Drumology - Various

 

Drumology

Drumology

Buddy - Lou - Hamp - Zutty

RCA Victor 45Ep EPAT-437

1955

From the back cover: A set of drums is without doubt the most fascinating, if not the most musical, of jazz instruments. Even those who profess to have no interest in popular music of any kind stand in considerable awe of what can be done with some tightly-stretched hide, a few cymbals and a pair of sticks – it is, after all, a primitive reaction. Drumming is a world unto itself and those who practice it have, in one way or another, become almost national figures. From Baby Dodds to Louis Bellson, there have been a great number of exciting jazz perfectionists, four of whom are gathered together in this disc in a blazing display of dizzying virtuosity.

Regardless of a band's size, regardless of is individual merit, it has this common with all other bands – a drummer. Whether we walk into a night club or turn on the phonograph, he is usually the first to catch our attention. Sitting in the background, perhaps somewhat higher than the rest, his antics are irresistible, his technique amazing – he is, in a word, the whole show, the base on which the entire band pumps away.

Among the greatest drum records of the modern ear is Drumology, a Tommy Dorsey opus featuring the truly amazing Louis Bellson. Louis, who is quite possibly among the three or four greatest of all time, is a technician without parallel. His career with Duke Ellington and, most recently, with small and large groups of his own, has brought his work before an increasingly large public. His swift, light touch is unlike any other in the medium and, above all, he is a truly swinging drummer, one who's momentum cannot but carry all else on a freewheeling surge of energy.

Also from the Tommy Dorsey past comes Buddy Rich – a stand-out in the most critical of surveys. The example of his work here, Quiet Please – which, incidentally, is one of those wild Sy Oliver arrangements – is early but unmistakable. Buddy has played with any number of big bands and, of recent date, has been a leading light in the progressive movement in which he has been associated with various small groups. But the year have not intruded on his style – it remains one of sure, solid footing, rhythmic distinction and pulsing beat.

The New Orleans veteran, Zutty Singleton, shows us how truly jumping great drumming can be in "Fats" Waller's Moppin' and Boppin' – a display spellbinding in its sure and precise control of drumming's rudiments. And Hampton – a master of the vibes and a pretty amazing two-finger piano stylist – is also one of the most driving and rhythmic of drummers. Heard here in Chasin' With Chase, he shows us work which is the epitome of what drumming should be – wild, exciting, enthusiastic and uninhibited. – Bill Zeitung

Drumology - Louis Bellson with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

Moppin' And Boppin' - Zutty Singleton with "Fats" Waller and His Orchestra

Quiet Please - Buddy Rich with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

Chasin' With Chase - Lionel Hampton with Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra