In July 2013, Toronto’s Tom Grosset became a world record holder. At the World’s Fastest Drummer finals in Nashville, TN, the then-22-year-old tapped out 1,208 strokes in one minute, beating fellow CM percussion panelist Mike Mangini’s record by five strokes. Grosset has now graduated from Humber College’s music program and formed the jazz fusion band Snaggle.

Grosset’s recording of him playing drums over Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel soundtrack has also earned him a lot of praise, including from Zimmer himself. This and other recordings can be heard on Grosset’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/tomgrosset.  Grosset’s recording-break performance can be seen HERE.

You can read more from Grosset and other great drummers in the CM 2013 Percussion Panel feature in the November/December issue of Canadian Musician.

(more…)

Emmanuelle Caplette has earned a reputation as one of Quebec’s top drummers. She got her start playing in the drum and bugle corps as a kid before making the switch to a full drum kit when she was 18. She has played drums on a number of TV shows, including Just For Laughs, and is now the drummer in former Police guitarist Andy Summers’ new band, Circa Zero.

You can read more from Caplette and other great drummers in the CM 2013 Percussion Panel feature in the November/December issue of Canadian Musician.

CM: What are your go-to drums/cymbals/sticks in your live kit and how do you like your drums, seat, cymbals positioned?

EC: It depends of the gigs! I often use my Sonor Jungle Set – four pieces; kick, snare, tom, and floor tom. I like this setup. I play regularly with a hi-hat, two crashes and ride from Sabian. And of course, I have Vic Firth sticks in my bag!

(more…)

Loel Campbell is the drummer for Halifax-based band Wintersleep and has also played and recorded with Holy Fuck, Hannah Georgas, Cold Specks, Contrived, and others.

You can read more from Campbell and other great drummers in the CM 2013 Percussion Panel feature in the November/December issue of Canadian Musician.

CM: When you’re on the road, what is in your kit and how do you like it positioned?

LC: I take an early-‘80s Gretsch kit out on tour now. It’s a 24-in. kick drum, a 16-in. floor tom, a ‘67 Ludwig Club Jazz Encore snare drum and it’s five inches deep. I found it about a year and a half ago in Atlanta and it’s been working great. There’s a dye-cast hoop on the top of it and it doesn’t give me any problems. I can go a whole week without tuning it at all.

(more…)

By Michael Raine

Mike Mangini in the drummer in progressive rock icons Dream Theater and he has also drummed for Steve Vai, Annihilator, and other well-known acts. Mangini is on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the creator of the Rhythm Knowledge System. Having spoken to him about this, CM is pretty sure that he is a genius.

You can read more with Mangini and our other panelists in the CM 2013 Percussion Panel feature in the November/December issue of CM.

CM: What is in your main kit and how do you like it positioned?

MM: I break my kit down into modules because otherwise, to an onlooker for the first time, it looks like I just have a lot stuff that’s set up just to have, it but it’s not. My live setup is broken up into modules that allow me to orchestrate the music more like an orchestral drummer, beyond just a groove drummer or guy who plays the beat. So my drummers are setup with multiple tom toms, two snares, multiple kick drums sounds, and multiple cymbal sounds. The reason for these four quadrants is that in each quadrant I have a spectrum of higher and lower pitch noises that allow me to reflect the music a little more accurately to my ears.

(more…)

By Michael Raine

Franklin Kiermyer is one of the top jazz drummers Canada has produced. Kiermyer was raised in Montreal but has spent the majority of his professional life in New York City and now currently resides in Europe. As a drummer, composer, and band leader, he has released eight albums, including his 1994 critically acclaimed breakout album Solomon’s Daughter, which he recorded with Coltrane saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders. Kiermyer’s ninth album, Further, will be out in January 2014. It features his current band with Azar Lawrence on saxophone, Benito Gonzalez on piano, and Juini Booth on bass.

You can read more from Kiermyer and other great drummers in our annual percussion feature in the November/December issue of Canadian Musician.

(more…)

By Michael Raine

Kingston, ON native Johnny Fay has been the drummer of The Tragically Hip since the band’s formation in 1983. The Hip has released 13 studio albums, including their most recent effort, Now For Plan A.

You can read more from Johnny and our  other panelists in the CM 2013 Percussion Panel feature in the November/December issue of Canadian Musician.

CM: What is in your kit and how do you like it positioned?

It’s kind of changed a little bit over the years and various people I’ve been taking lessons from would say, “You need a 13-in. tom just as a transition between your 12 and your 16.” Then cymbal placement kind of moves around a lot but as a I get older, like in jazz drumming, the ride cymbal really conducts the band and so if you have that where you need it for time, that’s sort of key. So I’ve moved that over the years. I would say I’ve gone between a five-piece and a four-piece kit.

(more…)

By Michael Raine

Joey Jordison is the drummer and co-songwriter in heavy metal icons Slipknot and is widely considered one of the best drummers in the genre. He is also the lead guitarist in Murderdolls and the multi-instrumental driving force behind Scar the Martyr. Jordison has also filled in behind the kit for Rob Zombie, Korn, Metallica, and others.  

You can read more from Joey and our  other panelists in the CM 2013 Percussion Panel feature in the November/December issue of Canadian Musician.

(more…)

Why not, eh? Have a great weekend. http://twentytwowords.com/2013/08/08/bass-players-look-like-theyre-holding-big-dogs-and-tickling-them-11-pictures/