Drummers on Drumming

This week's guest is Sarah Jones…an English musician best known for being a session and touring drummer. She has recorded and/or toured with New Young Pony Club, Aynsley Lister, Bat for Lashes, Puscifer, Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Pillow Person and many more. Since 2017, she has been in one of the most high-profile drum thrones in the world as the drummer for Harry Styles band. She’s a veteran and such a great player. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Sarah Jones into the drummer she is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

SARAH’S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - From The Beginning

Artist - Small Faces

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) - All or Nothing

Drummer - Kenney Jones

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Album - Metropolis pt 2 Scenes From a Memory

Artist - Dream Theatre

Release Year - 1999

Key Track(s) - Scene 2 Overture 1928

Drummer - Mike Portnoy

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Album - Around The Fur

Artist - Deftones

Release Year - 1997

Key Track(s) - My Own Summer / Around The Fur

Drummer - Abe Cunningham

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Album - Still Bill

Artist - Bill Withers

Release Year - 1972

Key Track(s) - Kissing My Love

Drummer - James Gadson

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Album - Survivor

Artist - Destiny's Child

Release Year - 2001

Key Track(s) - Survivor

Drummer - Electronic

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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This week’s guest is Arbak Dal––a phenomenal turkish drummer and founder of T Cymbals. He’s toured and/or recorded with countless European artists over the years in addition to his own solo projects. He also worked for decades as the everyman at Istanbul Agop Cymbals before taking a crack at doing it all himself with T Cymbals. I met him a few years ago at NAMM and he's just a hoot :) If you’re heading to NAMM this weekend in Anaheim, be sure to stop by the T Cymbals booth and say hi to Arbak yourself. I’ll also be there on Sunday so shoot me a DM and maybe we can link up. I hope you enjoy this chat about the 5 (actually 6) records that helped shape Arbak Dal into the drummer and cymbalsmith he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

ARBAK’S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - Led Zeppelin IV

Release Year - 1971

Artist - Led Zeppelin

Key Track(s) - Stairway to Heaven / Black Dog

Drummer - John Bonham

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Album - Come and Taste the Band

Release Year - 1975

Artist - Deep Purple

Key Track(s) - Getting Tighter / You keep on Moving

Drummer - Ian Paice

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Album - Crash

Release Year - 1996

Artist - Dave Matthews

Key Track(s) - Too much - #41

Drummer - Carter Beauford

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Album - Behind Closed Doors

Release Year - 1991

Artist - Peter Erskine

Key Track(s) - Bulgana

Drummer - Peter Erskine

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Album - Kingdom of Desire

Release Year - 1992

Artist - TOTO

Key Track - Jake to the Bone

Drummer - Jeff Porcaro

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Album - Take Me Back To Eden

Release Year - 2023

Artist - Sleep Token

Key Track(s) - The Summoning

Drummer - II

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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This week’s guest is JP Bouvet. JP is a fabulous drummer, educator and winner of the 2011 Guitar Center Drum Off. He has his own band called Childish Japes and has toured with artists like Steve Tai and Zack Wylde as part of guitar supergroup Generation Axe…AND he runs his educational drum website where he specializes in teaching improvisation. I am a happily-subscribed student and I suggest you all do the same. If you wanted to try out his website for free (www.jpbouvetmethod.com), use the code: bigfatfive

JP Bouvet is clearly a great deliverer of information and his insight into approaching this instrument is invaluable. I know you’ll enjoy this chat about the 5 records that helped shaped JP Bouvet into the drummer he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

JP'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

Album - The Chick Corea Elektric Band

Artist - Chick Corea

Release Year - 1986

Key Track(s) - Got a Match? / King Cockroach

Drummer - Dave Weckl

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Album - Perceptual

Artist - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band

Release Year - 2000

Key Track(s) - Crooked Creek

Drummer - Brian Blade

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Album - Flood

Artist - Herbie Hancock

Release Year - 1975

Key Track(s) - Actual Proof

Drummer - Mike Clark

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Album - Prog

Artist - The Bad Plus

Release Year - 2007

Key Track(s) - Thriftstore / Jewelry / Physical Cities

Drummer - Dave King

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Album - I Have the Room Above Her

Artist - Bill Frisell / Joe Lovano / Paul Motian

Release Year- 2004

Key Track(s) - Osmosis Part 1

Drummer - Paul Motian

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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This week’s guest is Ray Brown...drummer for the band Snail Mail. I’ve been a big fan of Ray's drumming since I first heard him on Snail Mail’s debut album, Lush, in 2017. His upbringing in the DC area music scene gives him authority on a lot of music I've never heard before...and I'm assuming maybe some of you as well? He’s got a lot of energy and it was so enjoyable getting to sit back, relax, and learn a lot from a guitarist / bassist turned fabulous drummer. If you’re unfamiliar with Snail Mail, I’m excited for you to find one of your new favorite bands! Also, we play a lot more than 5 tracks today, so buckle up. Here are some of the records that helped shape Ray Brown into the musician he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

RAY’S BIG FAT FIVE👇🏻

Album - The Smiths

Artist - The Smiths

Release Year - 1984

Key Track(s) - Still Ill (Live on the Tube version 1:28 verse/chorus transition)

Drummer - Mike Joyce

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Album - Red Medicine

Artist - Fugazi

Release Year - 1995

Key Track(s) - Birthday Pony (fill at 1:01)

Drummer - Brendan Canty

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Album - Floral Green

Artist - Title Fight

Release Year - 2012

Key Track(s) - Like A Ritual (chorus fill 1:02)

Drummer - Ben Russin

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Album - S/T

Artist - Clique

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Lil T

Drummer - Tom Anthony

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Album - Tesseract

Artist - Warehouse

Release Year - 2015

Key Track(s) - Promethean Gaze

Drummer - Doug Bleichner

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

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Album - Am

Artist - Ovlov

Release Year - 2013

Key Track(s) - The Well

Drummer - Theo Hartlett

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Album - Hoodwink'd

Artist - LVL Up

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Angel from Space

Drummer - Greg Rutkin

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Album - In Utero

Artist - Nirvana

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - Serve the Servants

Drummer - Dave Grohl

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Album - Drop

Artist - Turnstile

Release Year - 2016

Key Track(s) - Nonstop Feeling

Drummer - Daniel Fang

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Album - Lonesome Crowded West

Artist - Modest Mouse

Release Year - 1997

Key Track(s) - Truckers Atlas

Drummer - Jeremiah Green

Album - DSU

Artist - Alex G

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Harvey 

Drummer - Alex G

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

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This week’s guest is Rhys Hastings. This episode has been a long time coming as both Rhys and myself have been two ships in the night trying to schedule this thing. We’ve both had an insanely busy year of touring, but we finally did it! Rhys is an incredible person and drummer based in Los Angeles and has played with the likes of Yves Tumor, Melanie Martinez, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon, Mark Ronson, Tobias Jesso Jr and many more. His mind/body approcah to the instrument is very inspring and I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Rhys Hastings inot the drummer he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

RHYS' BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

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Album - Ege Bamyasi

Artist - CAN

Release Year - 1972

Key Track(s) - Pinch / Vitamin C / Soup / I'm So Green

Drummer - Jaki Liebezeit

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Album - Speak No Evil

Artist - Wayne Shorter

Release Year - 1966

Key Track(s) - Witch Hunt / Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum / Dance Cadaverous

Drummer - Elvin Jones

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Album - Miles Smiles

Artist - Miles Davis

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) - Footprints, Dolores, Freedom Jazz Dance, Gingerbread Boy

Drummer - Tony Williams

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Album - I Want You

Artist - Marvin Gaye

Release Year - 1976

Key Track(s) - I Want You / Come Live With Me Angel / Soon I'll Be Loving You Again

Drummer - James Gadson

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Album - Siamese Dream

Artist - Smashing Pumpkins

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - Cherub Rock / Quiet / Geek USA

Drummer - Jimmy Chamberlain

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Honorable Mentions:

Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced"

Led Zeppelin "Houses of the Holy"

David Axelrod "Song of Innocence"

Yes "Yes" 

Minnie Ripperton "Adventures in Paradise" 

D'Angelo "Voodoo" 

J Dilla "The Shining"

Also mentioned during the show:

Minnie Riperton - Adventures in Paradise

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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I need your help to make this show the best it can be going into the new year. Even after 170+ episodes...I'm ALL EARS on how I can improve. Below is a link to an anonymous survey for you to give me ANY AND ALL feedback. Seriously...dont mince words 😬

YOU CAN FILL OUT THE SURVEY HERE

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Zach Jones. Zach is a is a drummer, singer, songwriter, and producer from Brooklyn, NY. Zach has performed and recorded with artists such as Sting, Ingrid Michaelson, A Great Big World, Elle King, and many more. He also writes and records music with his own group, Zach Jones & the Tricky Bits. He’s the kindest dude ever; I was smiling the whole time. We could all benefit from being a little more like Zach on and off the kit so I know you’ll enjoy my chat with Zach Jones about the 5 records that helped shape into the player he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

ZACH’S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

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Album - With The Beatles

Artist - The Beatles

Release Year - 1963

Key Track(s) - It Won’t Be Long, All I’ve Got to Do, All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man

Drummer - Ringo Starr

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Album - ‘60s Soul: When A Man Loves A Woman

Artist - Various

Release Year - 1997

Key Track(s) - Soul Man, Knock On Wood, Chain Of Fools

Drummer - Al Jackson, Jr., Roger Hawkins

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Album - Live

Artist - James Taylor

Release Year - 1993

Key Track(s) - Your Smiling Face, Mexico, Country Road

Drummer - Carlos Vega

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Album - Every Breath You Take: The Classics

Artist - The Police

Release Year - 1995

Key Track(s) - Can’t Stand Losing You, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Drummer - Stewart Copeland

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Album - The Royal Scam

Artist - Steely Dan

Release Year - 1976

Key Track(s) - Kid Charlemagne, The Caves of Altamira, Green Earrings

Drummer - Bernard Purdie, Rick Marotta (Everything You Did)

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Any Honorable Mentions?

“When The Pawn…”, Fiona Apple, Matt Chamberlain on drums

“Transatlanticism” & “Plans”, Death Cab For Cutie, Jason McGerr on drums

“Riot!” & “After Laughter”, Paramore, Zac Farro on drums

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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This week’s guest is Griffin Goldsmith, drummer for the band Dawes. I’ve been lucky enough to see Griffin perform a few times in person the last month and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite drummers. Also…Dawes just released a 10TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION of their album “Stories Dont End” on limited edition storm cloud vinyl with Remixed & Remastered songs + 6 Bonus Tracks. You can check out that and all their other offerings at dawestheband.com

In addition to Dawes, Griff has also worked with countless artists such as Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Robbie Robertson, Jim Keltner, Elvis Costello, Sharon Von Etten, Angel Olson, Jenny Lewis, Bahamas and the list goes on and on. He’s recently added film scoring to his list of accomplishments. His delicate and deliberate touch is timeless and honors the gold standard of what it means to be a studio musician. Conversations like this are why I get so excited every week to talk to the best drummers of the day. Griffin’s choices are sourced from the apex of human artistry behind the kit and I know you will all be better drummers after hearing what he has to say. Please enjoy my conversation with Griffin Goldsmith…also please go down a rabbit hole of his playing, not only throughout the entire Dawes catalogue, but all the artists I just mentioned. I can't stress enough how underrated he is. Cheers! 

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

GRIFF'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

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Album - Think!

Release Year - 1960

Artist - James Brown & The Famous Flames

Album - Stax Profiles: Little Milton

Release Year - 2006

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Artist - Little Milton

Release Year - 1974

Key Track(s) - Let Me Down Easy (the fill at 2:36)

Drummer - Calep Emphrey Jr.

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Album - Good News

Release Year - 1977

Artist - Attitudes

Song Choice - Drink My Water

Drummer - Jim Keltner

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Album - Desire

Release Year - 1976

Artist - Bob Dylan

Key Track(s) - Oh, Sister

Drummer - Howard Wyeth

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Album - The Royal Scam

Release Year - 1976

Artist - Steely Dan

Key Track(s) - Kid Charlemagne

Drummer - Bernard "Pretty" Purdie

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Album - No Secrets

Release Year - 1972

Artist - Carly Simon

Key Track(s) - You're So Vain

Drummer - Jim Gordon

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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This week’s guest is Evan Woodle. I was turned onto Evan’s playing through a previous guest of the podcast, Sheridan Riley of the band Alvvays. Evan got his start in the internationally acclaimed Roosevelt High School jazz program in Seattle before going on to earn a Jazz Studies degree from the University of Washington. Go huskies. Evan has toured the world with countless acts, but remains an ambassador for the Seattle Jazz Scene. He maintains a private drum studio, works with local jazz institution Origin Arts, and is one of the co-founders and current organizers of the Racer Sessions, a bimonthly free-improvisation series and a forum for cutting-edge composers and performers. I am a huge fan of his playing, knowledge, and perspective on music so I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Evan Woodle into the drummer he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

YONI'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

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Album - Kind of Blue

Artist - Miles Davis

Release Year - 1959

Key Track(s) - So What, Freddie Freeloader, All Blues

Drummer - Jimmy Cobb

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Album - Yaya3

Artist - Yaya3

Release Year - 2002

Key Track(s) - Slow Orbit

Drummer - Brian Blade

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Album - Speak

Artist - Speak

Release Year - 2010

Key Track(s) - Amalgam in the Middle, Mustard Knuckles

Drummer - Chris Icasiano

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Album - Offend Maggie

Artist - Deerhoof

Release Year - 2008

Key Track(s) - Jagged Fruit

Drummer - Greg Saunier

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Album - Heigh Ho

Artist - Blake Mills

Release Year - 2014

Key Track(s) - Just Out of View

Drummer - Jim Keltner

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HONORABLE MENTION

Album - I Have the Room Above Her

Artist - Paul Motian / Bill Frisell / Joe Lovano

Release - 2005

Drummer - Paul Motian

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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This week’s guest is Yoni Madar. Yoni is an Israeli multi-instrumentalist with an incredible facility on the kit; it’s a mad scientist level of technical ability. He has released multiple books on his unique approach to technique that I urge everyone go check them out on his website www.madardrum.com. Once there, you can also contact him about private lessons 😊 Yoni truly is a drummer to the core. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that shaped Yoni Madar into the multi-instrumentalist he is today. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

YONI'S BIG FAT FIVE 👇🏻

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Album - Selling England by the Pound

Artist - Genesis

Release Year - 1973

Key Track(s) - Dancing With the Moonlit Knight

Drummer - Phil Collins

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Album - Wind & Wuthering

Artist - Genesis

Release Year - 1976

Key Track(s) - Wot Gorilla?

Drummer - Phil Collins

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Album - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Artist - Genesis

Release Year - 1974

Key Track(s) - Anyway

Drummer - Phil Collins

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Album - The Gist of the Gemini

Artist - Gino Vannelli

Release Year - 1976

Key Track(s) - The Battle Cry

Drummer - Graham Lear

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Album - The Court of the Crimson King

Artist - King Crimson

Release Year - 1969

Key Track(s) - Moonchild

Drummer - Michael Giles

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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