Drum History
A podcast all about the rich history of the drums - and how they became what they are today! Join Bart van der Zee as he speaks with experts about the curious journey of the ever-evolving drum set.
(The Vault) The History of Cocktail Drums with John Mettam
(EP 80 - 12/2020) Cocktail drum kits date back to post World War 2 in an orchestra pit in England where space is at a premium and the drums needed to grow taller, as opposed to wider. the "stand up drum set" evolved from there and became a staple of jazz lounges, street performers, comedy acts and many great drummers who wanted a unique look and feel to the drums they play.
John Mettam is the founder of cocktaildrum.com and a longtime performer and cocktail kit enthusiast. He shares the full story of these iconic drum sets with us year by year as we go through the catalogs of Slingerland, Gretsch, Leedy, Rogers, and Ludwig. This is a great history filled episode with tons of fun stories throughout.
follow along at www.cocktaildrum.com under the catalogs tab
Enjoy this episode!
Podcast Episodes
Uncovering the Legendary Sound of Covington Era Rogers Drums with Anthony Amodeo
Anthony has been on a mission to discover as much as he can on the history of the legendary Covington era of Rogers Drums! Anthony and his Rogers friends are using state of the art techniques to test the species of each…
Vintage Zildjian Collector's Guide with Vincent Ward
Vincent gives us a deep dive into the history of the American made Zildjian Cymbals from 1929 up through the 1990s. We talk about all the various stamps through he generations that can be used to identify vintage A. Zild…
(The Vault) Drum Manufacturing Myths - Europe vs. America with Fritz Steger (2020)
Enjoy this classic episode from 2020! We are lead to believe that the bass drum pedal was invented in the USA, and that the drum set as we know it today was first created in the states - but Fritz shares examples that sh…
A Look at Neil Peart's Gear with Paul Wells (Part 3: 1994-2015)
(Part 3) Paul Wells is a Professor of Jazz Drums at Juilliard and he is also a fanatical fan of Neil Peart and his drum sets. This is part 3 of a 3 part series that covers all of the drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and…
The History of HQ Percussion / RealFeel Practice Pads with Rob Birenbaum
Rob Birenbaum is the founder of Drum Headquarters in St. Louis, MO and HQ Percussion, which famously produced the iconic RealFeel practice pads and Sound Off drum mute pads. This is a great story of how Rob started as a…
A Look At Neil Peart's Gear with Paul Wells (Part 2: 1982 to 1994)
(Part 2) Paul Wells is a Professor of Jazz Drums at Juilliard and he is also a fanatical fan of Neil Peart and his drum sets. This is part 2 of a 3 part series that covers all of the drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and…
A Look At Neil Peart's Gear with Paul Wells (Part 1: Childhood to 1982)
Paul Wells is a Professor of Jazz Drums at Juilliard and he is also a fanatical fan of Neil Peart and his drum sets. This is part 1 of a 3 part series that covers all of the drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and percussio…
The Drum Legends of Wayne Shorter with Mark Griffith
The list of legendary drummers that played with the late Wayne Shorter is absolutely incredible. Mark Griffith takes us through each album and stage in Waynes career and which iconic drummer was involved at any given tim…
(The Vault) The History of U.S. Military Drumming with Patrick Jones - May, 2020
(This is EP49 from May, 2020) We learn the role of drummers in the Military and the purpose they served as a form of communication and a way to keep the troops unified during battle starting with the US Colonies through…
A Look at The Great Rock Drummers of the 1960’s with Bob Cianci
Bob Cianci, the author of "The Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties," takes us on a trip down memory lane to explore the iconic drummers who revolutionized the sound of rock music in the 1960s. Through fascinating anecdote…
