Wait! Before you start saying "You can't compare jazz drummers to rock drummers," let me explain.

I'm not trying to compare the two in terms of talent or influence or relevancy to the musical world. I'm not comparing styles or chops or trying to say one is better than the other. The truth is you really CAN’T compare the two. The two different styles of music demand very different things from drummers, and rarely do you ever see a drummer who can really be called a master of both.

Rather than talking about the playing, I would like to take a moment to discuss prestige…

Recently, the drumming community lost one of its most kind, creative, and innovative artists: Louie Bellson. Louie was an amazing player, considered one of the best in the world during his prime and was influential in the development of the modern drum set. His use of multiple rack toms and bass drums changed the drum industry forever. I was lucky enough to meet Louie before his passing, and I got to hear him perform a few years prior with the Cedar Rapids Big Band.

Many types of percussion instruments come equipped with Natural Skin Drumheads, such as congas, bongos, djembes, tambourines, bodhrans, and other instruments. Percussionists are often intimidated by the extra care involved with extending the lifetime of these warm, authentic-sounding drumheads. These maintenance tips will allow you to enjoy these heads for a long time.

For those of you who wondered if the information presented in Part One really works, here are the results from a genuine field-test.