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Review from mikedolbear.com

The Modern Drummer festival has been running for many years and has become one of the most anticipated events in the drumming diary. Each year the stakes are raised for MD to organise a well-balanced mix of drummers to perform and satisfy the appetite of the thousands of drummers and musician who attend. The DVD encapsulates every aspect of the show and helps the viewer become part of the event.

There is a DVD set for each day. Each set contains of two DVDs; one contains the performances by each drummer and their bands including back stage scenes, while the other disc contains exclusive interviews and educational material both spoken and demonstrated, accompanied by an eBook in PDF form of all the transcriptions.

The two DVD sets split nicely into a groove based, instrumental show on the Saturday, while the Sunday incorporates more rock styles and jazz drummers. Both offer very solid performances, explanations and interviews.

Saturday 20th September – 5hrs 55mins

• Thomas Pridgen – He is one of the new kids on the block who plays with energy and a
• true love for drums. Check him out
• Billy Ward – A seasoned veteran whose performances are with his trio. The music creates space, swing, groove and amazing feel. The interview is worth a listen.
• Will Calhoun – This man is very rhythmic with great feel. His experimentation on the drums and percussion is very eclectic.
• Ndugu Chancler – He talks about groove, time and his experiences being one of the most in demand session drummers including working with Quincy Jones.
• Simon Phillips – A lovely blend of jazz fusion with explanations on playing with your ears and using odd meters. Try to keep counting. You’ll see what I mean when you have a listen

Sunday 21st September – 6hrs

• Carmine Appice’s SLAMM – Carmine introduces a power house of drumming percussionists to get the audience going. The group helps us remember that drums = fun!
• Derek Roddy – The metal guy speaking for the metal heads. Some sound advice for all genres. If you’re not into the ‘heavy stuff’ listen to his questions and answers section first, then watch the performances and you might appreciate more of what he is about.
• Dafnis Prieto – Precise and articulate around the drumset. He focuses in on jazz and he brings in his band to deliver some creative stuff pieces. The interview section makes you think about a variety of aspects every drummer should think about.
• Todd Sucherman – The seasoned drummer with a great musical awareness in rock, ballads, jazz and alike. He explains his approach to drumming had me pressing the back button many times through the educational part.
• Gavin Harrison – Is hard hitting and very creative in his approach. He’s a great one for rockers to jazzers alike.
• Bill Stewart – His views on music are inspiring and will have you running in to your drum room practicing for hours

Please read this bit if you don’t read anything else !!!!

In a nutshell, the DVD’s are great. It’s a must for everyone, but take your time going through the 11hrs of drums. That’s a lot, even for most drum freaks. There’s a lot of detail you’ll miss if you quickly skim through it or try and watch the whole thing in one day. The key is ‘bite-size.’ It’s much more fun that way!

Adrian Graham

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