Hall of Fame

by B. Michael Williams I am the drum, you are the drum, and we are the drum. Because the whole world revolves in rhythm, and rhythm is the soul of life, for everything that we do in life is in rhythm. — Babatunde Olatunji Babatunde Olatunji has been hailed as the father of African drumming…

by Jim Payne 1923–2000 Tito Puente brought me into his garage last year. We were working together on a book/CD, Tito Puente’s Drumming With The Mambo King, and later we were going to a video shoot for the same project. We needed to load up his timbales because he was going straight to a gig afterward. The…

by James A. Strain Al Payson, retired Percussionist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was nearly at a loss for words when informed of his election into the PAS Hall of Fame. “I am stunned to learn of my selection and words fail me,” Payson said. “I feel really honored to be chosen and can’t quite…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Almost every drummer has a pair of nylon-tip sticks. The man who first decided to put nylon tips on wooden drumsticks was a very clever and innovative drummer named Joe Calato.  As a cabinetmaker and part-time musician raising a family in the early 1950s, Calato recalls what led him to one…

Story and Photo by Rick Mattingly 1929-1990 In an era when big band drummers were expected to be showmen who drove their ensembles with aggressive timekeeping and fast, furious fills, Mel Lewis defied the trend and served the music by supporting the band rather than by calling attention to his own playing. The warm sounds…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Most percussionists recognize the name John S. Pratt as the author of the well-known book 14 Modern Contest Solos for Snare Drum. But did you know he taught high school English for a quarter of a century? Or that he was President of the Chaucer Guild, a New Jersey poets society?…

by Robyn Flans I could not have been more thrilled to hear that Ringo Starr is to be inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame. As longtime writer for Modern Drummer magazine, I cannot count the number of drummers who have told me that Ringo inspired their passion for drums when they first encountered the…

by Rick Mattingly “That was awesome,” DeJohnette says, recalling the night. “Ed was in great form. When you play with musicians, it’s always different than just listening to them. I felt very comfortable playing with Ed, and it was obvious why he’s hired and loved and respected by so many great musicians. His time is…

by Lisa Rogers He has been called many things in his life including the “Stradivarius of Steel,” “Father of the Modern Steel Drum Band,” “Master of the Steel Drum,” and Dr. Mannette. I prefer to call him the “Steel Rebel” because in his seventy-seven years of life, Ellie Mannette has continually rebelled against anyone or…

by James A. Strain Founded in 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra is just over 100 years old. For nearly half of the orchestra’s history, from 1953 until his death in 2002, Michael Bookspan provided inspirational sounds from the stage to the audience. Wolfgang Sawallisch, Musical Director of the orchestra, characterized Bookspan’s contribution by stating: “With nearly…