Drum History

A podcast all about the rich history of the drums - and how they became what they are today! Join Bart van der Zee as he speaks with experts about the curious journey of the ever-evolving drum set.

Music
Music History
History
26
A Look at Tony Williams Gear (Part 3: 1990-1997...
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, and his gear is almost as legendary as his playing. However, it wasn't always the big yellow monster Gretsch kit... This episode covers his time with DW Drums, his experimentation with double bass drumming, new cymbals and hardware, and a tons of amazing stories.
88 min
27
A Look at Tony Williams Gear (Part 2: 1975-1990...
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 monster Gretsch kit... We cover every single detail in this 4-part series, from his childhood Slingerland Radio Kings, through his yearly change of Gretsch kits in the 60s, the advent of the big yellow kits, and his transition to DW. We also cover his cymbals, sticks, heads, and hardware in a later part of the series—the cymbals deserve an entire episode!
108 min
28
A Look at Tony Williams Gear (Part 1: 1940's-19...
Paul Wells is back on the show to take us on an 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 becoming 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, but it wasn't always the big yellow monster Gretsch kit... We cover every single detail in this 4 part series from his childhood Slingerland Radio Kings, through his yearly change of Gretsch kits int he 60's, the advent of the big yellow kits, and his transition to DW. We also cover his Cymbals, sticks, heads and hardware in a later part of the series - the cymbals deserve an entire episode!
95 min
29
(The Vault) The Roots of Reggae Drumming with G...
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 Bennett, and the gear that these Jamaican drummers would use when playing with icons such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee Perry and many more.
53 min
30
From “War Dogs” to Drum Machines with David Pac...
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 of the Beat Buddy.
64 min
31
5 year Anniversary of Drum History! (Listener V...
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 drummingwithbart1@gmail.com 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!
11 min
32
Exploring Calfskin Drum Heads with Rob Cook
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.
74 min
33
Mind. Body. Drums. - Drumming and the Nervous S...
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 this knowledge with the drumming community!
58 min
34
The Rarest Cymbals in the World with Gerry Port...
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 Zildjian Rides - such as hi-hats, splashes, and crashes that you should be on the hunt for! Gerry also gives us the tip on what he thinks is the next thing in the drum world that will blow up in value and be a collectors item.
68 min
35
(The Vault) The Medal of Honor Drummer Boy with...
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.
45 min
36
The Lessons of Mike Clark with Rob Hart
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!
53 min
37
(The Vault) The History of Remo Drumheads with ...
(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.
59 min
38
A Look at Lars Ulrich's Gear (Part 2) with Chri...
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 Metallica are hard rock icons and this deep dive gear episodes will give you an even greater appreciation of one of the most famous drummers in history!
88 min
39
A Look at Lars Ulrich's Gear (Part 1) with Chri...
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 and this deep dive gear episodes will give you an even greater appreciation of one of the most famous drummers in history!
78 min
40
The Essence of Philly Joe Jones with Tim Carman
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-Isms" 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!
49 min
41
Lost Gene Krupa Drum Set Discovered in 2023 wit...
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 used by Gene extensively around the world for 3 years!
80 min
42
The History of Ebenor Drums with William Leclerc
Ebenor Percussion is a Quebec based drum brand that makes everything from the Lugs to the hoops to the shells in-house! William Leclerc started Ebenor Drums 10 years ago and has grown it to be one of the most well respected names in the world of boutique drums. He started the brand when he was just 21 years old and has climbed his way up the ladder to being an extremely respected builder of wood and metal drums with some of the best looking snares and kits I have ever seen! This is a great story of how hard work and dedication pays off and is a really neat look at drums that are made proudly in Quebec.
64 min
43
The History of Simmons Drums with Daren Pfeifer...
This is a 5 person mega episode all about the history of Simmons Drums, the iconic hexagonal electronic drums that changed the face of music in the 1980's. The sound, look and spirit of Simmons drums can be heard on most every recording of the 1980's across all genres including rock, pop, rap, metal, and everything in between!
80 min
44
(The Vault) The History of Cocktail Drums with ...
(EP80 - 12/2020) Cocktail drum kits date back to post World War 2 in an orchestra pit in England where space is at a premium and the drums needed to grow taller, as opposed to wider. the "stand up drum set" evolved from there and became a staple of jazz lounges, street performers, comedy acts and many great drummers who wanted a unique look and feel to the drums they play.
65 min
45
The Lessons of Steve Smith with Rob Hart
Rob Hart was fortunate enough to take lessons with the great Steve Smith for over 20 years and he recorded many of them on his Sony Walkman or Steve's studio rig! Rob shares 7 great clips from his lessons with Steve Smith that cover things such as playing in odd time signatures, perfecting your hi-hat foot, maximizing time on your drum set and much more! Rob Hart has taken lessons with many great players and we will cover more on future episodes of this mini-series, but this particular episode gives you a glimpse of what it was like to take lessons with Steve Smith at his personal recording studio in the mid 1980's!
62 min
46
The History of INDē Drums with Josh Allen
Independent Drum Lab has become one of the most innovative brands in the drum industry since its launch in 2015. Josh Allen used his Industrial Design Degree at Ludwig to create many innovative designs and products, but he then decided he wanted to go off on his own and create INDē Drums. This is a an interesting episode with a unique point of view from a truly innovative person in our industry.
48 min
47
A look at John Densmore's Gear (The Doors) with...
John Densmore of The Doors is truly a drumming icon of the 1960's and his Ludwig Mod Orange Drum Set is just as important in the history of Rock and Roll. My guest is Kurt Ekstrom who is a diehard fan of Densmore and also extremely passionate and knowledgable about Mod Orange drums. This episode is both a look at John Densmore's life and career with The Doors and a deep dive into his drum gear. We talk various drum kits, cymbals, hardware, heads and everything along the way including Kurts hunt for what happened to the famous Mod Orange drum set!
115 min
48
The Godfather of Acoustic-Electronic Drums with...
Alfonso created and shipped the first "Acoustically Formatted Drum Kits" in 1991 which was a game changer in the electronic drum world, and helped shaped the e-drum industry since then. He has been a staple of the drum industry for over 30 decades, but flys under the radar as much of the work he has done involves triggering the drums for some of the biggest names int he drum industry. What you see on stage might not be what you are actually hearing! Al talks all about that process and many of his patents and innovations in the world of electronic drums. Al is full of interesting stories and is a very cool guy that I think everyone will learn a lot from his incredible experiences!
61 min
49
The Indie Cymbal Maker Revolution with Timothy ...
We live in a golden era where independent cymbal makers are creating more beautiful instruments than ever before. Timothy Roberts joins me this week to share his take on the landscape of indie Cymbalsmith's and gives us tons of great information on the the background of the current indie movement, the difference between makers, what you should be looking and listening for in a boutique cymbal, the art of modifying existing cymbals, and tons of other great info.
67 min
50
The Evolution of Bass Drum Art with Dominic Tan...
The history of bass drum head art dates back over a century ago when pipe bands would paint the name of their town and group on the calf skin head. This evolved over time with beautifully painted scenic paintings that were sold directly from the major manufacturers in catalogs, then drummers began adding initials and band names to the heads and the rest is history!
79 min