Russ Kunkel’s drumming—hushed, spare, and soulful—was an omnipresent feature of rock and pop in the ’70s and ’80s. As both an independent musician and a member of the legendary studio band The Section, he backed a slew of singer/songwriters (think Carole King, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor), who leaned heavily on his purring grooves. Even when Kunkel worked with Bob Seger, he managed to fit his nuanced style into the rocker’s gritty sound.