Drum Solo Weeks on Late Show, June, August 2011 

For context, Roy Haynes was 86 when he appeared on Letterman. I’m writing this comment in 2023 and he’s still with us.

Every drummer: Can the orchestra play these bits? Neil Peart: I brought my own orchestra, thanks.

I cannot imagine what kind of person would Record and catalog decades of videos, but I thank God for you

Neil playing horns, tambourine, and clap trap with his feet is insane! Seen him 9 time lives and will never forget all of the countless stick tosses 12 ft in the air! R.I.P professor..there will never be another like you! Also...thank you for putting drums in the forefront of rock music and making playing drums "cooler" than playing lead guitar and singing lead vocals! Miss you much ...LEGEND!

Anton Fig 4:44 Sheila E. 9:29 Roy Haynes 13:26 Neil Peart 19:40 Tony Royster Jr. 24:23 Gavin Harrison 29:39 Stewart Copeland 34:24 Dennis Chambers

Love you Anton Saw you in clinic in Dayton Ohio. Not only are you a great drummer But you were very kind to all of us Thank you for all you do

Holy shit, definitely the first time I've had the chance to see quads being pulled off in stilettos! 😲👠👠

Phil Collins is the only one that was missing from these greats. Fantastic series. Thank you for posting.

Sheila E proved if you know what you are doing you dont need a bunch of drums just some ability. Love Guys who play small sets

Anton fig ! Never heard of him but holy cow that was awesome

Never thought I'd be watching 40 minutes of drum solos and enjoying them but here we are! Every single on of these musicians was amazing! I love the variety in styles, and drum sets. Loved it all!

All great drummers, but I was amazed at Gavin Harrison's groove with the music!

Anton Fig kills it.. what else is there is to say.

Neil Peart with the Drum Solo of LIFE! Edit - Mr. Chambers with some heady drumming, holy.

Thanks Dave, that was awesome. Thanks, Don, for posting! Chambers was great. Just chewing his gum. Yeah, I'm a drummer, what of it? Great stuff!

Great compilation, thank you. I really miss Letterman and his band.

Neil Peart? I've been thinking about this for weeks!!!!

Thanks for posting this Don; great compilation

I grew up watching Buddy Rich as my late Dad was a drummer. I got to see him live 6 times. I got to see Neil live 25 times. Mr. Harrison, I'm a fan of Porcupine Tree due to your stick work. You are smooth and effortless, as was Buddy. I find it interesting a number of jazz standards were played to show the talents, A Night in Tunisia, Love for Sale, The Chicken. Good stuff.

Just a good collection of drummers. All have spirit and sense of devotion.

I love all of them and the fave of mine is Stuart Copeland.

Drummer for 40 years here. I was very impressed with Anton Fig. I know he's done a lot of session work with Kiss and others, but he's precise. Underwhelmed by Copeland, as I expected.

Great video, thanks for putting it out there

Thank you for sharing. I love him so much.

A drummer most definitely put to together these soloists. Hands down the best drummers in the world. My two favorite growing up; Peart and Copeland and Bonzo of course! (RIP to Peart and Bonham) I went to a drum clinic with Copeland in the 80's. He came out and played about five minutes of 4/4 Rock in perfect time. Stopped and asked if anyone had questions like that was it. Bahahah!

Great compilation!

Good God, Sheila was still fine after all those years!!!

Anton Fig impressed me the most! Never heard of him before this! 🔥

An honor to see all of these great players..

Thank thank you!!! Awesomeness!!

It was once asked if Neil Peart could beat God in a drum solo competition. This was a trick question for Neil is God

Yay! I got to finish this collection! (I started it, and then we were rudely interrupted) This was a lot of fun'!

Neil will always be my boy untouchable, but damn!!... I had no idea Sheila E is that good!!

Came in here a Neil Peart and Gavin Harrison fan, really enjoyed every single solo.

All phenomenal.

I'm ready for Colbert to pick this up. Joe Saylor/Negah Santos, Nate Smith, Carter Beauford & David Garibaldi would be my first week!

Every drummer out there knows that there's a feel that you need with your feet to play the kick...SHEILA E DID THAT IN FUCKING STILETTOS!!!!! That is absolutely incredible and this is coming from a guy who worships Neil Peart!!!

Just when I was thinking...Man, Stewart Copeland should be on this...bam! there he is. Love that guy's work. Drum solos are not my favorite thing about drumming but this is pretty cool.

Is sheila great for playing in heels? Cuz I ain't ever seen that before.

Incredible, amazing , inspiring, Wish i could play 1/87th as good as any of those guys.... but i have fun, which is why these guys do what they does...

One of these drummers played in 6” spike heels. Discuss.

Love Anton Fig after Ace Frehley solo album and his work with KISS 😃😃

Gavin STILL grovin' last night at Radio City 9-16-2022

Neil Peart calls 911: help I'm lost Emergency services:where abouts are you? Neil Peart: somewhere in my drum kit

Gavin Harrison for sure my favorite.

I miss drum solo week

Dave, I brought my own orchestra

Dennis Chambers : could you let me finish ❤?

Dennis Chambers !!

Thanks, Don, for uploading both Drum Solo Week's. I was going to suggest this project, however, I sensed your feelings were hurt the last time I suggested a project. It would have been good to see Ronnie Tutt as a guest drummer.

Needed Carl Palmer to round things out.

Agreed all great guys here and how about those kits they have too?!! Sure miss Letterman's shows!!!

Gavin's is by far the most original and diverse solo. The winner here

All bow to neil

Jr took caravan to the moon

Dam, what a beautiful, talented woman, I've always loved her,Hell, I would marry her right now❤

I came in thinking I knew what the word "solo" meant. Approximately 40 minutes later, I'm not so sure.

I dig octabons, working on an a to e version of a set

Neil is The Man, Rush is THE Band!

Baltimore’s DC! Nuff said :-)

Where is the conclusive to this epic 2 weeks?

Gavin Harrison the best

Jeeeez... Sheila E. with the serious chops and drumming vocabulary. Edit - Gavin.. wowwowowowowow wowie.

👍👍👍👍👍👍

I won't sell Stewart Copland short. Yes, he isn't as technical. Yes, he isn't as "showy". Yes, he technically didn't even play a solo. But how about this. He studied rhythm so much that he invented (or brought to mainstream) an entire new music style to light. It might not be your cup of tea but he made the reggae beat playable on a kit. He pushed through everything that our brain (as drummers) teaches us is wrong and he has never has gotten the credit he deserves. Just like Nicholas Barker perfecting speed metal at 20yrs old in the 90s and never getting credit. IMO Stew is a legend.

Gavin Harrison! What else needs to be said?

Gavin ! Check out a vid from Montreal Intl Jazz Fest 1982 Jaco Pastorious Band with Peter Erskine drumming " the chicken" !

Goodnight, Gillers.

Gavin is so killer!

Antwon Zip!

Miss E is one of the fastest female in drumming

Not Neil's greatest solo ever, but the pressure must have been enormous. Guys like Copeland and Anton Fig are phenomenal drummers but maybe not great soloists. Copeland I read, had to really be coaxed into it because doesn't consider himself a soloist. Royster Jr. is a freak of nature. And Roy Haynes is easily the classies and best dresser of the bunch!

I want to see some Johnny Dark compilation

You left out the late great Joe Morello! A great jazz drummer and very awesome behind the kit!

Buddy and Gene up there ! Hey we can play double bass with 1 foot!

Is Stewart the only one that uses trad grip?

I feel just a tiny bit of Ginger Baker coming out in his solo

Tommy Aldridge would have crushed this

So who won?

I wonder if neils kit fits in a s.u.v?

Neil Peart is and will always be the best dru.mer

Ansley Dunbar.

Is that last dude chewing some leftover food while he plays?

I wonder if they called Terry Bozzio.

Paul shafers, Twin.

PLAYING IN HI HEELS

All of these drummers are phenomenal in their own right... but Neil Peart IS your favorite drummer's favorite drummer

Amazing drummers all, but Neil Peart was the standout. In my opinion his was so much more than a drum solo, he made music.

Apparently lighting guy thought it was use every fucking light you have week.

Dennis Chambers by a mile.

Sheila E. was playing in her own time zone... just here and there...click track her.

Too bad Dave couldn't have attained the services of one Mr Ian Paice that week :(

Excellent! But he looks like sir Elton John

Dennis has got better solos than this

He's almost there, has the mechanics but no passion.

Anton was my least favorite by far. Gavin and Stewart as always were killer, but he Professor was, as always, heads above.

Shella E is a good drummer, but she is best known for being an attractive Female Drummer.

Ginger baker.