[Neil Peart: Soloing In The Shadows Of Giants]

Neil Peart is featured on the cover of April's issue of Modern Drummer Magazine which is a special edition focusing on the drum solo. Neil also pens an article on drum solos entitled Soloing In The Shadows Of Giants. Here are a few excerpts:

Four score years ago (give or take), our forefathers brought forth the drum solo. The people watched and listened, danced and cheered, and it was good. ... pioneers like Baby Dodds, Chick Webb, and Big Sid Catlett passed the sticks down to Gene Krupa, ... By the mid-'60s, so many giants had come before, pushing the frontiers of what had come to be known as jazz music. Buddy Rich's amazing technique and musicality had raised the drum solo to an even higher level of artistry and popular appreciation, ... drum solos began to bloom in rock music too, in concerts and recordings. ... The drum solo is a tradition handed down to us, our heritage, as it were, and it is a heritage worth celebrating. Giants have come before us, and giants will come after, but even while us mere mortals play in their shadows, we can be inspired to aim just a little higher every day—or every night. ...

The issue will hit newstands on March 8. Thanks to cygnus x-2 at Counterparts for the heads up.

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