Gene Krupa | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Krupa in 1944 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eugene Bertram Krupa |
| Born | January 15, 1909 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 16, 1973 (aged 64) Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1920s–1973 |
Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973)[1] was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer.[2][3] Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, Sing" elevated the role of the drummer from that of an accompanist to that of an important solo voice in the band.
In collaboration with the Slingerland drum- and Zildjian cymbal-manufacturers, he became a major force in defining the standard band-drummer's kit. Modern Drummer magazine regards Krupa as "the founding father of modern drumset playing".[4]
Upon his death, The New York Times labeled Krupa a "revolutionary" known for "frenzied, flashy" drumming, with his work having generated a significant musical legacy that started "in jazz and has continued on through the rock era".[5]
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 1408/9. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Gene Krupa". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ Spagnardi, Ron (1992). The Great Jazz Drummers. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 35.
- ^ "Gene Krupa: The Man Who Made It All Happen". Modern Drummer. December 8, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
If anyone can be considered the founding father of modern drumset playing, it's Gene Krupa.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (October 17, 1973). "Gene Krupa, Revolutionary Drummer, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 15, 2023.