CLASSIC JAZZ DRUMMERS: SWING AND BEYOND

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

compiled by Joel Klauber and Dr. Bruce Klauber

GUS JOHNSON: Examples of Johnson's work are hard to come by, but two recent issues of his work with the Count Basie band shed some light on his artistry. They are "Count Basie Live At Birdland 1952" (Jazz Band label) and "Count Basie Live At Birdland 1953" (Unique Jazz label). If you can find them, Johnson can also be heard with Ella Fitzgerald on "Ella in Hollywood" (1961: Verve label), "The Gerry Mulligan Quartet" (1962: Verve label), with Ellington trombonist Lawrence Brown on "Inspired Abandon" (1965: Impulse label), and with The World's Greatest Jazz Band from 1972 on the WGJB's own World Jazz label. Among the rarest of Johnson items, or Count Basie's for that matter, is "Count Basie's Dance Session" (1952-1954: Verve/Clef label), the Count's first big band recordings made after his 1950 to 1952 "small group hiatus."

KENNY CLARKE: Though the founder of modern drumming had an extensive recording career both stateside and abroad, it's a shame that just not that many of his recordings are available. He can be heard with Charlie Parker on half the tracks on "Swedish Schnapps" (1952: Verve label) and on the legendary Charlie Christian sides recorded at Minton's by Jerry Newman in 1941 (out on any number of labels). "Swiss Radio Days" finds Clarke in the company of Coleman Hawkins in 1949 (TCB Records label), with Dizzy Gillespie's big band on "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop" (1947: RCA label), and with the original version of the Modern Jazz Quartet on "La Ronde" (1952: Prestige label). Clarke made a number of great small group sides for the Savoy label in the mid-1950s, including "Bohemia After Dark," "Klook's Clique" and "The Trio," but those items are tough to obtain. Thankfully being issued recently is Clarke's wonderful, latter-day work as co-leader of the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland big band, available on "Jazz is Universal" (1962: Collectables label).

STAN LEVEY: Most of Levey's recorded work was as a sideman, though a great outing he recorded as a leader in 1957 is once again available on the VSOP label, entitled "Stan Levey Quintet." Examples of his drumming with a large number of groups of all sizes are hard to find, and include works with Shorty Rogers ("Portrait of Shorty" and "Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, both from 1957 on the RCA label), with Bill Harris on "Bill Harris and Friends" (1957: Fantasy label ) and on "Stan Getz Meets Gerry Mulligan" (1957: Verve label). Levey could, as they say, "cut a Vegas show" better than anyone, and a great example of this can be heard on "Peggy Lee Live At Basin Street" from 1960 on the Capitol label. Among the earliest and most important of Levey's work as a pioneering be-bopper with Charlie Parker is something called "Yardbird in Lotus Land" (1945-1946: Spotlite label).

GENE KRUPA: Krupa's recorded work, which cover the years 1927 to 1973, find "the man who made the drums a solo instrument" in many settings, including projects as a sideman with Benny Goodman, Jazz At The Philharmonic and many all-star groups, and as leader with his own big band, trios and quartets. His most famous recording with Goodman has to be the "Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert" from 1938, now in a remastered edition with newly-discovered tracks, available on Sony / Columbia. A good sampling of Krupa as leader of his own big band, which spanned the years 1939 to 1952, can be heard on Columbia's "Drum Boogie." Unfortunately, the best overview of Krupa's big band career is currently out-of-print, but can be found if you look hard enough. This Columbia two-record set, "Drummin' Man," is the one to have. There are, however, a number of commercially issued examples, mainly via radio airshots and transcriptions, out on a number of domestic and foreign labels, such as "1946 Live!" (Jazz Hour label), "What's This" from 1946 (Hep label), "Swings With Strings" (Vintage Jazz Classics label) and the Krupa series on Jazz Chronological Classics, now covering the years 1939 to 1945 in various volumes. His work for Verve records in the 1950s is largely out-of-print, but can be obtained in private collectors' editions via The Web by logging on to www.JazzLegends.com. His two greatest final works are "Live In Concert" from 1971 (DBK Jazz label) and the newly discovered "Jazz At The New School," recorded just months before his death in October, 1973 (Chiaroscuro label).

BUDDY RICH: Like Krupa, Rich's recording career has had many facets, as a sideman with Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw (mostly on RCA) and Harry James (Capitol and various other foreign labels), all-star sessions with Charlie Parker, Lionel Hampton and Art Tatum (all available on Verve and/or Pablo), and as leader of his own exciting small groups and big bands. Probably his most controversial "vintage" work is on "Bird and Diz" from 1950, where Rich is paired with Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Rich hadn't yet embraced be-bop and was an outspoken critic of it at the time, so the results are quite interesting at the very least. Highlights of Rich's own early big band of the late 1940s, which veered between swing and bop, are available on the Jazz Chronological Classics label in two volumes, and on the newly issued "Golden Essentials 1945 to 1948 on the Stardust label. Two 1950s pairings with rival Krupa ("Krupa and Rich" and "Original Drum Battle") are now on CD from Verve, but be aware that the two drummers only appear together on one track on each volume. Rich's most remembered work these days was as leader of the big band he led from 1966 until his death in 1987. The best of these, now issued with out-takes and "newly discovered" tracks, include titled like "Swingin' New Big Band" (1966), "Buddy and Soul" and "The New One" (1968), "Mercy, Mercy" and "Keep The Customer Satisfied" from a year later. Most of these are on the Pacific Jazz / Blue Note label. Rich's popularity and influence have never abated, and new items such as the privately recorded "Wham" from 1977-1978 for Joel Dorn's label "M" are seemingly being released on a weekly basis.

LIONEL HAMPTON: Hamp has had a spotty recording career in his astounding seven decades as a performer and on record. His best work was his earlier work, including his stint as member of Benny Goodman's Quartet ("1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert" on Sony / Columbia and "The Complete Benny Goodman Trios and Quartets" on RCA), as leader of a number of legendary, all-star sessions from the late 1930s, available on various labels including one called "Hot Mallets Volume One" on the RCA / Bluebird label. Hamp's big band was often variable, though it introduced dozens of future jazz stars from Charlie Mingus to Dinah Washington. The best of these titles can be found on "Midnight Sun" (Decca label), which includes most of Hamp's big band work from 1946 and 1947. In the mid-1950s, producer Norman Granz wisely placed the vibist in a number of all-star, small group settings, including titles with Buddy Rich and Art Tatum ("Hampton/Tatum/Rich Trio" from "Tatum Group Masterpieces" on the Pablo label, and a great boxed set containing most of his 1950s work with Rich and The Oscar Peterson Trio (Verve label). An exciting reunion of Hampton's big band alumni from 1967, including Illinois Jacquet who reprises his solo on "Flyin' Home," is out on "Reunion at Newport 1967" on the RCA/Bluebird label. The best of his more recent work is on the MusicMasters label with titles such as "Mostly Blues" from 1989 and "Mostly Ballads" from 1990.

SONNY PAYNE: Depending upon which jazz critic is to believed, Sonny Payne was either Count Basie's best drummer or his most flamboyant one. Perhaps because he was and will always be identified as "Basie's drummer," Payne never recorded as a leader. There are dozens of examples of Payne's work with Basie on the market, including all of the classic Roulette sides from the late 1950s and early 1960s ("The Complete Live Roulette Recordings of Count Basie and His Orchestra" and "The Complete Roulette Studio Recordings of Count Basie and His Orchestra", the first being an eight-CD set and the second being a ten-CD set on the Mosaic label). Most of Payne's work with The Count on the Verve label is also easily obtainable, including "April in Paris" (1955), "Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings" (1955), "Basie in London" (1957) and the unbelievable pairing with Duke Ellington's band from the early 1960s ("First Time": Columbia label). Phil Collins has often said that his favorite Sonny payne recording was the Basie/Frank Sinatra pairing recorded live at the Sands in 1966 (Reprise label). Recently, Reprise issued Count's swinging opening sets for Sinatra on a wonderful effort called "Count Basie Live At The Sands (before Frank)," also on Reprise.

JOE MORELLO: Most of Morello's finest work can be heard on dozens of projects with the Dave Brubeck Quartet from 1956 to 1967, and none are less than outstanding. Along with bassist "Senator" Eugene Wright, Morello brought a stability--i.e., steady time-- into the Brubeck "rhythm section" that predecessors Norman Bates and Joe Dodge just weren't able to. Certainly, Morello's most famous work with Brubeck and one of the biggest selling recordings in jazz history is Paul Desmond's "Take Five." There are many versions of "Take Five" around, including plenty of live stuff, edited versions, etc., but the best and the original can be heard on Columbia's 1959 recording "Time Out." Other good examples of the Morello/Brubeck collaboration over the years are "In Europe" from 1958," "Newport 1958," "Time Further Out" from 1961 (all on Columbia). A nice example of how all the Brubeck Quartet members matured stylistically can be heard on one of their final recordings as a group, "25th Anniversary Reunion" (1967: UNI / A&M label). Morello hasn't recorded enough as a leader, preferring to concentrate on clinics and teaching, but what's out there is great stuff. Two fine outings from 1993 and 1994 have been issued on the DMP label, "Going Places" and "Morello Standard Time," where he cooks with a great quartet.

LOUIS BELLSON: Much of the superb small group and big band work Bellson did as a leader and as a sideman in the 1950s for Verve records is out-of-print (though some have come out on Japanese limited editions from time to time), with the exception of the legendary get-together with Benny Carter and Art Tatum from 1955, available on "Art Tatum Group Masterpieces Volume One" (Pablo label). The sensitive side of Bellson is also in evidence on one volume of another legendary pairing, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (Verve label). His significant work with Duke Ellington, including Bellson's own composition "Skin Deep," can be obtained on "Duke Ellington Uptown" from 1952 (Columbia label). "Duke's Big Four" (1972: Pablo label) features the drummer in a rare small group setting with Duke. For the last three decades, Bellson has been recording with his own big band, frequently and consistently for labels like Concord, Telarc and MusicMasters. Among the best are Bellson's 1992 re-creation of Ellington's "Black, Brown and Beige" suite (MusicMasters label), a tribute to the legendary jazz drummers on "Their Time Was The Greatest" (1992: Concord label), "Air Bellson" (1997: Concord label) and his latest to date on Concord, "The Art of the Chart." Among the most sought-after Bellson collector's items, available on vinyl only, is "Are You Ready For This? (1965: Roost label). This rarity received little notice and distribution when it was released, but this 30-plus-minute drum battle between Bellson and Buddy Rich, recorded in Japan with studio time actually paid for by the two drummers, is well worth having.

SID CATLETT: Though "Big Sid" only lived a scant 41 years, he was remarkably flexible stylistically, and his playing spanned at least three eras. He was among the few drummers in history, with perhaps only Roy Haynes being the other, who played with both Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. Catlett's most significant work in the swing era came with the Louis Armstrong big band of 1938 to 1941. Though the band was really notable only for the presence of the leader and Catlett, their outings are always well worth hearing, especially on the Armstrong series for Jazz Chronological Classics (three Classics' volumes cover the years 1938 to 1939, 1939 to 1940 and 1940 to 1942). One of the most curious stories in jazz history was Catlett's four-month association with Benny Goodman in 1941. Catlett was, perhaps, the best drummer The King ever had, but as was usual with Benny, the drummer was likely "too good" and was unceremoniously canned. These sides are now out on a number of small labels. After leaving Goodman, Catlett was a fixture on 52nd Street, and his stint there is well-documented on "Sid Catlett: 1944 to 1946 (Jazz Chronological Classics label). The drummer rejoined Armstrong again, but this time it was with Armstrong's small group of All-Stars. Their 1947 live recording, "Satchmo At Symphony Hall" (UNI / GRP label) remains a classic. Catlett's singular ability to evolve is very much in evidence on his recordings with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, out on "Dizzy Gillespie 1945 to 1946" (Jazz Chronological Classics), where Big Sid nails down the famed "Salt Peanuts" like no other drummer.

DON LAMOND: By far, the best examples of Lamond's work came during his tenure with Woody Herman's 1948 to 1949 Second Herd. However, Lamond was actually with Herman earlier (he replaced Dave Tough in Herman's First Herd) and both these bands can be heard on Columbia's "The Thundering Herds 1945 to 1947." Though the sound quality is iffy no matter how the engineers tried to tinker with it, Herman's famed 1946 "Carnegie Hall Concert" (Verve label), which includes Stravinsky's legendary "Ebony Concerto," is now

available in close to its entirety. Lamond shined brightest in the Second Herd, best known as "The Four Brothers Band," and most of their great tracks can be heard on Capitol's "Keeper of the Flame." That group didn't record too much commercially, but there are plenty of airshots available on a number of smaller labels, including "The Second Herd" (Storyville label). Lamond spent years doing studio work, and it wasn't until the 1970s when he rejoined the jazz world again, mainly as a member of a fine big band he led at Disney World. The one example of his work as a leader is still available on the 1977 "Extraordinary" (Circle label).

RAY BAUDUC: Known as the primary exponent of Dixieland drums, Bauduc could also swing with the best of them and was a favorite of Krupa, Rich and Bellson. Most of his most famous works, including his one big hit, "Big Noise From Winnetka" (where he played his sticks on the bass strings of Bob Haggart) were performed during his time with Bob Crosby and The Bobcats, from 1935 to 1942. This was an interesting group, which could best be described as "dixie with swing overtones" or vice versa. Good examples of this band can be heard on "Big Band Dixieland" (1938: Jasmine label), "Bob Crosby and His Orchestra and The Bobcats" (ca. 1941: Nimbus label), "South Rampart Street Parade" (1937: Decca label), "The Big Noise From Winnetka" (1938: Decca label), with Pete Fountain on "New Orleans To L.A." (1954-1956: Southland label). Nearly impossible to find are the two LPs Bauduc recorded as a leader for the Capitol label in 1957 and 1958, as are his earliest works with the legendary orchestra of Ben Pollack, where he spent the years 1928 to 1934.

BABY DODDS: Despite his continuing importance and influence, Dodds' discography just isn't that long, if only because his most important work came so early in the history of recorded jazz. Thankfully, Dodds' famed "talking and drum solos" recordings originally done for the Folkways label in 1951 have been issued on CD on "Baby Dodds" (American Music label), fleshed out by a session he recorded with Bunk Johnson in the mid-1940s. Dodds first recordings were made in 1923 with King Oliver in Chicago, where Dodds remained for the next 20 years. Some of those tracks can be heard on "King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band 1923-1924" (a two-CD set on the Retrieval label). His pioneering work with Louis Armstrong, though Dodds is not on every track, is out on Armstrong's 1925 to 1928 "Hot Fives and Hot Sevens, Volumes One-Three" (Columbia label). Dodds is also on some cuts with Jelly Roll Morton, with whom he played in 1927, on "The Jelly Roll Morton Centennial: His Complete Victor Recordings" (a five-CD set on the RCA label). Collectors may find some under-the-counter Dodds stuff on the market from various radio broadcasts from 1947 with a number of traditional groups, and/or airshots from a Europeon tour he made with Mezz Mezzrow in 1948.

PAMANA FRANCIS: Francis may be among the most-recorded drummers in history, as he was among the first of the "jazz" drummers to crossover into rock and r & b studio work, drumming for artists like Ray Charles and Buddy Holly. He played with Cab Calloway's big band and small group from 1947 to 1952, and many of these titles can be found on "Cab Calloway and Company" (1931-1949: RCA label), and on some tracks on "Are You Hep To The Jive?" (1940-1947: Sony label). A real rarity that has just been issued on CD shows Francis as a real rhythm and blues groundbreaker. "All Stars 1949" (Collectables label) is a great document of definite, early rock and roll. In 1974, Francis re-formed what was the legendary "house band" at The Savoy Ballroom, The Savoy Sultans. They recorded a series of superior projects, including "Grooving" (1982: Stash label), "Everything Swings" (1984: Stash label), and a hard-to-find outing with blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon from 1980 on the Europeon Black and Blue label.

FRANKIE DUNLOP: Dunlop is another one of the unsung heros of jazz drumming who appeared on countless recordings with any number of jazz giants but never recorded as a leader. His stellar work with Maynard Ferguson's powerhouse big band of the late 1950s is available on part of Mosaic Records' expansive boxed set, "The Complete Maynard Ferguson On Roulette." With Thelonious Monk, with whom he spent the years 1960 to 1963, were fruitful recording years and some of Dunlop's work with him can be heard on "The Complete Thelonious Monk Riverside Recordings 1955-1961" (15 CDs on the Riverside label), "Big Band and Quartet In Concert" (1963: Sony / Columbia label), "Monk In Italy" (1961: Fantasy / OJC label), "Criss Cross" ( 1963: Columbia label), "Miles And Monk At Newport" ( 1958 to 1963: Columbia label), and if you can find it, "Two Hours With Thelonious" (1961, originally on Riverside label). Little known is the fact that Dunlop also was one of the percussionists on Charlie Mingus' legendary "Tijuana Moods," first released on the RCA label in 1957.

"PAPA" JO JONES: Jones' most significant work was with the Count Basie band of 1934 to 1948. Examples of Jones' stellar playing as a member of "The All American Rhythm Section" (Jones, Basie, Walter Page and Freddie Green) abound. Works include: "The Complete Decca Recordings 1937-1939" (GRP / Decca label), "The Essential Count Basie Volumes One Two and Three" (covering the same years, on the Columbia / Okeh label), "Count Basie 1938 to 1939" (Jazz Chronological Classics label), "Count At The Chatterbox" (1937: Jazz Archive), and the hard-to-find "Golden Years Volumes One to Five" (1941-1945: EPM label). Jones' fine work as a featured artist in the Jazz At The Philharmonic troupe, including his participation in the original "Perdido," can be heard on many tracks in Verve's boxed set, "The Complete Jazz At The Philharmonic On Verve 1944 to 1949." Jones' two works as a leader are still on the market. They are "The Essential Jo Jones" (1955: Vanguard) and with a group of Count Basie alumni on "The Main Man" (1976: Fantasy / OJC label). For those who want to "see" classic Jones in action, he participated in two filmed events that have been commercially-issued on video, including "Jazz On A Summer's Day" from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival where he backs none other than Chuck Berry, and the legendary television show from 1957, "The Sound of Jazz."

JOE HARRIS: Harris has had a long career, mainly as a sensitive and flexible accompanist, which is now entering its sixth decade. Harris participated in the famed "A Night At Carnegie Hall" in 1947 with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (Blue Note label), along with drummers Kenny Clarke and Teddy Stewart with Gillespie's big band on "Dizzier and Dizzier" (1947: BMG / RCA label) and "Dizzy Gillespie 1946 to 1947" (Jazz Chronological Classics). Harris spent the years 1956 to 1967 in Europe where he didn't record all that much, though one example of his playing through those years is available on Francy Bolands's "Music For The Small Hours" (Blue Note label). If you can find them, Harris' wonderful work as a sideman in a number of settings is available on James Moody's "Moody's Moods" (1954: Prestige), with Horace Silver on "Toyko Blues" (1962: Blue Note label), and curiously, just before he left for Europe on Ray Charles' legendary "The Genius After Hours" 1956: Atlantic label). Of late, Harris has been awared several grants to study traditional music in Japan and has traveled there several times since 1983.

PHILLY JOE JONES: Jones' discography as a sideman is very extensive. His breakthrough recordings where he gained his initial fame were with the Miles Davis group of 1956 and 1957, on the well-remembered recordings "Workin," "Steamin," Cookin" and "Relaxin" (all on Fantasy / OJC label). After leaving Davis, Jones recorded with just about every jazz giant, including one stellar session with a young Bill Evans, "Everybody Digs Bill Evans" (1959: Riverside label). Jones has recorded as a leader more often than is commonly thought. His best known work, where he does his hilarious imitation of Bela Lugosi, is "Blues For Dracula" (1958: Riverside label). Other efforts through the years have included "Drums Around The World" (1959: Riverside label), "Showcase" (1960: Riverside), "Mo' Joe" ( 1969: Black Lion label), "Mean What You Say" (1977: Sonet label), "Philly Mignon" (1978: Galaxy label), and with his Tadd Dameron tribute group, Dameronia, on "Advance!" (1980: Galaxy label) and "Look, Stop, and Listen" (1983: Uptown label).