Yet another new kind of article today for Drums In The Twenties - a travelogue of sorts. In the last week of April of 2022, I and my colleagues in Alex Mendham's Orchestra were lucky enough to undertake the gig of a lifetime – a week-long residency playing in the grand ballroom of the Queen … Continue reading Library #9: Vintage Drum Adventures In The Land Of Jazz, May 2022
Heroes
Library #8: Drums In The Twenties On The Map: Chicago
Today, another first from DITT: we're going to take a break from listening for once, and go all cartological instead. In the course of writing about our Heroes, an important question I've tried always to bear in mind is the dissemination of musical ideas from drummer to drummer. It's vital to consider, when discussing a … Continue reading Library #8: Drums In The Twenties On The Map: Chicago
Heroes #19: Johnny Wells, 1899-1965
“There were a lot of terrific drummers in Chicago in those days, [like] Johnny Wells…” - Sid Catlett KEY RECORDINGS:With JIMMIE NOONE's APEX CLUB ORCHESTRA, 1928-9With ALEX HILL, 1929 The 1920s drumming Hero we'll be meeting today is yet another musician who rarely seems to merit a mention in what we might call the 'mainstream' … Continue reading Heroes #19: Johnny Wells, 1899-1965
Library #5: Where Are All The Heroines?
The 1920s drumming Heroes we’ve met so far, whilst all Americans, represent a quite diverse demographic. Some, such as Zutty Singleton and Baby Dodds, grew up in working-class neighbourhoods in the South, their grandparents likely to have been born enlaved. Others, like Vic Berton, were raised in the North in comfortable, even opulent, surroundings - … Continue reading Library #5: Where Are All The Heroines?
Heroes #14: Andrew Hilaire, 1899-1935
“Andrew Hilaire: the perfect drummer for Jelly Roll Morton. Time, taste, technique - all superb.” - Hal Smith KEY RECORDINGS: With 'DOC' COOK (COOK & HIS DREAMLAND ORCHESTRA / COOKIE'S GINGERSNAPS / COOK & HIS 14 DOCTORS OF SYNCOPATION), 1924-28 With JELLY ROLL MORTON’S RED HOT PEPPERS, 1926 At the dawn of the recording industry, … Continue reading Heroes #14: Andrew Hilaire, 1899-1935
Heroes #13: Vic Moore, 1902-1976
“Moore hunched over his drums, hammering out a steady pulse...” – Ralph Berton KEY RECORDINGS: With THE WOLVERINE ORCHESTRA, 1924 With THE SIOUX CITY SIX, 1924 With THE ORIGINAL WOLVERINES, 1927-8 In 1920, young Vic Moore was just beginning to take an interest in music, particularly in the jazz which was becoming wildly popular among … Continue reading Heroes #13: Vic Moore, 1902-1976
Heroes #12: Alfred ‘Tubby’ Hall, 1895-1945
'I got my press roll from [...] Tubby Hall'– Baby Dodds KEY RECORDINGS:[?] With DOC COOK & HIS DREAMLAND ORCHESTRA, 1924With LOUIS ARMSTRONG & HIS ORCHESTRA, dir. CARROLL DICKERSON, 1927-31 Addressing the early life and work of Alfred ‘Tubby’ Hall, hard on the heels of having finished introducing our previous Hero – Mr. Stan King - is … Continue reading Heroes #12: Alfred ‘Tubby’ Hall, 1895-1945
Timeline
See also: GLOSSARY, BIBLIOGRAPHY
Heroes #10: Joseph ‘Kaiser’ Marshall, 1899-1948
“One of the great drummers of the early days of jazz” – Leonard Feather KEY RECORDINGS: With LUCILLE HEGAMIN, 1920-22 With FLETCHER HENDERSON & HIS ORCHESTRA, 1923-29 With McKINNEY’S COTTON PICKERS, 1929 With LOUIS ARMSTRONG, 1929 A select number of individuals in jazz history were awarded honorific ‘noble’ nicknames by their peers; some of these … Continue reading Heroes #10: Joseph ‘Kaiser’ Marshall, 1899-1948
Heroes #9: Chauncey Morehouse, 1902-1980
"The drummer[’s] success depends entirely on his own originality" – Chauncey Morehouse KEY RECORDINGS: With THE GEORGIANS, 1922-24 With JEAN GOLDKETTE & HIS ORCHESTRA, 1926-27 With FRANKIE TRUMBAUER & HIS ORCHESTRA, 1927 With BIX BEIDERBECKE & HIS GANG, 1927 In jazz, as in many art forms, certain historical figures occasionally acquire a mythical status, as … Continue reading Heroes #9: Chauncey Morehouse, 1902-1980
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