Rhythm Makers

Book excerpt: In Rhythm Makers: The Legendary Drummers of Nashville in Their Own Words, Tony Artimisi documents through extensive interviews the work of some of the most influential drum kit players in popular music today, opening a window onto one of the most vibrant music scenes in modern American history. Telling their stories in their own words, each legendary figure walks readers through the realities of how musical opportunities arise in Nashville, how the recording process has changed over time, what it is like to drum behind some of the top artists in American music, and how one makes it as a professional drummer. Artimisi’s subjects together have performed on literally thousands of recordings, from master recordings to demos, jingles to sound-alikes. Having played behind nearly everyone who passed through Nashville, from Dolly Parton and Elton John to Glen Campbell and Johnny Mathis, Eddie Bayers Jr. regales readers with stories of the many areas in the industry he worked to build his legendary career. Master drummer Jerry Kroon, whose credits include work with Ricky Skaggs, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and numerous others, shares his secret for maintaining good relationships with various personality types in music. Percussionist extraordinaire Tom Roady, who has recorded with Wilson Pickett, The Dixie Chicks, and Kenny Chesney—too name but a few—offers insights into what makes a drummer in his recollection of his career start. One of the most inventive instrumentalists, Kenny Malone, who has worked with Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash and many more, discusses his own unique experiments in drumming technique in order to maintain his creative edge. Finally, Tommy Wells, whose career beginnings in Motown led him to Nashville, where he drummed for Charley Pride, The Statler Brothers, and The Charlie Daniels Band, offers a true insider’s perspective offering insights into how jingle and sound-alike sessions operate, which can be a valuable part of the professional sideman’s work. This work is the ideal for readers interested in the history of country music and the Nashville recording scene more generally, record and music production, popular music, and drumming as both art and profession.