Keating. I initially wanted to get him on the show to discuss 5 hidden gems in John Bonham's catalogue that drummers might not necessarily know unless he or she is a huge Led Zeppelin fan. I’m not NOT a fan, but I’d fall in the category that a lot of my peers fall into of, “yeah, I know Fool in the Rain, Good Times Bad Times, Rock 'n Roll and When the Levee Breaks, but I know I SHOULD know more.” I don’t think we’re a small group, so that's why I wanted to have Terry on. Anyways, we immediately started talking like old friends so I put all my notes away and just pushed record. It ended being an almost-2 hr conversation about what makes Bonzo Bonzo, why people are obsessed with his gear as much as his playing (sometimes more), and just tons of anecdotes/fun pieces of trivia that only a Bonzo aficionado would know. I was gonna try to edit it down, but Terry is super fun to listen to so I basically kept the whole thing running. This might take a few listens, but this ended up being one of my favorite drumming conversations in the past few years. Thank you Terry for being so generous with your time and enthusiasm for all that is Bonzo. Alright, shutting up….cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Mr. Joe Plummer. Joe has played drums for Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids, The Shins, The Black Heart Procession and so many more in addition to releasing his own album, Hew Time, with Dale Crover and Coady Willis. Basically, he’s a really cool dude. He’s the epitome of a working drummer and I love the personality he brings to any band he signs on with. He’s also the host of his own podcast called Tour Stories, which we discuss towards the end of the episode. Please enjoy my conversation with Joe about the main influences that shaped him into the very-sought-after drummer he is today. Cheers! And Happy Holidays! Relax for a damn second.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This is part 2 of my conversation with Guy Licata. While we kept to the traditional format in the first half of our chat, I think the topic of today’s episode deserved its own place in the sun. Guy prepared Emmy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed for his role as a drummer in Amazon Studios’ film ‘Sound of Metal’. He was tasked with all aspects of the drum set instruction and preparation for the role over a seven-month period. To crudely sum it up, the movie tells the story of Reuben, a touring metal drummer who experiences sudden and permanent hearing loss and how he has to deal with the life-altering consequences that diagnosis entails. I wanted to hear all about that process and how it most-certainly differs from normal instruction.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Guy Licata. Guy is most recently known as the founder of Reflexx Practice Pads (now the Zildjian Reflexx Conditioning Pad), but Guy is more than just a business owner; he’s a master player himself. While he’s a very-sought after teacher himself, Guy has studied with the greats including Jim Chapin and Jojo Mayer, which we get into during the episode. He’s played with countless artists over the years including Museum of Love (fronted by LCD Soundsystem’s Pat Mahoney), Santigold, Head Automatica, Shakira, RAC, Fischerspooner and many, many more. He’s a fountain of energy with a passion for talking drums that makes my job as a host very easy. He also prepared Emmy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed for his role as a drummer in Amazon Studios film ‘Sound of Metal’ where he was tasked with all aspects of the drum set instruction and preparation for the role over an intensive seven-month period, with Riz having no formal experience as a drummer. We discussed that experience for a ‘Part 2’ of our conversation coming out at a later date, but for the time being, please enjoy my conversation with Guy Licata as he dissects the top 5 influences that shaped the way he approaches the instrument. We talked for a while prior to pushing record, so you’re jumping into a moving train right off the bat. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This weeks guest is Mr. Jason McGerr. What can you say about Jason?...wellllllll, he’s the drummer for Death Cab For Cutie and one hell of a drum educator. It seems like everything he says is carefully thought out and this conversation is no exception. Yes, we get into the top 5 influences that shaped the player he is today, but it’s the little pockets of wisdom throughout that made this one of the most fruitful conversations we’ve had on this podcast. I look up to Jason a whole hell of a lot and his perspectives on technique, finding your own voice and ultimately protecting that voice with a vengeance are something we should all subscribe to. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did, and if you haven’t already, please rate and review. Unless you hate it…just have a great day! Cheers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Darshan Doshi. Darshan is a prolific Indian drummer and composer based in Mumbai. He’s recorded a million Bollywood movie soundtracks and is one of the busiest drummers in India for the studio / tv / live stage...basically anywhere you’d need a drummer, Darshan is your guy. I’ve known him for a few years now and his passion for both bringing Indian rhythms to the international stage AND bringing more Western style drumming / drummers to India is very inspiring to say the least. He’s the epitome of a drumming ambassador and I had a blast learning about the influences that made Darshan Darshan. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Jonny Scott. Jonny is a badass session drummer for both the studio and stage who’s played with two of my favorite artists The Kills and CHVRCHES (among many others). He’s one of the go-to drummers when a band is looking to start adding the live drummer element after years without. You can trust him to do the job and bring the song to life in the most musical way. I look up to him in a lot of ways and it was an honor to chat with him. Please enjoy learning about what made Jonny Jonny. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Michael Benjamin Lerner…drummer, singer, and primary songwriter for the band Telekinesis. I love having songwriters on the show because, as we discuss in this episode, they usually have more of a birds-eye-view-approach to writing drum parts. I was made aware of Michael’s drumming in a really fun way (which we discuss) and, while I never got to meet him when we were both living up in Seattle, this chat is long overdue…at least for me. Michael’s drumming is powerful, deliberate and just fun. We chatted for a long time and a lot our conversation didn’t make the episode, but I made sure to keep in Michael’s perspective on the current state of the music industry and his spot-advice for how to be a successful band member. We, of course, sprinkle in some influences throughout. It got a little rushed at the end, which I do regret, but we’re both busy guys and sometimes it do be like that. He is such a sweetheart and I hope you enjoy this episode. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Ira Elliot, drummer for the alternative rock band Nada Surf. Formed in the 90’s, Nada Surf has been going strong for multiple decades with no signs of stopping and Ira has been the backbone behind it all. Ira could be on a Mount Rushmore of drummers who know how to instill their own vibe while not taking anything away from a songwriter’s (in this case, Matthew Caws’) impactful words and melodies. While he definitely has fun behind the kit throughout the records, listening to Nada Surf takes you to school on how to just drum…cool. You know what mean? There’s a quiet confidence about his drum writing and you’ll see what I meannnnn in this episode. Please enjoy my conversation with Ira while we dissect a few songs from his career the top 5 shtuffs that made him into the drummer I wish I was. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Patrick Hallahan, drummer for the rock band My Morning Jacket. Formed in 1998, My Morning Jacket leans heavily into rock and country, but they pride themselves in have no limitations. Patrick, while certainly not tame on MMJ’s records by any means, is a monster drummer live and provides the perfect foundation for a lot of the band’s experimentation. I loved this conversation and was grateful geek out about Levon Helm yet again! Patrick has a great story about meeting Levon so listen for that and be sure to check out My Morning Jacket’s new album which came out Oct 22nd of 2021…and have a great damn day. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Adam Deitch. Adam is the Grammy-nominated drummer for the bands Lettuce and Break Science. He’s also played and / or collaborated with legends such as John Scofield, 50 Cent, Average White Band, DJ Quik, Matisyahu and many, many more. His power and intention behind the kit is one of the most inspiring things to watch and he seems to reinvent his career every few years by just choosing what project to focus on in that moment…because he trusts his instincts. The thru line, however, has always been his collaboration with Lettuce. Anyways, Adam has been on a few previous guest’s top and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Adam Deitch.
Earth, Wind & Fire Concert (Oakland Coliseum 1981)
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is the Global Drumming Ambassador himself, Mr. Dom Famularo. I gush over Dom’s impact on my playing at the top of this episode because Dom is an incredible drummer / educator / author / motivational speaker / and lifter-upper-of-vibes based on Long Island. He’s an authority (to say the least!) and it was an honor to have him on the show. In this episode, Dom breaks down the top 5 influences that shaped his playing style. I could also just rename this the Steve Gadd appreciation episode, but Dom has a very thoughtful and unique reason for each of his choices. Please enjoy…Mr. Dom Famularo. Cheers!
DONATE TO ‘WHY HUNGER’ HERE!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today, we have Mike Edison (author of the book “Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters”) on the show to discuss the quintessential recordings that showcase Charlie Watts’ progression as a player. Obviously, this is subjective, but thanks to Mike’s EXTENSIVE knowledge of both Charlie’s career and style, I knew he would nail it. Many people, including myself, take The Rolling Stones for granted and have yet to truly dive deep into the humble greatness that was Charlie Watts.
I also must give a BIG FAT shoutout to our mutual friend Bart van der Zee of Drum Historypodcast for introducing me to Mike. And please go check out their interviews on the Drum History feed as those conversations tackle the treasure trove of Charlie’s career from a different angle.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Mr. Joe Seiders of The New Pornographers…which I consider a supergroup of songwriters including A.C. Newman, Neko Case, Dan Bejar and, well...the rest of the band; they're all amazing. I’ve known Joe for a few years now after first meeting him backstage at a New Pornographers show, but I’ve always been a big fan of his drumming. As is the case with most of my favorite drummers, he’s a songwriter’s drummer…you know…the best kind?
His advice on recording and writing drum parts is sprinkled all throughout this conversation pertaining to the top 5 influences that shaped his playing style. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s episode is nothing but good vibes. We’ve got Carson Gant aka @oneupdrumvids on the show. Carson’s ability to recreate classic loops and drum breaks on the acoustic kit is unmatched, but not so much in the vein of Jojo Mayer, Adam Betts, or Richard Spaven (which I know I’ve described in a similar way), Carson focused more on the slower, hip-hop style grooves that might SEEM a little more approachable in comparison to the drummers I just mentioned, but ohhhhh no. Believe me, there are a lot of nuances within a groove that are only exposed at a slower tempo…at least in comparison to drum n bass. This has been a long time coming because Carson has been a busy little Canadian bee launching a website providing different take on the classic loop library system called oneupdrumvids.com which we also talk about during the show. Please enjoy my conversation with Carson Gant on all things groove and the top 5 influences that made him into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Jake Reed. Jake is a Los Angeles-based session player / educator and the host of an incredible YouTube Channel breaking down recording techniques….(also, I must give a big shoutout to Blair Sinta for inspiring me to reach out to Jake after hearing him as a guest on the “Recording Drums with Blair Sinta” podcast). On top of knowing how to explain things in an extremely approachable way, Jake is simply an amazing drummer. He’s performed / recorded with trioKAIT, Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, Bill Cunliffe, Bruce Forman, Cow Bop, Seth MacFarlane, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Matt Forbes, Larry Goldings, Anthony Wilson, Adam Levy, Bob Mintzer, Les McCann, Freda Payne, the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Synowiec, Mako, Ellis Hall, Tommy Torres, and Frenship.
He’s even been asked to sub for Peter Erskine soooooo there’s that. I love his overall energy and perspective on this often-too-serious world of drumming and I knew his choices would expand my own palate and (since I’m recording this after our conversion) I can confidently say I was rightt…just like always! Anyways….I have a feeling Jake will be a recurring guest on this podcast in many facets…so I hope you like this one. If you don’t. Just push PLAY while your phone is on mute because it’s all about those numbers baby. Cheers.
Check out Jake’s online store HERE
Check out trioKAIT’s online store HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Anika Nilles. She doesn’t really need an introduction because there’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said, but she’s a German drummer who took the drumming world by storm in 2013 and has solidified time and time again why she’s one of the best drummers in the world. I’m continuously blown away that I have the opportunity to chat with people that I admire every week and I can honestly say drummers are the best group of people. I love my job….so please enjoy the top 5 influences that shaped the playing style of Anika Nilles.
P.S. I want to get to know you! Please email me at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram @benhilzinger and tell me a little bit about yourself! Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
We’ve got Justin Scott aka @jscottdrummer on the show today dropping a whoooooole ton of knowledge. I’ve been obsessed with Justin’s drumming for years and I’m sure you have too. If not, you WILL BE after this episode. He is a monster player that can fit more notes in a 15-second clip than I can in a lifetime, but he always puts music first. He’s a great teacher and you can find all of his extremely affordable lesson plans on his website jscottdrummer.net. I have personally bought and used every single one and can’t recommend them enough. If you watch one video of his on Instagram, it might make you want to hang up your boots, but his lessons break down drumming in a really approachable way that will inspire you all over again and make even the fastest and most creative players seem a whole lot less intimidating. Please enjoy the top 5 happenings that made Justin Scott into the player he is today. Cheeeeeerrrssss.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is one of my good friends and host of the Drum History podcast, Bart van der Zee. Drum History was actually one of the first shows I reached out to when creating The Drum Click Podcast Network. I am a huge fan of the work that Bart does with Drum History, but I feel like people might not know the man behind the microphone as much as they should. While he DID do a special Drum History 100th episode where he was interviewed by his brother to tell a little bit about his backstory as a drummer and engineer, I was eager to get him on MY show to dissect the influences that shaped his playing style, because besides being an incredible host, Bart is an incredible drummer. Be sure to check out his podcast for all the geeky, drum nerdery stuff pertaining to the history of the best instrument ever AND check out all the other podcasts on The Drum Click. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Philo Tsoungui…an independent drummer based in Berlin, Germany. If you don’t already know, one of my duties at Big Fat Snare Drum is Artist Relations. On one of my first days witht he company, Philo received my first endorsement offer. It was so immediately obvious to me that Philo was going to be a tastemaker for years to come and it’s still an honor to see our gear behind that kit. Philo has played with so many acts including Chefket, Mine, Fatoni, Mal Eleve, Elif, and Lxandra. I honestly can’t say enough about Philo’s playing; it just works. You can lump it into the Hip Hop category, but it’s so much more than any one genre…as you’ll find out in this episode. I have been looking forward to chatting Philo for a long time so this was definitely special. Please enjoy the top 5 influences that shaped the amazing, Philo Tsougnui. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
My name is Ben Hilzinger and this week’s guest is Lina Anderberg. I found out about Lina through her Instagram (@linaanderberg) and I was immediately blown away. She’s originally from Sweden, but moved to LA to attend Musicians Institute right before all of the world shut down. It was quite the frustrating story dealing with all that and she is currently in Stockholm waiting for her opportunity to get back to the states. In the meantime, I was really excited to pick her brain because she has an incredible pocket and, at the top of the show, I oogle over her hand technique. I actually had to cut some of it out because I just wouldn’t move on, but I guarantee Lina is going to be playing with some amazing artists in the future and I can’t wait to see her career continue to flourish. Please enjoy my conversation with Lina Anderberg on the top influences that made her into the drummer she is today. Cheeerrrssss.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is one of my favorite people, Scott McPherson. Scott founded Tackle Instrument Supply Company and was one of our first guests EVER on the podcast back when we had a different name and a different / no format. Back then, I did a series of episodes called “Behind The Company” and brought Scott on the show to tell the story of Tackle…soooo go check that out; it’s episode #12. In that conversation, we merely scratched the surface of Scott’s amazing drummer career (focusing mainly on his business), but Scott’s also written / performed with Sense Field, M. Ward, She and Him, Beck, Elliot Smith and many, many more. Please enjoy my conversation with Scott McPherson as we discuss the top 5 influences that made him into the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
My guest this week is Mr. Jojo Mayer…a mind-blowing player who helped pioneer the drum n bass movement in New York City by “reverse engineering” programmed drum loops and applying them to the drum set. He is also revered for his exceptional technique, which he dissects in the wildly-popular instructional series titled “Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer Parts 1 & 2”. He is also the leader of his own band, Nerve, which he founded back in 1997. We don’t necessarily stick to the normal format in this one; Jojo is a great storyteller. We start off with a few anecdotes about a cymbal once-owned by Billy Higgins that Jojo picked up by happenstance AND Jojo’s time spent “studying” with Freddy Gruber, but we certainly touch on a lot of Jojo’s opinions / perspectives regarding accepting influences, but knowing when they’re actually a detriment to your personal growth on the instrument. He’s a very philosophical man and he shares quite a few nuggets of slap-you-in-the-face style wisdom. Please go check out all of his projects and, if you’re interested, check out Nerve’s Patreon HERE. I hope you enjoy my talk with Jojo Mayer.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is returning champ..Dan Bailey! Dan is certainly a friend of the podcast and ever since we switched over to the new format, I’ve really wanted to have him back on the show. He’s a well-oiled engineer, studio owner and drummer…not necessarily in that order…currently the drumming and MD’ing for Father John Misty, but Dan’s also worked with Reignwolf, Pacific Air, First Aid Kit, Onerepublic, Christina Aguilera and yada yada yada. Be sure to check out his previous episodes on the podcast from 5000 years ago. But I hope you enjoy todays conversation about the top 6 (he’s an overachiever) influences that shaped his very-sought-after playing styled cheers!.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Tosh Peterson aka @tosh_thedrummer. I’ve been following his playing for quite some time now and, while his professional career is relatively new, he’s accomplished a TON and seen more of the world than most players do in their entire lifetime. His showmanship is what grabbed my attention right away, but his finesse coupled with a deceptively controlled bombast is the reason he’s played and IS playing with some of the top players in the game right now including Machine Gun Kelly, Jaden Hossler, Nik Best, Carlie Hanson and many, many more. His is a name you’re gonna being hear a lot of in the coming years and he’s earned every damn bit of it. He’s incredible and approaches his craft with equal parts levity and intensity. Please enjoy the top 5 inspirations that help mold Mr. Tosh Peterson. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is producer, studio owner and drummer, Frankie Siragusa. We are switching up formats a little bit for this episode; I had initially planned for this conversation to be a BONUS episode, but I think it still falls into the traditional format in its own unique ways. We’ve all heard a producer or bandmate say “Hey…give me a Ringo vibe!” when suggesting drum parts for a new song, but what the hell does that ACTUALLY mean? Having recently released the album "Goodbye My Love (Lost Songs of The Beatles Covered and Rediscovered)", Frankie is THE guy to explain what that DOES and DOES NOT mean. This conversation is just two Beatle maniacs talking about one of the greatest to ever do it so please enjoy our chat on the 5 key elements that make Ringo Starr Ringo Starr. This is guaranteed to improve your drumming or you get your money back. Enjoy!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Ian Chang. I love love love Ian’s playing. I first saw him live back in 2017 in Los Angeles following NAMM where he was performing and promoting his first solo effort, Spiritual Leader, utilizing his Sensory Percussion gear (which we do get into during this episode). In addition to being a MONSTER solo act, Ian mans the skins for Son Lux and Landlady (both have released new music recently btw) among many other projects. His timing within a groove is extremely fluid, but he never loses the essential pocket that makes it all work…and oh boy does it work!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Mark Stepro. Mark is the epitome of an LA-based working drummer with a resume that includes recording and/or performing with The Wallflowers, Ben Kweller, Courtney Love, Jackson Browne, Brett Dennen, Keith Urban, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, Butch Walker, Leon Bridges…the list certainly goes on. Mark has an infectious energy and we actually shared lockouts across from each other in LA for about a year without ever realizing it. I always just heard this great drummer across the hall that reminded me how much I needed to work on my feel. So thanks Mark. We start the show with walk down memory lane before hopping into Mark’s top 5 influences that made him into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Richard “Crave The Spave” Spaven. He’s been one of the most requested names as of late and ohhhhhh what a treat it was! Having played with Jose James, Flying Lotus, Gang Star, Cinematic Orchestra, Jameszoo (which I was hipped to via Ian Maciak on HIS episode) and many more, Richard’s career as a sideman alone is enough to put him in the legend category, but it’s his solo ventures that really showcase his unique ability to be a drummer’s drummer without being too drummy. These are, of course, all technical terms, but he respects both the craft and the audience at all times. His ability to finagle through complex patterns while maintaining a conscious level of listenability is second to none. He’s a proper English gentlemen and, in this episode, he dissects the 5 biggest influences that made him into the drummer he is today.
Big Fat Five Podcast – Richard Spaven Playlist
Source Direct - Secret Liaisons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=480Q_aZUcxw
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Adam Betts. My brain does not move as fast as his hands can drum (which might not mean a lot these days), but Adam is a beast of a player with a list of collaborators including Squarepusher, Three Trapped Tigers, Heritage Orchestra, Goldie, Jarvis Cocker, Pete Tongand many more in addition to his solo project titled Colossal Squid which has new music coming out this year. Adam’s energy does not stop at the kit and this conversation about his top 5 influences is filled with a ton of insight from one of today’s most creative drummers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Griffin Goldsmith, drummer for the band Dawes. He has also worked with countless artists such as Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Robbie Robertson, Jim Keltner, Elvis Costello, Sharon Von Etten, Angel Olson, Jenny Lewis, Bahamas and the list goes on and on. He’s recently added film scoring to his list of accomplishments. His delicate and deliberate touch is timeless and honors the gold standard of what it means to be a studio musician. Conversations like this are why I get so excited every week to talk to the best drummers of the day. Griffin’s choices are sourced from the apex of human artistry behind the kit and I know you will all be better drummers after hearing what he has to say. That being said, the audio on this one wasn’t the best. As a sign of the times, we had to resort to zoom audio for most of this. I pride myself in trying to get the best audio for you guys, but heyyyy…as Dawes says, “Things happen; that’s all they ever do”. Please enjoy my conversation with Griffin Goldsmith…also please go down a rabbit hole of his playing, not only throughout the entire Dawes catalogue, but all the artists I just mentioned. I can't stress enough how underrated he is.
Griff Using an Arbiter Auto-Tune (as promised):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhJYm1VDqMM
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Mark Guiliana. So so much to say. If you’re listening to this show, I’ll assume you are aware of the man but still, he’s a bandleader for his groups Beat Music, the Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet, and Heernt in addition to being a key collaborator with artists such as Brad Mehldau, Avishai Cohen, Dave Douglas, Matisyahu, Chris Morrissey, and the late, legendary David Bowie. Of course the list goes on and on. Mark’s blend of jazz with electronic music continues to set him apart and in this episode, we, as always, dive into the top 5 influences that shaped his playing style. I started off the show by picking a few songs from marks career and asked him to tell a little backstory surrounding each. This one meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Jesse Kongos of the band...Kongos. I had the pleasure of opening up for and sharing a bus with Kongos for two tours in 2019 and those memories are some of my favorite ever from being on the road. In this episode, Jesse (the drummer and one of the vocalists / singers for the band) breaks down the top 5 influences that shaped the player and writer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Ian Maciak…or as many of you might know him…@ianhitsdrums on instagram. His machine-like playing incorporates the proper pinch of humanity to pull you in and build a soundscape that only he can create. I’ve loved the finesse of his playing from afar for quite some time now and it’s certainly a direction I want my OWN playing to go. You can check him out on the track ‘Sleepy Pietro’ from the new Machinedrum album or relax to his drumming in the “Focus” and Lo-Fii Beats” playlists on the Headspace app…among many other projects that he’ll be announcing soonish. Also, go check out his Patreon where you can download his original drum grooves, loops, and one shots. And as always, you can check out all the songs referenced or played during this episode in a Spotify playlist. Just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Ian Maciak'. Alright…enjoy my chat with Ian Maciak and the top 5 influences that shaped his amazing style. Cheers!
As promised: Naji
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This is short little bonus clip that was cut from the main episode featuring Aaron Steele for the sake of time. In it, Aaron breaks down a few songs chosen by me from his prolific career that represent a few different periods of his life. Be sure to check out the main episode where Aaron breaks down the top influences that shaped his playing and writing style. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Aaron Steele. Aaron is a melting pot of creativity who has a Rolodex of influences including everything from hardcore to jazz to singer-songwriter to r&b to electronica to funk to pop and back again. Don’t you dare put him in a box! Aaron’s resume includes Portugal. The Man. Hayley Williams of Paramore, Peter Bradley Adams, Chrome Sparks, Jose James and, of course, many more. Our chat went well over two hours, so I consolidated it just a bit. We’ll be jumping in right as we get into the topic of comparing yourself to other players (something that Aaron never does)…before eventually dissecting the top 5 influences that shaped Aaron’s style. As to be expected, Aarons’s choices are NOT expected, but they are very impactful and I’m really excited to dive deeper into all these artists.
You can find all the songs referenced or played in this episode in a Spotify playlist. Just search ‘Big Fat Five Podcast - Aaron Steele’. Please enjoy my conversation with the ever-unique and talented Aaron Steele.
Hayley Willaims: Tiny Desk Concert
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This is Part 2 and essentially a bonus episode for my conversation with Dan Mayo. Today, Dan talks about the 5 specific records that shaped the way he tunes his drums (something that he is quite known for) and approaches writing in general. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Dan Mayo. Dan is an Israeli drummer with one of the most distinct sounds of any player today…partly thanks to his A&F drum set, but mostly do to his personality behind the kit and background in a wide range of musical genres. His main project is the power trio, TATRAN, but Dan is also a prolific solo artist in addition to working with many other legends such as Ester Rada & Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. We chatted for quite awhile and so I split our conversation into two parts. Part 1 starts off with me playing a bunch of song from Dan’s career followed by a discussion on each. We then get into some listener questions and eventually dive into a more general list of the top 5 influences that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Part 2 is the 5 specific records that shaped the way he tunes his drums and approaches writing in general. Not only is Dan a very generous human being, he’s funny and humble and I really hope these episodes turn you into a dan fan. Enjoy part 1 Cheers :)
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s episode is payback for the boys from the podcast Working Drummer forcing me to take time out of MY damn day a few weeks ago to bump up THEIR podcast numbers. Now I’m totally using them.
All kidding aside, I absolutely love Matt and Zack. Their podcast (Working Drummer) highlights real stories of the every day “working drummer” and features guests, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. These conversations can help us all feel a little better about our own “path”. Please check it out. In this joint episode, I chatted with the boys about the top 5 influences that shaped their playing style. Aside from being amazing podcast hosts, Zack and Matt are incredibly accomplished drummers and VERY different players than me. I learned a s*$t ton in this episode and I know you will too.
Also...I created a Spotify playlist for all the songs played and/or mentioned in this episode. Just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Working Drummer'
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Ash Soan.
I don’t even know where to begin; he’s a complete badass and unless you’ve gone OUT OF YOUR WAY to avoid him, you certainly know who he is. Ash has been one of the most in-demand session and live drummers in the UK for decades, but with his growing popularity on social media and the finishing of his Windmill Studio behind his home in Norfolk, England, he’s gone global with remote sessions. His resume includes live performances and/or recordings with Adele, Seal, James Morrison, Cee Lo Green, Robbie Williams, Stewart Copeland, Ronan Keating, The Trevon Horn Band, Cher, Billy Idol, Del Amitri and soooo many more. In this episode, we start of by dissecting a few clips from his career…curated by yours truly and unbeknownst to Ash beforehand…..then answer some listener questions and eventually jump into the top 5 influences that shaped Mr. Ash Soan. Getting to chat with him was such a pleasure and I hope you guys enjoy as I try to hold back my excitement and not interrupt him TOO much. I’ve created a Spotify playlist containing all the songs discussed and played in this show, just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Ash Soan'. Also, go check out his new EP, titled 66991. Cheers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s episode is a premiere / takeover of a new podcast by our very good friend...Sarah Hagan. Sarah worked for many years as the Head of Zildjian Artist Relations Worldwide, but now runs her own media and consulting business for the music industry as a whole. Through the years, Sarah has mastered the art of creating, developing and maintaining genuine relationships with the world's greatest drummers. With her new podcast, titled Sarah Hagen Backstage, Sarah is able to pull something a little different from her guests because they aren’t talking to any old podcast host, they’re talking to their friend. This obviously gives her an advantage and I’m extremely jealous! That being said, we have some really exciting yet-to-be-announced...um...announcements involving Sarah, myself and a few people you just may know...but more on that later :) I hope you enjoy this week’s takeover episode of Sarah Hagan Backstage with her first guest Gavin Harrison. We’ll be back next week with our regularly scheduled programming. Be sure to subscribe to her feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week's guest is Atom Willard. Atom played with some of my favorite bands growing up including Rocket From the Crypt, The Offspring, Social Distortion, and Angels and Airwaves, but he is the current drummer for Against Me! and Laura Jane Grace and The Devouring Mothers. As I often do in the days leading up to these chats, I went down a rabbit hole of Atom's drumming and I was blown away by how much of my OWN playing can be attributed to Mr. Willard...like...it's actually embarrassing. This one meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Atom Willard as he dissects his biggest musical influences that made him into the drummer he is today. Cheers ya’ll.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is the ever-energetic Nate Morton, drummer for NBC’s The Voice. His career spans multiple decades and performances with some pretty damn good artists such as Paul Stanley, Madonna, Chaka Kan, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Carlton, Miley Cyrus, Poe and many, many more. Nate is a monster player who knows exactly how to match the playing-for-the-song element with his own unique and powerful creative voice...no pun intended. This was such a fun conversation and we talked for HOURS so this is a very condensed version for the sake of focus, but I guarantee you will be hearing more of our chats in future episodes. Enjoy my hang with the one of my favorite humans…Nate Morton.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week we have the returning champion Madden Klass on the show to discuss the Top 5 drumming influences that shaped her playing style. Currently a student at Berklee, Madden also plays with Raavi and the Houseplants, Space Junk is Forever, Mike Doughty, Wheatus, a newer band called Mæges and many more. She was one of the last guests before we switched over this newer format and I’ve wanted to get her back on ever since. Her first episode was a very interesting deep dive into her theories on technique and practicing…so go check that out. It’s chalk full of great advice from both Madden herself and teachers that have helped her along the way. She really is one of my favorite drummers and I can’t wait to see what her career becomes. I’m seriously having such a good time with these interviews and discovering drummers that have really started changing my own playing. Thank you for coming on this journey with me and enjoy my fruitful conversation with the great Madden Klass.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Liberty DeVitto…the rhythmic powerhouse behind 22 of Billy Joel's 23 top 40 hits and all six of his Grammy Award-winning recordings. His ability to seamlessly switch between mature session musician and bombastic live showman should be a guiding light for a lot of players you and old (me) alike. I had a blast talking with Liberty as we broke down the top five influences that shaped his drumming style. Also…go buy his damn book…which we talk about throughout. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Curt Bisquera…or as most people know him “Kirkee B”. He’s played with so many great artists such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sarah Mclaughlin, Lana Del Ray, Johnny Cash and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. His pocket is deep and his stories are endless. I brought him on the show to break down the top 5 moments in his career that best represent his legacy as a player. From moving to LA to pursue a career in drumming at MI as a young kid who couldn’t read music to eventually playing the biggest stages in the world…Kirkee B is a man who takes opportunities and smashes them out of the park. His mixture of being at the right place at the right time (WITH the right information to stand out) is a common theme. Do your homework, play to the song, know the technology of the day and be more like Kirkee B. There…now you don’t even have to listen. But please do.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This could be the most important episode I’ve had the pleasure to record. Levon Helm of The Band was one of the greatest to ever do it. Thusly, everything I’ve typed / erased / retyped / and so on for this intro feels utterly contrived or underwhelming when trying to describe a musician of this magnitude. As Rolling Stone Magazine once wrote, “Levon Helm is the only drummer that can make you cry.”. He changed the game in so many ways and, to be honest, DOESN’T GET THE DAMN CREDIT HE DESERVES.
I invited one of my new favorite people (and fellow Levon enthusiast), Steve from Junkdrummer TV, on the show to dissect the top 5 recordings that best represent Levon’s legacy as a player. I couldn’t have been happier with how this came out and I hope this episode introduces a bunch of people to their new favorite drummer.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Our guest this week is Tim Baltes or, to many, @timbofromkeno on Instagram. He’s known as a funny man, but a big reason why his schtick works is because he’s a monster player as well. We break down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his style and, in true form, Tim was authentic and blazed his own trail with his picks…which aren’t the traditional choices. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tim Baltes.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Dimitri Fantini…a great drummer and instructor based in Maryland. I personally subscribe to his Patreon and I suggest you do the same thing. Since Dimitri is technically one of my online instructors, I thought I’d invite him on to discuss some myths that we hear being taught that are just wrong. We had a great time, but tended to agree on almost everything…BORING! Anyways, we dissect the following myths:
1) Only practice what you're bad at/If you sound good, you're not practicing.
2) There is one correct way to hold a stick.
3) Learning more "stuff" or patterns will make me a better drummer
4) Drums sound best when hit in the center (rimshots or toms).
Dimitri & Tim Baltes mock drum lesson video HERE
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Big Data, Bruce Springsteen) and I were ODDLY excited about recording this one. We each brought on 5 songs that best represent that feeling of, “um…I can’t find the one....guys?!....I CANT FIND THE ONE!!”. It’s happened to all of us and it’s a feeling we both LOVE. Many songs are easily heard (and perhaps meant to be easily heard) with multiple different pulses, while some just go out of their way to have a “gotcha!” moment. Either way, this was the most fun I’ve had with the podcast so far and both Gunnar & myself are really excited for you to have a listen.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
I invited Kris back on the show to discuss how difficult this last year has been for us (Big Fat Snare Drum) as a small business and what we’ve done to keep the doors open. I’m calling it, “Big Fat Progress”, because I really don’t see this year as much of a setback for us as it was an uncomfortably-forced pivot. After that, I asked Kris some of my favorite questions about his ethos on business in general. Kris is almost always right when it comes to what will resonate with people on a large scale. I guarantee you will take something away from this.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
LAST EPISODE OF 2020! This is Part 2 of the “Best of 2020” where I put together a show of my favorite clips from the past year. Enjoy! See you (or hear me) in the new year!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
The next few episodes are gonna be a very self indulgent “Best of 2020”. I’ve put together some of my favorite clips of the podcast so far with a little backstory for each. If any of my previous guests are listening and you don’t hear your clips, it's cause I thought you were really boring and I don’t like you at all. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
I’m back with Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Big Data, Bruce Springsteen) for another segment of ‘Save It For The Pod’ where we pause our private conversations about various musical topics until we can record it for the MASSES (that’s you). This week’s episode has us dissecting each of our ‘Top 5 Dance Music Bands That Feature Live Drummers’.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
We’ve got Tucker Rule, drummer for Thursday, on this week’s episode of the ‘Big Fat Five’ pod breaking down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his playing style…and it’s a damn fun playing style. Not only is Tucker a rhythmic powerhouse, he’s quite possibly the nicest guy in the world (sorry to ‘out’ you Tucker). We had a really fun conversation that went well beyond his influences including lessons learned from working with Dave Elitch, perspectives on practicing, and how each of us deal with the frustrations, yet needed patience, of always wanted to become better players.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is, Yuri Ruley…drummer for the iconic punk band, MxPx. His speed, creativity and disciple were a huge influence on me growing up, and if ever need a good a$# whippin', I’ll put on 'Life In General' and sweat my way through a barrage of beats at tempos that make me question Yuri’s sanity. We discuss the top 5 songs that best represent his influences when he first started playing drums. Please enjoy my podcast with The Legend, Yuri Ruley.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Continuing with the theme of keeping things fresh, Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Big Data, Bruce Springsteen) and I have started a new segment of the show called “Save it for the Pod” or "S.I.F.T.P" where we pause our private conversations about a particular musical topic until we can record it for the MASSES.
This week’s topic is the timeless and seemingly underrated drummer of Radiohead, Phil Selway. Gunnar and I each choose our top 5 Phil beats and go a dissectin’!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Sarah Thawer…a Toronto-based, freelance drummer, percussionist, pianist and overall badass with a style consisting of a unique blend of jazz, Indian, world and funk style drumming. She is one of my favorite drummers to watch, literally, because you can’t help but notice the enjoyment on her face and her love of improvisation is a true testament to her capabilities behind the kit. Her playing blows my mind and I was really excited to have her on the show to dissect the top 5 drumming moments that shaped her style. Her positivity and approach to navigating a career in the music industry is something I’ve admired for quite a long time. Please enjoy my conversation with the incredibly talented, Sarah Thawer.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Eric Slick, drummer for Dr. Dog. Eric is a great player with a modern-day Ringo-esque approach to serving the song…which is an obvious focus when you hear his drum parts...parts that are deceivingly hard to execute well. His effortless technique is something I’ve admired from afar and I was really anxious to hear about the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his style. In addition to his tenure in Dr. Dog and working as a drummer for many other artists, Eric is a prolific songwriter himself. His most recent album, “Wiseacre”, came out this year…and it rulezz. Please enjoy my conversation with Eric Slick. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Daru Jones. My God I love Daru. While he definitely puts focus on appearances, as you can see if you’ve ever seen his drum set, Daru has certain sway to his feel that makes it impossible to sit or stand still when you hear his groove. He’s two-time Grammy Award winning player who’s worked with Jack White, Gloria Gaynor, Pete Rock, Slum Village, Jamie Lidell, Talib Kweli, Dwight Yoakam and many many more. I’m sure you picked up on the diversity of that list. Cheers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Steve Goold…a.k.a the “Steve” of Steve’s Donut. Steve tells the story of working with Kris (BFSD owner) and how the donut came to be before breaking down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his playing. Steve has recorded and/or toured with countless big hitters such as Sara Bareilles, Matt Kearney, Owl City, Ben Rector, Cory Wong and many more. His respect for the "song" and crafting the perfect drum part is very evident in the choices he made for this episode. I gained a lot and I hope you will too.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
The guest this week is Raghav Mehrotra. This young man started playing drums when he was three and by 5 years old (IMO) was already better than most lifelong players. He starred in Broadway's "School of Rock" while still physically going to school full-time. He just an insane player and I know he's gonna be on some killer records in the future. He's also an old soul. You think you're talking to a veteran of the craft, but honestly with how much he's already accomplished...he kinda is. Raghav breaks down the top 8 moments that made him the drummer he is today.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Randy Cooke. I certainly fluff him up at the beginning of our interview, but Rand just has everything you’d want in a drummer playing behind you. He is SO song focused and, as he states, “…It’s not about playing more things; it’s about playing the right thing”. His resume includes playing for Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Alanis Morissette, Dave Stewart, Kelly Clarkson…and believe me…many many more. Keeping with the theme of this season, Randy breaks down the top drumming moments that shaped his style. Cheeeeers.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Mike Dawson, managing editor of Modern Drummer Magazine and co-host of the Modern Drummer Podcast w/ Mike and Mike (the other Mike being Mike Johnston). They have exactly 250 archived episodes so go check that out…after you binge all of our episodes. Mike is an insanely artful player who exemplifies the idea of building creativity out of giving yourself limitations. He posts a lot of his weirdisms on his Instagram at @mikedawsondrums. You can also check out his website here. This episode is a reminder of how little I know when it comes to great drumming and it only reinforced my decision to continue with this format. Mike breaks down the drumming moments that shaped his playing. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
This week’s guest is Ben Barter…an Auckland-born, Los Angeles-based drummer/producer/storyteller and ex-dishwasher to the STARS. Ben has one of my favorite pockets and tastes in 'groove' so I was SUPER pumped to get him on the show. He’s played every major festival you can think of and has done all the talk shows. He’s the nicest bloke in the world and I know you’ll be smiling the whole time you listen to this one. Cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Bryan De Leon and we break down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his playing styles. Bryan’s powerful, rigid, and syncopated drum parts are infectious, to say the least, and it's the reason he drums for power-hitters like Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes, The Drums (a band...a very good band), The Shaking Hands and many more. I’m currently on a road trip right now, so I’m recording from an Airbnb…a tiny closet inside my Airbnb actually, but this episode finally introduced me to New Order and it’s basically all I’ve been listening to. So, thank you, Bryan. Also, I need to mention...I almost edited out my initial question of how asking Bryan how his pandemic is going. It's a lazy question, and I hated it the second it came out, but it ended up pulling a great response from Bryan and touched on points I really wanted to keep it…so I kept it in. I just want you to know that I know and alright....shutting up...cheers!
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Today’s guest is Brody Simpson and we talk about the top 5 drumming moments that played a huge part in the development of his sound. Brody’s feel and sense of pocket within a pocket are unmatched in my opinion and I don’t think I’m comfortable making it public how much time I’ve spent looping Brody’s videos. Needless to say, if you don’t know him, I’m so excited that you stumbled across this episode. His perspectives on groove and creating parts is a masterclass in many ways. Please enjoy.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Hello hello...today's show features the Big Fat Man himself, Kris Mazzarisi and myself, Ben Hilzinger, discussing the top 5 specific moments in either a recording or a performance that helped form us into the drummers we are today. We are all sponges for inspiration until the day we die, but some sponge-worthy moments are more remarkable than others. All of the little flourishes in our playing combine to give us a unique voice, but many of these derive from something we've heard or seen outside of our beautiful little creative minds. This is the first installment of a series we're dubbing "The Big Fat 5" where I talk with my favorite players about the 5 instances that changed and/or formed their playing.
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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!
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, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.