Danny Carey - notonly for the monster drummer that he is, but also for showing methat i dont need to follow everybody else's approach. i can still do things my own way as long as im learning.
Mitch Mitchell - my all time favorite drummer, so versatile, so groovy, its so all about Mitch. those fills, accents and the way he emphasised different parts of the music. he was 20 when Hendrix played Woodstock....ridiculous!
Zigaboo Modeliste - Funk, funk and more funk, the pocket of this man is amazing. can sit back and lay it down fat and funky as hell, or rip it up. a true pioneer of what it means to have GROOVE
Chad Smith - hard funk master. grooving and slamming his way while constantly having a great time! his laid back approach is one i find soothing. its like he's telling you "yes, play out, take this seriously and kick it....but dont take YOURSELF too seriously!"
Oliver Charles - drummer for Ben Harper on "Fight For Your Mind" with some of the most delicious beats ive heard. has chops a plenty, but also shows how to apply it groovtasmically.
Luke Flowers - plays drums in the amazing Cinematic Orchestra,an unsung jazz maestro. the man's feel and emotional playing are unbelievable...just please go listen to Cinematic Orchestra, they are something else.
Benny Greb - from the first time i saw him, i wanted to be able to play that WELL, that gracefully. the New Orleans style piece he played shows oodles of everything you need as a drummer. he also seems like a really nice guy and probably a lot of fun to hang out with!
?uestlove Thompson - the first two full-length Roots releases are fantastic, and Questlove is a highlight throughout, i strive to attain that much control and consistent groove. not to mention he fires it up when they play live, and his playing with other artists such as D'Angelo and Erykah Badu is very different and just as good.
John Bonham - people go on about his right foot and his power, but what did for me was his finesse and thriftiness of his parts, his syncopation between bass and snare and his embellishing.
Elvin Jones - his sudden switch from hecticness to complete control and smooth playing along with hard swinging are the things that stand out most for me. quite breathtaking.
Patrick Keeler - finally Jack White chose to get his act together with an awesome drummer. when i watched him this summer i was so entranced by what he was doing, i forgot i was at a festival...in a massive tent...surrounded by people making noise....i just snapped out of it, and knew something about his playing was unique.
Dave Abruzzesse - the drum track for the Pearl Jam song "Animal" is one of my favorites...just power, groove and feel. where is he now??
Tiki Fulwood - his playing on early Funkadelic records (pre ' 75) is so phat, i would air drum along to that all the time.
Peace,
Saif
