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
176
The Legacy of George Way Drums with Ronn Dunnett
George Way is one of the most innovative people in drum history, and is known as the godfather of the modern drum set. George passed away in 1969, but Ronn Dunnett has been carrying on the legacy of George Way Drums since 2006.
54 min
177
The History of Learning the Drum Set with Steph...
We learn the evolution of how early drummers learned their craft by watching other drummers who passed through town and by apprenticing with drummers such as Chick Webb and Art Blakey. Then came the advent of drum notation books which allowed young drummers to learn at home, followed by drum tapes and DVD's, and now social media which has drastically changed the learning process.
70 min
178
Bringing the Slingerland Drum Shell Machines Ba...
Bernie purchased the original Slingerland radio frequency drum shell making machinery on an Ebay auction in 2001, and that began his decade long quest to figure out how they work.
50 min
179
The Art of Restoring Vintage Drums with Steele ...
A Pearl tom mount on an ultra-rare Ludwig Top hat and Cain kit? It happened... Steele teaches us his process of preserving and restoring classic drums in an effort to keep them as original as possible with tons of great stories along the way.
84 min
180
The History of the Hi-Hat with Rob Cook
The origins of the Hi-Hat pedal have long been debated, and Rob Cook introduces us to a new theory that a gentleman named Skip Retherford was the inventor in the 1922. This pre-dates Papa Jo Jones, who is widely thought to be the earliest user of the Hi-Hat.
50 min
181
1920's Painted Bass Drum Heads with Jim Messina
In the roaring 20's, drummers would have beautiful hand painted artwork on their bass drum heads that would be illuminated by a lightbulb on the inside of the drum. This lightbulb looked great but also served a very necessary function, as well..keeping the calfskin heads from going out of tune when the temperature changes!
48 min
182
The History of Zildjian Cymbals with Paul Francis
Paul Francis, a 30 year employee of Zildjian, takes us back to 1618 when Avedis I discovered the alloy that changed music for ever. We go on a deep dive into every detail of Zildjians amazing history, including the struggles with trademarks, jealous cousins trying to steal the formula, and all of the amazing innovations that have been made along the way.
87 min
183
Trap Drummers and Sound Effect Instruments with...
Nick takes us back to a time when trap drummers were king and could be found in every theater around the country. He shares his vast collection of sound effect Instruments with us and plays examples of some of his favorite pieces. He also tells us the full history of trap drummers and describes what it would have been like to be a working drummer in the early 1900's.
68 min
184
The History of Remo Drumheads with Herbie May
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.
59 min
185
The History of Country Western Drummers with Ma...
Learn the full history of Country Western drumming from its early jazz origins, to the "behind the curtain" days at the Grand Ole Opry, all the way up to the arena drummers of today. Before drummers became an integral part of Country music, they had to fight for the right to be on stage...and it didn't happen overnight.
51 min
186
The History of Camco Drums with Joe Luoma
Founded by George Way, Camco is one of the most iconic brands in Drum History and it only existed for 17 years... Without Camco, we wouldn't have the iconic round lugs that were later made famous by DW and the classic 5000 pedal that we all know and love.
46 min
187
The Evolution of the Jazz Ride Pattern with Dr....
Dr. Clark wrote her dissertation on the origins of the jazz ride pattern and shares the full amazing history with us! She teaches us about the pioneers who brought the famous pattern to the forefront of jazz music and the variations that made it evolve over time.
53 min
188
The History of Rogers Drums with Po Shy and Jef...
Starting in 1849 as a maker of drumheads, Rogers Drums has had a long life that is full of innovations such as the Dyna-Sonic snare, Swiv-O-Matic hardware, and countless iconic drum sets. Jeff and Po take us through the various eras of Rogers history in great detail, and we also learn about the recent resurgence of the iconic brand.
73 min
189
The Biography of Buddy Rich with Shawn Martin
Drumming since he was 18 months old, Buddy Rich turned into one of the worlds most beloved drummers thanks to his incredible speed and tenacity on the kit. His story is full of tragedies and triumphs that shaped him into the one of a kind person that he became.
76 min
190
Early Rhythm and Blues Drumming with Daniel Glass
Daniel Glass explains the very beginnings of Rhythm and Blues drumming and the impact it had on all genres of music that we know today! Join us as we explore the tumultuous journey that African American musicians had to endure to be able to perform and innovate the music that they loved.
56 min
191
The History of Yamaha Drums with Jim Haler
Yamaha has been involved in musical instruments since 1887, but didn't began making drums until 1967. Since then, they have made a huge impact on evolution of drums and drumming technology.
74 min
192
The History of Drumsticks with Matt Dean
Did you know Mozart was the first person to use Hot Rods in his music? Matt takes us from the beginning of drum sticks in the 7th century up to when they got the sizes and shapes that we know today,
57 min
193
The Birth of the Drum Set with Dr. Jaz Sawyer
Did Papa Jo Jones invent the Hi-Hat with the help of a plumber? Listen to find out! Jaz takes us from the beginnings of drumming in Africa through the advent of the modern drum set as we know it today.
45 min
194
The History of Keller Shells with Justin Owen
Keller has quietly made shells for many of the worlds greatest drum brands - learn about how the company got its start in 1946!
47 min
195
The History of Drumheads with Ben O'Brien Smith
Evans or Remo - Who was first? Learn about the dramatic history of these two companies along with the origin of drumheads from the very beginning.
52 min
196
Discovering Gene Krupa's Lost Drum Collection w...
A large collection of Gene Krupa's equipment has been in a storage unit since 1973 and has recently been discovered! If that wasn't enough...It was all purchased by the legendary Charlie Watts! Our friend Brooks Tegler was the man who authenticated this collection and shares the story with us!
44 min
197
The History of Slingerland with Mark Cooper
Mark takes us on a journey through the amazing history of what was once known as The Slingerland Banjo Company. Slingerland grew into one of the most well known names in drumming history.
65 min
198
The Modern History of Online Drum Lessons with ...
Mike was one of the earliest pioneers of teaching drums online - He shares the history and evolution of this game-changing technology with great stories along the way!
68 min
199
The History of Gretsch Drums with John Sheridan
"That Great Gretsch Sound" has been around since 1883, join me as I talk with John Sheridan about the full history of this iconic company!
53 min
200
Wild Thing: The Study of Rhythm in Animals with...
It all started with a Cockatoo named Snowball on YouTube dancing to the Backstreet Boys... That is what got Dr. Ed Large interested in studying the rhythmic abilities of animals including birds, primates, and even a sea lion! This episode dives deep into the history of how Rhythm works in both humans and animals and what he has discovered over the course of his research.
36 min