CONTENTS

Equipment20 Shop Talk Slingerland Radio King Drumsets

22 Product Close-Up • Canopus Stave Bubinga Drumset • Grover Pro Custom Snare Drums • Scymtek Xtreme and Modern Series Cymbals • Gator Protechtor Evolution Series Snare Case

28 Electronic Review Alesis DM7X Drumset

30 Gearing Up Capital Cities’ Channing Cook Holmes

82 New and Notable

Cover and contents photos by Rahav

page 87

Education68 O� the Record

Ricky Lawson Classic Yellowjackets Tracks by Mike Casano

70 BasicsBalance Builders Simple Exercises to

Increase Control by Jayson Brinkworth

72 Strictly Technique Rhythm and Timing Part 5: Single 8th-Note Triplet Partials and Bonus Exercises

by Bill Bachman

76 Around the World Afro-Cuban Bell Independence Progressive Exercises for Freeing Up the Limbs by Powell Randolph

78 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Syncopation Revisited

Part 2: 3/4 Applications by Steve Fidyk

Departments8 An Editor’s Overview The Spice of Life by Michael Dawson

10 Readers’ Platform

12 News

16 Ask a Pro Tobias Ralph, Alan Dawson

18 It’s Questionable The Doctor Is In: High Blood Pressure and Drumming

84 Showcase Featuring Drum Market

90 Critique

94 In Memoriam Ricky Lawson, Sam Ulano

96 Kit of the Month Ticket to Ride

Volume 38 • Number 7

On the Cover

Features

52 Omar Hakimby Robin TollesonThe past couple years have seen him take the superstar EDM duo Daft Punk to (old) school and also put out his most fully realized solo statement to date.

32 Hitting the Stage Tama’s 40th Anniversary Celebration The buzz at NAMM. by Mike Haid

34 What Do You Know About…? John “Twink” Alder Recollections of rock’s wildest days. by Will Romano

38 Great Drum Covers Classic album art with the drums front and center.

40 Shirazette Tinnin The woman behind one of this year’s most compelling debuts. by Ken Micallef

42 Anup Sastry The drummer with Intervals is all about drama and detail. by Ben Meyer

46 Gerald Cleaver A multidisciplinary master moves forward with purpose. by Ken Micallef

64 Get Good: Being the New Guy Famous � ll-ins Todd Sucherman and Simon Phillips share what they’ve learned from the experience. by Mike Haid

80 A Di� erent View Arturo O’Farrill “I told the drum soloists that it was about making a statement—being an activist on their instruments.” by Je� Potter

88 Up & Coming Valentino Arteaga Of Mice and Men’s raging rhythmatist. by Stephen Bidwell

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