Big Fat Snare Drum

Liberty Devitto (Billy Joel): Top 5 Drumming Influences

Mar 02, 2021 | 0 comments

Today’s guest is Liberty DeVitto…the rhythmic powerhouse behind 22 of Billy Joel's 23 top 40 hits and all six of his Grammy Award-winning recordings. His ability to seamlessly switch between mature session musician and bombastic live showman should be a guiding light for a lot of players you and old (me) alike. I had a blast talking with Liberty as we broke down the top five influences that shaped his drumming style. Also…go buy his damn book…which we talk about throughout. Cheers! This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to...

KIRKEE B!!! Curt Bisquera's Top 5 Career-Defining Moments

Feb 16, 2021 | 0 comments

Today’s guest is Curt Bisquera…or as most people know him “Kirkee B”. He’s played with so many great artists such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sarah Mclaughlin, Lana Del Ray, Johnny Cash and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. His pocket is deep and his stories are endless. I brought him on the show to break down the top 5 moments in his career that best represent his legacy as a player. From moving to LA to pursue a career in drumming at MI as a young kid who couldn’t read music to...

The 5 Essential Levon Helm Recordings (to finally get you into Levon Helm)

Feb 10, 2021 | 0 comments

This could be the most important episode I’ve had the pleasure to record. Levon Helm of The Band was one of the greatest to ever do it. Thusly, everything I’ve typed / erased / retyped / and so on for this intro feels utterly contrived or underwhelming when trying to describe a musician of this magnitude. As Rolling Stone Magazine once wrote, “Levon Helm is the only drummer that can make you cry.”. He changed the game in so many ways and, to be honest, DOESN’T GET THE DAMN CREDIT HE DESERVES. I invited one of my new...

Tim Baltes' (@timbofromkeno) Top 5 Drumming Moments That Shaped HIs Playing Style

Feb 02, 2021 | 0 comments

Our guest this week is Tim Baltes or, to many, @timbofromkeno on Instagram. He’s known as a funny man, but a big reason why his schtick works is because he’s a monster player as well. We break down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his style and, in true form, Tim was authentic and blazed his own trail with his picks…which aren’t the traditional choices. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tim Baltes. This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the...

Myths Our Drum Teachers Told Us w/ Dimitri Fantini

Jan 26, 2021 | 0 comments

Today’s guest is Dimitri Fantini…a great drummer and instructor based in Maryland. I personally subscribe to his Patreon and I suggest you do the same thing. Since Dimitri is technically one of my online instructors, I thought I’d invite him on to discuss some myths that we hear being taught that are just wrong. We had a great time, but tended to agree on almost everything…BORING! Anyways, we dissect the following myths: Only practice what you're bad at/If you sound good, you're not practicing. There is one correct way to hold a stick. Learning more "stuff" or patterns...