Most skilled drummer?

Peart and then Portnoy

Someo Therguy wrote: floydaholic wrote: Yes, he is quite amazing. However my favorite of the skilled group is undoubtedly Steve Gadd. That man has held some of the most magnificent grooves i've ever heard. I can't think of anything that compares to "The Mozambique" and its many variations. He's just got great feel and instinct on the set and is pretty damn precise and such. If we're going to veer off of Prog, then there are some incredibly skilled players we should mention. Two of my favorites are Dave Weckl and Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez.

 

You should watch this one video no drummerworld. It's a three-way solo battle between Colaiuta, Weckly and Gadd.

meurglysIII wrote: To me, Pierre Moerlen outdoes every drummer I've heard.

How could I forget mentioning Pierre Moerlen?? He makes Neil Peart look like an newbie in comparison!!

Also, Tomas Haake from Meshuggah is one of the most perfect and technical drummers in music history!

Edited by Bj-1

To me, Pierre Moerlen outdoes every drummer I've heard.

chopper wrote: Ringo Starr. Aaaagh. Cough.

Believe it or not, I've got two friends Beatle-obsessed friends who remain convinced that Ringo is a better drummer than Neil Peart.  I mean, C'MON!!!  It's Neil-Frickin'-Peart!  I even showed them the entirety of "O Baterista."  Oh no, they said... he just sounds good 'cause he's got a lot of drums...  So I showed them the bit in the documentary where Neil is warming up on a teeny-little 5-piece practice set.  Uh, they said, no.  Ringo is way better.  *sigh*  There's just no arguing with some people...

As if I need to clarify, I voted for Peart...

Empathy wrote: Whoever mentioned Chad Wackerman earlier: I gotta say, I just listened to "Tink Walks Amok" off of Man from Utopia; I've never really paid much attention to Wackerman before, but he pulls off that 11/16 section in the beginning like it's nothing. I gotta give him props.

I have a transcription of "Tink" and worked it up and played it along with the recording. It's tuff. I only had the drum part written, so I don't know for sure, but I swear in one or two spots theres some kind of wacky polyrhythm going on between Scott Thunes bass line and the drum part.

You should listen to Chad Wackerman's work with Allan Holdsworth.

Edited by Someo Therguy

Whoever mentioned Chad Wackerman earlier:

I gotta say, I just listened to "Tink Walks Amok" off of Man from Utopia; I've never really paid much attention to Wackerman before, but he pulls off that 11/16 section in the beginning like it's nothing. I gotta give him props.

Colaiuta... I haven't heard much of that era of Zappa, but I've heard him with Sting, and I actually have one of his solo albums. I agree he's a very skilled drummer, but I find that solo album to be fairly dull.

I should also mention Mike Mangini. He used to have a rehearsal space next to ours, and listening to him shed used to make my drummer want to leap out of a window!


Edited by Empathy

akiko wrote: Along the same vein, Thomas Lang and Akira Jimbo are both MASTERS of 4 way independence.  I watched an Akira Jimbo clinic at thean old MARS Music in Baltimore a few years back, and Dennis Chambers was on the side of the stage just shaking his head in disbelief.  Thomas Lang had a demo video for Sonor drums, and I swear in 24 years of drumming I've never seen anything like it.  And I've seen all the drummers mentioned on this forum live, except for Ringo...

I have a Modern Drummer Festival DVD with Akira Jimbo and I love what he does on there. His independance is amazing, but so is his programming and use of triggering. His performance is one of my favorites on that DVD. I've never heard Thomas Lang, does he have recordings beyond the demo video you mentioned?

Brufford I think, since he can drum so creatively in so many styles of music.