Art Blakey was an individualist in every way, including the look of his drum kit. The Gretsch kit shown here features a 14×20 bass drum, 8×12 and 9×13 rack toms, a 16×16 floor tom, and a 5×14 metal snare. The tom sizes and metal snare were uncharacteristic of bop kits of the day, which tended toward smaller toms and wood snares. But they were very much in keeping with Art’s penchant for power and volume. In the 50s and 60s, Gretsch drums were the brand of choice for virtually every important jazz drummer, and Art was no exception. However, where most of his contemporaries favored traditional pearl or the slightly flashier sparkle finishes, Art sought to set himself apart. Therefore, when Gretsch introduced its pseudo-psychedelic flame finish in the 60s, Art opted for the hipper look of the Moon Glow Flame color. Its iridescent finish would appear to move with […]

May 2023 Issue