Desert Island Drum Book

Over the years, I have acquired quite a few drum books. The majority of them are very useful, well written, and I refer to them time and again. However, if I had to pick one book for my “Desert Island Drum Book” it would be John Riley’s, “The Art of Bop Drumming.” This book covers so much territory within a specific time-frame (bebop — roughly 1945-1960), yet is practically endless. The exercises sound like music, and not just some coordination studies. Even if you’re not a jazz drummer, I would encourage you to check it out.