My wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week, so enjoy this classic episode from 2020 while I get caught up on next weeks episode! Andy Zildjian is the president of Sabian Cymbals and takes us on a very fun journey through the history of the company that dates back to its founding in 1981 by his father, Robert Zildjian. This episode features tons of great information about his famous family in general and we discuss the factors that caused the split in the family and become the iconic...

Mike Mangini is famous for being an incredibly talented drummer and teacher, but also for creating some of the most elaborate and breathtaking drum sets of all time. He breaks down his first kit, which he used with Extreme, consisting of RotoToms in an 'Apex Shape.' Then, we jump to his 2010s Dream Theater kit, which was a modern marvel of drum set engineering. After that, we discuss his current kit, used for his great new album, 'Invisible Signals,' and learn about the WHY and HOW he creates...

(From March 2020) Gary is a historian and expert on all things Ringo Starr. He has curated Ringo's collection of original Beatles drum kits and is full of great stories about Ringo that you won't hear from anyone else! We talk about a biography of Ringo, A description of all of his drum sets through the years, and Garys involvement with Ringo and his drums including over 4 million dollars in auction sales from Ringo's collection that Gary curated. Check out the new YouTube video here: -...

Nick White has the worlds largest collection of Silent Film Trap instruments, and he recently used them in the Martin Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon. Nick shares some of his favorite instruments and sounds in this episode including automotive, train, animal, impact, and comedy sound effects, plus many more. Nick was on the show over 200 episodes ago and now he is back with more instruments and knowledge than ever before! This "pre-talkie" period in movie history is fascinating and...

Henrique has had a prolific drumming career as a performer, Berklee professor, author, studio musician, clinician, and business owner. In this episode, he teaches us a clear path to create a successful and fulfilling career as working drummers through multiple different outlets. We cover topics such as do you need to read to be a pro drummer? What happens if you don't want to be a teacher? How important is social media to your career? - and much more. Henrique really drives home the...

(4/30/2019) Keller has quietly made drum shells for many of the worlds greatest drum brands - learn about how the company got its start in 1946! I talk with Justin Owen, Special Accounts Manager at Keller Products, about how this company has been at the center of the drum universe for over 70 years and managed to remain out of the limelight. - you can visit Keller’s drum shell website here: https://www.kellershells.com - Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for daily drumming videos!...

Thanks to everyone who submitted videos of themselves playing the Drum History Podcast intro music for the 2023 Drum History Intro Challenge to help me celebrate 5 years of the Podcast. We got 33 great submissions from all over the world and they are all unique and sound amazing! Check them out here on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ugAdCU9BSpI Comment who your favorite is and start thinking of your submission for 2024

(Released May 2019) Did Papa Jo Jones invent the Hi-Hat with the help of a plumber? Find out in this episode! Jaz takes us from the beginnings of drumming in Africa through the advent of the modern drum set as we know it today. The amount of different cultures drumming styles that blended together leading up to "double drumming" goes much deeper than I ever thought. Dr. Jaz Sawyer is a drummer and educator based out of Los Angelas. He has a long history in the music industry and has an...

Paul Wells closes out the 4 part Tony Williams series with a deep dive into TW's legendary cymbals, and his Sticks and Heads. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his cymbals are almost as legendary as his playing....

Scott Garrison was Tony Williams drum tech from 1994 through Tony's passing in 1997. He takes us on a journey through the gear and his experiences with Tony Williams in great detail. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time,...

Paul Wells takes us on a journey through the gear of Tony Williams in extreme detail. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his gear is almost as legendary as his playing. However, it wasn't always the big yellow...

Paul Wells is back on the show to take us on a journey through the gear of Tony Williams in extreme detail. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his gear is almost as legendary as his playing. However, it wasn't...

(May 2021) Gil is a world renowned drummer who shares his deep passion and knowledge for Reggae drumming in this great episode. He takes us through all the sub genres such as ska, rocksteady, dub, and dancehall. Plus he teaches us about the legends in Reggae drumming such as Lloyd Knibb and Carlton Barrett and the gear that these Jamaican drummers would use when playing with icons such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee Perry and many more. Here is some more info on Gil: Los Angeles native, Gil...

David Packouz was the subject of the 2016 film 'War Dogs' (starring Miles Teller and Jonah Hill), which chronicled his incredible experience as a contract gun runner for the US government during the Iraq War. In complete contrast to that, he has more recently created a top-of-the-line drum machine called the Beat Buddy, which captures the feel of a real drummer in a pedal. David shares the story of his wild experiences as a "war dog" and how he made the enormous leap to becoming the inventor...

Thank you to everyone who has supported the show over the last 5 years! I am excited to announce a project where I am going to make a video showcasing you guys performing the Drum History Podcast Into music. Shoot a video of yourself performing and send me the files to [email protected] by November 7th, 2023 and I will edit everything together! After that date, I will put the link for the video in the description of this video and you can find it on my YouTube channel! Thanks to...

Rob Cook joins me to discuss all things calfskin drumheads in this interesting and educational episode! We talk about the differences between calfskin and other animal skin heads, the level of durability, how temperature affects them, what happened to the industry when plastic heads came along and much more! Rob Cook is the founder of Rebeats, runs the Chicago Drum Show and is a renowned author and historian. Here is a quick link to all of Rob's previous episode she has done on Drum History:...

Adam Gust teaches us how understanding Neuroscience, The Vegus Nerve, and listening to your body and emotions can help you be a better drummer with less pain and tension in your body. Adam began this quest to combine brain science and drumming after traumatic experience where he lost the ability to play the drums after walking through a plate glass window which shattered all over his hands. He applied what he learned and is now back to drumming better than ever and is on a mission to share...

Gerry Porter deals in the finest drums and cymbals in the world at hazelshould.com, and he shares his immense knowledge of ultra-rare, famous, and valuable cymbals with us in this unique episode! We talk about what makes the Istanbul K's so rare and sought-after, the power of a celebrity owned cymbal (Tony Williams, John Bonham, Roy Haynes), and rare cymbals that aren't just the usual suspects, such as hi-hats, splashes, and crashes that you should be on the hunt for! Gerry also gives us the...

Released 12/2020 - Orion was a 14 year old drummer boy in the Civil War when he earned the Medal of Honor for an extremely courageous act in battle. Marlene Shares his amazing story that begins when he enters the war at 12 years old through the rest of his life, and the lives of his musical family. We learn all about drummer boys and the role they played in the war, including Johnny Clem - the youngest noncommisioned officer in army history who began as a drummer. Marlene wrote "Diary of a...

Mike Clark is one of the most respected jazz, funk, and fusion drummers of the 20th century with his own unique style and approach to the kit. Rob Hart joins me back on the podcast to share recordings of a lesson he took with Mike in 1992 which grew into a 30+ year friendship. We go through 8 clips that were recorded in a San Francisco Apartment with a mix of Mike Clark and Rob Hart playing which makes this a very fun and interesting episode! Here is a link to the previous episode with Rob...

(Released 2019) Herbie is a 32 year veteran of the Remo Company and shares the full history of the company with us, including the controversial debate between Evans and Remo and who was first to invent the synthetic drumhead. Remo is one of the most famous names in drums and it all stems back to one man, Remo Belli. Herbie was good friends with Remo and worked closely with throughout his career and shares many stories that come straight from Remo himself. We discuss the origins of synthetic...

In part 2, Chris and I take a deep dive into each and every kit that Lars used from the iconic Black Album Artstar II kit up to todays yellow StarClassics for the 72 Seasons tour, and everything in between. We discuss his major changes in gear including the shrinking of his kit and him getting rid of the mega power tom kits for the modern StarClassics. Part 2 covers from 1990 through to today and we touch on many aspects of his earlier kits that weren't mentioned in part 1. Lars Ulrich and...

Chris and I take a deep dive into each and every kit that Lars used since he was a little kid and received mix and match kit from his Grandmother, up to the iconic Justice tour kit with the monkey strapped to the front from 1988. We discuss his sticks, heads, pedals, hardware, and each and every drum set including the Camco's that got stolen! Part 1 covers from the beginning through the 80's, and Part 2 will pick up with the 90's through to today. Lars Ulrich and Metallica are hard rock icons...

Philly Joe Jones is an icon of jazz drumming who is most famous for his time with Miles Davis and his unique style of soloing and swinging that has made him one of the most respected drummers of the 20th century. Tim Carman is the author of "Philly-ISM" which breaks down the style and essence of Philly Joe Jones at its most basic form, so you can learn to play like the master himself! Tim is an author, educator, and performer with the great band GA-20. This is the second book in his "Isms"...

Gene Krupa's 1954 Slingerland Radio King drum set was recently discovered and rescued from sitting in a wet basement for the last few decades via an online auction that caught the drum world by storm. I am joined today by the winner of this iconic set, Steve, and GK authentication expert, Brooks Tegler, to hear the full story of this legendary kit. This drum set was featured on the cover of the Drummin' Men book, the Krupa and Rich album, it was used in The Benny Goodman Story Film, and was...