99 Greatest Rock Drummers

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John Bonham, Led Zeppelin

Neil Peart, Rush

Keith Moon, The Who

  

Ringo Starr,The Beatles

Carl Palmer, ELP & ASIA

You have to go back at least 25 years to start finding all the great drummers. After listing Neil Peart, John Bonham, Keith Moon and Carl Palmer, does it really matter how you list the rest of the great drummers? My opinion is that Neil Peart and Carl Palmer are the most skilled drummers I have ever witnessed both in concert and in video. I saw Carl Palmer past his ELP days when he was with ASIA. He had a rotating stage and two big gongs behind him. Even during ballads, he was drumming with speed, precision and incredible timing. Neil Peart's "Working Man" is the greatest drumming solo of all time. I would round out the top 5 with the original innovator on drums, Ringo Starr of The Beatles. 


There are good drummers today like Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon and others, but not many. It's going to be very hard today to achieve legendary status like John Bonham and Keith Moon because of today's music, technology and less focus on the drummer compared to years past.  This is why I posted 99 and not 100 Greatest Drummers, as a symbol that great drummers today are rare. You want to see and hear greatness, then just check out the video of Carl Palmer's solo in 1970 below and listen below of Neil Peart's "Working Man" solo from Rush's live concert "All The World's A Stage" - "Ladies and gentlemen the professor on the drum kit". 


Final Note: In the 1980s, I have to give Tommy Aldridge of Ozzy Osbourne the title of best drummer of his time. One last opinion; Alex Van Halen, drummer of Van Halen, is underrated and overshadowed by his genius brother Eddie on guitar. - Kenny Leibow

The 99 Greatest Drummer list below came from digitaldreamdoor.com where I have reposted lists before. You may not agree with the order of the list or believe that there is someone missing out of the top 99, however I have found that the drummers listed below are consistently showing up on most greatest drummer lists. Please post your favorite rock drummer stories.


1. Neil Peart (Rush)  
  2. John Bonham* (Led Zeppelin) 
  3. Keith Moon* (The Who)  
  4. Carl Palmer (ELP)  
  5. Ginger Baker (Cream) 
  6. Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa) 
  7. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) 
  8. Hal Blaine (Session man) 
  9. Ian Paice (Deep Purple) 
10. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) 
11. Dave Lombardo (Slayer) 
12. Danny Carey (Tool) 
13. Ringo Starr (The Beatles) 
14. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge) 
15. Earl Palmer (Session man) 
16. Benny Benjamin* (Funk Brothers) 
17. Jeff Porcaro* (Toto) 
18. Stewart Copeland (The Police) 
19. Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne) 
20. Bernard Purdie (Session) 
21. Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) 
22. Steve Smith (Journey) 
23. Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix) 
24. David Garabaldi (Tower Of Power) 
25. Mike Shrieve (Santana) 
26. Ainsley Dunbar (Jeff Beck) 
27. Cozy Powell* (Rainbow) 
28. Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) 
29. Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews) 
30. Tim Alexander (Primus) 
31. Roger Taylor (Queen) 
32. Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) 
33. Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters) 
34. Phil Collins (Genesis) 
35. Al Jackson* (The MGs) 
36. Vinnie Paul (Pantera) 
37. Topper Headon (The Clash) 
38. Lars Ulrich (Metallica) 
39. Jimmy Chamberlain (Smashing Pumpkins) 
40. Bobby Jarzombeck (Rob Halford, Iced Earth)
41. Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger) 
42. Gene Holgan (Death, Strapping Young Lad) 
43. Martin Lopez (Opeth) 
44. Simon Phillips (Toto) 
45. Mike Giles (King Crimson, Giles, Giles & Fripp ) 
46. Max Weinberg (Springsteen) 
47. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) 
48. Jon Theodore (Mars Volta, One Day As A Lion) 
49. Brian Downey (Thin Lizzy) 
50. Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, session man) 
51. Alan White (Yes) 
52. Nick Menza (Megadeth) 
53. Phil Ehart (Kansas) 
54. Mark Zonder (Fate's Warning) 
55. Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) 
56. Jaki Liebezeit (CAN) 
57. Scott Travis (Judas Priest) 
58. Virgil Donati (Planet X) 
59. Jim Gordon (Derek And The Dominoes) 
60. Ron Bushy (Iron Butterfly) 
61. Richard Allen (Funk Brothers) 
62. BJ Wilson* Procul Harum) 
63. Chad Wackerman (Zappa) 
64. Ralph Humphrey (Mothers Of Invention) 
65. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Desert Sessions) 
66. Jojo Mayer (Nerve, session man) 
67. Brann Dailor (Mastodon) 
68. Clive Burr (Iron Maiden) 
69. Christian Vander (Magma) 
70. Dennis Thompson (MC5) 
71. John French (Captain Beefheart) 
72. John Weathers (Gentle Giant) 
73. Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) 
74. Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson) 
75. Greg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, session man) 
76. Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) 
77. Mike Mangini (Extreme) 
78. Larry Mullen Jr. (U2) 
79. Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull) 
80. Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) 
81. Jabo Starks (James Brown, session man) 
82. Brian Mantia (Primus) 
83. Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche) 
84. Phil Taylor (Motörhead) 
85. Vinnie Appice (Dio, session man) 
86. Fred Coury (Cinderella) 
87. Travis Barker (Blink 182) 
88. Phil Selway (Radiohead) 
89. Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne) 
90. Zak Starkey (The Who, Oasis) 
91. Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones) 
92. Dave Grohl (Nirvana) 
93. Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) 
94. Jose Pasillas (Incubus) 
95. Ron Wilson* (Surfaris) 
96. John Densmore (The Doors) 
97. Chester Thompson (Santana) 
98. Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley) 
99. Van Romaine (Steve Morse) 

Home Brew Guitar Jams - Willie Vega

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I met Willie Vega back in 1987 in Miami Springs. Willie and Deniz were good friends, which is how I was introduced. Deniz recorded one of his first tracks back in 1986 with Willie playing guitar. The song is called Tall Tales; you can listen on the original songs list in the music player on this blog. Willie now lives in New York City. We have connected again through social media. A lot of soul bleeds out when Willie Vega plays guitar. Check out his YouTube channel with videos of Willie Vega playing guitar at http://www.youtube.com/user/willievega.  I have embedded some of his latest videos and quotes below. Yes, I have to mention that Willie Vega is a huge guitar Gear-Head! For you gear-heads out there, make sure you also visit www.ThatGuitarShow.tv.

Good friend and good times! - Kenny Leibow

 Tweak Fuzz and Modtone Wah

"I did this video for my brother Rob 'Mr. Scumbag', cause he really digs this style.

The Tweak Fuzz is a Wah friendly pedal (not all fuzzes are).

Since I used a Seymour Duncan, Tweak Fuzz and a Modtone Wah, I am calling it a demo."

HBE (Home Brew Electronic) Power Screamer Blues

"Shot this little improv with no preparation. I'm a rambunctious bastard!"

Collage of Gear demos

KISS Tribute Band 1991

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Deniz performed live with several musicians in the 1990s including his bands Ankara and Sin. In 1991 at Penrods in Miami Beach, Florida, Deniz was on stage playing Paul Stanley in a Kiss Tribute performance. Read the story below by Rudy Landa; and see the video of the live performance with complete Kiss makeup. - Kenny Leibow

"Halloween of '91, while attending Career Institutes
of America in Miami Beach, some buddies of mine
and myself put together a KISS tribute band and
played at South Beach's "Penrod' s on
The Beach" for our school Halloween Party.....

Here's my guitar solo from that night,followed by a
little tune that KISS fans will recognize.....it was a wild
and crazy time the early 90s......so many memories." -Rudy Landa

Denniz (Paul Stanley), Randy (Peter Criss), Alex (Gene Simmons), and me Rudy (Ace Freeley).



KISS Tribute Band 1991

SIN - South Florida Rock Bands 1990s

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Deniz Kose performed in many venues through out the 1990s. The photo to the left is Deniz performing at Penrods in South Beach (Florida). As I stated in the previous post "Deniz and Kenny Collection 2", Deniz was in the group Ankara and SIN in the 1990s. Here is the story of SIN:

In 1993 Deniz started a studio in Hallandale, Florida called "Jamtite". I remember visiting the studio in 1996 to watch Ankara rehearse. Jamtite studio was located in an industrial type area with a lot of mechanic shops around. At night, it was a party zone packed with cars. One of Jamtite's many customers were two guys who rented studio time, Ray Gutierrez and Caesar Gutierrez. They were brothers whose family was Cuban. Ray and Caesar were customers for a long time, approximately one and half years. Deniz became good friends with Ray and Caesar. By the end of 1996, Ankara had broken up; and at that time, Deniz started jamming with Ray and Caesar. They all decided to put a together a band and called the group "SIN".

SIN consisted of Deniz Kose as the lead singer, Ray Gutierrez on bass and background vocals, and Caesar Gutierrez as lead guitar and background vocals. They played all original music. Ray and Caesar co-wrote the music and Deniz wrote the lyrics. When SIN practiced and recorded in the studio, the musicians on drums and keyboards were not permanent members of the band. They were musicians for hire.

SIN played many popular venues in South Florida such as The Button, Roses, Plus5, Churchill's, Rosebuds, and McFly just to name a few. When SIN performed live, they also used various drummers on stage. Deniz was forced to close Jamtite in 1996 because the building had a new owner who did not want bands playing there any more. About 4 days a week SIN rehearsed at Obenour Studio in Ft. Lauderdale. They rehearsed 5-6 days a week on average as well as performing live. Sometimes SIN would rehearse at a studio in South Miami, which was the group Exposé's old studio.

Deniz - "I remembers when Ray and Caesar invited Rudy Sarzo the bass player from Ozzy Osbourne, Quite Riot and White Snake to come to the studio and hang out at one of our rehearsals. Now that was a cool moment to jam in front of a musician who was one of my rock heroes. He actually liked our Band. That was a good moment and though I never made it to the Lime Light. it is moments like that I consider priceless."

SIN was together almost 4 years. They broke up in 2000. SIN left behind some great music and fun times. You can listen to some of SIN's songs on the music player on this blog. Also please listen to "Doin Fine" below recorded by SIN in 1998. - Kenny Leibow

SIN - Doin Fine


SIN
Deniz Kose - Lead vocals and Lyricist
Ray Gutierrez - Bass and Background vocals and co writer
Caesar Gutierrez- Lead Guitar.Background vocals and co writer

TRACKS
Trapped in the mirror
Whispering trees
Summer Rain
Doin fine
Into the sky
Feel

Venues in South Florida

South Florida is home to several arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, and other live music venues.

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/8636/concerts.html