Français: : Great drummers

CLASSIFYING OF THE DRUMMERS BY STYLE

Bellson, Bissonette, Chambers, Colaiuta, Gadd and Weckl, at the "Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert" in Los Angeles, 1989.

Click on the name of a drummer to see a biography written by myself with critical commentary (attempting to highlight the creative contribution of the drummer in the history of music), video or audio clips (in solo or in a band or even a lesson from him, a presentation of an instrument conceived especially for him or one or several interviews of him), a selective discography, and sometimes even a videography and bibliography, and also external links (to his official website and / or to drummerworld.com, which offers other video and audio clips) and a list of famous musicians or bands, with whom he played.

N.B.: Some drummers appear in several categories.

Contents (click on a category):

1: Classic Jazz, Swing (Big Bands, New-York, Chicago jazz, "Hot Jazz", Boogie-Woogie, New-Orleans, Dixieland):

  • Louie Bellson
  • Warren "Baby" Dodds
  • Sonny Greer
  • "Papa" Jo Jones
  • Gene Krupa
  • Buddy Rich
  • Chick Webb
  • 2: Modern jazz ("Be bop", "Hard Bop" and "Cool Jazz"):

  • Louie Bellson
  • Art Blakey
  • Kenny Clarke
  • Roy Haynes
  • Daniel Humair
  • "Philly" Joe Jones
  • Joe Morello
  • Buddy Rich
  • Max Roach
  • Tony Williams
  • 3: Latin Jazz, "Cubop", Salsa, Cha-cha, Mambo, "Son Cubano" ("classical" musics from Afro-Cuban inspiration):

  • Alex Acuña
  • Ray Barretto
  • Louie Bellson
  • Art Blakey
  • Kenny Clarke
  • Luis Conte
  • Miguel "Anga" Diaz
  • Sheila "E" Escovedo
  • Jerry Gonzalez
  • Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
  • Giovanni Hidalgo
  • Billy Higgins
  • Orlando Poleo
  • Chano Pozo
  • Ernesto "Tito" Puente
  • Jose Luis "Changuito" Quintana
  • Max Roach
  • Poncho Sanchez
  • Mongo Santamaria
  • 4: Rock'n'Roll, Blues, Rhythm'n'Blues, Pop Music, Disco, Variety:

  • Alex Acuña
  • Dante Agostini
  • Carmine Appice
  • Kenny Aronoff
  • Thierry Arpino
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • Hal Blaine
  • Gerry Brown
  • André Ceccarelli
  • Marc Cerrone
  • Vinnie Colaiuta
  • Phil Collins
  • Luis Conte
  • Stewart Copeland
  • Sheila "E" Escovedo
  • Jean-Philippe Fanfant
  • Steve Gadd
  • Ralf Gustke
  • Manu Katché
  • Richard Kolinka
  • Thomas Lang
  • Mitch Mitchell
  • Ian Paice
  • Neil Peart
  • Simon Phillips
  • Jeff Porcaro
  • Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
  • Chad Smith
  • Marvin "Smitty"Smith
  • Ringo Starr
  • Charlie Watts
  • Dave Weckl
  • 5: Free jazz, free groove (free-funk), "world" (beyond the American continent) jazz, electro-jazz, "atmospheric" jazz, contemporary jazz:

  • Alex Acuña
  • Thierry Arpino
  • Ed Blackwell
  • Terri Lyne Carrington
  • André Ceccarelli
  • Dennis Chambers
  • Mino Cinelu
  • Billy Cobham
  • Vinnie Colaiuta
  • Jack de Johnette
  • Marc Erbetta
  • Peter Erskine
  • Al Foster
  • Steve Gadd
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Omar Hakim
  • Roy Haynes
  • Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
  • Billy Higgins
  • Daniel Humair
  • Elvin Jones
  • Manu Katché
  • Jojo Mayer
  • Joe Morello
  • Tony Oxley
  • Leon Parker
  • Simon Phillips
  • Bertrand Renaudin
  • Buddy Rich
  • Max Roach
  • Paco Séry
  • Marvin "Smitty"Smith
  • Steve Smith
  • Bill Stewart
  • Okay Temiz
  • Christian Vander
  • Brice Wassy
  • Charlie Watts
  • Jeff "Tain" Watts
  • Dave Weckl
  • Lenny White
  • Tony Williams
  • 6: Brazilian drumset drumming (Bossa Nova, Jazz-Samba, etc.)

  • Thierry Arpino
  • Billy Cobham
  • Duduka Da Fonseca
  • Jack de Johnette
  • Peter Erskine
  • Steve Gadd
  • Omar Hakim
  • Roy Haynes
  • Billy Higgins
  • Akira Jimbo
  • Manu Katché
  • Harvey Mason
  • Jojo Mayer
  • Airto Moreira
  • Mike Terrana
  • Dave Weckl
  • Tony Williams
  • 7: Funk, new ("contemporary") R'N'B (Rhythm and Blues), Jazz-Rock and Jazz-Funk:

  • Alex Acuña
  • Thierry Arpino
  • Terry Bozzio
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • Gerry Brown
  • Bill Bruford
  • Terri Lyne Carrington
  • Dennis Chambers
  • Mino Cinelu
  • Billy Cobham
  • Vinnie Colaiuta
  • Phil Collins
  • Jack de Johnette
  • Virgil Donati
  • Peter Erskine
  • Sheila "E" Escovedo
  • Al Foster
  • Steve Gadd
  • David Garibaldi
  • Alain Gozzo
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Ralf Gustke
  • Omar Hakim
  • Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
  • Daniel Humair
  • Akira Jimbo
  • Manu Katché
  • Oliver Gene Lake JR
  • Rick Latham
  • Harvey Mason
  • Jojo Mayer
  • Marco Minnemann
  • Mitch Mitchell
  • Simon Phillips
  • Jeff Porcaro
  • Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
  • Buddy Rich
  • Paco Séry
  • Chad Smith
  • Marvin "Smitty"Smith
  • Steve Smith
  • Bill Stewart
  • Clyde Stubblefield
  • Okay Temiz
  • Mike Terrana
  • Christian Vander
  • Dave Weckl
  • Lenny White
  • Tony Williams
  • 8: Hard Rock and Heavy Metal (origins ("traditional"), Thrash Metal, Melodic Metal, FM, etc.):

  • Carmine Appice
  • Kenny Aronoff
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • John Bonham
  • Dave Grohl
  • Richard Kolinka
  • Nicko Mac Brain
  • Ian Paice
  • Neil Peart
  • Simon Phillips
  • Jeff Porcaro
  • Chad Smith
  • Steve Smith
  • Matt Sorum
  • Ringo Starr
  • Lars Ulrich
  • Brad Wilk
  • 9: Progressive Rock:

  • Thierry Arpino
  • Terry Bozzio
  • John Bonham
  • Bill Bruford
  • Vinnie Colaiuta
  • Phil Collins
  • Alain Gozzo
  • Thomas Lang
  • Alessia Mattalia
  • Mitch Mitchell
  • Ian Paice
  • Neil Peart
  • Simon Phillips
  • Jeff Porcaro
  • Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
  • Chad Smith
  • Steve Smith
  • Ringo Starr
  • Christian Vander
  • 10: Jazz Fusion, Free Latin, Caribbean music (Latin-jazz-rock, Zouk, Reggae, etc.):

  • Alex Acuña
  • Robby Ameen
  • Thierry Arpino
  • Ray Barretto
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • Ed Blackwell
  • André Ceccarelli
  • Mino Cinelu
  • Billy Cobham
  • Luis Conte
  • Jack de Johnette
  • Miguel "Anga" Diaz
  • Lowell "Sly" Dunbar
  • Peter Erskine
  • Sheila "E" Escovedo
  • Jean-Philippe Fanfant
  • Steve Gadd
  • Jerry Gonzalez
  • Ralf Gustke
  • Omar Hakim
  • Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
  • Giovanni Hidalgo
  • Billy Higgins
  • Akira Jimbo
  • Manu Katché
  • Airto Moreira
  • Orlando Poleo
  • Jose Luis "Changuito" Quintana
  • Poncho Sanchez
  • Mongo Santamaria
  • Paco Séry
  • Marvin "Smitty"Smith
  • Dave Weckl
  • Lenny White
  • Tony Williams
  • 11: African drumset drumming (Afro-beat, afro-jazz, Rai, etc.):

  • Tony Allen
  • Thierry Arpino
  • Ed Blackwell
  • Jack de Johnette
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Manu Katché
  • Jean-Claude Paolini
  • Leon Parker
  • Bertrand Renaudin
  • Mokhtar Samba
  • Paco Séry
  • Brice Wassy
  • Karim Ziad
  • 12: Progressive Metal, Extreme Metal (Metal-fusion, speed, death, black, instrumental, etc.):

  • Tim "Herb" Alexander
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • Terry Bozzio
  • Pierre Belleville
  • Jimmy de Grasso
  • Virgil Donati
  • Gene Hoglan
  • Joey Jordison
  • Alessia Mattalia
  • Marco Minnemann
  • Simon Phillips
  • Mike Portnoy
  • Aquiles Priester
  • Derek Roddy
  • Mike Terrana
  • 13: "Traditional" percussionists (hand drums or without pedals):

  • Alex Acuña
  • Ray Barretto
  • Carlinhos Brown
  • Mino Cinelu
  • Luis Conte
  • Inza Diabaté
  • Miguel "Anga" Diaz
  • Sheila "E" Escovedo
  • Louis César Ewandé
  • Jerry Gonzalez
  • Guem
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Giovanni Hidalgo
  • Zakir Hussain
  • Jean-Christophe Jacquin
  • Mamady Keita
  • Silvano Michelino
  • Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel
  • Sanford Moeller
  • Airto Moreira
  • Doudou N'Diaye Rose
  • Leon Parker
  • Orlando Poleo
  • Chano Pozo
  • Ernesto "Tito" Puente
  • Jose Luis "Changuito" Quintana
  • Raul Rekow
  • Poncho Sanchez
  • Mongo Santamaria
  • Okay Temiz
  • Top Secret Drum Corps Basel Suisse
  • 14: Educators, Writers, "Clinicians", drum soloists (unclassifiable):

  • Alex Acuña
  • Dante Agostini
  • Robby Ameen
  • Carmine Appice
  • Kenny Aronoff
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • Terry Bozzio
  • Bill Bruford
  • Dennis Chambers
  • Billy Cobham
  • Duduka Da Fonseca
  • Jack de Johnette
  • Virgil Donati
  • Peter Erskine
  • Jean-Philippe Fanfant
  • Steve Gadd
  • David Garibaldi
  • Claude Gastaldin
  • Alain Gozzo
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Omar Hakim
  • Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
  • Daniel Humair
  • Akira Jimbo
  • Mamady Keita
  • Gene Krupa
  • Thomas Lang
  • Rick Latham
  • Jojo Mayer
  • Marco Minnemann
  • Sanford Moeller
  • Joe Morello
  • Tony Oxley
  • Jean-Claude Paolini
  • Simon Phillips
  • Mike Portnoy
  • Bertrand Renaudin
  • Max Roach
  • Derek Roddy
  • Steve Smith
  • Okay Temiz
  • Mike Terrana
  • Christian Vander
  • Dave Weckl