Underrated drummers

CHRIS FREAKIN MAITLAND!

Ginger Baker is in no way underrated. Best drummer on the planet though.

I voted for Jon Hiseman from the list - top drawer, very jazzy player.  I suppose he's not so widely rated because he's usually playing in the kind of jazz-rock context which doesn't tend to fill stadiums.

Mascodagama wrote: I voted for Jon Hiseman from the list - top drawer, very jazzy player.  I suppose he's not so widely rated because he's usually playing in the kind of jazz-rock context which doesn't tend to fill stadiums.   I think Bernard Purdie is rather underrated as well, probably because he's mostly a session player - check out his playing on Steely Dan's The Royal Scam, superb.

Myself, of course

You rarely if ever hear anything mentioned about the Mahavishnu Orchestra's second drummer (replacement for Billy Cobham), Narada Michael Walden.  Currently an extremely successful producer this guy was a monster on drums.  I remember going to see the reformed Mahavishnu Orchestra in Central Park right after the release of "Apocalypse".  The anticipation was whether or not this guy repalcing Billy Cobham was any good or not.  Within the first minute you knew he was.

Mick Fleetwood.

Soap opera band aside, one bloody good dummer.

BaldJean wrote: I don't think Hiseman, Baker or Erskine are underrated; they are widely regarded as excellent drummers. my vote goes to Stewart Copeland. if he were on the list, my vote would go to Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru though. he should be listed in every drum poll that is worth its salt. and he is so underrated he doesn't even make it onto this list. or perhaps he is just too little known, in which case I highly recommend to listen to the 2 tracks of Guru Guru in the database, especially "God's Endless Love for Men"

I would go for (and recommend) two Swedish favourites, who are much underrated:
Anders Johansson, who I believe has taken heavy rock drumming to a quite an art and some surprising sublety, and then looked to broaden his palette by including world influences, check out Red Shift (Heptagon Records) for this, also check out Jonas Hellborg Group's e - heavy Hammond organ lead jazz rock (predating Niacin by half a decade), and The Shining Path's No Other World for metal with precision, the latter two albums are difficult to find but are on DEM Records.

Morgan Agren, best known for his work with the Matts Morgan Band (Thanks For Flying With Us and Live are strongly recommended, Cuneiform and UAE Records respectively), but quite a long history of solo work, e.g.a rather good DVD issued in last 18 months.


Edited by Dick Heath - February 03 2007 at 05:51

I bet Liebezeit would have been a fantastic experience in the 70's with Can, though. I think he's hypnotic sound is unique and so much more than a metronome. But he's really not that underrated.

I think Embryo's Christian Burchard is.

and Giulio Capiozzo from Area

Billy Hart (Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders..) never gets mentioned among the greatest jazzdrummers, does he?

Nothing wrong with anyone on the list, but i don't feel any urge to vote for any of them.