I heard his name mentioned many times over a period of years before I finally heard him.  Now, having heard him live with several different bands and listening to him on some fantastic albums, Johnny Vidacovich is one of my favorite drummers.  He can drop a mile-wide pocket, add brilliant color, and keep everyone on the edge of their ears listening.  Watching him play is amazing – it looks like the drum sticks are balancing on his hands instead of him actually holding them.

Here is a cool clip of Johnny playing with Robert Walter and James Singleton.  I heard this band on this tour at the Malibu Inn – they tore the place up.

Here is a conversation with Stanton Moore about New Orleans drummers: