[Dixielandjazz] Drummers - was easiest instrument.

[Jim Denham]

I'm so glad to hear that Johnny Blowers is still alive, playing and has 
been honoured at the "Pee Wee" event. He played great drums on 1940's 
sessions with Condon, Brunis, Kaminsky and Lawson (including one of the 
best 4-bar beaks I ever heard at the end of a Yank Lawson side -was it 
"That's A' Plenty"?), and later went on to play with Sinatra and the 
"Saints and Sinners".

Let us honour him whilst he is still amongst us.

Yours,

Jim Denham



in a message <3E599946.6653D67 at earthlink.net>, Stephen Barbone 
<barbonestreet at earthlink.net> writes
>List mates:
>
>Note that some feel the drummer is the heartbeat of the band, and others
>that the bass is the heartbeat. Lately, in addition to our six piece
>Dixieland stuff, I have been doing a lot of trio mainstream jazz and
>quartet dixieland/mainstream jazz. Mostly for small venue parties.
>Neither unit uses a drummer. Trio is clarinet; bass; guitar. Quartet
>adds a Trombone or Trumpet.
>
>And today, I just got back form a sideman gig with Tex Wyndham's Red
>Lion Band at the 34th Annual Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp in New
>Jersey. Six piece West Coast Revival Band. Cornet, Tbone, Clarinet,
>Banjo, Piano, Bass Sax. No drums.
>
>Ironically, the Musicians Award by the New Jersey Jazz Society today
>went to drummer Johnny Blowers, almost 92 years old. He sat in with
>another band and played a long drum solo on Caravan. He's still got it.
>Told some great Pee Wee Russell stories about when they played together
>in a Condon group at Nick's in NYC in the late 1930s.
>
>IMO, the heartbeat depends upon who's in the band.
>
>Cheers,
>Steve Barbone
>
>PS. Also agree with Pat Cooke that there is nothing worse than playing
>with a bad drummer.
>
>
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-- 
Jim Denham