Drummers on Drumming

This week’s guest is Billy Martin ... a world-renowned drummer, educator, visual artist, producer, and author. He has collaborated with some of the best, including (but certainly not limited to) John Scofield, John Zorn, Iggy Pop, Natalie Merchant, Flea and many more. Still, many people know him best for his work with Medeski, Martin & Wood, alongside John Medeski and Chris Wood. If you enjoy this episode, please go check out Billy’s interview with Mike Dawson on the Drum Candy podcast titled “Improvising and Cultivating a Creative Mindset”.

I recently re-watched his anti-instructional film, Life on Drums, and I can’t recommend it enough. It's essentially a series of conversations between Martin and his first drum teacher, Allen Herman. These discussions delve into topics such as soloing, time, tone, phrasing, free playing, and so much more. Interspersed throughout are some pretty rad solo and duet performances…all filmed with a cinematic aesthetic. So check that out if that interests you. 

Right off the bat, we dive into the topic of soloing — something Billy encourages all drummers to do first thing when they sit behind the kit (even if just for five minutes), before jumping into the records that shaped him into the remarkable musician he is today.

BILLY'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Peter Tosh
Album - Legalize It
Release Year - 1976
Key Track - "Legalize it"
Drummer - Carlton "Santa" Davis, Carlton Barrett

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Artist - Stevie Wonder
Album - Talking Book
Release Year - 1972
Key Track - "Superstition"
Drummer - Stevie Wonder

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Artist - Dr. John
Album - Gris Gris
Release Year - 1968
Key Track - "Mama Roux"
Drummer - John Boudreaux

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Artist - John Coltrane
Album - Interstellar Space
Release Year - 1974
Key Track - "Jupiter Variation"
Drummer - Rashied Ali

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Artist - Charles Mingus
Album - Mingus Ah Um
Release Year - 1959
Key Track - "Better Git It In Your Soul"
Drummer - Dannie Richmond

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Artist - Lil' Kim
Album - Hard Core
Release Year - 1996
Key Track - "Queen Bitch"

Artist - Wu-Tang Clan
Album - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Release Year - 1993
Key Track - "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II - Conclusion"
Drummer - RZA (producer / beat maker)

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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.

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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Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

In this part two episode, I continue my deep-dive chat with co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City) — picking up right where last week’s marathon conversation left off.

Today we discuss:

We open up about imposter syndrome, ADHD, burnout, and what it really takes to balance creativity with professionalism.

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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.

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

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

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City) for a laid-back but honest conversation about drumming, the music industry, self-worth, and everything in between.

We had originally planned to bring on a guest, but when that fell through, we decided to just catch up and hit record—which, honestly, ended up being exactly what we needed.

Today we discuss:

A belief we both held about drumming early on that we’ve since let go of.

Why learning kick drum patterns is my first step when tackling new material.

The very real anxiety of walking into a new gig and playing in front of a band for the first time.

Our approach to charting vs. memorizing—and why it changes depending on the situation.

Whether drummers deserve songwriting credit and how we navigate that conversation.

The difference between publishing and master rights, and what every drummer should understand about the business.

Our evolving definitions of “making it” as working musicians.

How our instruments can feel like both a source of pride and frustration—and how that ties into self-worth.

The constant push-pull between confidence and impostor syndrome, and how we deal with it.

If you’re navigating your own creative path, juggling multiple projects, or just trying to stay inspired through the ups and downs, I think this episode will hit home.

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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.

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

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

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this episode of The Drum Panel, host Ben Hilzinger is joined by Sterling Laws and Fred Eltringham for an insightful roundtable on all things DRUM.

Meet the Panelists:

Sterling Laws: Grammy-nominated drummer from the Pacific Northwest, now based in Los Angeles, known for collaborations with Olivia Rodrigo, Kim Gordon, and more.

Fred Eltringham: Nashville-based drummer, a mainstay with Sheryl Crow since 2012, with credits including The Wallflowers, The Chicks, and kd lang.

In today's episode, we discuss:

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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.

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

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

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming…a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

I’m back with another installed of Big Fat Five — a segment of the podcast where we dive into the five records that shaped the way great drummers approach their craft.

My name is Ben Hilzinger and today’s guest is someone whose playing and educational work has impacted me personally in a big way. David Garibaldi is not only the legendary drummer of Tower of Power, but his book Future Sounds has been one of my go-to practice tools ever since my good friend Sarab Singh first turned me onto it. In this conversation, David shares the five records that shaped his unmistakable sound and approach to rhythm. I’m so honored to have him on — let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my chat with David Garibaldi. 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.

DAVID'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Count Basie

Album - Breakfast Dance and Barbeque

Release Year - 1959

Drummer - Sonny Payne

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Artist - Sly & The Family Stone

Album - Whole New Thing

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) "Underdog," "If This Room Could Talk"

Drummer - Greg Errico

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Artist - Aretha Franklin

Album - Aretha Live @ The Fillmore West

Release Year - 1971

Drummer - Bernard Purdie

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Artist - The Meters

Album - Look-Ka Py Py

Release Year - 1969

Key Track(s) "Looka-Py-Py," "Rigor Mortis"

Drummer - Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste

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Artist - James Brown

Single - "I Got The Feelin'"

Release Year - 1968

Drummer - Clyde Stubblefield

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HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Artist - Maceo & All The King's Men

Album - Doing Their Own Thing

Release Year - 1970

Drummer - Melvin Parker

Maceo Parker

Album - Made By Maceo

Release Year - 2003

Drummer - Jamal Thomas

Artist - Ray Barretto

Album - Que Viva La Musica

Release Year - 1972

Key Track - Alafia Cumaye

Timbales - Orestes Vilato 

Artist - Herbie Hancock

Album - Maiden Voyage

Key Track - Maiden Voyage

Release Year - 1965

Drummer - Tony Williams

Artist - Miles Davis

Album - Four and More

Release Year - 1966 (Recorded in 1964)

Drummer - Tony Williams

Elvin Jones...all his recordings...(especially McCoy Tyner's album Inception)

...and MANY more...

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

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

We’re back with another installment of the Big Fat Five—where I invite on a drummer that inspires me to break down the five records that shaped their voice behind the kit.

My name is Ben Hilzinger and today’s guest is Jacopo Volpe. Born and raised in Italy, Jaco has played with Vanilla Sky, Post Malone, Damiano David, The Bloody Beetroots, Salmo, Portugal. The Man, and a bunch more. He’s got power, chops, groove, and the kind of confidence that only comes from playing on the biggest stages in the world.

I’ll let Jaco tell you more about his journey, but for now, let’s dive into the five records that helped shape who he is behind the kit. 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.

JACO'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Elton John

Album - Night and Day Concert - Live at Wembley

Release Year - 1984

Key Track(s) - "Crocodile Rock;" "I’m Still Standing"

Drummer - Nigel Olsson

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Artist - Toto

Album - Toto Live in Paris

Release Year - 1990

Key Track(s) - "Rosanna." "Hold The Line"

Drummer - Jeff Porcaro

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Artist - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Album - Live from Austin, Texas

Release Year - 1995/1997

Key Track(s) - "Texas Flood," "Cold Shot"

Drummer - Chris Layton

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Artist - Blink-182

Album - The Mark Tom and Travis show

Release Year - 2000

Key Track(s) - "Dumpweed," "Don’t Leave Me," "Mutt"

Drummer - Travis Barker

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Artist - Foo Fighters

Album - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Release Year - 2007

Key Track - "The Pretender"

Drummer - Taylor Hawkins

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

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

Welcome back to The Drum Panel—a roundtable-style discussion on all things drums.

This week, I’m joined—as almost always—by my co-host Eric Urrea, and today’s special guest is Jeremy Taggart: longtime drummer for Our Lady Peace and co-host of the Taggart and Torrens podcast, where he blends his love of music, comedy, and all things Canadian. At the end of the day, we’re just good buddies—and those are the kinds of people I like to have on The Drum Panel.

This episode kicks off in the middle of a little rant I was having about a recent encounter with David Garibaldi… which, if you stick around long enough, you just might hear for yourself. Let’s hop in. Cheers.

In this episode, we discuss:

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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.

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

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

What is up!? We’re back with another installment of Big Fat Five, where I invite on drummers who’ve inspired me to break down the five records that helped shape their unique voice behind the kit.

This week’s guest is Sam Cohen—a Canadian drummer who, much like Marco Kleebauer a few weeks back, popped up on my Explore Page and instantly caught my ear.

Sam also makes music under the name Glitter Party—a solo pop project he writes, records, and mixes entirely in his home studio up in Toronto. It’s raw, nostalgic, catchy, and perfectly saturated—DIY in the best sense of the word.

He does a great job of setting up his backstory and artistic approach right at the top of our chat, so I’ll shut up—for now.

Hope you enjoy the five records that shaped Sam Cohen into the musician he is today. Cheers!

Check out all of Sam's links HERE

SAM'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Amy Whinehouse

Album - Back to Black

Release Year - 2006

Key Track - "He Can Only Hold Her"

Drummer - Homer Steinweiss

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Artist - James Brown

Album - Star Time

Release Year - 1991

Key Track - "I Got The Feelin'"

Drummer - Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo starks, Melvin Parker

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Artist - Al Green

Album - Lets Stay Together

Release Year - 1972

Key Track - "Lets Stay Together"

Drummer - Al Jackson Jr

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Artist - The Band

Album - Music from Big Pink

Release Year - 1968

Key Track - "The Weight"

Drummer - Levon Helm

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Artist - John Coltrane

Album - Giants Steps (mono)

Release Year - 1960

Key Track - "Countdown"

Drummer - Art Taylor

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Get Your Copy of the my book Drummers on Drumming 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.

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

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

What is up?! Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming — a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. My name is Ben Hilzinger, and today’s episode is a little different.

A few months ago, I was sent a book by drummer and educator Mark Feldman — founder of Bang! The Drum School. The book is called Drumming Decoded: The Secret Code to Quickly Go From Newbie to Confident Drummer. It’s a relatively quick read at around 180 pages, but it’s surprisingly comprehensive.

Now, I usually try to steer clear of too much “insider baseball” on this podcast because I want everyone to feel part of the conversation. That said, I also realized I haven’t really addressed beginner drummers directly in a lot of my content.

So I brought Mark on not only to promote his book (which I do recommend — link’s in the show notes), but also to have a conversation about building a solid foundation from day one. And while this book and convo are definitely geared toward novice drummers, there are a ton of takeaways that can help any drummer — no matter where you're at in your journey.

So, whether you’re just picking up sticks for the first time or you're revisiting the fundamentals, I hope you dig this episode. Even if you think you’ve heard it all before... you might just grow a little more.

Here’s to the beginners — keep going. You got this!

• Check out Bang! The Drum School HERE

• Snag your copy of Drumming Decoded HERE

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ALSO...Get Your Copy of the my book Drummers on Drumming 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.

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

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

Episode 13 of The Drum Panel

Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.

For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special returning guest, Mike Robinson.

Today we discuss:

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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.

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

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