Don’t make the mistake of asking Dottie Dodgion what it’s like being a female drummer. “I’m so tired of that,” she’s likely to answer. “I’ve been asked that a million times, and being a woman really has nothing to do with the way I feel about the music.” How does she feel? The daughter of professional drummer Chuck Giaimo, and later the wife of alto saxophonist Jerry Dodgion, music in general, and the music business in particular, have always been a part of her life. Born in Brea, California, Dottie Dodgion began her career in music as a singer in the San Francisco area, and worked with groups including those of Nick Esposito and Charlie Mingus. Her career as a professional drummer began in the mid-’50s and has included work with Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Benny Goodman and Melba Liston. In a feature article, Carol Sloane once said of her: […]

September 1983 Issue