Drummers of Note
- With Louis Jordan drummer and jazz legend Johnny Kirkwood, in September, 1999 (about a year before he passed away). Johnny played with Louis Jordan from1950-55, and went on to have a distinguished career backing everyone from Lionel Hampton to Wes Montgomery. Check out the feature I wrote on Johnny for StickIt Drum Magazine, Issue #10 (http://www.stickitonline.com).
In Las Vegas, Me with Louis Prima’s great drummer, Bobby Morris. Bobby was with Prima from 1954-61, during his incredible run in the lounges of Las Vegas with Keely Smith and Sam Butera and the Witnesses. We’re standing in front of the booking agency Bobby has owned since 1966.
Me with Harold Chang in Honolulu. Harold played with “Exotica” artists Martin Denny and Arthur Lymon from 1957-1973, and was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of the genre. He was also my very first drumset teacher, way back in1979.
Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats fame performing at Hootenanny, 2000.
With Dave Black at his home in Alameda, CA. Dave won the Gene Krupa drum contest as a teenager in Philadelphia, and went on to take over the drum chair in Duke Ellington’s band when Louie Bellson left in1957.