[Dixielandjazz] Melodious Drummers

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Folks,

Some drummers are great technical drummers and others are great musicians whose instrument happens to be drums. Big Sid Catlett is an outstanding example of the latter: his time was rock-solid, he phrased to support soloists' and ensemble phrasing, he swung like the clappers and you can sing great swathes of his solos on Boff Boff and Steak Face from the Armstrong All-Stars' 1947 Boston Symphony Hall recordings. He was cited by both Armstrong and Sidney Bechet as their favourite drummer because his playing made it easy for them to play oin a natural unforced manner. Small wonder then that Louis Armstrong remarked, on listening to several of his recordings, that the swingingest records all had Big Sid on them.

Cheers,

Ken Mathieson
www.classicjazzorchestra.org.uk