Drummer, Composer, Bandleader, and Double-Bass Pioneer Last month we talked about the father of modern jazz drumming, Papa Jo Jones. This time we’re featuring one of Papa Jo’s disciples, the great jazz artist and drumset innovator Louie Bellson.Bellson was the epitome of class as both a drummer and a person. Beyond his incredible technical skills on the drumset, he was a prolific writer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. He was also an innovator of the drumset. Ever wonder who was the first drummer to popularize using two bass drums? It was Louie. And he did this long before rock drummers Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, and many others standardized the double-bass setup. There are several videos available on YouTube that showcase Bellson’s nimble footwork. One of the those is a recording of the classic drum feature “Skin Deep,” which is a Bellson composition that originally appeared on the 1952 Duke Ellington album […]

August 2020 Issue