Because a full drum set could overwhelm the other instruments in the early days of jazz recording, drummers of the time were restricted to utilizing only parts of their set, usually cowbells, a cymbal, woodblocks, and sometimes a washboard. One can only speculate how drummers really sounded when playing live before 1926. But after that, the improved recording quality allows today’s listeners to experience and appreciate the masterful New Orleans drummers who were documented.
Upbeat’s latest collection, Great Jazz Great Drummers (subtitled Masters Of New Orleans Drumming), collects together 24 recordings from 1926-54, all of which have significant contributions from the drummers. Since the emphasis is on drummers playing in the New Orleans style, such swing greats as Gene Krupa, Chick Webb, Big Sid Catlett and Buddy Rich are purposely absent.
Instead, one gets excellent examples of the playing of Tony Sbarbaro (including a 1936 version of “Tiger Rag” with the reunited Original Dixieland Jazz Band), Baby Dodds, Tubby Hall, Zutty Singleton, Paul Barbarin, Christopher “Black Happy” Goldston (with Oscar Celestin in 1950), Ray Bauduc, Andrew Hillaire, Edgar Mosely, Alton Redd, and Minor “Ram” Hall.
Among the other musicians heard from are such greats as Jelly Roll Morton (“Billy Goat Stomp”), Sidney Bechet, James P. Johnson, Cleo Brown, Jimmie Noone, King Oliver (1926
