If you read Who’s Your Drumming Hero?, you know that I’ve had a lot of drumming heroes. I may have one for a while, switch to someone else then switch back.
I tend to focus on drummers who are playing the style of music that I’m playing. I was playing in school big bands when Buddy Rich was my hero. I was playing in a rock band when I studied John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. And when I joined a country rock band, Keith Urban’s drummer, Chris McHugh, was my hero.
Along with occasional church band duties and infrequent gigs with a Brazilian jazz group, I’m playing country-rock music in the Chris Ward Band. We play tunes from Chris’ albums, an Eagles tribute, and a variety of contemporary country songs. For that reason, my current drumming hero is Kenny Aronoff, drummer for ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival leader, John Fogerty. The style Kenny plays with John Fogerty is similar to what I’m playing with Chris Ward.
Four Things I Love About Kenny Aronoff’s Drumming
- Ability
I’ve followed Kenny for years, ever since I heard that short drum break in Jack and Diane by John Cougar (aka John Cougar Mellencamp, aka John Mellencamp). What caught my attention was the beat that Kenny plays after he does the drum fill. The drum fill is from 2:32-2:38 in this video. Check out the beat he plays from 2:38-3:05. It’s a fairly straight forward beat but it fits the song perfectly.
But Kenny also can show his chops when needed. His education and background is in jazz and “legit” symphony playing. So he’s great at reading music which led to a highly successful studio playing career. And Kenny has unlimited ability for playing in all kinds of musical situations. Check out his incredible take of Straight No Chaser on the Burning for Buddy CD.
- Versatility
Kenny can play rock, alternative, country, blues, pop, latin, rhythm & blues, and jazz. In case the Straight No Chaser video wasn’t enough to convince you of Kenny’s versatility, here’s a partial list of the people that he’s toured with and played for in the studio: John Mellencamp, The Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Seger, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Alanis Morissette, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Puddle of Mudd, Avril Lavigne, Joe Cocker, B. B. King, Mick Jagger, Ray Charles, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Raitt, Ricky Martin, Santana, Trey Anastasio, Michelle Branch, Vince Gill, Gladys Knight, Aaron Neville, Trisha Yearwood, Patti LaBelle, George Jones, and Conway Tritty.
Not to mention being hand-picked by Chad Smith, drummer of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, to replace Chad in the super group Chickenfoot!
- Energy & Attitude
I was able to attend a master class with Kenny at Donn Bennett’s Drum Studio in Bellevue, WA. That class is worthy of a separate post but I’ll share some nuggets here. Kenny gave some great drumming tips, but he also talked about attitude. He is able, through his positive attitude and endless energy, to influence how other musicians play.
During the master class, I could tell that Kenny really enjoyed playing the drums and his attitude raised the energy of everyone in the room. As he played and taught, he was totally engaged and I felt that he wanted everyone to get something from the class. And the rest of the drummers responded with their attention and applause.
Kenny shows that same energy and attitude in his live performances. Watch him on this video with John Fogerty playing Green River. He is driving the band, pushing them to play their best. It’s difficult to play with that much energy and not rush the tempo, ignore a song change or miss a fill. Incredible!
- Equipment
Kenny has two things that make his set up very unique. First, he puts his smaller rack tom on the right, similar to drumming great Bernard Purdie. This is to give a little bit different sound when doing a fill “around the drums.” It also may force you to use different sticking patterns on your fills to get the sound you want.
Secondly, along with the hi-hat on the left side of his kit, Kenny also has one on the right side, just above his floor tom. He keeps the right side hi-hat loose to get that “bag-of-coins” sound like Ringo. This allows Kenny to use his left foot to emphasize 2 and 4 with the left-side hi-hat and to play double bass drum if needed. It is also more comfortable to play the right-side hi-hat than to cross over and play the left side.
Kenny Aronoff – A Great Drummer!
I’ve grown to appreciate Kenny’s playing over the years. When I heard Jack and Diane the first time, I was mildly impressed. But it wasn’t until I grew in my own playing that I could truly appreciate what Kenny contributes to a musical setting. He’s one of those behind-the-scenes drummers who other musicians want to have in their band. His ability, attitude and energy make him a worthy drumming hero!