Gene Krupa

[Dapper Dave]

Any Gene Krupa fans out there? I just bought a complete set of records where his band was playing live at the Palladium. Buddy Stewart Charlie Ventura and G noters are introduced over the air after the begining theme Starburst. One of my new favorites. The records are not 78s they where reproduced in the 1970s

 

[Aristaeus]

I have always liked Gene Krupa over Buddy Rich as a drummer. I came across one of his CD's the other day, "Roy Eldridge with the Gene Krupa Orchestra featuring Anita O'Day" and it has allot of good tunes on it and Anita has a unique and pleasent voice.

[video=youtube;eoSAPaThWJE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSAPaThWJE[/video]

 

[Danny Ocean]

Any Gene Krupa fans out there? I just bought a complete set of records where his band was playing live at the Palladium. Buddy Stewart Charlie Ventura and G noters are introduced over the air after the begining theme Starburst. One of my new favorites. The records are not 78s they where reproduced in the 1970s

Dapper Dave,

Most definitely. As a drummer myself, I have always admired both Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, for there own individualistic styles. Gene had a great persona, and was the original exponent of the snare drum rim shot, and the hot-headed Buddy, had such phenomenal speed, being able to carry out snare drum rolls with one hand, quicker than most drummers can do with two!

It's fantastic, and somewhat humbling, to watch both of them - such great talents, and sorely missed.

I'm sure you've seen this clip, but I make no apology, for including it! The drum battle between Gene and Buddy, on the Sammy Davis Jr show...

[video=youtube;BZ5B7yqDYbA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ5B7yqDYbA[/video]

Cheers,

Danny O

 

[John in Covina]

I like Gene Krupa but don't have much of a collection with a Benny Goodman Cd featuring Gene and some Krupa on compilation swing music CD's.

I have a version of Drum Boogie from Krupa's group that I love.

 

[Rundquist]

I have always liked Gene Krupa over Buddy Rich as a drummer. I came across one of his CD's the other day, "Roy Eldridge with the Gene Krupa Orchestra featuring Anita O'Day" and it has allot of good tunes on it and Anita has a unique and pleasent voice.

[video=youtube;eoSAPaThWJE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSAPaThWJE[/video]

Besides being one of the great drummers, Gene was also supposedly a great guy. Anita O'day was not the best at any one component of jazz singing. However, you would be hard pressed to find a better all-around singer.

 

[Chas]

I love Krupa's small group stuff, espec. the small group Benny Goodman recordings and the JATP recordings. The only big band stuff I really care for is the '41 orchestra w/ Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge. The rest is mostly schmaltz.

@Rundquist: what is it that you don't like about Anita?

 

[Rundquist]

Nothing. I think that she was one of the best of all-time. I just meant that the other singers could do specifics better than her. For instance, Ella could scat better than her. For singing off the beat, there was none better than Billie Holiday. Yet, Billie didn't scat at all. Some would say you aren't even a jazz singer if you don't scat. My point was that Anita could do it all very well, and was therefore one of the best. Near the end of her life, she would occasionally play a local jazz supper club. I kick myself that I never made it out. It was one of those things that I always meant to do.

 

[vitanola]

I love Krupa's small group stuff, espec. the small group Benny Goodman recordings and the JATP recordings. The only big band stuff I really care for is the '41 orchestra w/ Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge. The rest is mostly schmaltz.

@Rundquist: what is it that you don't like about Anita?

I, too prefer Krupa's small group sessions, going bac to his earliest sides, recorded when he was yet a teen-ager.
What can surpass the Chicago Rhythm Kings waxing of "There'll Be Some Changes Made", the MacKenzie-Condon
sides, or the Mound City Blue Blowers coupling of "Hello Lola" and "One Hour"? stellar sides, all, andthe very young
Krupa provides the rhythmic drive.

 

[bolthead]

Dapper Dave,

Most definitely. As a drummer myself, I have always admired both Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, for there own individualistic styles. Gene had a great persona, and was the original exponent of the snare drum rim shot, and the hot-headed Buddy, had such phenomenal speed, being able to carry out snare drum rolls with one hand, quicker than most drummers can do with two!

It's fantastic, and somewhat humbling, to watch both of them - such great talents, and sorely missed.

I'm sure you've seen this clip, but I make no apology, for including it! The drum battle between Gene and Buddy, on the Sammy Davis Jr show...

[video=youtube;BZ5B7yqDYbA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ5B7yqDYbA[/video]

Cheers,

Danny O

Thanks for posting this Danny O.

Being a former drummer(is there such a thing), I think Gene was an incredible drummer and one of my all time favorites. That being said, I have to agree w/Danny here and say Buddy was a one of a kind drummer, and my idol. I miss both of them terribly.

I used to have a Slingerland set exactly like his when I was 15. I ended up keeping that snare with my next 3 kits. Rodgers, Pearl, and Tama.

By the way, it was funny to watch Sammy dancing at the end there, then giving them his boots, too funny.

 

[Chas]

The earliest Krupa I have are some sides (2, I think) that he recorded with Thelma Terry - 1928, I think.

There were so many great instrumentalists back then, of which Krupa was only one. It was what made the jazz/swing/BeBop era(s) so musically rich. An incomplete list of great drummers would include

Big Sid Catlett
Lionel Hampton
Cozy Cole
Sonny Greer
Chick Webb
Ray Bauduc (the most underappreciated, IMO)
George Wettling
Dave Tough
Zutty Singleton
Baby Dodds
Ray McKinley

The sticks man I admire the most is Cozy Cole.

 

[MikeBravo]

I just love watching video of Kruppa at work. He was nuts!

How he coped in full suit and tie I will never know, he was just soaked in sweat within minutes

Anita O'Day She could sure scat. There's one song by her called Lemon Drop recorded live I love listening to, brilliant scatting.

For the trivia buffs: here real name was Anita Belle Colton. She changed it to O'Day when she entered a singing competition. She said she entered the comp because she needed the "dough". The pig-Latin for dough is oughday, hence the name O'Day

 

[Chas]

[video=youtube;oBjVs-2aXw0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBjVs-2aXw0[/video]

 

[Chas]

[video=youtube;c8tk6P3HPr0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8tk6P3HPr0[/video]

 

[Chas]

[video=youtube;HTKvwHfoW9M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTKvwHfoW9M[/video]

 

[vitanola]

The earliest Krupa I have are some sides (2, I think) that he recorded with Thelma Terry - 1928, I think.

There were so many great instrumentalists back then, of which Krupa was only one. It was what made the jazz/swing/BeBop era(s) so musically rich. An incomplete list of great drummers would include

Big Sid Catlett
Lionel Hampton
Cozy Cole
Sonny Greer
Chick Webb
Ray Bauduc (the most underappreciated, IMO)
George Wettling
Dave Tough
Zutty Singleton
Baby Dodds
Ray McKinley

The sticks man I admire the most is Cozy Cole.

I personally prefer Zutty Singleton, Dave Tough and (of course) Baby Dodds to Cole, but then my taste is terribly old-fashioned and subject to some, shall we say, TEMPORAL limitations.
Cole really pioneered the modern mode of drumming, and so is certainly more culturally relevant to moderns than some of the other artists. I have always enjoyed Cole's fine, understated work
on the sides that he cut with Stuff Smith.

The absolute dean of percussion, in my book, is Vic Burton. Think of his innovative use of
tympani as a melodic instrument.

Abe Lyman was also a drummer of considerable ability. It is unfortunate that so much of his recorded work is "commercial", in the worst sense of the word, though always well crafted.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

"Sing, Sing, Sing". Say no more!!

-dixon cannon

 

[Aristaeus]

[video=youtube;lTzP7ecGQiw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTzP7ecGQiw[/video]

 

[Chas]

[video=youtube;M4vlmYd9KYY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfFBdViZHzk[/video]

 

[Danny Ocean]

Thanks for posting this Danny O.

Being a former drummer(is there such a thing), I think Gene was an incredible drummer and one of my all time favorites. That being said, I have to agree w/Danny here and say Buddy was a one of a kind drummer, and my idol. I miss both of them terribly.

I used to have a Slingerland set exactly like his when I was 15. I ended up keeping that snare with my next 3 kits. Rodgers, Pearl, and Tama.

By the way, it was funny to watch Sammy dancing at the end there, then giving them his boots, too funny.

Bolthead,

No, I don't think there is such a thing as a former drummer! Even without a kit, how many times do you (and others) catch yourself tapping on the table!

Slingerland - very nice, and you did the right thing, in keeping hold of the snare. Like you, Pearl and Tama, have been my preferred brands, and more recently (to remain "neighbour friendly"), an expanded Roland, although nothing beats acoustic though!

Apologies for veering slightly off topic, gents.

Cheers,

Danny O

 

[bolthead]

[video=youtube;M4vlmYd9KYY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfFBdViZHzk[/video]

Thanks for posting this Chas. I love his fluidness.