Tag Archives: SKFBlog

Revisiting My Life in Music: First Meeting with MD Founder Ron Spagnardi

I first met Modern Drummer founder/publisher Ron Spagnardi probably in the summer of 1978. MD‘s office was the basement of the Spagnardi home at 47 Harrison Street, Nutley, NJ. MD was still a quarterly publication. Nothing fancy about the basement. … Continue reading

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Fred Below: No Practicing Drums in the House Until You Could Play

SKF NOTE: This is the second excerpt from my interview with drummer Fred Below, arguably the father of Chicago electric blues drumming. Mr. Below recorded with Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, the Aces, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, and other pivotal … Continue reading

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John H. Beck: The Snare Auditioned 1,618 Students

SKF NOTE: What a great project for a videographer: Chronicling John H. Beck’s stories as he “whittles down” the memorabilia in his music studio. Drumming up, sorting out the stuff of a lifetimeJim Memmott 3:09 p.m. EST January 27, 2015 … Continue reading

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Modern Drummer Cover Story: Who Decides?

“If I can’t have the cover story, I’m not doing an interview at all.” I witnessed three drummers flat out refuse Modern Drummer feature interviews because they weren’t cover stories. The drummer with the cover story had his photo on … Continue reading

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Jerry Marotta: The Secret to Finding a Solid Groove

Drummer Jerry Marotta: From the Colony Cafe to OmegaJohn W. Barry, Poughkeepsie Journal 12:54 p.m. EDT August 27, 2014 Is there a secret to finding a solid groove on the drums? – My secret is to close my eyes and … Continue reading

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