This superb two-disc set honors drummer Arthur J. Singleton, known throughout the jazz world by the nickname “Zutty.” (Trevor Richards says in his liner notes, “Zutty” is Creole patois for “cute,” and John Petters, in his analysis of this set in Just Jazz magazine, the Nov. issue of 2021, says the same and adds that the sobriquet was applied to Singleton when he was a little kid by an aunt, after which it followed him for the rest of his days.) The album’s title points to two of Singleton’s attributes: he was, indeed, an icon of New Orleans drumming and the jazz heartbeat almost any time he was a member of the band, as this pair of discs illustrates.
The New Orleans style of drumming is not flashy. The best exponents of the style, like Baby Dodds and Zutty Singleton, do not play to the crowd—but having said that, I must admit that it sounds as if Singleton gets carried away somewhat by the audience’s reaction to “The Sheik of Araby.” While it is oversimplifying a bit, I would say the New Orleans style bands play mainly ensemble throughout, and the drummer and the rest of the rhythm section plays a supportive role beneath the front line. The drummer relies mainly on pressed roll work with accents, and this drives the band. He uses sticks for the most part—when he wishes to play really softly, he achieves this by lightening the stick pressure and/or moving awa
