re: Favorite 5 Drummers of All Time?

1. Carter Beauford/DMB - The "cleanest" drummer I've ever heard. His improv and placement of accents is second to none. The only drummer in mainstream music that plays melodies with the drums. Very melodic and free style. My favorite because he most closely matched my style of play. I always thought drummers should be more at liberty to play more melodic, but always felt like they should be constrained because they would overdo it. Beauford sort of broke that barrier IMO and made it OK to not just be the time keeper and only fill on breaks.

2. Neil Peart/Rush - Legend. Master of the downbeat. Fundamentally great. Also very clean. Doesn't "overplay" yet is still able to reveal his skill. That's hard to do. Impeccable timing.

3. Danny Carey/Tool - Another master of the downbeat. Amazing fills. Genius fills.

4. John Bonham/LZ - Different. Different than anything before or after. Very organic sound and he really contributed to that organic sound of the band more than he gets credit for.

5. Buddy Rich/Jazz - List wouldn't be replete without a 3-piece, traditional stick jazz drummer. One of the best, although there are many great ones. Could work a snare like no other. Played with some great jazz artists.