Drums reproduction

You're absolutely correct when you say it's the producers' choice. In general, that is for most types of music, it more appropriate for the drum sound to be limited in its size and impact so as not to overwhelm the rest of the band. If it's an entirely acoustic band then the drums are by far the most dynamic instrument and in live situations good drummers know how to modulate their playing to fit the venue and balance out the groups overall sound. It's interesting that the three drummers you mention are all band leaders and are known for their powerful sound. I suspect when playing live, as the bandleader and headliner, they simply tell the sound man to "turn up the drums!"

Virtually all instruments are purposely turned down because the recording chain and home playback systems cannot handle the dynamics. Your system can't handle a grand piano, operatic vocalist, trumpet, drum set or a stack of Marshall amplifiers. My system can't handle them either. To Drubin's point, filling the room with sound is very different than dominating the room which seems to be Richardmr's observation. You can actually fill a room with sound at fairly low volumes. My experience with both live and recorded music is that it's rarely appropriate for the drums to dominate the sound mix. Also, if properly recorded and your system is of high enough quality and well set up, then there shouldn't be a substantial lose of the music's impact at lower volumes. Obviously, this last statement doesn't apply to music that is solely intended to be listened to at LOUD LOUD volumes.