Drummer Man - Gene Krupa

 

Opus 1

Drummer Man

Gene Krupa In HIghest-FI

Featuring Anita O'Day & Roy Eldridge

Cover and Liner Photos by Herman Leonard

Verver Records MGV-2008

1956

Personnel:

Drums: Gene Krupa

Piano: David McKenna

Guitar: Joseph Galbraith

Bass: John Drew

Tenor Saxophone: Sam Marowitz

Baritone Saxophone: Danny Bank

Trumpet: Joseph Ferrante, Bernie Glow, Nicholas Travis & Roy Eldridge

Trombone: J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Fred Ohms & James Cleveland

From the back cover: Just why Anita and Roy do so well playing with a Krupa band is not easy to fathom unless it's because they, the three of them, feel especially comfortable working together. Before, when Anita and Roy were members of the Krupa organization they created some of the most memorable music ever. With this returning – it happened in New York in the spring of '56, by the way – the same old spirit, obviously, has remained if not grown ever more rewarding to hear. Krupa, as everyone knows by now, is a veteran of the great old Benny Goodman band and has had his own big band and smaller units since then. No other drummer has been more honored, none more widely known, none more respected. He is, in truth, the nations's perennial "Drummer Man."

Naturally, when Gene, Anita and Roy decided to record again, they wanted to do some of the favorites well known to their fans of the big band days. First off, of course, was "Let Me Off Uptown," a bouncer in which Anita and Roy tell the joys of a not-too-mythical "uptown" and Roy takes a shiningly perfect trumpet solo. "Fish Market" with Roy growls and then expands to higher register. "That's What You Think" shows Anita in a sardonic mood with a largely wordless but meaningful reading. And speaking of meaningless, listen to "Boogie Blues" and Anita asking, plaintively: "Don't the moon look lonesome?" Through all of this, of course, there's the drummer man at work – notably in a peppery percussion tour de force,  "Wire Brush Stomp," and "Boogie Blues" where Gene responds brightly to Anita's query: "Do you hear the drummer boogie?"

From Billboard - June 9, 1956: This is Gene Krupa in hi-fi, featuring many of his Swing Era hits re-recorded with the original stars, Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge. Like the other modernized "Hi-Fi" packages (Goodman, James, etc.) it should enjoy a mighty healthy spin and sales life. Krupa is back in top form, as is thrush O'Day, and Eldridge rarely has sounded this brilliant. The Krupa specials have been up-dated, mostly by ace arranger Quincy Jones, and are performed by an all-star band that sounds as clean as Krupa's old crew. Titles include "Let Me Off Uptown," Rockin' Chair," "Drum Boogie," "Wire Brush Stomp," etc. Plenty here for jocks and jazznicks.

Let Me Off Uptown - Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge, vocal; Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones

Rockin' Chari - Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo; Arranged by Quincy Jones

Opus 1 - Anita O'Day, vocal; Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones

Fish Market - Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Manny Albam

Drummin' Man - Ainta O'Day, vocal; Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones

Boogie Blues - Anita O'Day, vocal; Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones

Leave Us Leap - Soloists in order of appearance: Roy Eldridge, Trumpet; Eddie She, Tenor Sax; Jimmy Cleveland, Trombone, Dave McKenna, Piano; Aaron Sachs, Tenor Sax - Arranged by Billy Byers

Slow Down - Anita O'Day, vocal; Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Billy Byres

Wire Brush Stomp - Anita O'Day, vocal, Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones

That's What You Think - Anita O'Day, vocal; Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones

After You've Gone - Roy Eldridge, Trumpet Solo, Aaron Sachs, Clarinet Solo - Arranged by Quincy Jones