SKF NOTE: Roberto Petaccia is probably best known for his drumming with Maynard Ferguson’s big band.

The first time we heard from Roberto Petaccia at “Modern Drummer” magazine was through a letter: “My name is Roberto Petaccia and I am contacting you in regards to my interest in writing for your magazine.”

I called him up because he had many good ideas. From his pictures, I’d imagined Roberto to be gruff, but he wasn’t. He was soft-spoken with direction.

We kicked around some ideas and he submitted several articles, some of which were published in MD‘s “Rock ‘n’ Jazz Clinic” column. The ideas were great and the manuscripts Roberto submitted were near impeccable, yet he would always apologize for them.

This week, going through a box of books and papers I’ve been carrying with me, here to there, I found this impressive Petaccia column.

I wish you could see Roberto’s manuscript white out marks. He was that caring and attentive to detail, that caring about his craft.

MD Founder/Publisher Ron Spagnardi wrote in his November 1981 “Editor’s Overview,” “I’m saddened…the drum world recently lost a dear friend in Roberto Petaccia who died of cancer in New York City at the age of 29. Roberto was MD’s primary contributing editor for “Rock ‘n’ Jazz Clinic.” Those of us who work on the magazine feel a very special loss, as he was truly a key member of our team.

“Roberto was really much more than a superb drummer. He was an unselfish gentleman whose deep compassion for young players, and insatiable enthusiasm for performing, writing and teaching, were infectious.

“He was the essence of that special camaraderie which exists between drummers universally.”