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
Warren ‘Baby Dodds
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
Instruments #5: The Windsor Dual-Tension Snare Drum, late 1920s
We’ve already had a look at the 'Snapper' type of snare drum commonly used during the early years of the decade – in many ways a relic of the 1910s. Today we’ll see how the instrument evolved throughout the 1920s to become something more recognisable to modern drummers. The main snare drum I use when … Continue reading Instruments #5: The Windsor Dual-Tension Snare Drum, late 1920s
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
Library #1: ‘Drums In The ‘Twenties’ : The Dodds Interview
‘Drums In The ‘Twenties’ Transcript of Warren 'Baby' Dodds interviewed by Frederic Ramsey Jr. for Folkways Records in 1946 BABY DODDS: “…I should say, I’ve been through - actually from drum pad… to solos. Now that’s all the way, that takes every bit of it. From drum pad is where you start; no drum, no … Continue reading Library #1: ‘Drums In The ‘Twenties’ : The Dodds Interview
Heroes #2: Arthur ‘Zutty’ Singleton, 1898-1975
"Zutty and I played together pretty nearly all our lives.” - Louis Armstrong KEY RECORDINGS: With FATE MARABLE’S SOCIETY SYNCOPATORS, 1924 With CHARLES CREATH’S JAZZ-O-MANIACS, 1924-7 With JELLY ROLL MORTON’S RED HOT PEPPERS and MORTON’S TRIO, 1927-8 With LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S [second] HOT FIVE, 1928-9 By popular consensus, Zutty (pronounced ‘Zooty’ - a Creole term meaning … Continue reading Heroes #2: Arthur ‘Zutty’ Singleton, 1898-1975
Heroes #1: Warren ‘Baby’ Dodds, 1898-1959
"In those days I used to love to drum all the numbers." - Baby Dodds KEY RECORDINGS: With KING OLIVER’S CREOLE JAZZ BAND, 1923 With JELLY ROLL MORTON’S RED HOT PEPPERS and MORTON’S TRIO, 1927 With LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S HOT SEVEN, 1927 With JOHNNY DODDS’ BLACK BOTTOM STOMPERS, 1927 ‘TALKING AND DRUM SOLOS’, 1946 If ever … Continue reading Heroes #1: Warren ‘Baby’ Dodds, 1898-1959
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