Rod Morgenstein

American drummer (born 1953)

Rod Morgenstein

Morgenstein in 2008

Background information
Born|  (1953-04-19) April 19, 1953 (age 70)
New York City, U.S.
Genres|

* Progressive rock
* jazz fusion
* hard rock
* glam metal
* progressive metal

Occupation(s)|

* Musician
* educator

Instrument(s)|

* Drums
* percussion

Years active| 1973–present

Musical artist

Rod Morgenstein (born April 19, 1953) is an American drummer, best known for his work with the rock bands Winger and Dixie Dregs.[1]

He also played with Fiona, Platypus, the Steve Morse Band, and Jelly Jam. He has also done session work with Jordan Rudess including his ventures with the Rudess/Morgenstein Project.[2] He also toured with Jazz Is Dead.[3][4] He has also been awarded Modern Drummer's "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" five years (1986-'90), "Best All-Around Drummer" (1999) and was inducted into magazine's Honor Roll.[5]

He worked for twenty years as a professor, teaching percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Morgenstein continues to tour with the band Winger. He has also been a columnist for Modern Drummer magazine.

Morgenstein is known for his versatility of playing many styles of music.[6]

## Equipment[edit]

Morgenstein currently uses Premier drums, Evans Drumheads, Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, and LP Percussion. He has, in the past, also used Remo drumheads and Paiste cymbals.

Drums: Premier signia series (also uses the genista series):

* 22" x 18" bass drums (x2)
* 10" x 9" rack tom
* 12" x 10" rack tom
* 13" x 11" rack tom
* 16" x 16" floor tom
* 18" x 16" floor tom
* 14" x 6.5" snare
* 14" x 4" piccolo snare

Drumheads: Evans:

* Snare: G1 Coated or Power Center Reverse Dot/300 Snare Side
* Toms: EC2S Clear or G1 Clear (top and resonant)
* Bass: EQ4 Clear/EQ3 Black Bass Reso

Drumsticks: Vic Firth:

* Vic Firth Rod Morgenstein signature drumsticks (Length 16.12", Diameter: .610")

\- described as essentially combining a 5B and 2B stick

Cymbals: Sabian:

* AA regular hi-hats 13"
* HH china kang 10"/AA splash 10" (stacked)
* AA splash 12"
* AA splash 10"
* AA splash 8"
* AAX stage crash 18"/cymbal disc 12" (stacked)
* AAX stage crash 16" (or studio crash)
* AA splash 10"
* Signature tri-top ride 21"
* HH china 20"
* HH thin crash 18"

Paiste cymbals (circa 1984):

* RUDE 14" hi-hats
* Formula 602 11" splash
* RUDE 16" crash/ride
* RUDE 18" crash/ride
* 2002 18" medium
* RUDE 20" ride/crash
* Formula 602 22" heavy
* 2002 20" china type
* Sound Creation 22" dark china

Cymbals circa 1988:

* 3000 14" sound edge hi-hats
* Formula 602 11" splash
* 3000 17" thin crash
* 3000 18" thin crash
* 3000 19" thin crash
* RUDE 22" ride/crash
* Sound Creation 20" dark china

## Discography[edit]

### with Dixie Dregs[edit]

* The Great Spectacular (1976)
* Free Fall (1977)
* What If (1978)
* Night of the Living Dregs (1979)
* Dregs of the Earth (1980)
* Unsung Heroes (1981)
* Industry Standard (1982)
* Full Circle (1994)

### with The Steve Morse Band[edit]

* The Introduction (1984)
* Stand Up (1985)
* High Tension Wires (1989)

### with Winger[edit]

* Winger (1988)
* In the Heart of the Young (1990)
* Pull (1993)
* IV (2006)
* Karma (2009)
* Better Days Comin' (2014)
* Seven (2023)

### with Fiona[edit]

* Heart Like a Gun (1989)

### with Rudess/Morgenstein Project[edit]

* Rudess/Morgenstein Project (1997)
* The Official Bootleg (2001)

### with Platypus[edit]

* When Pus Comes to Shove (1998)
* Ice Cycles (2000)

### with The Jelly Jam[edit]

* The Jelly Jam (2002)
* The Jelly Jam 2 (2004)
* Shall We Descend (2011)
* Profit (2016)

### with Jazz Is Dead[edit]

* Laughing Water (1999)
* Great Sky River (2001)
* Grateful Jazz (2015)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Schlenker, Dave (September 11, 1992). "Steve Morse and the Dregs on the road again". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
2. ^ "Rudess Morgenstein Project announce four US dates". musicradar.com. October 22, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
3. ^ Hochanadel, Michael (April 5, 2002). "Jazz is Dead to jam on Grateful Undead songs at Van Dyck". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
4. ^ Zimmerman, Curtis (August 9, 1999). "Jazz Is Dead Laughing Wake Water 'Wake Of The Laughing Flood'". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
5. ^ "About". rodmorgenstein.com. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
6. ^ "Rod Morgenstein:Cross-Genre Ripping". moderndrummer.com. November 15, 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2014.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rod Morgenstein.

* Official website
* Berklee College of Music profile

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

* v
* t
* e

Dixie Dregs

* Steve Morse
* Rod Morgenstein
* Andy West
* Allen Sloan, M.D.
* Steve Davidowski

* Frank Brittingham
* Dave Morse
* Johnny Carr
* Mark Parrish
* Allen Sloan, M.D.
* Bart Yarnall
* Gilbert Frayer
* Frank Josephs
* T Lavitz
* Mark O'Connor
* Dave LaRue
* Jerry Goodman

Studio albums|

* The Great Spectacular
* Free Fall
* What If
* Night of the Living Dregs
* Dregs of the Earth
* Unsung Heroes
* Industry Standard
* Off the Record
* Full Circle

Related bands|

* Deep Purple
* Kansas
* Winger
* Mahavishnu Orchestra
* Flying Colors

* v
* t
* e

Winger

* Kip Winger
* Reb Beach
* Rod Morgenstein
* Paul Taylor
* John Roth

* Cenk Eroglu
* Donnie Wayne Smith

Studio albums|

* Winger
* In the Heart of the Young
* Pull
* IV
* Karma
* Better Days Comin'
* Seven

Compilations|

* The Very Best of Winger
* Demo Anthology

Singles|

* "Madalaine"
* "Seventeen"
* "Headed for a Heartbreak"
* "Hungry"
* "Can't Get Enuff"
* "Miles Away"
* "Easy Come Easy Go"
* "Down Incognito"

Live albums and videos|

* In the Heart of the Young, Vols. 1 & 2
* The Making of Pull
* Winger Live

Related articles|

* Discography

* v
* t
* e

The Jelly Jam

* Rod Morgenstein
* Ty Tabor
* John Myung

Studio albums|

* The Jelly Jam
* The Jelly Jam 2

Related|

* Derek Sherinian
* Platypus
* When Pus Comes to Shove
* Ice Cycles

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